It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man was in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) during winter. He asked (for the ruling) and was told to take a ritual bath (ghusl). He bathed and died. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) learned of this, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said three times: "They killed him, may Allah destroy them! Allah has made clean earth (or: tayammum) a means of purification." This hadith is sahih (authentic). Although its narrator al-Walid bin Ubaydullah has very few hadith, this narration is strengthened by other supporting reports.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: "And if you are ill or on a journey" [An-Nisa: 43] , that if a man has a wound received in the path of Allah, or smallpox or the like, and he becomes in need of a ritual bath (ghusl) and fears that he will die if he bathes, then he should perform tayammum.