Sand ablution = earth purification = Tayammum

SAND ABLUTION = EARTH PURIFICATION = (Tayammum)

Definition: It is wiping face and hands along with elbows with pure sand instead of ablution or washing an organ.

It has been ordained in the fourth or the sixth year of Hijrah. 
God says ﴾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﴿ Chapter of Women. Verse NO 43

● It was narrated from ᶦAᶦishah (May Allah be pleased with her) that she borrowed a necklace from Asmaa and it was lost. So, Allah’s Apostle sent a man to search for it and he found it. Then, the time of the prayer became due and there was no water. They complained to Allah’s Apostle about it, so the verse of sand ablution was revealed. [AL-Bukhari].

Conditions of Performing Sand-Ablution:

1) Intention.                                                        

2) Wiping face after the first strike.                                        

3) Wiping hands along with elbows after the second strike.

4) Previous steps have to be performed in the same order in which they are mentioned (i.e., striking the earth, then wiping the face, and striking the earth again, then wiping the hands along with the elbows).

Invalidators of Sand Ablution:

 They are the same as invalidators of ablution, and in addition:              

1) Occurrence of water, before or after performing sand ablution, so that it is before prayer.               

2) The ability of using water for those who had been unable to use it before.

Note that:

❶ Imam Shafii has seen that a Muslim must perform sand ablution before each obligated prayer or before each Kaᶦbah’s circumambulation, but he can perform sand ablution, only once, before more than one optional prayer.

❷ It isn’t allowed to use the dust of gypsum or lime. Sand-ablution must be performed using normal earth, even if it is in a small amount.

❸ If a Muslim performed sand ablution, then water appeared before the prayer, his sand ablution became invalid and he would have to perform ablution (Wuduᶦ).