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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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The ruling on one who experiences a wet dream in the desert and finds no water for the full ritual bath

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Question:
We went on a trip with some friends outside Riyadh, specifically to al-Thumamah. We left on Wednesday night, and when it was time to sleep, we slept. When we woke up on Thursday, I found that I had experienced a wet dream and was in a state of major ritual impurity. There were four of us, and we had nothing with us but a gallon of water for drinking and eating. I told one of my friends what had happened to me, and he said to me: "Perform dry ablution and pray Fajr with us; it is permissible for you." I did what he told me to do. When the time for the midday prayer came, I doubted the matter, and I did not pray with them at any of the times from Fajr on Thursday until 'Isha' on the night of Friday, which is the day of Friday. When we went back to Riyadh, I prayed them after I had performed the full ritual bath, and without shortening any of the prayers that I had missed. What is required of me in this matter?

Answer:
It is obligatory for you, if such a thing happens, to look around; if you find water near you that you can use for ghusl, you must do so, and it is obligatory upon you. If you do not find any, you should perform tayammum as your companion told you, by rubbing yourself with the earth, and that is sufficient. For Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says:
and find no water, then seek clean earthفَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا
[al-Nisa: 43], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.وجُعِلَت لي الأرض مسجدًا وطهورًا فأيما رجل من أمتي أدركته الصلاة فعنده مسجده وطهوره
Sahih al-Bukhari 335
, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
and its dust has been made a purifier for us in case water is not availableوجُعِلَ التراب لي طهورًا إذا لم نجد الماء
Sahih Muslim 522a
. So whoever does not find water, the earth is his wudu'.
So if you lose access to water in any place, you must perform tayammum, strike the earth with your hands, and wipe your face and your palms with it, as Allah the Exalted has commanded, and then pray. You do not have to repeat the prayer; it is sufficient. If you are in a place where there is water, ghusl is obligatory upon you. If the weather is cold, heat the water with fire. If you do not find fire and you fear for your life due to the severity of the cold, perform tayammum and pray, and it will be sufficient for you. Praise be to Allah.
As for your leaving the prayer with them for that long period on Thursday and Friday, this is a mistake and an error on your part. You must repent to Allah for that, feel remorse for what has passed, and not return to it. You did well in making up the prayer when you were able to get water; but you erred in leaving it and in delaying it.
So it is obligatory to repent for that, and not to delay it beyond its time. If you find water, perform the full ritual bath; otherwise, perform dry ablution and pray. Do not delay it beyond its time ever.
Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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