The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encamped at Ulat al-Jaysh and Aisha was in his company. Her necklace of onyx of Zifar was broken (and fell somewhere). The people were detained to make a search for that necklace until the dawn broke. There was no water with the people. Therefore AbuBakr became angry with her and said: You detained the people and they have no water with them.
Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, sent down revelation about it to His Apostle (ﷺ) granting concession to purify themselves with pure earth. Then the Muslims stood up with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and struck the ground with their hands and then they raised their hands, and did not take any earth (in their hands). Then they wiped with them their faces and hands up to the shoulders, and from their palms up to the armpits.
Ibn Yahya added in his version: Ibn Shihab said in his tradition: The people do not take this (tradition) into account.
Abu Dawud said: Ibn Ishaq also reported it in a similar way. In this (version) he said on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas. He mentioned the words "two strikes" (i.e. striking the earth twice) as mentioned by Yunus. And Ma'mar also narrated on the authority of al-Zuhri "two strikes". And Malik said: From al-Zuhri from 'Ubaid Allah b. 'Abd Allah from his father on the authority of 'Ammar. Abu Uwais also reported it in a similar way on the authority of al-Zuhri. But Ibn 'Uyainah doubted it, he sometimes said: from his father, and sometimes he said: from Ibn 'Abbas. Ibn 'Uyainah was confused in it and in his hearing from al-Zuhri. No one has mentioned "two strikes" in this tradition except those whose names I have mentioned.
Hadith Text & Context
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encamped at Ulat al-Jaysh with Aisha. Her onyx necklace broke and fell, detaining the people to search until dawn without water. Abu Bakr became angry, whereupon Allah revealed the concession of purification with pure earth (tayammum).
Scholarly Commentary (Tafsir)
This incident establishes tayammum as a valid purification method when water is unavailable or its use harmful. The concession demonstrates Allah's mercy in easing ritual obligations during hardship.
The Companions struck the ground with their hands without taking earth, wiping faces and hands to shoulders/armpits. This illustrates the proper method: intention, striking pure earth, and wiping specific body parts.
Ibn Shihab's note that "people do not take this into account" refers to some later scholars disregarding the extended wiping (to shoulders/armpits), limiting tayammum to face and hands as in Quran 5:6.
Jurisprudential Rulings (Ahkam)
Tayammum substitutes wudu or ghusl when water is unavailable, insufficient, or its use would cause harm.
Valid tayammum requires pure earth/dust and proper intention (niyyah).
The majority opinion limits wiping to face and hands, following Quranic text, considering the extended wiping in this hadith as specific to this incident.
The "two strikes" variant indicates striking earth once for face and once for hands, though this is a minority position.
Transmission Notes
Multiple chains through al-Zuhri, with some narrators mentioning "two strikes." Ibn Uyainah expressed uncertainty about the chain, sometimes attributing it to Ibn Abbas, sometimes to the father of Ubaid Allah.
Abu Dawud notes the rarity of the "two strikes" version, attributing it only to specific narrators.