Ruling 637. If a person happens to be in a populated area, he must search for water for performing wuḍūʾ and ghusl until such time that he loses hope in finding water. The same applies if one happens to be staying in a desert, like those who stay in tents. If a person is on a journey in a desert, he must search for water on the way and in the places near where he is staying. The obligatory precaution is that if the ground is uneven, or if due to some other reason the road is difficult to traverse – for example, because it has a lot of trees – one must go in search of water in the area around him as far as the distance that a shot arrow travels as it would have been shot from a bow in the past.[1] If the land is even, however, one must go in search of water in the area around him up to the distance that two shot arrows travel.[2]

Ruling 638. If some of the area around a person is even and some uneven, he must search for water in the even area up to a distance that two shot arrows travel, and in the uneven area up to a distance that one shot arrow travels.

Ruling 639. It is not necessary to search for water in any area in which one is certain there is no water.

Ruling 640. If the time for performing prayers is not short and one has time to procure water, and he is certain or confident that there is water in a place that is further than the distance he is obliged to go up to in search of water, he must go there to procure water unless it is so far that he would commonly be considered to be someone who does not have water. However, if he merely supposes that there is water in a place, it is not necessary for him to go there.

Ruling 641. It is not necessary for a person to go in search of water himself; rather, he can suffice with the statement of someone who has searched for water and whose word he trusts.

Ruling 642. If someone deems it probable that there is water in his travel luggage, or in his house, or with the group of people he is travelling with, he must search for water in those places until he becomes confident that there is no water or he loses hope in finding some, except if previously in a particular situation there was no water and now he deems it probable that water will be found, in which case it is not necessary for him to search.

Ruling 643. If a person searches for water before the time for prayers and does not find any, and he remains in that place until the time for prayers, in the event that he deems it probable that he will find water, the recommended precaution is that he should go in search of water again.

Ruling 644. If a person searches for water after the time for prayers has set in and does not find any, and he remains in that place until the time for the next prayers, in the event that he deems it probable that water will be found, the recommended precaution is that he should go in search of water again.

Ruling 645. If the time for performing prayers is short, or there is a fear of thieves and predatory animals, or searching for water is so difficult for someone that usually people in his situation would not be able to endure it, it is not necessary to search for water.

Ruling 646. If a person does not search for water until the time for performing prayers becomes short, and if he had gone he would have found some, he will have sinned; however, the prayer he performed with tayammum is valid.

Ruling 647. If someone is certain that he will not find water and does not go in search of it, and he performs prayers with tayammum and afterwards realises that if he had searched for water he would have found some, then based on obligatory precaution, it is necessary for him to perform wuḍūʾ and to perform the prayer again.

Ruling 648. If a person does not find water after searching for it and loses hope in finding some and performs prayers with tayammum, and afterwards he realises that there was water in the place where he had searched, his prayer is valid.

Ruling 649. If someone who is certain that the time for performing prayers is short does not search for water and performs prayers with tayammum, and after his prayers – but before the time for the prayer ends – he realises that he had time to search, the obligatory precaution is that he must perform the prayer again.

Ruling 650. If a person has wuḍūʾ and knows that if he invalidates his wuḍūʾ it will not be possible to find water or he will not be able to perform wuḍūʾ, then in the event that he can keep his wuḍūʾ, based on obligatory precaution, he must not invalidate his wuḍūʾ, whether that be before or after the time for prayers has set in. However, one can have sexual intercourse with his wife even if he knows that he will not be able to perform ghusl.

Ruling 651. If a person has water that is only sufficient for performing wuḍūʾ or ghusl with, and he knows that were he to spill the water he would not be able to find any more, in the event that the time for prayers has set in, it is unlawful for him to spill the water; and the obligatory precaution is that he must not spill it even before the time for prayers has set in.

Ruling 652. If someone who knows he will not find water invalidates his wuḍūʾ or spills the water he has, he commits a sin but his prayer performed with tayammum is valid. However, the recommended precaution is that he should make up that prayer afterwards.