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A narrow area for performing ablution does not allow Tayammum

Question

I work all day from 8 am to 12 pm, and then from 1 pm to 5:30 pm. Accordingly, I cannot perform the ‘Asr prayer and I even pray Thuhr in a hurry because I have only one hour for lunch. The lunch break is really short and when I do find some time from my working hours, to pray ‘Asr , I usually cannot find space to perform ablution as the bathroom is too narrow for me to move. Can I perform dry ablution to pray ‘Asr and Thuhr?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

May Allaah The Exalted reward you for your eagerness and adherence to perform prayers on time. Dear questioner, you should be informed that it is impermissible to perform dry ablution due to the reason you have mentioned. One may only perform dry ablution when there is no water or when one is sick and cannot use water, and the like.

However, the fact that the bathroom where you perform ablution is narrow is not a valid reason to perform dry ablution; If you encounter some hardship, you may put some water in a pot or so to use for ablution.

Furthermore, we would like to caution you, dear questioner, that you should perform prayers on time, and that it is impermissible to delay a prayer until it passes its prescribed time. Moreover, you should perform all the constituents of the prayer with tranquility and calmness. Do not allow the short time of the lunch break drive you to rush and neglect the pillars, obligations, and conditions of the prayer.

Allaah Knows best.

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