Can Tayammum be performed by using manufactured sand?

19-4-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

can we perform Tayammum using Manufactured sand (used commonly in construction industry in India) ? Manufactured sand is produced from hard granite stone by crushing. The crushed sand is of cubical shape with grounded edges, washed and graded to as a construction material

---

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 is His slave and Messenger.

The scholars differ concerning the things on which tayammum (dry ablution) is permitted to be performed. We are of the view that tayammum cannot be performed with the aforementioned manufactured sand because some scholars have stipulated earth or soil for tayammum, and in this case, it is not earth or soil but crushed stone, according to what we understood from the question.

The Hanbali and Shaafi‘i schools of Jurisprudence stipulated earth or soil for the validity of tayammum. And those who did not stipulate earth or soil did not permit using what is baked of something clean that belongs to the earth, as it has changed its original essence and is no more considered earth.

If we assume that the stone which became sand was not baked with fire, even then tayammum cannot be performed with crushed stone. Al-Qarraafi  said in Al-Dhakheera: “If a stone is crushed, then tayammum is not valid with it.”

Allah knows best.