Short answer
Make the intention, strike both palms on clean earth or a surface of earth's kind, wipe your whole face, strike again, and wipe your right arm then your left to the elbows. In the Hanafi school this is allowed when there is no water within about a mile, or using water would harm you. It replaces both wudu and ghusl.
Tayammum has two strikes: one for the face and one for the arms up to and including the elbows. It is valid on soil, sand, stone, brick, clay or a mud or stone wall, even without dust. It is allowed when water is about a mile away or more, or when water would cause illness or worsen it.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Two strikes, face and arms to the elbows, but only on dust (turab) that has particles that stick to the hand.
- Maliki
- One strike for face and hands to the wrists is fard; a second strike and wiping to the elbows are sunnah. Any surface of the earth is valid.
- Hanbali
- One strike for the face and the hands to the wrists, on dust only.
Explanation
Allah says that if you do not find water, seek clean earth and wipe your faces and hands with it. The Prophet ﷺ counted it among his special gifts that the earth was made a place of prayer and a means of purification for him. When Ammar rolled in the dust to purify himself after janabah, he was shown that striking the ground with his palms and wiping was enough.
When it is allowed in the Hanafi school:
- no water within about a mile
- water would make an illness worse or slow healing, on a doctor's advice or clear experience
- extreme cold that would harm you, with no way to heat water
- danger in reaching the water
How to do it:
- Intend tayammum for purity, and say bismillah.
- Strike both palms on the surface, shake off the excess, and wipe the whole face.
- Strike again, wipe the right arm from the fingers to and including the elbow with the left hand, then the left arm with the right.
- Remove rings so the skin under them is wiped.
On a wall: a wall of stone, brick, mud or plain plaster is valid for a Hanafi. A painted, papered or tiled wall is not, unless there is dust on it. Wood, glass, metal and plastic are not valid either, unless they carry dust.
Tayammum is broken by anything that breaks wudu, and by finding water you can use. In the Hanafi school one tayammum lasts for as many prayers as you like until then.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:6
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.
The command for tayammum when water cannot be found or used.
Sahih al-Bukhari 335
Sahih... وجعلت لي الارض مسجدا وطهورا ...
"The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification."
Earth purifies when water is not available.
Sahih al-Bukhari 338
Sahih... انما كان يكفيك هكذا ...
"This would have been enough for you."
The Prophet showed Ammar tayammum by striking the ground and wiping, and it covers janabah too.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharat, chapter on tayammum. Two strikes, the arms to the elbows, valid on anything of the earth's kind.
- Muwatta Malik, Book of purity, chapter on how to do tayammum. Ibn Umar wiped his face and arms to the elbows.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on tayammum. The Hanbali view of one strike to the wrists.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.