117. The act of resorting to ‘Tayyammum’ when there is no availability of water for ablution (Wudu). 

Verse 5:6 of the Quran insists upon washing the hands, legs and the face before worship.

And the verse also says a person needs to take a full body wash in case of a sexual intercourse having taken place

When water is not available at times to fulfill such obligations, this verse (5:6) spells out a remedy to dab the face and arms with sand from a clean source. Some are skeptical about this remedy and question, when it is established water cleanses things, sand makes things dirty, the remedy should have been either to worship without using sand or to avoid worship altogether.

 Since the remedy is by Allah the creator, it is bound to carry a philosophy yet to be comprehended and maybe in the years to come be discovered. 

But we can arrive at a conclusion regarding the benefits of such an act

Hence if a declaration is made that worship is not necessary with non-availability of water, it would prompt man to totally ignore worship.

If an announcement is made that worship can be done without cleansing oneself, it would lead to a blunting of the sense to clean oneself before worship.

The Creator of man has a better knowledge of him, and has a better understanding of human psychology, and the Almighty is the One who had designed this remedy.

Whether sand purifies a person or not, the thought to be clean before worship always remains etched in the minds of men, prompting them to look for water to clean themselves, and find the remedy in case water is not available. Hence, we find Muslims naturally readying themselves to be clean before worship. 

When it is said ‘Do this, if you cannot perform that’ the available alternative is presented, and it remains to be there. Because without an alternative there is no remedy.

Non availability of sand is a rare occurrence.

There may be better reasons for the remedy of using sand as an alternative to water.

And when asked to use the sand as an alternative to water does not mean throwing sand all over the body, it is act performed by dabbing the sand on the surface where it is present with the palm, blow it over by mouth, and run the empty palm over the face and up one’s wrists, and not up to the forearm. Moreover, there is no need to dab the palm twice on the sand, once to run over the face and again to run over the wrists. 

And when having a full water wash becomes mandatory in such a situation, there is no need to apply sand all over the body, but the above cited act is more than sufficient.

Hadith Book Bukhari: 326, 327, 329, 330, 335). 

 Hence, it is confirmed here that the dabbing of sand is just symbolic.