The Legitimacy of Wiping Over Socks
If a person wears leather socks in winter to protect from cold or for any other reason, and they are worn in a state of ablution and purity, then it is permissible for him to wipe over these socks with a wet hand instead of removing them and washing the feet, because this wiping is proven from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in authentic hadiths. Accordingly, in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, Sunan al-Arba’a, and Musnad Ahmad, there is an incident mentioned that Hazrat Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه performed ablution and wiped over his leather socks. When asked if he did so, he said:
نعم، رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بال، ثم توضأ، ومسح على خفيه .
“Yes, I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perform ablution after urinating and wipe over his socks.”
Since the narrator of this hadith, Hazrat Jarir رضي الله عنه, embraced Islam after the revelation of the verse of ablution in Surah Al-Ma’idah, people considered his narration very reliable. This is because through this verse, those companions رضي الله عنهم who were suspected to have their wiping abrogated were excluded by his narration, as he accepted Islam only after the revelation of the ablution verse. The verse of ablution was revealed in 5 AH or 4 AH during the Battle of Bani Mustaliq, while Hazrat Jarir رضي الله عنه embraced Islam in the month of Ramadan in 10 AH.
Also, see the incident of Sayyid Najariir bin Abdullah’s acceptance of Islam in the words in Fath al-Bari Volume Seven.
Similarly, Sahih Bukhari, Muwatta Imam Malik, and Musnad Ahmad narrate from Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
إنه مسح على الخفين .
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) wiped over the socks.”
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both) asked his highly esteemed father, Amir al-Mu’minin Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) about this matter, and Hazrat Farooq Azam (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
نعم، إذا حدثك شيئا سعد عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فلا تسأل عنه غيره
“Yes! When Saad narrates something from the Prophet (peace be upon him), then do not ask anyone else about it.”
In Sahih Bukhari, Hazrat Amr bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
رأيت النبى يمسح على عمامته وخفيه .
“I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) wiping over his turban and socks.”
In Fath al-Bari it is written:
“A large group of hadith preservers have explicitly confirmed that wiping over the socks is established through continuous transmission (tawatur). Among them, some noble muhaddithin have counted the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who narrated the permissibility of wiping over the socks, and their number exceeded eighty (80), including ten Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were given the glad tidings of Paradise while still in this world.”
The author Ibn Abi Shaybah narrates from Hazrat Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him):
حدثني سبعون من الصحابة بالمسح على الخفين
“Seventy (70) of the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated to me the hadith about wiping over the socks.”
◈Wiping Over Socks and the Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ:
Just like leather socks, wiping over wool, foam, cotton, or nylon socks is also permissible, which is evidenced by an authentic hadith narrated in Sunan Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, Sunan Bayhaqi, and Sahih Ibn Hibban. Hazrat Mughira bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم توضأ ومسح على الجوربين والنعلين .
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed wudu and wiped over his socks and shoes.”
Besides this hadith, which meets the criteria of authenticity according to the great muhaddithun, several other hadiths mention the permissibility of wiping over socks. Although some of these have been critiqued regarding their chains and narrators, many of the hadiths discussed are considered authentic by most muhaddithun. The texts of these narrations and the comments of the muhaddithun on them can be found in “Nasb Al-Rayah Takhrij Ahadith Al-Hidayah Lil-Imam Al-Zaili”
, “Awn Al-Ma’bud Sharh Abi Dawood by Allama Shams Al-Haq Al-Azim Abadi”
, “Ma’alim Al-Sunan by Al-Khattabi”
, “Tahdhib Al-Sunan by Ibn Al-Qayyim”
, and “Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi Sharh Sunan Tirmidhi by Al-Mubarakfuri”
. The editor of Allama Ibn Qayyim’s book “Zad Al-Ma’ad” wrote:
“Allama Jamaluddin Qasmi wrote a treatise on the topic of wiping over socks, in which he collected many authentic and established hadiths, and then Allama Ahmad Shakir added several other hadiths to it during its takhrij.”
◈ Effects of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them:
It is established from a group of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) that they wiped over their socks. Accordingly, in Sunan Abi Dawood, the Imam himself has mentioned the details of these nine (9) Companions as follows:
➊ Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) ➋ Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) ➌ Hazrat Bara’ ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him)
➍ Hazrat Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) ➎ Hazrat Abu Imamah (may Allah be pleased with him) ➏ Hazrat Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him)
➐ Hazrat Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) ➑ Hazrat Amr ibn Hurayth (may Allah be pleased with him) ➒ Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them)
In “Tahdheeb al-Sunan,” Allama Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned from Ibn al-Mundhir that wiping over socks is narrated from nine (9) Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
➊ Hazrat Ali ➋ Hazrat Ammar ➌ Hazrat Abu Mas’ud Ansari
➍ Hazrat Anas ➎ Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar ➏ Hazrat Bara’
➐ Hazrat Bilal ➑ Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa ➒ Hazrat Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with them)
Among these eighteen Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the names of Hazrat Ali, Anas, Bara’, and Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with them) appear repeatedly, so it appears that the narration of wiping over socks is found from fourteen Companions, while from Hazrat Mughirah ibn Shu’bah, Hazrat Thawban, and Hazrat Abu Musa Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with them) there are also Marfoo’ narrations of “wiping over the two socks,” thus their number becomes seventeen.
and in “Nasb al-Rayah by Al-Zaili” the reports of these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are also transmitted.
For brevity, we are refraining from presenting the texts of these reports and their translations. However, their summary is that all of them wiped over their socks on various occasions, which is evidence for the permissibility of wiping over socks.
◈ Effects of the Followers (Tabi‘in) and Sayings of the Imams, may Allah have mercy on them:
Just as a group of celestial souls among the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, believed in the permissibility of wiping over socks, similarly a group among the Followers (Tabi‘in), may Allah have mercy on them, also believed in and practiced this.
Accordingly, the author Ibn Abi Shaybah
and Allama Ibn Qayyim in “I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in”
mention thirteen noble names of the Followers, among whom are:
➊ Hasan al-Basri ➋ Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib ➌ Ibn Jurayj ➍ ‘Ata
➎ Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i ➏ Fadl ibn Waki‘ ➐ Al-A‘mash ➑ Qatadah
➒ Khulas ➓ Sa‘id ibn Jubayr ⓫ Nafi‘ ⓬ Sufyan al-Thawri
⓭ Abu Thawr, may Allah have mercy on them, such pillars of knowledge are included.
The sayings and fatwas of these personalities are also transmitted in the mentioned books. Due to brevity, we omit their texts and translations here, while in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, the Imam, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
“The permissibility of wiping over socks is the opinion of many scholars, and this is also the school of thought of Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Shafi‘i, Ahmad, and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, may Allah have mercy on them.”
Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, states in “Tahdhib al-Sunan”:
“The opinion permitting wiping over socks is held by most scholars, and besides the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, whose names have been mentioned, Imam Ahmad, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Abdullah ibn Mubarak, Sufyan al-Thawri, ‘Ata ibn Abi Rabah, Hasan al-Basri, Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, and Abu Yusuf Qadi, may Allah have mercy on them, also believed in the permissibility. And among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, whose names we have mentioned, we do not know of any other Companion who opposed this.”
◈ The Hanafi School of Thought:
In Ma’alim al-Sunan, the stance of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, as conveyed by his two esteemed students Imam Qadi Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on them, is as follows:
يمسح عليهما إذا كانا تخينين لا يشفان
“Wiping over the socks is permissible provided they are thick.”
Specifically, in the Hanafi fiqh book Quduri, it is stated that Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on them, say:
يجوز المسح على الجوربين إذا كانا تخينين لا يشفان الماء
“Wiping over the socks is permissible provided they are thick and do not absorb water (at the time of wiping) to reach the feet.”
Imam Abu Hanifa himself was initially not in favor of wiping over the socks, but later he withdrew from this opinion and adopted the stance of the two aforementioned Imams. Accordingly, in the Sharh al-Lubab of Quduri, Sheikh Abdul Ghani Ghunaimi Maidani, may Allah have mercy on him, writes in the correction regarding Hidayah:
أنه رجع إلى قولهما وعليه الفتوى
“The Imam also reverted to the opinion of the two Imams, and the fatwa is based on that.”
Summarizing, quoting from Sharh al-Jami’ al-Ma’ruf by Qazi Khan, it is written:
If the socks are thick but not worn inside shoes, according to Imam Sahib wiping over them is not permissible. According to the two Imams, it is permissible. Furthermore, it is clarified that it is narrated:
إن الإمام رجع إلى قولهما فى المرض الذى مات فيه
“During the illness from which the Imam did not recover, he reverted to the opinion of the two Imams.”
Also, in Hidayah it is written:
وقالا: يجوز المسح على الجوربين إذا كانا تخينين لا يشفان، لما روي أن النبى ﷺ مسح على جوربيه، وعليه الفتوى
“The two Imams say that if the socks are thick, wiping over them is permissible, because it is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, wiped over both his socks, and the fatwa of the Hanafi scholars is based on this.”
Before these words, the author of Hidayah wrote about Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, that wiping over the socks is not permissible according to him, and then after three lines, it is mentioned that Imam Sahib withdrew from this opinion.
◈ Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, turning to:
This mention that the Sahibain, meaning the righteous students of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Qazi Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on them, were from the beginning in favor of the permissibility of wiping over socks, and as evidence, they used to refer to the blessed practice of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Eventually, Imam Sahib himself, who was initially not in favor of the permissibility, also reverted to the opinion of the Sahibain and accepted the permissibility. The details of his reversion have been mentioned by Maulana Abdul Hay Lakhnawi, may Allah have mercy on him, in the margin of Hidayah.
He writes:
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, performed ablution in the presence of his students during his final illness while he was wearing socks. At that time, he performed ablution and wiped over the socks, addressing his students and saying that he did this because he used to prohibit wiping over socks, but now his research shows that wiping over socks is not only permissible but is also the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Therefore, he performed this act to inform them so that they could tell the general public and scholars that Abu Hanifa had reverted from his previous stance.
Not only did he revert on the issue of wiping over socks, but Imam Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him, reverted on many issues after research. This is the hallmark of a scholar, and it should be so that when the correct issue becomes clear, one immediately abandons their previous practice which lacks evidence and adopts the correct evidence. In “Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah”
, Sheikh Abdul Qadir mentions:
“Imam Sahib had Qazi Abu Yusuf write down twenty-four (24) issues in which he had reverted from his previous stance, and he instructed Qazi Abu Yusuf to inform the scholars and also the public about these issues and the reversion, so that people would not abandon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, because Nu’man (Abu Hanifa) can make mistakes, but Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, cannot make mistakes. He, peace be upon him, is a Prophet and infallible, and Nu’man bin Thabit is neither a Prophet nor infallible. Remember that if you find any of my sayings contrary to the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, then reject my sayings and hold firmly to the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah.”
Thus, Imam Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him, cleared himself of any blame. This is a proof of his humility as well as his high status and elevated rank. رحمه الله رحمة واسعة.
Ma’alim al-Sunan by al-Khattabi
, Umdat al-Qari margin of Sharh al-Waqayah
, and Radd al-Muhtar margin Dar al-Mukhtar
also mention the Hanafi jurists’ ruling that wiping over socks is permissible.
◈ Etymological Study of the Word Jarab:
A sock is a well-known item, but some people unnecessarily interpret it in such a way that can be called harshness and exaggeration, for example, some say that by sock leather socks are meant, whereas for them the word “khuffain” is even present in the noble hadith, including Bukhari and Muslim. Therefore, taking socks to mean leather socks is a result of unfamiliarity with the language. So let us do a little linguistic research on this word to reach the real truth. Accordingly, in the moderately sized but well-known and commonly used Arabic dictionaries “Al-Munjid”
and “Qamus Al-Muheet Fayrouzabadi”
, it is written:
الجورب: لفافة الرجل
“A sock is a covering for the foot, that is, it is used to wrap the foot.”
The linguist Allama Ahmad Raza Dimashqi writes in his five-volume dictionary “Mu’jam Matn al-Lugha”
:
A sock is called the covering that is hung on the foot. In fact, it is an Arabicized form of the Persian word “Gorpa,” which means “the grave of the foot.”
In the fifteen-volume “Lisan al-Arab” by Ibn Manzur
, it is written:
الجراب وعاء معروف .
“A sock is a well-known container.”
The author of “A’un al-Ma’bud” and “Tuhfat al-Ahwazi” has quoted Imam Suyuti and Imam Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi, may Allah have mercy on them:
الجورب غشاوة للقدم من صوف يتخذ للدفء وهو الشخين .
“A sock is a covering worn on the foot, made of wool to keep the foot warm and is thick.”
Allama Isa Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“A sock is worn above the ankles in the coldest regions of the Levant and is made of thread or wool.”
Among the senior Hanafi scholars, Allama Ayni, may Allah have mercy on him, defined a sock in these words:
“A sock is worn in the Levant countries during severe cold, made of wool, and covers the foot including above the ankles.”
In Taj al-‘Arus Zubaidi, “sock” is also written as a covering for the foot and originally the Persian “Gorpa.” In the fatwas of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, it is stated that the difference between “Jorbayn” and “Na’layn” is that “Jorbayn” are made of wool and “Na’layn” are made of leather. In Majd al-Din Fayrouzabadi’s “Qamus al-Muheet,” a general definition of “sock” is given, which includes every sock made of leather, wool, hair, or thread.
From all this linguistic research and explanation, it is understood that every kind of sock is included in “Jorab,” whether made of leather, silk, wool, thread, hair, or nylon, and wiping over every sock that is sound, intact, and thick is permissible. However, if it is sound and intact but so thin that the foot is clearly visible through it, then it is not valid for wiping. Yes, if there is a minor hole somewhere in the sock, there is no harm in wiping over it, as mentioned in the books of jurisprudence.
◈ Difference between wiping over socks and wiping over plaster:
Wiping over a splint, plaster, or bandage is apparently like wiping over socks, but there are some differences between wiping over these two, which can take various forms. For example:
① The timing of wiping over plaster or bandage is not dependent on days but on healing, whereas the timing of wiping over socks is dependent on days; a traveler can wipe over socks for three days and three nights, and a resident for only one day and one night. After this period, they must remove the socks and wash their feet, but this is not the case with plaster or bandage; as long as the wound is not healed and the bone has not properly set, there is no need to remove it.
② The second difference between these two is that the permissibility of wiping over socks requires that they were worn in a state of purity and ablution. This is not a condition for plaster or bandage, and the Hanbalis and Shafi’is who imposed this condition have been declared unreasonable and incorrect by scholars.
③ The third difference is that if the plaster or bandage falls off for some reason before healing, the wiping period does not end; rather, after reapplying the bandage, wiping over it is again permissible. But if the sock is removed from the foot or both are removed and ablution is not performed, then the wiping period over them ends. Therefore, it is necessary to wear them after ablution; otherwise, wiping over them is not permissible.
④ The fourth difference between these two is that wiping over a bandage is permissible only when wiping and washing the wound would be harmful, whereas the case with socks is the opposite; even if one is not unable to wash the feet, wiping is still permissible, and protection from cold in winter is not considered a major excuse, yet the Sharia has permitted it.
⑤ The fifth difference is that wiping over socks is specific only to the feet; if sock-like items are worn on other parts of the body or gloves are worn, wiping over them is not permissible. However, if a plaster or bandage is on any part of the body from head to foot, wiping over it is permissible.
◈ Condition of wiping:
Regarding splints, plaster, and bandages, the details have already been discussed about the differences in wiping over them and wiping over socks or stockings, so there is no need to repeat that detail here, and the conditions for wiping were also mentioned there. But here, only one condition is noteworthy, and that is purity and ablution, that wiping over socks or stockings is only permissible if they were worn in a state of ablution, because Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that during a journey, I was with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). When the Prophet (peace be upon him) began to perform ablution, I was pouring water from the vessel. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) washed his noble face and arms and wiped his noble head, I bent down to remove his socks, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
دعهما فإني أدخلتهما طاهرتين فمسح عليهما .
“Leave them, for I wore them in a state of purity,” then the Prophet (peace be upon him) wiped over them.”
◈ Place of Wiping:
Wiping over socks or stockings should apparently be done on the lower side of the feet, but the Sunnah is to wipe over the upper part of the feet instead of the soles, because it is narrated from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sunan Abi Dawood, Dar Qutni, Musnad Ahmad, Sunan Bayhaqi, Darimi, and Muhalla Ibn Hazm that he said:
لو كان الدين بالر أى لكان أسفل الخف أولى بالمسح من أعلاه وقد رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يمسح على ظاهر خفيه .
“If the foundation of religion were based on reason and analogy, then wiping under the socks would be preferable to wiping over them, but I have seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wiping over the socks.”
◈ Manner of Wiping:
What is the method and manner of wiping? Several hadiths have been narrated on this subject, but all of them are mutakallam feeh (reported in the form of speech), yet their overall meaning is that the wet fingers of the right hand should be spread and moved over the right foot’s sock or stocking from the toes area to the part ascending on the shin, as if drawing a line or making marks. Similarly, wipe with the fingers of the left hand from the toes of the left foot up to the beginning of the shin.
However, since these narrations are mutakallam feeh, adherence to this exact manner is not obligatory; wiping in any manner will suffice. Nevertheless, adopting the mentioned method is preferable.
Among these weak and non-argumentative narrations is one narrated in Sunan al-Kubra by Bayhaqi from Hazrat Mughira bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he states:
إنه مسح على حفيه، ووضع يده اليمنى على خفه الأيمن، ويده اليسرى على خفه الأيسر، ثم مسح أعلاهما مسحة واحدة، كأني أنظر أصابعه على الخفين .
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) placed his right hand on his right sock and his left hand on his left sock, then wiped over both socks only once, as if I was seeing the Prophet’s fingers on the socks.”
But this narration has been declared disconnected (munqati’) by the hadith scholar Amir San’ani (may Allah have mercy on him). Another narration on this topic is from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
إنه رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يمسح على ظهر الخف خطوطا بالأصابع .
“They saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) wiping over the socks, as if he was drawing lines with his fingers.”
Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said about this hadith that it is weak. A third narration in this series is from Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
إنه صلى الله عليه وسلم أرى بعض من علمه المسح أن يمسح بيده من مقدم الخفين إلى أصل الساق مرة، وفرج بين أصابعه
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) showed a person the method of wiping by demonstrating wiping once from the front part of the sock to the place where the shin begins. While showing this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) spread his fingers apart.”
But this narration was declared very weak by Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him).
We have mentioned these three narrations merely as a caution; none of them is reliable for argumentation, nor is there any other narration regarding the manner and quantity that can be trusted. Therefore, according to Amir Yamani, if a person wipes over his socks (or stockings) in such a way that it can linguistically be called wiping, that will suffice, regardless of how it is done.
◈ Duration of wiping:
Now, regarding the matter of how long one can wipe over socks or stockings after performing ablution, more than ten companions, may Allah be pleased with them, have narrated numerous ahadith indicating that for a resident, wiping over them is permissible for one day and night, i.e., twenty-four (24) hours, and for a traveler, for three days and three nights, i.e., seventy-two (72) hours. Accordingly, in Sahih Muslim, Sunan an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Sahih Ibn Hibban, and Musnad Ahmad, Shurayh ibn Hani narrates that he went to the presence of Hazrat Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, and asked about the duration of wiping over socks. She said, “Go to Ibn Abi Talib, that is Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and ask him, because he traveled with the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and thus knows more about this matter than I do.” I went to him and asked about the duration of wiping, and he informed me:
جعل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثلاثة أيام ولياليهن للمسافر، ويوما وليلة للمقيم
“The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, set the duration of wiping over socks or stockings as three days and three nights for a traveler, and one day and one night for a resident.”
Similarly, in Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban, Sunan Dar Qutni, Musnad Ahmad, Shafi’i, and Sunan Bayhaqi, there is a narration which Imam Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah, and Al-Khattabi, may Allah have mercy on them, have declared authentic, and Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, considered it the most authentic hadith on this subject. In it, Hazrat Safwan ibn Assal, may Allah be pleased with him, states:
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يأمرنا إذا كنا سفرا أن لا ننزع خفافنا ثلاثة أيام ولياليهن إلا من جنابة، ولكن من غائط وبول ونوم .
“The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to command us that when we were traveling, in cases where ablution was broken by urination, defecation, or sleep, we should not remove our socks for three days and three nights. However, if there is a state of major ritual impurity (janabah), then it is necessary to remove them.”
From the wording of this hadith, it appears that wiping is obligatory, but consensus has transformed this obligation into permissibility or recommendation. The fact that wiping is not obligatory but merely a concession is also evident from another hadith narrated in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Sunan Dar Qutni, Sahih Ibn Hibban, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Musnad Shafi’i, and Sunan Bayhaqi, which according to Al-Majd Ibn Taymiyyah and Al-Shawkani, may Allah have mercy on them, was declared authentic by Imam Al-Khattabi, Shafi’i, and Ibn Khuzaymah, may Allah have mercy on them. In it, Hazrat Abu Bakrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him:
إنه رخص للمسافر ثلاثة أيام ولياليهن، وللمقيم يوما وليلة، إذا تطهر فلبس خفيه أن يمسح عليهما
“You, peace be upon him, permitted the traveler to wipe over socks for three days and three nights, and the resident for one day and one night, provided that he performed ablution and then wore the socks.”
When does the duration of wiping begin?
Regarding wiping (masah), there is also the question of when the duration of wiping, which is one day for a resident and three days for a traveler, should begin to be counted so that the twenty-four (24) hours or preferably (72) hours can be calculated. Allama Ubaidullah Rahmani Mubarakpuri wrote in “Al-Mar’ah Sharh Al-Mishkat”:
The opinion of many scholars is that the duration of wiping on the socks begins from the time the ablution (wudu) breaks after wearing the socks, not from the time of performing ablution or wiping, nor from the time of wearing the socks. And it is narrated from Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, that:
“The counting begins from the time of wearing the socks.”
In “Al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj,” Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote:
“Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, and many scholars hold the view that the duration begins from the time the ablution breaks after wearing the socks, not from the time of wearing the socks nor from the time of wiping on them.”
From the apparent meaning of the hadith of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned in Sahih Muslim and other books, and other hadiths of similar meaning, Sheikh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, deduced:
“The beginning of the duration should be considered from the first time of wiping, not from the time the ablution breaks after wiping. Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, preferred this view, although it contradicts his own madhhab.”
The stature of the learned scholars has always been such that they accept what they consider more correct according to the Quran and Sunnah, even if their jurisprudential school, or even the Imam of their school, is against it. Imam Nawawi’s case is similar. Thus, in his book “Sharh Sahih Muslim,” he briefly stated, referring to Imam Shafi’i and many scholars, that after performing ablution and wearing socks, when the ablution breaks, the duration of wiping begins. From that time, a resident can wipe for one day and one night, and a traveler for three days and three nights. To understand this with an example: a worshipper performs ablution at the time of Dhuhr prayer and wears socks or stockings. His ablution remains valid until Isha, and after Isha, for example at nine o’clock, his ablution breaks. Now he is permitted to perform ablution as many times as he wants and for any purpose until nine o’clock the next night without removing the socks or stockings; rather, he can wipe over them. If he wishes to remove them and perform full ablution and wash his feet before that, he is free to do so.
According to Imam Nawawi, this is the madhhab of Imam Shafi’i, Abu Hanifa, their companions, Sufyan, and the majority of scholars, may Allah have mercy on them. According to the more authentic narration from Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, this is also narrated, and it is the madhhab of Imam Dawud, may Allah have mercy on him. Their argument is based on the additional words من الحدث إلى الحدث in the hadith narrated from Hazrat Safwan, may Allah be pleased with him, but this addition is not established; Imam Nawawi himself called it “strange” in “Al-Majmu’ Sharh Al-Muhadhdhab,” or their argument is based on analogy.
Hazrat Hasan Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said that the duration of wiping begins from the time of wearing the socks. For example, a person performs ablution for Dhuhr prayer and wears socks. The counting of the duration begins immediately upon wearing the socks, and until the next Dhuhr for a resident and until the third Dhuhr for a traveler, wiping is permissible. In other words, a resident may perform ablution and wear socks daily at Dhuhr and, if he does not remove them in between, he can wipe for twenty-four (24) hours, and a traveler for the better (72) hours.
A third opinion regarding the beginning of the wiping duration is that of Imam Awza’i and Abu Thawr, may Allah have mercy on them, and in one narration, Imam Ahmad and Dawud, may Allah have mercy on them, also hold this view. It is also narrated from Hazrat Umar Farooq, may Allah be pleased with him, that the duration of wiping begins from the wiping done when performing ablution again after the ablution breaks following wearing the socks. For example, a person performs ablution at Dhuhr and prays with that ablution until Isha. After Isha, his ablution breaks. Then he wakes up for Fajr prayer and performs ablution and wipes over the socks. From that time, he is permitted to wipe for twenty-four (24) hours for a resident and seventy-two (72) hours for a traveler.
Their argument is based on the apparent meaning of authentic hadiths in Sahih Muslim and other books, which allow a resident to wipe for one day and one night and a traveler for three days and three nights. Full benefit of this allowance for three days and three nights or one day and one night can only be taken if the duration of wiping is counted from the first wiping. For example, a person performs ablution for Dhuhr prayer and wears socks. His ablution remains valid until Isha, then it breaks. He performs ablution and wipes at Fajr. If the duration of wiping is counted from the breaking of ablution, then he is only allowed to wipe during the day or until Isha prayer. If he wakes up after Isha for Tahajjud, he will not have the permission to wipe because in this case, the permission to wipe after the ablution breaks at Isha remains only until that time, whereas authentic hadiths allow wiping for the whole day and night. This is only possible if the duration of wiping is counted from the first wiping, not from wearing the socks or the breaking of ablution. Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote about this madhhab:
وهو المختار الراجح دليلا، واختاره ابن المنذر، وحكي نحوه عن عمر بن الخطاب رضى الله عنه
“This is the preferred and strongest view according to the evidence, and Imam Ibn al-Mundhir also adopted it. Similarly, it is narrated from Hazrat Umar Farooq, may Allah be pleased with him.”
This was a scholarly discussion and its details. Generally, if one performs full ablution daily at Dhuhr, a resident has the allowance to wipe over the socks during other times. A traveler can wipe for three days and three nights. This is a rough calculation and within the limits of permissibility. If one wants to consider the finer points, they have also been mentioned. والله الموفق
It should also be kept in mind that to benefit from wiping, it is necessary not to remove the socks or stockings but to keep wearing them continuously. It is not permissible to wear them whenever one wishes and wipe over them, because in Fath al-Bari under “Fa’idah,” Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote:
“If someone removes his socks before the wiping duration ends, according to Imam Ahmad, Ishaq, and other Imams who hold the timing view, he must perform ablution again. According to the jurists of the Kufah school, Imam Muzani and Abu Thawr, may Allah have mercy on them, it is sufficient to wash only the feet. Imam Malik and Waleeth, may Allah have mercy on them, hold the same view. However, Hazrat Hasan Basri, Ibn Abi Layla, and a group of scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, say that washing the feet is not necessary in this case.”
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Sheikh Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on them, have confirmed this.
They made an analogy with a person who wiped his head and then shaved his head, so he is not required to wipe his head again. However, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, rejected this analogy. In the research and correction of Fath al-Bari under the supervision of Sheikh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, it was written confirming Hafiz Ibn Hajar’s comment that it is inappropriate to apply this analogy to wiping the head because the head is the original part on which wiping is done, whether hair is present or not, whereas wiping over socks is in place of washing the feet. Therefore, these two matters are different. For this reason, the preferred view is that if a person removes the socks, his ablution becomes invalid, and washing only the feet is not sufficient. This is because the continuity and sequence required in washing the limbs of ablution are broken.
◈ Nullifiers of Masah:
Here it should also be remembered that the nullifiers of Masah are the same as the nullifiers of Wudu, meaning when Wudu is broken, Masah is also broken at the same time. When you perform a new Wudu, perform Masah again from the beginning.
