How is tayammum performed?

Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz

Question

«أيضًا الأخ عبد الله من السودان يسأل عن الطريقة الصحيحة للتيمم ويسأل بالذات عن موضوع مسح اليد إلى المرفقين، هل هذا جائز أو لا؟»

English translation (unreviewed): Brother 'Abdullah from the Sudan also asks about the correct way of tayammum and asks specifically about wiping the hand up to the elbows: is this permissible or not?

From the text of the answer

«التيمم الشرعي المحفوظ عن النبي ﷺ ضربة واحدة كما في الصحيحين من حديث عمار بن ياسر رضي الله تعالى عنهما عن النبي ﷺ قال لما علمه التيمم قال: أن تقول بيديك هكذا ثم ضرب بيده ضربة واحدة فمسح بهما وجهه وكفيه ، هكذا التيمم الشرعي ضربة واحدة في التراب يمسح بهما وجهه وكفيه، يبدأ بوجهه ثم كفيه ويكفي ذلك ولا حاجة إلى الذراعين.»

English translation (unreviewed): The lawful tayammum preserved from the Prophet ﷺ is a single strike, as in the two Sahihs from the hadith of 'Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah the Most High be pleased with them both, that the Prophet ﷺ when he taught him tayammum said: “It would have sufficed you to do like this with your hands”; then he struck with his hand one strike, wiped his face and his two hands with them. This is the lawful tayammum: one strike on the earth, with which he wipes his face and his palms; he begins with his face then his palms, and that is sufficient; there is no need for the forearms.

Evidence as the shaykh cited it

«وجاء عن ابن عمر أنه كان يضرب ضربتين ويمسح إلى مرفقيه، ولكن الصواب ضربة واحدة كما في حديث عمار بن ياسر رضي الله تعالى عنهما، ويكفي هذا، وهو الذي نص عليه النبي ﷺ وعلمه أمته عليه الصلاة والسلام، فهو الأفضل، ضربة واحدة يمسح بذلك وجهه وكفيه كما علم النبي ﷺ أمته ذلك من حديث عمار رضي الله تعالى عنهما.»

English translation (unreviewed): It is reported from Ibn 'Umar that he used to strike twice and wipe up to his elbows, but the correct view is one strike as in the hadith of 'Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah the Most High be pleased with them both, and this is sufficient. It is what the Prophet ﷺ stated and taught to his nation, peace be upon him, so it is better: one strike with which he wipes his face and palms, as the Prophet ﷺ taught his nation from the hadith of 'Ammar, may Allah the Most High be pleased with them both.