Is tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) permissible on painted walls?
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The questioner : Regarding tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) using walls, O Shaykh, I have asked before, but I did not record it. Now, regarding these painted walls, is tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) permissible with them or not?
The Shaykh : I say, may Allah reward you, as long as it is linguistically called a wall, it is permissible, whether it is painted or not, because it is part of the wall.
The questioner : Meaning, it is not considered a barrier?
The Shaykh : It is not considered a barrier, because this issue of a barrier is looked at by those who
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : ...look at it by those who hold that tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) requires earth, and consequently, they do not permit tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with sand, and consequently, they also do not permit tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with a rock that has been rained on and washed clean, because there is no earth on it. Is my speech clear up to this point?
The questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh : Well, based on that, they intend by tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) to dust the face, meaning to dirty it. And in jurisprudential terms, it appears from their distinction between earth and sand and the like that the issue is not purely devotional in their view, but rather has a rational meaning, meaning that the earth must touch the face. And this, according to the understanding of their words, is a matter of submission to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And in that case, if there is something that is permissible for others to wipe with or perform tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with, and there is no earth on it, then in their view, it is not permissible. From this, the ruling of permissibility mentioned regarding tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) on the wall branches out for those who hold that tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with sand is permissible, because the one who performs tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with sand does not get his hands or face dirty. And especially since it is from the Sunnah (recommended practice) that the one performing tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth), when he strikes the ground with his hands, strikes one with the other so that nothing that might harm his face sticks to it. So in this case, when he wipes his face, his face does not get dusty, so nothing remains but the purely devotional aspect. Thus, our Lord commanded us, so we obeyed. Therefore, the one who does not hold that the face must be dusted should not consider the meaning that the one who holds that the face must be dusted sees in such a rock as we mentioned earlier, and now in such a wall plastered with hard clay like cement and the like, or painted with paint as in your question. The important thing is that it is wiping with the wall, tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with the wall. As for the necessity of something sticking to his hands, there is no evidence for that. This is my view on this matter.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The Shaykh : I say, may Allah reward you, as long as it is linguistically called a wall, it is permissible, whether it is painted or not, because it is part of the wall.
The questioner : Meaning, it is not considered a barrier?
The Shaykh : It is not considered a barrier, because this issue of a barrier is looked at by those who
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : ...look at it by those who hold that tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) requires earth, and consequently, they do not permit tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with sand, and consequently, they also do not permit tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with a rock that has been rained on and washed clean, because there is no earth on it. Is my speech clear up to this point?
The questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh : Well, based on that, they intend by tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) to dust the face, meaning to dirty it. And in jurisprudential terms, it appears from their distinction between earth and sand and the like that the issue is not purely devotional in their view, but rather has a rational meaning, meaning that the earth must touch the face. And this, according to the understanding of their words, is a matter of submission to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And in that case, if there is something that is permissible for others to wipe with or perform tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with, and there is no earth on it, then in their view, it is not permissible. From this, the ruling of permissibility mentioned regarding tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) on the wall branches out for those who hold that tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with sand is permissible, because the one who performs tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with sand does not get his hands or face dirty. And especially since it is from the Sunnah (recommended practice) that the one performing tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth), when he strikes the ground with his hands, strikes one with the other so that nothing that might harm his face sticks to it. So in this case, when he wipes his face, his face does not get dusty, so nothing remains but the purely devotional aspect. Thus, our Lord commanded us, so we obeyed. Therefore, the one who does not hold that the face must be dusted should not consider the meaning that the one who holds that the face must be dusted sees in such a rock as we mentioned earlier, and now in such a wall plastered with hard clay like cement and the like, or painted with paint as in your question. The important thing is that it is wiping with the wall, tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) with the wall. As for the necessity of something sticking to his hands, there is no evidence for that. This is my view on this matter.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.