Taiyamum

[RoohAfzah Khatoon]

Salam to u all.  Generally taiyamum is a wudu substitute for lack of water.  But can it also be applied in other compelling situations such as elderly people with health issues for whom it is difficult to bend down and wash face and feet 5 times a day?   

[Ruhi_Rose]

Walaykum As-Salam. 

Yes you can. 

“O you who believe! When you rise up for prayer, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if you are unclean, purify yourselves. And if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or you have had contact with women, and you find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that you may give thanks.”   5:6 Surah Al-Maidah.

“closet” = a small toilet.

The above Verse surely includes the elderly who are unwell or chronically ill as Allah Almighty plainly states He does not want to place any burden on us.  In all such cases tayammum done with sincere intentions leads to spiritual purification.  No doubt wudu with water is significant in normal circumstances.  But if the circumstances aren’t normal, certainly missing our prayers because of inability to perform wudu with water or unavailability of water is not the right way out.  In all such cases we have the provision of tayammum because salah must be performed.  Alhumdulilah.

[RoohAfzah Khatoon]

My mom is very old and weak.  She can't wake up very early morning for fajr so she offer it qada later between 9 and 10 morning.  She does wudu in morning before offering qada fajr.  Then either stays in bed or sits on couch and before the other 4 salahs of the day, she usually does taiyamum.  Is that okay?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Alhumdulilah, it's okay.  Not to worry.  Allah is Most Merciful.

[RoohAfzah Khatoon]

Shukriya for the answers.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Welcome ..