Conditions for
at-Tayammum
1-At-Tayammum can only
be done with grains earth. Al-Uthaymeen explains that at-Tayammum as certain
conditions and this is one of them based on the opinion of the Hanbalee Madhab.
They are of the opinion that is must be grains of earth (such as soil etc.) and if
one doesn’t find this then there is no at-Tayammum.
Grains of earth includes anything which is granular but not sand. So, if a person is in a desert and finds only sand or mud due to mixed sand and water, then he prays without Tayammum, according to the Hanbalee Madhab, because they view that at-Tayammum cant be preformed with sand.
Their evidence is as
follows:
-The Hadeeth, “The earth and its grains has been made as a
purification.” [Muslim (522)]
-The Hadeeth, “The earth and its grains have been made as a
purification.” [Reported by Ahmad (1/98) and classes as Hasan by al-Haythamee
in Majma’ (1/261)]
Al-Uthaymeen explains
that there is another Hadeeth which doesn’t mention “grains”:
-“The earth has been made as a place of praying and purification.”
[Reported by al-Bukhaaree (307) and Muslim (291)]
PRINCIPLE: if we have
two different wording then one general (the earth) and one specific (the grains
of the earth) then if one accomplishes something based on the general wording
then the specific one is not binding.
Based on this, the
specific wording of “grains” doesn’t necessarily mean that it has specified the
Hadeeth which mention “earth” alone.
Another example, if a
person says, “Feed the students of such and such school.” The command here is
general, i.e. to feed all the students of that school. However, if the same
person thereafter says, “Feed Zayd” and he is part of the group of students –
then the second wording doesn’t specify his previous command.
PRINCIPLE: The
Hanbalees use a principle that states that if the ruling of two separate texts
are the same then we take the wording which is more specific.
However, al-‘Uthaymeen
says that this is to with characteristics and not nouns. For example, if a
person says, “Feed the students of such and such school” but then says, “Feed
the hard-working students” then this means that the previous command has been
specified by the characteristics given in the latter command. This is known as
Haml al-Mutlaq ala al-Muqayyad.
So Uthaymeen
summarises that the correct opinion that at-Tayammum made from anything that is
from the earth sufficies and it doesn’t have to be grains of earth.
The proof for this
opinion includes the following:
-“and you find no water,
then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your
faces and hands” [5:6]
Uthaymeen explains that the word Saeed has been used to mean anything
(stone, dust, sand, mud etc.) on the face of this earth.
-The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] never specified
at-Tayammum to be from grains or that granular earth be collected in order to
make at-Tayammum.
And Allaah Knows Best.
