A man reported,

I used to be away from water and would become ritually impure without finding any water, so I would perform tayammum. This troubled me, so I went to Abu Dharr at his home but did not find him there. I then went to the mosque, having had his appearance described to me, and there he was praying. I recognized him by the description and gave him the greeting of peace, but he did not return it until he had finished his prayer. Then he returned my greeting.I asked, "Are you Abu Dharr?"He replied, "My family claims so."I said, "There was no one among people I wanted to see more than you."He said, "Well, you have seen me now."I said, "I used to be away from water and would become ritually impure, so I spent days performing tayammum, and this troubled me," or "this confused me."He said, "Do you know about Abu Dharr? I was in Medina, but its climate did not suit me, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ assigned me a small flock of sheep, and I went out with them. I became ritually impure and performed tayammum with clean earth. I prayed for several days like this, and it troubled me until I thought I was doomed. So I ordered my she-camel, or my young camel, to be saddled, and I mounted it and traveled until I reached Medina.I found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the shade of the mosque with a group of his companions. I greeted him, and he raised his head and said, 'Glory be to Allah, it is Abu Dharr!'I said, 'Yes, Messenger of Allah. I became ritually impure and performed tayammum for several days, and it troubled me until I thought I was doomed.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called for water for me, and a black slave-girl brought it in a large bowl that was sloshing about. I screened myself with my mount, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered a man to screen me, and I performed the full bath. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Abu Dharr, clean earth is a means of purification as long as you do not find water, even for ten years. But when you find water, let it touch your skin.'"

حدثنا محمد بن جعفر حدثنا شعبة عن أيوب عن أبي قلابة

عن رجل من بني قشير قال

كنت أعزب عن الماء فتصيبني الجنابة فلا أجد الماء فأتيمم فوقع في نفسي من ذلك فأتيت أبا ذر في منزله فلم أجده فأتيت المسجد وقد وصفت لي هيئته فإذا هو يصلي فعرفته بالنعت فسلمت فلم يرد علي حتى انصرف ثم رد علي فقلت أنت أبو ذر قال إن أهلي يزعمون ذاك فقلت ما كان أحد من الناس أحب إلي رؤيته منك فقال قد رأيتني فقلت إني كنت أعزب عن الماء فتصيبني الجنابة فلبثت أياما أتيمم فوقع في نفسي من ذلك أو أشكل علي فقال أتعرف أبا ذر كنت بالمدينة فاجتويتها فأمر لي رسول الله ﷺ بغنيمة فخرجت فيها فأصابتني جنابة فتيممت بالصعيد فصليت أياما فوقع في نفسي من ذلك حتى ظننت أني هالك فأمرت بناقة لي أو قعود فشد عليها ثم ركبت قال حتى قدمت المدينة فوجدت رسول الله ﷺ في ظل المسجد في نفر من أصحابه فسلمت عليه فرفع رأسه وقال سبحان الله أبو ذر فقلت نعم يا رسول الله إني أصابتني جنابة فتيممت أياما فوقع في نفسي من ذلك حتى ظننت أني هالك فدعا رسول الله ﷺ لي بماء فجاءت به أمة سوداء في عس يتخضخض فاستترت بالراحلة وأمر رسول الله ﷺ رجلا فسترني فاغتسلت ثم قال رسول الله ﷺ يا أبا ذر إن الصعيد الطيب طهور ما لم تجد الماء ولو في عشر حجج فإذا قدرت على الماء فأمسه بشرتك