Tayammum for the Fajr prayer in severe cold
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Question: We live in a very cold country, and when we get up for the Fajr prayer, we are unable to perform wudu' because of the coldness of the water. Sometimes we perform tayammum and pray. Is this sufficient, or is wudu' obligatory? If it is obligatory, are we required to make up the prayers we performed with tayammum only?
Answer: If the time for prayer arrives and a person has cold water, and its coldness is bearable, a person can perform wudu' from it, even with slight hardship. He must perform wudu' and pray, because he has access to water and there is no obstacle to using it.
As for if the coldness of the water is unbearable and its effects on a person's health are feared, then if he has something to heat the water with, such as fire or wood, or some kind of heater, he must heat the water and perform wudu' and pray.
As for if it is extremely cold and unbearable, and there is nothing to heat it with, he performs tayammum and prays. He does not delay the prayer until the day, as he says, because it is not permissible to take the prayer out of its time except for one who intends to combine prayers, if combining is permissible.
As for delaying it in order for the day to come and the coldness of the water to break, this is not permissible. Rather, he performs tayammum and prays according to his condition, if he does not have any means of heating.
Question: Is this ruling regarding purification from minor and major ritual impurity?
Answer: Yes, regarding both major and minor ritual impurity.
Question: If they were able to bear the coldness of the water, or if they had the ability to heat the water but did not, are they required to make up their past prayers?
Answer: Yes, if they performed tayammum and prayed while they were able to heat the water, they must make up the past prayers, because tayammum is not valid for them.
Answer: If the time for prayer arrives and a person has cold water, and its coldness is bearable, a person can perform wudu' from it, even with slight hardship. He must perform wudu' and pray, because he has access to water and there is no obstacle to using it.
As for if the coldness of the water is unbearable and its effects on a person's health are feared, then if he has something to heat the water with, such as fire or wood, or some kind of heater, he must heat the water and perform wudu' and pray.
As for if it is extremely cold and unbearable, and there is nothing to heat it with, he performs tayammum and prays. He does not delay the prayer until the day, as he says, because it is not permissible to take the prayer out of its time except for one who intends to combine prayers, if combining is permissible.
As for delaying it in order for the day to come and the coldness of the water to break, this is not permissible. Rather, he performs tayammum and prays according to his condition, if he does not have any means of heating.
Question: Is this ruling regarding purification from minor and major ritual impurity?
Answer: Yes, regarding both major and minor ritual impurity.
Question: If they were able to bear the coldness of the water, or if they had the ability to heat the water but did not, are they required to make up their past prayers?
Answer: Yes, if they performed tayammum and prayed while they were able to heat the water, they must make up the past prayers, because tayammum is not valid for them.