What is the ruling regarding performing Tayammum before the prescribed time for an obligatory prayer (fard)?
Chapter on Tayammum
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
Performing Tayammum before the time for an obligatory prayer enters is impermissible if the prayer is intended to be performed on time. This is because Tayammum is a purification born of necessity (darurah); therefore, it is not permitted before the necessity (the time of the prayer) arrives, analogous to the purification required by a woman experiencing continuous irregular bleeding (mustahadah). This position is supported by the prevailing view (al-Madhhab al-Awwal).
Supporting text
Malik and Al-Shafi'i hold that Tayammum is permissible before the prescribed time for voluntary prayers (nawafil) if that time is not a prohibited time for prayer. Abu Hanifa permits Tayammum before the prayer time because purification that permits prayer should be allowed in advance, like other forms of purification. A narration from Ahmad suggests that Tayammum stands in place of actual purification until water is found or an impurity occurs, thus allowing it before the time.