O believers! Do not approach prayer while intoxicated1 until you are aware of what you say, nor in a state of ˹full˺ impurity2—unless you merely pass through ˹the mosque˺—until you have bathed. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth, wiping your faces and hands.3 And Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.
Explanation:
Each of these readings can be interpreted in two main ways, though the first (verb form III) is more explicit in denoting mutuality, and more evidently refers to intercourse between husband and wife. Some jurists take this verse to entail that any physical contact with the opposite sex (some of them stipulate that it be of an intimate kind), necessitates renewal of ritual purity before prayer. Others consider this to refer to intercourse which necessitates a full bath under normal circumstances. This part of the verse provides the ruling for when water is not available for purification.