Islamic Ruling on Tayammum and Repeating Ghusl After Finding Water
If a person performs tayammum due to inability to use water and later finds water or recovers from illness, they must repeat the ghusl with water.
If a person performs tayammum instead of the obligatory ghusl because they cannot access water or due to illness, and after one day they find water or recover from their sickness, do they need to repeat the obligatory ghusl for purification?
The Answer
According to Islamic scholars, if a person finds water after performing tayammum, it becomes compulsory (wajib) for them to repeat the ghusl using water. This is the clear Islamic ruling on this matter.
Allama Khatib Shirbini (may Allah have mercy on him) explains in his scholarly work that tayammum performed for major ritual impurity (janabah) remains valid only until water becomes available without any obstacle. When a person recovers from their illness while still in a state of purification through tayammum, their tayammum becomes invalid because the excuse (illness) has been removed. At that point, it becomes obligatory to wash the affected area and perform proper ghusl with water.
This fatwa makes it clear that tayammum is a temporary substitute for purification. Islamic scholars agree that once the reason for performing tayammum is no longer present, whether that reason was lack of water or illness, the person must perform the proper purification with water. The Islamic ruling emphasizes that water-based purification is the original requirement, and tayammum only serves as a concession during genuine hardship.
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