I was sitting in the company of Abdullah and Abu Musa when Abu Musa said: 0 'Abd al-Rahman (kunya of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud), what would you like a man to do about the prayer if he experiences a seminal emission or has sexual intercourse but does not find water for a month? 'Abdullah said: He should not perform tayammum even if he does not find water for a month. 'Abdullah said: Then what about the verse in Sura Ma'ida:" If you do not find water, betake yourself to clean dust"? 'Abdullah said: If they were granted concession on the basis of this verse, there is a possibility that they would perform tayammum with dust on finding water very cold for themselves. Abu Musa said to Abdullah: You have not heard the words of 'Ammar: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand and I had a seminal emission, but could find no water, and rolled myself in dust just as a beast rolls itself. I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then and made a mention of that to him and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It would have been enough for you to do thus. Then he struck the ground with his hands once and wiped his right hand with the help of his left hand and the exterior of his palms and his face. 'Abdullah said: Didn't you see that Umar was not fully satisfied with the words of 'Ammar only?
The Book of Menstruation - Sahih Muslim 368a
This narration from Sahih Muslim presents a scholarly discussion between Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari concerning tayammum (dry ablution) when water is unavailable. The discourse reveals important principles of Islamic jurisprudence regarding ritual purity.
Scholarly Commentary on the Hadith
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud maintains a strict position that tayammum should not be performed for an extended period without genuine necessity, fearing potential misuse where people might avoid using water due to mere discomfort rather than true unavailability.
Abu Musa counters with the precedent of Ammar ibn Yasir, who received direct instruction from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) permitting tayammum when water was genuinely inaccessible, even for major impurity (janabah). This demonstrates the practical application of the Quranic verse from Surah Al-Ma'idah.
The exchange highlights the classical scholarly method of weighing textual evidence - Abdullah emphasizes caution in applying concessions, while Abu Musa emphasizes following the Prophetic precedent. Both companions sought to correctly implement Islamic law while preventing potential misuse of religious concessions.
Jurisprudential Significance
This discussion establishes that tayammum is a valid substitute for purification when water is genuinely unavailable or its use would cause harm. However, scholars caution against extending this concession beyond its intended scope.
The final remark about Umar ibn al-Khattab not being fully satisfied with Ammar's position alone indicates that early scholars carefully evaluated multiple evidences before reaching legal conclusions, considering both the text and potential implications of its application.