Tayammum is the sand-ablution which is an act to purity done with pure sand when one does not find water or is unable to use water. Whenever water is not available tayammum is recommended for purification since Islamic does not impose a burden or difficultly on any beliver. When the time of prayer strkes,
ALSO READ: The Outlines of Islamic Theology and Its Sources
• The Ritual Purity [Al-Taharah] In Islam
the prayer must to be said even if water is not to be found I that case a muslim can use pure sand or dust in place of water. The symbolic idea underlying the sand-ablution is the purification of the soul which is sole aim of prayer.
The tayammum helps to divert attention from bodily purification to the purification of the soul. The authority for tayammum is drived from the Holy Qur’an, And if you are sick or on a jouney or one of you come from the privy, or you have gone to women , and you can not find water betake yourself to pure earth and wipe faces and your hands there with Allah does not desire to put you in any difficulty, but he wants to purify you and that he may complete his favour on you, so that you may be thankful.
Method of Performing Tayammum
First of all the following niyyah should be said:
"Nawaytu al-tayammuma istabahat al-salat"
I intend performing tayammum to say the prayer.
Then one should strike both hand on pure sand dust, one should blow off the excess of the dust from hands by striking the side of botthe h hands together. Then one should pass hands over the face and the back of the two hands, the left hand over the right hand and then right and over the left hand.
The completes the tayaammum Immediately after performing the tayammum, the prayer should be said.
When should tayammum be performed
1. The Tayammum should be performed when a person is so ill that is medically advised not to touch cold warm water, otherwise there is possibility that his sickness would get worse
2. The Tayammum should be performed when one is on a journey and is not a position to find water
3. The Tayammum should also be performed when there is a little water which is not even sufficient for partial ablution and no more water is available
4. The Tayammum should be performed when the access to water is made difficult due to the danger from an enemy, wild animals or reptiles.
5. Tayammum should be performed when a worshipper want to join the congregation for janazah prayers or festival prayers and he is already late and has no time to performed wudu The following will render the tayammum void.
1. Conversation during the process of performing the Tayammum.
2. Performing it long before saying the prayer.
3. When water is available without any danger.
4. All that render ablution (wudu) void.