Read the bilingual lesson for Tayammum: Pillars, Sunnahs, Water Search, and Invalidators and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. The Two Pillars of Tayammum
وَرُكْنَاهُ مَسْحُ الْيَدَيْنِ وَالْوَجْهِ
The two pillars are the actual wiping of:
1. The face.
2. Both arms/hands to the elbows, as defined by the validity conditions.
The two earth-strikes are a separate condition of validity; they are not the two pillars themselves.
2. The Seven Sunnahs of Tayammum
وَسُنَنُ التَّيَمُّمِ سَبْعَةٌ: التَّسْمِيَةُ فِي أَوَّلِهِ، وَالتَّرْتِيبُ، وَالْمُوَالَاةُ، وَإِقْبَالُ الْيَدَيْنِ بَعْدَ وَضْعِهِمَا فِي التُّرَابِ، وَإِدْبَارُهُمَا، وَنَفْضُهُمَا، وَتَفْرِيجُ الْأَصَابِعِ
1. Tasmiyah.
2. Order.
3. Continuity.
4. Move the hands forward after placing them on the earth.
5. Move them back.
6. Shake off excess dust.
7. Keep the fingers spread.
Delaying Tayammum when water is hoped for is a separate recommended ruling, not one of these seven Sunnahs.
3. When Tayammum Is Delayed
وَنُدِبَ تَأْخِيرُ التَّيَمُّمِ لِمَنْ يَرْجُو الْمَاءَ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ الْوَقْتِ، وَيَجِبُ التَّأْخِيرُ بِالْوَعْدِ بِالْمَاءِ وَلَوْ خَافَ الْقَضَاءَ
• If a person reasonably hopes water will become available before the prayer time ends, delaying Tayammum is recommended.
• If a reliable promise of water is made, the text raises the delay to obligatory even if there is fear that the prayer will become Qada.
• A promise of clothing or a water-container/tool also has a separate delay rule in the text when Qada is not feared.
4. Searching for Water
وَيَجِبُ طَلَبُ الْمَاءِ إِلَى مِقْدَارِ أَرْبَعِمِائَةِ خُطْوَةٍ إِنْ ظَنَّ قُرْبَهُ مَعَ الْأَمْنِ
If water is reasonably thought to be nearby and the search is safe, it is obligatory to search up to 400 paces. The text does not describe this simply as a modern circular 'radius'; the practical rule is the stated search distance under safety and likelihood.
5. Asking for and Buying Water
وَيَجِبُ طَلَبُهُ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مَعَهُ ... وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ إِلَّا بِثَمَنِ مِثْلِهِ لَزِمَهُ شِرَاؤُهُ بِهِ إِنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ فَاضِلًا عَنْ نَفَقَتِهِ
When the situation is one in which people normally share water, the person must ask those with them. If water is offered only at a fair equivalent price, buying it is required when the person has funds beyond necessary expenses. Excessive pricing or lack of spare funds removes that obligation.
6. Wounds: Tayammum or Washing with Wiping
وَلَوْ كَانَ أَكْثَرُ الْبَدَنِ أَوْ نِصْفُهُ جَرِيحًا تَيَمَّمَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُ صَحِيحًا غَسَلَهُ وَمَسَحَ الْجَرِيحَ، وَلَا يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ الْغُسْلِ وَالتَّيَمُّمِ
• If half or more of the body is wounded in the situation addressed here, Tayammum is used.
• If the healthy part is the majority, wash the healthy area and wipe the wounded area where possible.
• The text does not combine partial washing with Tayammum as two halves of one purification.
7. One Tayammum Can Cover More Than One Prayer
يُصَلِّي بِالتَّيَمُّمِ الْوَاحِدِ مَا شَاءَ مِنَ الْفَرَائِضِ وَالنَّوَافِلِ، وَصَحَّ تَقْدِيمُهُ عَلَى الْوَقْتِ
Under the Hanafi rule stated here, one valid Tayammum remains usable for multiple obligatory and voluntary prayers until something invalidates it. It may also be performed before the prayer time enters.
8. What Invalidates Tayammum?
وَيَنْقُضُهُ نَاقِضُ الْوُضُوءِ وَالْقُدْرَةُ عَلَى اسْتِعْمَالِ الْمَاءِ الْكَافِي
Tayammum is invalidated by:
1. Anything that invalidates Wudu.
2. Regaining the ability to use enough water, including the disappearance of the excuse that permitted Tayammum.
This is an essential completion of the Tayammum chapter and was previously missing from the course.
Practice questions
Question 1
What are the two pillars of Tayammum according to the matn?
- Two strikes on the earth.
- Wiping the face and both arms/hands to the elbows.
- Intention and Tasmiyah.
- Searching for water and then wiping the face.
Question 2
If a person reasonably hopes to obtain water before the prayer time ends, delaying Tayammum is recommended.
Question 3
Under which condition is a person mandatory (Wajib) to search for water up to the physical boundary of 400 paces?
- In all travel scenarios, regardless of suspicion.
- If they strongly suspect the proximity of water and safety is guaranteed (Ma' al-Amn).
- Only during winter.
- Only if safety is threatened by enemies.
Question 4
If a traveler's companion refuses to give water for free but offers to sell it at its fair market price, the traveler is obligated to buy it even if they must spend their last travel funds needed for food.
Question 5
If exactly half or more of a person's body is wounded or injured, what is the required method of purification?
- They must wash the healthy parts and perform Tayammum for the wounded parts.
- They must perform Tayammum only as a complete substitute for the bath.
- They must perform Ghusl with freezing water.
- They are excused from all purification and can pray directly.
Question 6
Moving the hands forward, moving them back, shaking them, and keeping the fingers spread are four separate items within the seven Sunnahs of Tayammum.
Question 7
Sort the following scenarios into "Tayammum Only" and "Washing + Wiping (Mas'h)" according to the wound management rules:
Question 8
Match the water-seeking rules with their correct legal boundaries:
Question 9
Which event invalidates a valid Tayammum?
- Regaining the ability to use sufficient water.
- The prayer time entering.
- Performing a second Fard prayer.
- Reciting the Tasmiyah.
Question 10
How many obligatory and voluntary prayers may be performed with one valid Tayammum before it is invalidated?
- Only one prayer.
- As many as desired while the Tayammum remains valid.
- Only two Fard prayers.
- Only Nafl prayers.
Open the interactive quiz