Keeping the Ankles (Ka‘b) Exposed in Ihram — Not the Entire Top of the Foot
Compiled by: Tauheed.com
◈ Introduction
Some Hanafis claim that in the state of Ihram, the footwear must be such that not only the soles but also the entire top (instep) of the foot remains exposed. Their reasoning is that Ka‘b refers to the top of the foot.
In this article, a linguistic, Hadith-based, and juristic analysis is presented to clarify that, according to the majority of scholars, the requirement is only to keep the ankle-bones (al-ka‘bān) exposed, not the whole upper part of the foot.
◈ Linguistic Analysis
Definition of Ka‘b:
«ٱلْكَعبانِ العِظْمانِ النَّاتِئانِ عِندَ مَفْصِلِ السّاقِ وَالْقَدَمِ»
"Ka‘b are the two protruding bones at the joint of the leg and foot."
(Lisan al-‘Arab, root: كعب)
Rejection by Al-Asma‘i:
«وَأَنْكَرَ الأَصمعيُّ قَوْلَ الناس: إِنَّهُ في ظَهْرِ القَدَمِ»
"Al-Asma‘i rejected the saying that Ka‘b refers to the top of the foot."
(Lisan al-‘Arab, root: كعب)
Conclusion: Linguistically, Ka‘b means the ankle-bones only, not the instep.◈ Hadith Evidence
Hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (RA):
«لا يَلْبَسُ المُحْرِمُ… ولا الخِفَافَ إلّا أحدٌ لا يَجِدُ نَعْلَيْنِ فَلْيَلْبَسْ خُفَّيْنِ، ثُمَّ لْيَقْطَعْهُمَا أَسْفَلَ مِنَ الكَعْبَيْنِ»
"The Muhrim must not wear… leather socks, except one who cannot find sandals; then he may wear leather socks, but let him cut them below the ankles."
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1543; Sahih Muslim 1177)
➡ The Prophet ﷺ mentioned ankles only; if the instep had to remain uncovered, it would have been explicitly stated.
◈ Opinions of Early Scholars
- Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim bin Sallam (d. 224H):
«ٱلكعبُ الَّذِي في أَصْلِ القَدَمِ مُنْتَهى السّاقِ إلَيْهِ»
"Ka‘b is the bone at the base of the foot where the leg ends."
(Gharib al-Hadith, 3/185) - Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (d. 463H):
«ٱلكعبانِ العِظْمانِ النَّاتِئانِ عَنِ الجَنْبَيْنِ»
"Ka‘b are the two protruding bones on the sides of the foot."
(Al-Tamhid, 13/65) - Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676H):
«اتفق العلماءُ على أن المرادَ بالكعبين العِظْمانِ النَّاتِئان بين الساقِ والقدم»
"The scholars agree that Ka‘b refers to the two protruding bones between the leg and the foot."
(Sharh Sahih Muslim, 8/196) - Ibn Qudamah (d. 620H):
«والكعابُ المشهورةُ هي الَّتِي ذَكَرْنَاها»
"The well-known Ka‘b are those we have mentioned (i.e., ankle-bones)."
(Al-Mughni, 3/208)
◈ Opinions of Later Scholars
- Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani (d. 852H):
«هذا ضعيفٌ، لا يُعرَفُ عند أهل اللُّغة أن الكعبَ هو ظهرُ القدم»
"This view is weak; linguists do not recognize Ka‘b as the top of the foot."
(Fath al-Bari, 3/307) - Lajnah Da’imah (Saudi Arabia):
«لا يلزم أن يكون ظهرُ القدم مكشوفًا؛ إنما الواجب كشفُ الكعبين في النعلين»
"It is not required that the instep remain exposed; what is required is that the ankles remain uncovered in sandals."
(Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah, 11/183) - Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (d. 1421H):
«المقصود أن تكون النعلان تحت الكعبين، وأما ظهرُ القدم فليس بشرطٍ في الإحرام»
"The condition is that sandals remain below the ankles; as for the instep, its exposure is not a condition in Ihram."
(Al-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 7/161)
◈ Analysis of Hanafi View
Some later Hanafis claimed Ka‘b refers to the top of the foot, but:
① All major lexicons reject this.
② The Hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (RA) clearly specifies below the ankles, not the instep.
③ Imam al-Nawawi declared this opinion a rare, isolated view against scholarly consensus.
◈ Summary & Conclusion
✔ Linguistically: Ka‘b = the two ankle-bones, not the instep.
✔ Hadith: Only the ankles are required to be exposed in Ihram footwear.
✔ Juristic consensus: The majority of scholars agree that sandals or slippers exposing the ankles are sufficient.
✔ Fatwa: It is not obligatory to keep the top of the foot uncovered in Ihram.
Therefore, the correct view is that in Ihram, only the ankles must remain exposed, while the instep being uncovered is not a condition.والله أعلم بالصواب
