Islamic Manual

What dry ablution (tayammum) may be done with, and when it is allowed

Which materials dry ablution (tayammum) can and cannot be performed on, and the situations that make it permissible instead of water.

Tayammum is done with pure soil or dust, or things like soil. It cannot be done with things like metal, wood, cloth or grain, unless they have a layer of dust sitting on them.

What can and cannot be used for tayammum
Can be used Cannot be used
Sand, soil, stones, salt-rock, and other earthy things Gold, silver, iron, wood, or cloth, unless dust is sitting on them
Baked bricks, plaster, lime, wet clay, and plain clay pots A clay pot painted or oiled with something not made from earth
Just dust on its own, even with nothing else Ground that used to be impure and then dried out; you can pray on it, but you cannot use it for tayammum

When you are allowed to do tayammum instead of using water

  1. There is no water within about a mile of you.
  2. Using water would make you more sick, or your illness worse.
  3. It is so cold that ghusl could seriously harm you, and you have no warm water.
  4. You are scared of an enemy, a wild animal, or getting hurt on the way to the water.
  5. The water you have is only enough to drink, and you or your animals would go thirsty otherwise.
  6. There is a well, but no bucket or rope to get the water out.
  7. Water is only sold at an unfairly high price, or you cannot afford it.
  8. You would miss a prayer that cannot be made up later, like Eid or a funeral prayer.

Tayammum is permissible with soil or a substance similar to soil, even without visible dust on it; items that are not soil or soil-like cannot be used for it.

What may and may not be used for tayammum
May be used May not be used
Sand, stones (such as agate, turquoise, marble), and minerals such as sulfur, antimony, ochre, or rock salt: anything that does not soften or turn to ash when burned Metals such as gold, silver or copper, wood, fabric, or grain: anything that softens or turns to ash when burned, unless it carries a layer of dust
Baked plaster, bricks, lime, wet clay, and clay pots without paint or oil unless the paint or oil is itself earth-based A clay pot with paint or oil that is not earth-based
Dust alone, with nothing else present Ground that was impure and has since dried and lost the visible effect of the impurity; this may be prayed on, but tayammum on it is not permitted
Soil mixed with a non-soil substance, provided soil is the majority component Soil mixed with a non-soil substance where the non-soil substance is the majority

The situations in which tayammum becomes permissible

  1. Water is unavailable within a distance of about a mile, or, at least, enough of it to perform wudu or ghusl.
  2. Water is available, but using it might worsen an illness or delay recovery; this also covers cold severe enough that ghusl risks serious harm to a body part or illness, where warm water cannot be had.
  3. There is fear of an enemy, a wild animal, or some other harm on the way to the water.
  4. Water is present but only enough to drink, with a real risk that using it for wudu or ghusl would leave the person, their companions, or their animals thirsty.
  5. There is a well, but no bucket, rope or other means of drawing the water.
  6. Water is available only at an unreasonably high price, such as twice its normal cost, or cannot be afforded.
  7. There is a risk of missing a prayer that cannot be made up or substituted, such as the Eid prayer or a funeral prayer, provided the person is not the deceased's guardian.
Forbidden (Ḥarām)must not do

Tayammum may not be used for prayers that can be made up later, such as the five daily prayers or Jumu'ah, merely out of fear of missing their time for lack of water.

Tayammum is permissible with soil or a substance similar to it, even where no visible dust is present on it; matter that is neither soil nor soil-like cannot be used.

What is and is not soil-like for the purposes of tayammum
May be used May not be used
Sand; stones of various kinds: agate, turquoise, marble; minerals such as sulfur, antimony, ochre, rock salt, in short, anything that neither softens nor turns to ash under fire Metals (gold, silver, copper), wood, fabric or grain, anything that softens or turns to ash under fire, unless a layer of dust rests on it
Baked plaster, bricks, lime, wet clay, and clay vessels, so long as any paint or oil on the vessel is itself earth-derived A clay vessel bearing paint or oil that is not earth-derived
Dust alone suffices, with no other substance present Ground that was impure and has since dried, the effect of the impurity having vanished; valid to pray upon, but tayammum upon it remains impermissible
A mixture of soil and a non-soil substance, where soil forms the majority A mixture of soil and a non-soil substance where the non-soil substance forms the majority

The situations that make tayammum permissible (explanation of the sixth condition)

  1. Water is unavailable within roughly a mile, or, more precisely, in a quantity sufficient for wuḍūʾ or ghusl.
  2. Water is available, but its use might worsen an illness or delay recovery; this extends to cold severe enough that ghusl risks serious harm to a limb or organ, where warm water cannot be obtained.
  3. There is fear of an enemy, a wild animal, or other harm on the way to the water.
  4. Water is present but only sufficient for drinking, with a genuine risk that its use for wuḍūʾ or ghusl would leave the person, companions, or animals thirsty.
  5. A well exists, but no bucket, rope, or other means to draw from it is available.
  6. Water is obtainable only at an unreasonably inflated price (twice the ordinary cost, say), or cannot be afforded at all.
  7. There is a risk of missing a prayer with no substitute or make-up, the Eid prayer or a funeral prayer, provided the person is not the guardian of the deceased.
Forbidden (Ḥarām)must not do

Tayammum is not permitted for a prayer that admits of qaḍāʾ (being made up later), the five daily prayers or Jumuʿah, on the ground of fearing to miss its time for want of water.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 776 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

Rulings of Tayammum (Dry Ablution)

  1. Wiping should be done with at least three fingers.
  2. Remove tight rings or any oils from the face and hands that could block the soil.
  3. One tayammum can be used for both wudu and ghusl if intended.
  4. Materials for Tayammum:
  5. Pure soil or anything similar (like sand, pebbles, lime, etc.) can be used. Tayammum cannot be done on non-earthly materials (such as gold, silver, iron, wood, or cloth) unless they have a layer of dust on them.
  6. When is Tayammum Permissible?:
  7. When traveling or outside a town and no water is available within a mile.
  8. When using water may cause or worsen an illness.
  9. If there is danger in reaching the water (e.g., due to wild animals or enemies).
  10. If essential items (like a bucket or rope) for fetching water are unavailable.
  11. If water is only enough for drinking.
  12. In situations where using water may lead to missing Eid or funeral prayers.
  13. Breaking of Tayammum:
  14. Tayammum for wudu is broken by anything that breaks wudu, and tayammum for ghusl is broken by anything that necessitates ghusl.
  15. Tayammum is also invalidated if sufficient water becomes available or if the reason for tayammum ceases (e.g., recovery from illness or danger removed).

Rulings of Tayammum (Dry Ablution) 52. Items with Which Tayammum is Permissible: (Explanation of Conditions 4 and 5)

  1. Tayammum is permissible with soil or any substance similar to soil, even if it doesn’t have visible dust. Items not from soil or soil-like substances cannot be used for tayammum.

Rulings of Tayammum (Dry Ablution) Note

Soil-like substances include those that don’t soften or turn to ash when burned, such as sand, various types of stones (agate, turquoise, marble), minerals like sulfur, antimony, ochre, rock salt, etc. Items that soften or turn to ash when burned, like metals (gold, silver, copper, etc.), wood, fabric, or grains, are not considered soil-like.

  1. Tayammum is valid on non-soil materials if they have a layer of dust on them.
  2. Tayammum is allowed on baked plaster, bricks, lime, wet clay, and clay pots, as long as the pot doesn’t have paint or oil that isn’t from an earth-based source.
  3. If soil is mixed with a non-soil substance, the majority component is what matters for validity.
  4. Tayammum is valid solely from dust.
  5. Multiple people or one person can perform tayammum multiple times in the same place or with the same soil.
  6. The soil or soil-like substance must be clean and purifying. (If the ground has become impure and then dried, making the impurity vanish, prayer on that ground is valid, but tayammum on it is not allowed).

Rulings of Tayammum (Dry Ablution) 53. Conditions When Tayammum is Permissible: (Explanation of Condition 6)

The situations in which one is unable to use water or Tayammum becomes permissible are as follows:

  1. When water is unavailable within a distance of one mile (or enough to perform wudu or ghusl).
  2. Water is available, but using it might worsen an illness or delay recovery. This also applies if it’s so cold that performing ghusl could risk severe harm to a body part or cause illness, and warm water isn’t accessible.
  3. There’s fear of an enemy, wild animal, or any harm on the way to the water.
  4. Water is present but only enough to drink for survival, with a risk that performing wudu or ghusl would leave oneself, companions, or animals thirsty.
  5. There’s a well, but no bucket, rope, or other means to retrieve the water.
  6. Water is available for a high price, but the cost is unreasonably high, like twice the normal price, or cannot be afforded.
  7. There is a risk of missing a prayer that cannot be made up or substituted, such as Eid prayers or a funeral prayer (as long as the person praying is not the deceased’s guardian).

Rulings of Tayammum (Dry Ablution) Notes

  1. If there’s a possibility of finding water nearby, one is obligated to search for it, or if someone nearby likely has water, it must be requested. Tayammum is invalid without this search or request.
  2. Tayammum is allowed if someone has smallpox or if a majority of the body parts necessary for wudu or ghusl are injured.
  3. If water is enough only for wudu but there is significant impurity (najasa) on the clothes or body, the impurity should be washed first, and then tayammum should be performed instead of wudu.
  4. If the water is doubtful in purity (e.g., if an animal like a donkey has drunk from it), one should perform wudu or ghusl with it first, then perform tayammum.
  5. If a traveler forgets they have water in their supplies, performs tayammum, and prays, the prayer is valid, even if they remember the water afterward (repeating the prayer is unnecessary).
  6. Tayammum is not allowed for prayers that can be made up later, such as the five daily prayers or Jumu’ah, if they fear missing them due to lack of water.

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