Sunan an-Nasa'i

Sunan an-Nasa'i 318

Another Way Of Performing Tayammum
The Book of Purification Search within the hadiths
Sunan an-Nasa'i 318
Arabic hadith text
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا خَالِدٌ، أَنْبَأَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، سَمِعْتُ ذَرًّا، يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبْزَى، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ وَقَدْ سَمِعَهُ الْحَكَمُ، مِنِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ أَجْنَبَ رَجُلٌ فَأَتَى عُمَرَ - رضى الله عنه - فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَجْنَبْتُ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَاءً ‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ تُصَلِّ ‏.‏ قَالَ لَهُ عَمَّارٌ أَمَا تَذْكُرُ أَنَّا كُنَّا فِي سَرِيَّةٍ فَأَجْنَبْنَا فَلَمْ نَجِدْ مَاءً فَأَمَّا أَنْتَ فَلَمْ تُصَلِّ وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَإِنِّي تَمَعَّكْتُ فَصَلَّيْتُ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَكْفِيكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَضَرَبَ شُعْبَةُ بِكَفَّيْهِ ضَرْبَةً وَنَفَخَ فِيهِمَا ثُمَّ دَلَكَ إِحْدَاهُمَا بِالأُخْرَى ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِهِمَا وَجْهَهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ شَيْئًا لاَ أَدْرِي مَا هُوَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ إِنْ شِئْتَ لاَ حَدَّثْتُهُ ‏.‏ وَذَكَرَ شَيْئًا فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ وَزَادَ سَلَمَةُ قَالَ بَلْ نُوَلِّيكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا تَوَلَّيْتَ
Translation
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abdur-Rahman said

"A man became Junub and came to 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and said: 'I have become Junub and I cannot find any water.' He said: 'Do not pray.' 'Ammar said to him: 'Do you not remember when we were on a campaign and became Junub. You did not prayed, then I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him that, and he said: 'This would have been sufficient for you.'" - (One of the narrators) Shu'bah struck his hands once and blew into them, then he rubbed them together, then wiped his face with them - ('Ammar said): "'Umar said something I did not understand." So he said: "If you wish, I shall not narrate it." Salamah mentioned something in this chain from Abu Malik, and Salamah added that he said: "Rather, we will let you bear the burden of what you tool upon yourself."

Commentary

Overview & Central Theme

This profound narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i (318) captures a pivotal moment in early Islamic jurisprudence regarding purification (taharah). The central theme revolves around the divine concession of tayammum (dry ablution) for the one in a state of major ritual impurity (junub) when water is unavailable. Beyond the legal ruling, the hadith illustrates the noble character of the Companions—'Umar's initial strictness rooted in caution, 'Ammar's courageous reminder of the Prophet's ﷺ teaching, and the final acceptance of the concession with humility. The hadith underscores that Allah desires ease for His servants, not hardship, and that knowledge must be sought with patience and mutual respect among believers.

Context & Linguistic Insights

The incident occurred during a military expedition (ghazwah) when 'Umar and 'Ammar became junub and no water was found. 'Umar refrained from praying, while 'Ammar later informed the Prophet ﷺ, who demonstrated tayammum by striking the earth with his hands, blowing into them, rubbing them together, and wiping his face. Linguistically, "junub" (جُنُب) denotes one in a state of major ritual impurity requiring a full bath (ghusl). The phrase "fa-la tusalli" (do not pray) reflects 'Umar's initial ijtihad, while the Prophet's ﷺ response—"This would have been sufficient for you" (كَانَ يَكْفِيكَ)—uses the verb "kafa" (to suffice), emphasizing the completeness and validity of tayammum as a substitute. The narrator Shu'bah's physical demonstration clarifies the precise method, and the subtle phrase "rather, we will let you bear the burden of what you took upon yourself" (بَلْ نُحَمِّلُكَ وِزْرَ مَا أَخَذْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ) reveals 'Umar's eventual acceptance and 'Ammar's gracious refusal to hold him accountable, highlighting the ethics of scholarly disagreement.

Key Scholarly Insights & Legal Benefits

  • Tayammum is a legitimate and complete substitute for ghusl when water is unavailable, as explicitly demonstrated by the Prophet ﷺ and affirmed by the consensus of scholars (ijma').
  • The method of tayammum involves striking the earth once, blowing into the hands, rubbing them together, and wiping the face—a single action suffices for both purification from minor and major impurity.
  • The hadith establishes the principle of ijtihad and the permissibility of differing opinions among Companions, while emphasizing the importance of returning to the Prophet's ﷺ guidance as the ultimate authority.
  • It teaches the virtue of reminding others of authentic knowledge with gentleness, as 'Ammar did, and the humility to accept correction, as 'Umar exemplified.
"Imam An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on Sahih Muslim: 'This hadith is a clear proof that tayammum is permissible for the one who is junub when water is absent, and it is a substitute for ghusl. The Prophet's ﷺ statement, "This would have been sufficient for you," is explicit in affirming the validity of tayammum for major impurity, and the scholars are unanimous upon this.'"

Daily Life & Spiritual Application

In our daily lives, this hadith teaches us to embrace the ease and mercy of Allah's legislation. When faced with genuine hardship—whether physical, such as illness or lack of water, or metaphorical, such as overwhelming challenges—Islam provides practical concessions that preserve our connection with Allah. We must learn the rulings of purification with precision, ensuring our worship is valid and sincere. Moreover, the interaction between 'Umar and 'Ammar inspires us to correct others with wisdom and respect, to accept truth even when it contradicts our initial understanding, and to never let pride prevent us from returning to authentic knowledge. Let us embody the spirit of humility, mutual cooperation in goodness (ta'awun), and unwavering commitment to the Sunnah, trusting that Allah's guidance always leads to what is best for us in this life and the next.