Is the dryness of the earth sufficient to purify it?

The phrase: "The zakat of the earth is its dryness" is not a prophetic hadith. Rather, it is an athar (a saying or action attributed to a Companion or a successor) narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir.

Scholars have differed concerning the purity of the earth through dryness. The madhhabs (schools of thought) of the Shafi'is, Malikis, and Hanbalis hold that it is only purified by water. However, Abu Hanifa was of the opinion that it is purified by dryness if the substance of the impurity has disappeared.

The majority (Jumhur) of scholars cited the hadith of the Bedouin who urinated in the mosque, where the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded that a bucket of water be poured over his urine. This indicates that purification is by water, not by dryness.

As for Abu Hanifa and those who agreed with him, they cited "The zakat of the earth is its dryness," which is an athar that has no elevated chain of narration (marfu') to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Based on this, the view of the majority is that the earth is not purified by dryness. Whereas, according to Abu Hanifa, an impure earth is purified by dryness if the substance of the impurity is gone, and it is permissible to pray on it, but it is not permissible to perform tayammum (dry ablution) from it.