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Fatwa CenterAbsence of shower or bathtub not valid reason for dry ablution
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I hope you are in the best of health and faith. I have a question. My father and I work together; we have our own business. It is located quite far away from our home. My dad suffers from back aches due to an injury which he suffered a while ago. My dad and I stay over at our business for three days due to this. My question is: I am a virgin young man; what should I do when I have a wet dream? I cannot perform Ghusl (ritual bath) here. Our business is in an old building. It only has a toilet and a sink; there is no shower or bathtub. The bathroom is extremely small. How do I clean myself from major impurity? Can I use the dust on the carpet for Tayammum (dry ablution)? Or can I not do that since I have access to water. What should I do? Thank you. Assalaamu alaykum.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
You are obliged, in this case, to move some water to the bathroom to perform Ghusl. The absence of a shower or bathtub does not exempt you from the obligation of performing the Ghusl of Janaabah (state of major ritual impurity) and does not make performing Tayammum for prayer permissible. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means):
- {And if you are in a state of Janaabah, then purify yourselves.} [Quran 5:6]
- {O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of Janaabah, except those passing through (a place of prayer), until you have washed (your whole body).} [Quran 4:43]
Accordingly, it is impermissible to perform Tayammum when water is available and the person has the ability to use it. When a person who is in a state of Janaabah and is able to perform Ghusl performs Tayammum and prays, his prayer is invalid and he has committed a grave sin thereby. Some scholars, namely the Hanafis, even held that a person who does so deliberately has committed an act of disbelief.
An-Nawawi 
wrote:
“The Muslims have unanimously agreed that it is impermissible to pray when one is in a state of impurity. They have also unanimously agreed that the prayer performed in such a state is not valid, whether the doer knew that he was ritually impure, was unaware of it, or acted out of forgetfulness. However, if he prayed while unaware or out of forgetfulness, he bears no sin. If he knew that he was ritually impure and that it is prohibited to pray in such a state, then he has committed a grave sin. However, in our school (Shaafi'i), such a person is not declared a disbeliever on account of this unless he believes that what he did is lawful. Abu Haneefah, on the other hand, held that such a person is declared a disbeliever because his action is considered mockery (of the Shariah). In our school, it is considered a sin similar to adultery and the like of it.” [Al-Majmoo’]
Allah knows best.
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