Is tayammum (dry ablution) permissible when there is water in excess of what is needed for drinking?

Question:
Some people in the desert perform tayammum (dry ablution) for prayer even though they have water in excess of what they need for drinking. Is that permissible? And do you have any guidance or advice for these common people?

Answer:
This is not permissible. We inform everyone who asks about this, and we will write about this—if Allah wills—that this is not permissible. Because they have surplus water, they must perform wudu (ablution), whether in the wilderness, on journeys, or on outings. They have water, they come with cars, they play with the water washing the utensils, and so on, and so on, and they do not perform wudu. This is not permissible.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform wudu on journeys, he and his Companions. There might be thousands on a journey, and they would perform wudu. Sometimes the water might be scarce, and a small vessel would be brought to him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would put his hand in it until water would gush out from between his fingers, and the people would perform wudu until the last of them. This is among the signs of Allah and His great power (Exalted and Majestic is He). He would seek out water when the time for prayer arrived. If he found water, they would perform wudu; otherwise, they would perform tayammum.
As for having water available and having a surplus, wudu is obligatory for him, and tayammum is not permissible for him. Yes, if the water is scarce, and the water is far from them, and the remainder is only enough for their drinking, or for the drinking of their animals, then it is permissible for them in that present situation to perform tayammum, because of the distance of the water from them and the scarcity of the available water. This is a specific case where tayammum is allowed. As for having sufficient water, or the water being nearby, this is not permissible for them.
The question: There is a water reservoir full of water with them, and when the time for prayer arrived, they prayed without wudu?

Answer: They must make up the prayer.

Question: The person said to them: This is Ibn Baz saying that one does not complete the prayer without wudu, as long as the water is available to you. You prayed, so perform wudu and pray?

Answer: Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward him with good. He came and alerted them. May Allah reward him with good.
The point is that this is obligatory for them. It is obligatory for whoever sees this to point it out and say to them: This is how the believer should be. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say when addressing the people: You, for example, in these gatherings, hear benefits. You convey to those you think are ignorant of something you heard, saying: By Allah, we heard such and such, but with verification.
You see some people who are not good at conveying reports. They might convey the forbidden as lawful, and the lawful as forbidden. It is necessary to verify, to verify in the transmission, and to get the transmission right, then convey it. They convey to their brothers in the desert and in the city, in matters that they might be ignorant of, saying: By Allah, I heard such and such from so-and-so the Shaykh, such and such from so-and-so the Shaykh, he said such and such, he said such and such, such and such in prayer, in purity, in maintenance, in fasting, in Hajj, in enjoining good and forbidding evil, and in other matters of the Muslims. They do not withhold; they convey the benefit. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he said: .