Question
Bathrooms in airplanes are not very spacious. For a woman who wears Abaya, there is a concern that her clothes may become wet or impure. In such a situation, may she perform Tayammum (dry ablution)?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب
Answer
Tayammum (dry ablution) is permissible in situations where water is unavailable or one is unable to use it, whereas in airplanes, water is usually both available and able to to be used. Therefore, in the scenario mentioned in the question, if water is available and there is no illness, etc., then Tayammum is not permissible.
Regarding the concern of one’s clothes becoming wet or impure, generally, airplane bathrooms are sufficiently spacious and clean, making it unlikely for clothes to become wet or impure. Even if such a scenario occurs, it wouldn’t suffice to render Tayammum permissible.
In such a situation, one is to nonetheless perform Wudu (ablution) carefully, ensuring that the clothes are not sullied. And, since, within the bathroom, one is certainly not within sight of anyone, one may also remove the Abaya and perform Wudu.
Word of Caution: No thing or place can be decalred filthy due to mere speculation! Hence, unless there is certainty of filth in the restroom or any place for that matter, clothes that come in contact with the area will not become filthy.
Allama Hussain bin Ali Saghnaqi عليه الرحمہ (d. 714 AH) writes in “An-Nihaya fi Sharh al-Hidaya”:
’’أن الشرط عدم الماء، فأينما تحقق العدم جاز التيمم‘‘
(An-Nihaya fi Sharh al-Hidaya, Vol. 1, p. 163, Jamia Umm al-Qura)
Shaykh al-Islam Allama Ali bin Hussain Sagdi عليه الرحمہ (d. 461 AH) writes:
’’والرابع وجود العذر، والعذر علي وجهين، فقدان الماء، والعجز عن استعمال الماء.‘‘
(An-Nutaf fi al-Fatawa, Vol. 1, p. 41, Muassasah ar-Risalah, Beirut)
Allama Ibn Nujaym Misri Hanafi عليه الرحمہ (d. 970 AH) writes:
“تیمم باطل إذا قدر على استعمال الماء”
(Al-Ashbah wa an-Naza’ir, p. 74, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut).
Imam Ahlus Sunnah Ala Hazrat عليه الرحمہ writes: “If water is present and one is able to use it, Tayammum is invalid. If performed, the prayer will be without purification and such a prayer is absolutely forbidden.”
(Fatawa Razawiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 431, Raza Foundation).
In “Fatawa Tatarkhaniyyah,” quoting “Fatawa al-Hujjah”:
قال أبو حفص البخاري رحمه الله: من شك في إنائه أو ثوبه أو بدنه أصابته نجاسة أم لا فهو طاهر ما لم يستيقن فتاوى الحجة
(Al-Fatawa al-Tatarkhaniyyah, Vol. 1, p. 79, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut).
Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 8th August 2024
