What is the ruling when both bodily impurity (hadath) and physical impurity (najasah) are present, and the available water is sufficient for only one purification?
Chapter on Tayammum
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
When a person faces both minor/major ritual impurity (hadath) and physical impurity (najasah), and the available water suffices for only one, the person must wash off the physical impurity (najasah) and perform Tayammum (dry ablution) for the ritual impurity (hadath). This ruling is stated explicitly by Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Al-Khall reported that Abu Abdullah (Ahmad) and Sufyan agreed upon this, and no contrary opinion is known to exist. This prioritization is because Tayammum for ritual impurity (hadath) is established by clear textual evidence (Nass) and consensus (Ijma), whereas its application for physical impurity (najasah) is subject to scholarly difference of opinion.