When is Tayammum Permissible?

Source: This response is based on the rulings compiled in the book 500 Questions and Answers for Women, translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.

Question:
If a person is unable to use water for ablution (wudu) or ritual bathing (ghusl), how can they attain purification?

Answer:
When a person cannot use water due to its unavailability or because its use would cause harm, they are permitted to perform Tayammum. The process of Tayammum is as follows:

1. Strike the hands on a clean surface of the earth (e.g., soil, sand, or anything naturally from the earth).
2. Wipe the hands over the face.
3. Rub the hands against each other.

This Tayammum suffices for purification from minor impurities (e.g., after passing wind, urination, or defecation) and can replace wudu or ghusl in situations where water cannot be used.

Tayammum and Removal of Impurities (Najasa):​

• Tayammum is exclusively for attaining purification from ritual impurities (hadath) to enable acts of worship, such as prayer.
• For removing physical impurities (najasa) on the body, clothes, or ground, Tayammum does not apply because the purpose is to physically eliminate the impurity, not a ritual purification.

Key Points Regarding Najasa:​

1. Physical Removal of Impurities:
   
   • To remove physical impurities, the substance itself (e.g., dirt, urine, blood) must be cleaned or washed away.
   • If the impurity is removed without intention (e.g., rainwater cleanses the impure area), the area becomes pure regardless of a person’s awareness or intent.
2. Difference Between Ritual and Physical Purification:
   
   • Ritual purification (hadath) is an act of worship and requires intention (niyyah) to draw closer to Allah. Tayammum is valid for this purpose when water is unavailable or harmful.
   • Physical purification (najasa) does not require intention. For example, if rainwater removes impurity from clothing or a surface, it is considered clean.

Conclusion:​

Tayammum is permissible in the following cases:

1. When water is unavailable.
2. When using water is harmful, such as due to illness or extreme cold.

Tayammum applies only for ritual purification (ablution or bathing). It does not replace the removal of physical impurities.

Wallahu A’lam (And Allah knows best).