Can Tayammum Replace Wudu? The Explanation You're Looking For

Hi again! Wudu and tayammum are two things that are very popular in Islamic legal literacy. Both are two things that are used to explain how to purify the body from minor hadas. Nevertheless, these two things are two different things. In the context of wudu, the question is: can tayammum replace wudu?

Whatever your reason for opening this article, I'm pretty sure you're looking for an explanation about the legality of Tayammum instead of wudu. Don't worry. I will not let you down today. Trust me! That's what I will explain in this article. You only need to read the explanation below until it's finished!

Main Differences of Tayammum and Wudu

Hi! First of all, I will explain the main differences between tayammum and wudu. That is the basic thing in this discussion that you must understand well because it will help you understand the answers to the questions that are the main topic in this discussion.

As I have explained, tayammum and wudu are two different things. Therefore, if you want to understand the difference between tayammum and wudu, you must first understand the definitions of the two things. Below is an explanation of these two things.

What Is Tayammum?

If you want to know what tayammum is, consider the definition below:

التَّيَمُّمُ هُوَ : التَّعَبُّدُ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى بِقَصْدِ الصَّعِيْدِ الطَّيِّبِ لِمَسْحِ الْوَجْهِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ بِهِ

Tayammum is worshiping Allah Taala by using clean earth to wipe the face and two hands.

Do you understand? Tayammum is using clean dust to wipe the face and two hands to remove minor hadas as a worship to Allah.

What Is Wudu?

If you want to know what wudu is, pay attention to the definition below:

الوُضُوْءُ هُوَ : اِسْتِعْمَالُ الْمَاءِ فِيْ أَعْضَاءٍ مَخْصُوْصَةٍ مُفَتَّتَحًا بِنِيَّةٍ

Using water on certain parts of the body that begins with the intention.

Or the definition of wudu below:

الوُضُوْءُ هُوَ : التَعَبُّدُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِغَسْلِ أَعْضَاءٍ مَخْصُوْصَةٍ ، عَلَى صِفَةٍ مَخْصُوْصَةٍ

Worship Allah Azza wa Jalla by washing certain parts of the body with certain characteristics.

Do you understand? Wudu is using holy water and can purify it to wash and wipe several parts of the body to remove minor hadas as worship to Allah.

Now, if you have understood the meaning of tayammum and wudu as I have explained above, you can conclude that the main differences between tayammum and wudu are as follows:

• Something used for tayammum is dust, while something used for wudu is water.
• Tayammum is wiping holy dust on the face and two hands, while wudu is washing and wiping several parts of the body as I have explained in several previous articles.

Can Tayammum Replace Wudu?

Now I will explain the answer to the question that is the main topic in this discussion: can tayammum replace wudu? There are some Muslims who do not understand that well. I think you don't want to be like them, do you? So, you must read the explanation below carefully.

If you want to know whether tayammum can replace wudu, take a look at the verses of the Quran and some hadiths below:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَاَنْتُمْ سُكٰرٰى حَتّٰى تَعْلَمُوْا مَا تَقُوْلُوْنَ وَلَا جُنُبًا اِلَّا عَابِرِيْ سَبِيْلٍ حَتّٰى تَغْتَسِلُوْا ۗوَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓى اَوْ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ اَوْ جَاۤءَ اَحَدٌ مِّنْكُمْ مِّنَ الْغَاۤىِٕطِ اَوْ لٰمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاۤءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوْا مَاۤءً فَتَيَمَّمُوْا صَعِيْدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوْا بِوُجُوْهِكُمْ وَاَيْدِيْكُمْ ۗ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُوْرًا

O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving. (An-Nisa’ [4]: 43).

Pay attention to the sentence " فَلَمْ تَجِدُوْا مَاۤءً فَتَيَمَّمُوْا صَعِيْدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوْا بِوُجُوْهِكُمْ وَا َيْدِيْكُمْ (and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your face and your hands)” in the Quranic verse above. It is explained there that if you cannot find water for wudu, then you can do tayammum using clean dust.

Below is a hadith about tayammum for a person with a broken hand:

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : اِنْكَسَرَتْ إِحْدَى زَنْدَيَّ فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَمَرَنِيْ أَنْ أَمْسَحَ عَلَى الْجَبَائِرِ . رَوَاهُ اِبْنُ مَاجَهْ

From Ali radliyallahu anhu, he said, “One of my wrists was broken. I then asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. He then told him to rub on the bandage.” The hadith is narrated by Ibn Majah.

Below is a hadith about tayammum for sick people and not being exposed to water:

عَنْ اِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا -- فِيْ قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:…وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ … فَقَالَ ؛ إِذَا كَانَتْ بِالرَّجُلِ الْجِرَاحَةُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ وَالْقُرُوْحُ ، فَيَجْنُبُ ، فَيَخَافُ أَنْ يَمُوْتَ إِنِ اغْتَسَلَ ، تَيَمَّمَ . رَوَاهُ الدَّارُقُطْنِيُّ

From Ibni Abbas radliyallahu anhuma - about the word of Allah Azza wa Jalla, “… and if you are sick, or on a journey … (An-Nisa’ [4]; 43) —he then said, “If there is a wound and ulcers in someone's body because of fighting in the way of Allah then he is junub and he is worried that he will die if he bathes, then he can do Tayamum.” This hadith is narrated by ad-Daruquthni.

If you understand the verses of the Quran and some of the hadiths above, you can conclude that tayammum can replace wudu.

How to Do Tayammum to Replace Wudu? 

Hi! Are you still with me? I will now provide an answer to one of the most important questions on the main topic of this discussion: how to do tayammum in place of wudu? You have to understand that so you understand the mechanics of doing tayammum in place of wudu.

If you want to know the mechanism of doing tayammum, pay attention to the three hadiths below!

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : التَّيَمُّمُ ضَرْبَتَانِ . ضَرْبَةٌ لِلْوَجْهِ وَضَرْبَةٌ لِلْيَدَيْنِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ . رَوَاهُ الدَّارُقُطْنِيُّ

From Ibn Umar radliyallahu anhuma, he said, " The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam once said, "Tayammum is two parts. One parts for the face and one parts for both hands until both elbows." The hadith is narrated by ad-Daruquthni.

عَنْ عَمَّارٍ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : بَعَثَنِيْ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيْ حَاجَةٍ . فَأَجْنَبْتُ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ الْمَاءَ . فَتَمَرَّغْتُ فِيْ الصَّعِيْدِ كمَاَ تَتَمَرَّعُ الدَّابَةُ . ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ ، فَقَالَ : إِنَّمَا يَكْفِيْكَ أَنْ تَقُوْلَ بِيَدَيْكَ هَكَذَا . ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ بِيَدَيْهِ الْأَرْضَ ضَرْبَةً وَاحِدَةً ، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ الشِّمَالَ عَلَى الْيَمِيْنِ وَظَاهِرَ كَفَّيْهِ وَوَجْهِهِ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Ammar bin Yasir radliyallahu anhuma, he said, "The Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has sent for a purpose. I then junub and found no water. I then rolled on a plateau like an animal. Then I went to the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and told him that. He then said, "Surely you just have to do this with your hands." Then he clapped his hands on the earth once. Then he rubbed his left hand on his right hand, the outside of his palm, and his face." The hadith is narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

وَفِيْ رِوَايَةِ الْبُخَارِيِّ ؛ وَضَرَبَ بِكَفَّيْهِ الْأَرْضَ وَنَفَخَ فِيْهِمَا ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِهِمَا وَجْهَهُ وَكَفَّيْهِ

In the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari has been explained, "And he tapped the palms of his hands on the earth and then blew (dust) in the two palms of his hands. Then he rubbed his face and his palms with both of his hands."

If you have understood the three hadiths above, you can conclude that the mechanism for doing tayammum is as follows:

• Putting two palms on the holy dust and then rubbing it on the face.
• Putting two palms again on top of the holy dust of the other then rub it on two hands up to two elbows.

One Tayammum to Replace How Many Wudu?

Now I will explain the last question related to the main topic in this discussion: one tayammum to replace how many wudu? You must understand that by now for you to have a good understanding after reading this article.

If you want to know one tayammum to replace how many wudu, pay attention to the words of Ibn Abbas below!

عَنْ اِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ قَالَ ؛ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ أَنْ لُا يُصَلِّيَ الرُّجُلُ بِالتَّيَمُّمِ إِلَّا صَلَاةً وَاحِدَةً ، ثُمَّ يَتَيَمَّمُ لِلصَّلَاةِ الْأُخْرَى . رَوَاهُ الدَّارُقُطْنِيُّ

From Ibn Abbas radliyallahu Taala anhu, he said, "Which includes the sunnah is, one does not pray by using Tayamum except only for one prayer, then he does tayamum again for other prayer.”

If you understand what Ibn Abbas said above, you can conclude that one tayammum is for one wudu. That is, if you do tayammum for Maghrib prayer, then you have to do tayammum again for Isha prayer, and so on.

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