Ruling on Tayammum After the Availability of Water
❖ Question:
Does tayammum become invalid after water is found, or does it remain valid?
❖ Answer by Shaykh Saeed Mujtaba Saeedi ḥafiẓahullāh and Shaykh Fahd Ansari ḥafiẓahullāh
✔ No Obligation to Repeat Salah:
If a person searched for water but did not find it, and thus performed tayammum and offered the prayer, then there is no obligation to repeat the prayer after water becomes available later.
Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrates:
“خَرَجَ رَجُلَانِ فِي سَفَرٍ فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُمَا مَاءٌ فَتَيَمَّمَا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَصَلَّيَا، ثُمَّ وَجَدَا الْمَاءَ فِي الْوَقْتِ فَأَعَادَ أَحَدُهُمَا الصَّلَاةَ وَالْوُضُوءَ وَلَمْ يُعِدِ الْآخَرُ، ثُمَّ أَتَيَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ، فَقَالَ لِلَّذِي لَمْ يُعِدْ: أَصَبْتَ السُّنَّةَ وَأَجْزَأَتْكَ صَلَاتُكَ، وَقَالَ لِلَّذِي تَوَضَّأَ وَأَعَادَ: لَكَ الْأَجْرُ مَرَّتَيْنِ”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 338)
“Two men set out on a journey. When the time for prayer came, they had no water, so they performed tayammum using clean earth and prayed. Later, during the same prayer time, they found water. One of them repeated the ablution and the prayer, while the other did not. They then came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and mentioned this to him. He said to the one who did not repeat: ‘You followed the Sunnah and your prayer sufficed you,’ and to the one who repeated, he said: ‘You will have a double reward.’”
✔ Continuity of Concession:
The concession of tayammum remains valid as long as water is unavailable or one is unable to use water.
End of Concession:
Once water becomes available or a person gains the ability to use it, the concession of tayammum comes to an end, and regular wuḍūʾ becomes obligatory for subsequent prayers.
✔ If one performed tayammum due to lack of water and prayed, the prayer is valid and does not need to be repeated after water is found.
However, after water becomes available, tayammum is no longer permissible, and wuḍūʾ must be performed for upcoming prayers.
❖ Question:
Does tayammum become invalid after water is found, or does it remain valid?
❖ Answer by Shaykh Saeed Mujtaba Saeedi ḥafiẓahullāh and Shaykh Fahd Ansari ḥafiẓahullāh
◈ Ruling on Repeating the Prayer
✔ No Obligation to Repeat Salah:
If a person searched for water but did not find it, and thus performed tayammum and offered the prayer, then there is no obligation to repeat the prayer after water becomes available later.
◈ Evidence from Hadith
Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrates:
“خَرَجَ رَجُلَانِ فِي سَفَرٍ فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُمَا مَاءٌ فَتَيَمَّمَا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَصَلَّيَا، ثُمَّ وَجَدَا الْمَاءَ فِي الْوَقْتِ فَأَعَادَ أَحَدُهُمَا الصَّلَاةَ وَالْوُضُوءَ وَلَمْ يُعِدِ الْآخَرُ، ثُمَّ أَتَيَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ، فَقَالَ لِلَّذِي لَمْ يُعِدْ: أَصَبْتَ السُّنَّةَ وَأَجْزَأَتْكَ صَلَاتُكَ، وَقَالَ لِلَّذِي تَوَضَّأَ وَأَعَادَ: لَكَ الْأَجْرُ مَرَّتَيْنِ”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 338)
“Two men set out on a journey. When the time for prayer came, they had no water, so they performed tayammum using clean earth and prayed. Later, during the same prayer time, they found water. One of them repeated the ablution and the prayer, while the other did not. They then came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and mentioned this to him. He said to the one who did not repeat: ‘You followed the Sunnah and your prayer sufficed you,’ and to the one who repeated, he said: ‘You will have a double reward.’”
◈ Conditions for the Validity of Tayammum
✔ Continuity of Concession:
The concession of tayammum remains valid as long as water is unavailable or one is unable to use water.
End of Concession:Once water becomes available or a person gains the ability to use it, the concession of tayammum comes to an end, and regular wuḍūʾ becomes obligatory for subsequent prayers.
✿ Conclusion:
✔ If one performed tayammum due to lack of water and prayed, the prayer is valid and does not need to be repeated after water is found.
However, after water becomes available, tayammum is no longer permissible, and wuḍūʾ must be performed for upcoming prayers.
