Question:
If one is not able to rinse his/her mouth due to extreme pain, is it permissible to just make tayammum (dry ablution) instead?
Answer:
Ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, rahimahullah, said :
من كان في أعضائه جُرْح ، والمراد جُرْح يَضرُّه الماء ، تيمَّم لهذا الجُرح وغَسَل باقي الأعضاء
“Whosoever has a wound on his body – and what is intended by a wound is that which is harmed by water – then he should perform tayyamum for this wounded (part of the body) and he should wash the rest of the body parts (with wudu).
Sharhu Mumti’ (1/383).
A Side Note: The meaning of this is that he performs wudu as done usually and leaves off the wounded area and once he finishes his wudu, he performs tayyamum with the intention of replacing what he missed from wudu.
However, some of the other scholars see that in this scenario he tries the best to his capability to perform Wudu. And what he can’t do is no longer demanded from him and he doesn’t need to perform tayyamum for it since the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam, said :
(إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتم، وإذا نهيتكم عن شيء فاجتنبوه).
“When I command you with something then do as much of it as you can, and when I prohibit you from something then avoid it”
And also, they say it isn’t allowed to combine in one period the origin of making use of water and its substitute of making tayyamum.
But the fataawa of the majority of the scholars is contrary to that.
Ash-Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-Abaad, may Allah preserve him, said :
وإذا كان الجرح مكشوفاً فله أن يتيمم عن هذا الموضع ويتوضأ عما بقي، وإذا كان مغطى والمسح ممكن فإنه يمسح على المغطى ولا يتيمم.
“… And if the wound is visible, he can perform tayyamum on behalf of that area and he should perform wudu for what remains. And if the wound has a covering over it and it is possible to wipe over it, then he should wipe over that area and not perform tayyamum.”
And here is a similar fatwa by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan:
[View]
The Lajnah ad-Da’imah stated:
“If one of the body parts required to be washed in Wudu’ sustains a wound that must not be washed or wiped over with water, as this may worsen the wound or slow the healing, the person should perform Tayammum. If they perform Wudu’ and leave the place of the wound, then begin to offer Salah, and remember during Salah that they have not performed Tayammum, they should perform it and restart the Salah, as the part offered before Tayammum is invalid… ”
[An excerpt from alifta.net]
And this is the opinion of many of the shuyookh of Yemen likewise.
Also Ash-Shaykh Albany, rahimahullah, said when he was asked the following question:
ماذا يفعل الجنب الذى لا يستطيع غسل بعض جسده لجرح به مثلا وهو يستطيع غسل بعضه الأخر ؟
Question:
What should the one who is in a state of major impurity do if he is not capable of washing some parts of his body and he is capable of washing certain parts only ?
الشيخ : يتيمم ولا بد ويغسل مابقى من جسده احتياطا
Answer:
He should perform tayyamum which is necessary and he should wash the rest of his body just to be safe.
Ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, rahimahullah, mentioned (that) for those who aren’t capable of performing ghusl at all due to the severity of the wound, then (upon him is that) he should perform tayyamum and once his wound heals, he should perform ghusl.
Translated and Answered by
AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
