How Far Must Water Be for Tayammum to Be Valid?

Question

A person in Rajasthan tells the inhabitants there that if water is one hundred and ten paces away, it is permissible there to perform tayammum and pray. The situation there is this: they live in the wilderness, having built houses there, and keep a good number of livestock with them; they bring water from far away to water these animals, and with this water they themselves bathe and wash their clothes.

Answer

In these circumstances tayammum is not permitted, because of the words of the Exalted: [ar]فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا[/ar] “…and you find no water, then perform tayammum with clean earth” (the verse) (Surah al-Nisa', 4:43).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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