Tirmidhi

English Commentary:
1:
The meaning of "before or after the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah" was that the command regarding ablution (wudu) is found specifically in Surah al-Ma'idah. Therefore, if the issue of wiping (masah) had occurred before the revelation of al-Ma'idah, it could have been said that the verse of al-Ma'idah abrogated the ruling of wiping. However, the reality is that even after the command of ablution had been revealed, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performed wiping over the feet. This proves that the matter of wiping was not abrogated.

Note:
(There is some criticism regarding Shahr ibn Hawshab in the chain of narration, but due to corroborating reports, this hadith is authentic.)

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[155 البخاري فى : 8 كتاب الصلاة : 25 باب الصلاة فى الخفاف 387، مسلم 272، أبوداود 154، ترمذي 93]

Linguistic Explanation:
«بَالَ» urinated.
«خُفَّيْه» on his leather socks (khuffayn); its singular is «خُفّ».

Understanding the Hadith:
From this hadith, it is understood that wiping (masah) over leather socks (khuffayn) is permissible. Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah states that there are mutawatir (mass-transmitted) ahadith affirming this issue. [الصحيحة تحت الحديث : 2940، نظم الفرائد 254/1]
In addition, in an authentic narration, the permissibility of wiping over socks (jurabayn) and shoes is also mentioned. [صحيح : صحيح أبوداود 147، 148، إرواء الغليل 101، ترمذي 99، ابن ماجه 559]
However, the condition for wiping is that the leather socks or socks must have been worn in a state of ablution (wudu). [شرح مسلم للنووي 173/2]
As will be mentioned in the forthcoming ahadith as well. The duration for wiping is one day and night for a resident, and three days and nights for a traveler. [مسلم : كتاب الطهارة 676، ابن ماجه 552]

Hadith Commentary:
1.
According to the Shia, wiping over leather socks (khuffayn) and performing prayer while wearing them is not permissible. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established that it is permissible to perform prayer while wearing leather socks. The second method of protecting the feet from heat and cold is to place the leather socks as a barrier between the ground and the feet. After the revelation of the verse of ablution (wudu) in Surah al-Ma'idah, some Companions became doubtful that perhaps now the permission to wipe over the socks had been abrogated and that the feet must be washed in every circumstance. When Jarir radi Allahu anhu narrated this incident, people said to him that the ruling of wiping was from before the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah. He replied that he had embraced Islam only after the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah. In some narrations, it is mentioned that he accepted Islam at the time of the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada‘). (Fath al-Bari: 1/641) From this, it is understood that the interpretation which the Shia have determined for the verse of al-Ma'idah—that the feet must be wiped in every circumstance—is completely incorrect. Similarly, the extremism of the Khawarij is also not correct.

2.
Muhammad ibn Houshab says that when he saw Jarir radi Allahu anhu wiping over the leather socks and performing prayer in them, and upon asking, Jarir radi Allahu anhu described his observation regarding the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so he asked him whether this observation was from before or after the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah. He replied: I embraced Islam only after the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah. (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, al-Taharah, Hadith: 94) Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah comments on this hadith in the following words: This hadith has clarified the matter well, because those who deny wiping over the leather socks claim that the concession for wiping was before the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah, but the action of Jarir radi Allahu anhu has clarified that the mention of washing the feet at the time of ablution in Surah al-Ma'idah did not abrogate the practice of wiping over the leather socks; rather, this ruling remained until the end of time.

Note:
Other benefits related to the hadith of Mughira ibn Shu‘bah radi Allahu anhu can be seen in the previous hadith: 182.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
It is evident that the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) understood the command to wash the feet from the verse of Surah al-Ma'idah. If they had understood from this verse the command to wipe (masah) over the feet, then this hadith would not have been so greatly appreciated by them. If Jarir (radi Allahu anhu) had accepted Islam before the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah, then the possibility could have arisen that the command of wiping (masah) had been abrogated by the verse of al-Ma'idah, which indicates washing. Therefore, according to all Ahl al-Sunnah, it is permissible to wipe (masah) over leather socks (khuffayn). Only the Shi'a and the Khawarij deny this. According to them, wiping (masah) over leather socks (khuffayn) is not permissible. According to the Khawarij, the feet must be washed, and according to the Shi'a, the feet must be wiped (masah).

1:
From this hadith, the permissibility of wiping over leather socks (khuffayn) is established.
The ahadith regarding wiping over leather socks have been narrated by approximately eighty (80) Companions, among whom are also the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise (asharah mubashsharah).
Allamah Ibn Abd al-Barr has transmitted consensus (ijma‘) on its authenticity.
Imam al-Karkhi is of the opinion that the ahadith regarding wiping over the leather socks (masah ‘ala al-khuffayn) have reached the level of tawatur (mass transmission), and as for those who deny them, I fear for their disbelief (kufr).
Those who say that the ahadith of wiping over the leather socks have been abrogated by the verse of al-Ma’idah, their statement is not correct, because the narrator of the hadith regarding wiping over the leather socks, Jarir radi Allahu anhu, accepted Islam after the revelation of the verse of al-Ma’idah.
Therefore, it is not correct to say that these ahadith are abrogated; rather, they are explanatory (mubayyin) and qualifying (mukhasis) of the verse of al-Ma’idah.
That is, the command in the verse to wash the feet is specific to those who are not wearing leather socks.
As for the correct method of wiping over the leather socks, it is that all five fingers of the hand should be moistened with water, and their tips should be drawn from the toes of the foot up to the beginning of the shin.

Commentary:
Note:
(There is some criticism regarding Shahr ibn Hawshab in the chain of narration, but due to corroborating reports, this hadith is authentic. Al-Irwa 1/137)

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Jarir radi Allahu anhu accepted Islam at the beginning of the tenth year of Hijrah, and the verse of ablution («يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ») is the sixth verse of Surah al-Ma'idah. In it, the wiping (masah) of the head is mentioned, not of the leather socks (khuffayn), rather the command is to wash the feet. Therefore, some people thought that wiping over the leather socks (masah al-khuffayn) had been abrogated. Jarir radi Allahu anhu clarified that he embraced Islam after the revelation of this surah and personally saw the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performing ablution (wudu) and wiping over the leather socks. Therefore, this practice is undoubtedly correct, permissible, and Sunnah. Considering it abrogated is not correct. No one denies this except the Shia and the Khawarij.

➋ According to the Companions radi Allahu anhum, this principle was unshakeable: the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the explainer and clarifier of the Noble Qur'an. Allah Ta'ala says: «وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ‌ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَانُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ» "And We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may clearly explain to the people what has been sent down to them."

775. Commentary: Performing prayer while wearing leather socks (khuffayn) is an agreed-upon matter. There is no difference of opinion regarding this.

118. Commentary:

➊ Wiping over the leather socks (khuffayn) is an issue upon which there is consensus among Ahl al-Sunnah. The Shia, in all circumstances, hold the view of wiping over bare feet, while the Khawarij insist on washing the feet in all cases. Ahl al-Sunnah, with certain conditions, affirm and practice wiping over the leather socks, and this is the correct position.

➋ Some individuals who do not accept wiping (over the socks) claim that the narrations regarding wiping over the leather socks are from before the revelation of Surah al-Ma’idah, because in Surah al-Ma’idah there is the command for ablution (wudu) and specifically for washing the feet. The answer to this is that among the narrators of the permissibility of wiping over the leather socks is Sayyiduna Jarir radi Allahu anhu, who accepted Islam only forty (40) days before the death of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. His witnessing the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performing wiping is a definitive proof that wiping over the leather socks is not abrogated. This is why the students of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu were very pleased with the hadith of Jarir radi Allahu anhu, because it strongly supports the position of Ahl al-Sunnah. Furthermore, this is not contrary to the Qur’anic command; rather, in the words of the Qur’an: ﴿وامسحوا برءوسكم وأرجلكم﴾ [المآئدة : 6 : 5] there is also a recitation of “arjulikum” in the genitive case (majrur). And the scholars reconcile this by stating that if it is read in the genitive, then its meaning is wiping over the socks. By combining the Qur’an and all the hadiths, the conclusion is that if the feet are bare, they should be washed, and if they are in socks or leather socks, then wiping over them should be done. In this way, both the verse of ablution and the hadiths are acted upon. Accepting the view of the Shia and Khawarij would necessitate rejecting many authentic narrations, and this is misguidance.

Commentary:
(1)
Here, the reference made to Surah al-Ma'idah is to verse number 6 of Surah al-Ma'idah, in which, while describing the method of ablution (wudu), the command to wash the feet is given.

(2)
If Hazrat Jarir radi Allahu anhu had accepted Islam before the revelation of Surah al-Ma'idah and had narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed wiping (masah) over the leather socks (khuffayn), then there could have been doubt that the ruling of wiping had been abrogated by the aforementioned verse. But since Hazrat Jarir radi Allahu anhu saw the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performing wiping over the leather socks after the revelation of this verse, it is established that this ruling was not abrogated. Hazrat Jarir radi Allahu anhu accepted Islam in the 10th year after Hijrah.

(3)
The narrations regarding wiping (masah) over the leather socks are reported from 80 Companions, among whom are also included the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise (asharah mubashsharah).

(4)
The narrations and stories that declare wiping over the leather socks to be abrogated are unreliable and not worthy of being used as evidence. See: (Footnote of Waheed uz-Zaman Khan, Hadith: 543)

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that wiping (masah) over leather socks (khuffayn) is proven. It should be noted that wiping over socks (jurabayn) is also established. The details of this issue have already been discussed.