Answered by Shaykh Sohail Hanif, SunniPath Academy Teacher
I would be grateful if you could clarify the method for performing tayammum. I have been told by a friend that in the absence of water and earth, one can rub one’s hands on one’s clean-clothes and then wipe over the hands, face, and arms in order to be in a state of wudu. Is this view correct?
Assalamu alaykum
Allah Most High, out of His mercy, has legislated tayammum when unable to purify oneself with water. Tayammum consists of rubbing one’s hands on a substance made of the Earth and then rubbing one’s face completely and then [after rubbing/striking one’s hands a second time] rubbing one’s hands. The substance in question is any substance of the Earth that does not burn to form ashes, to exclude plant-life, and is not malleable, to exclude metals. Dust itself is therefore not a condition; a dust-less stone would be just as good.
If one were to be unable to use such a substance one is expected to ‘pretend to pray’. It is termed ‘pretending’ as one is not really pure so one’s prayer is not really valid; rather one offers the prayer out of observance of the prayer time. When ‘pretending to pray’ one does not recite any Qur’an nor does one make an intention to pray a particular prayer, rather one merely goes through the motions. When one gains access to a substance with which one may purify oneself one must then make up these prayers. The substitute to tayammum mentioned in the question, namely wiping one’s hands on one’s clothing, is not something that can be considered a real substitute for tayammum. (Radd al-Muhtar)
And Allah knows best.
Sohail Hanif
Faraz notes:
The reason we are commanded by ‘pretend to pray’ in such a situation is to show our submission to the Divine Command to pray within the prescribed time.