Wiping Over Leather Socks and the like

In one of his journeys, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing ablution. On reaching the part of washing the feet, Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) stretched his hands to take off the Prophet's leather socks to wash his feet. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Leave them and do not take them off, for I had put them on while being in a state of Tahārah (ritual purity). Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wiped over his leather socks instead of washing his feet.

1. The permissibility of wiping over the leather socks when performing ablution from minor Hadath (ritual impurity), but when taking a ritual bath from major Hadath, the feet must be washed.
2. Wiping is done by passing the wet hand once over the surface of the leather sock, not its bottom.
3. The conditions for wiping over leather socks are: wearing them after having performed a complete ablution where the feet are washed with water, the leather socks must be pure and cover the area that must be washed in ablution, wiping over them in case of minor Hadath not in case of Janābah (impurity due to sexual discharge) or what requires a ritual bath, and wiping over them during the period prescribed by Shariah, namely one day and night for the resident and three days and nights for the traveler.
4. What applies to leather socks applies also to all footwear including socks and others. It is permissible to wipe over them.
5. Good moral character of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his teaching method, as he forbade Al-Mughīrah from taking off his leather socks and told him the reason, that he put them on when his feet were in the state of ritual purity, so that he be reassured and know the ruling.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 52) (206). صحيح مسلم (1/ 230) (274). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص50). الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، لإسماعيل الأنصاري (1/ 36). خلاصة الكلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص27).

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that he was with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who wanted to urinate and, thus, entered the dump of some people, i.e., a place where the garbage and the dust swept off homes are thrown. He passed urine while standing, although he would usually urinate while sitting. Hudhayfah moved away, but he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Come close, and Hudhayfah moved close until he was standing behind his heels to act as a barrier for him and let no one see him in such a state. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made ablution, and on reaching the point of washing the feet, he only wiped over both of his Khuffs - footwear made of soft leather and the like covering the heels—without taking them off.

1. Permissibility of wiping over leather socks.
2. Permissibility of passing urine while standing provided that nothing thereof reaches him.
3. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) chose the dump, i.e., the place where garbage and rubbish are collected, because it is usually easy to urinate there without being affected by the urine.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 54) (224). صحيح مسلم (1/ 228) (273). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، للبسام (ص51). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن عثيمين (1/ 61).

Zirr ibn Hubaysh came to Safwān ibn ‘Assāl (may Allah be pleased with him), asking him about wiping over the leather socks. Safwān said: What has brought you here, O Zirr? He replied: The pursuit of knowledge. Safwān said: Indeed, the angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge, in approval of and honor for what he does. Zirr then said: I have some doubts in my heart about wiping over the socks after defecation and urination, and you are one of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), so I have come to ask you whether you heard the Prophet mention anything about that. Safwān said: Yes. He used to command us when we were traveling, not to remove our leather socks for three days and nights due to minor impurity—such as defecation, urination, or sleep—except in the case of Janābah, for then they must be removed. I (Zirr) said: Did you hear him mention anything about love? He said: Yes. While we were with the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey, a Bedouin called out in a loud voice: O Muhammad! The Prophet (ﷺ) answered him in a similarly loud voice, close to his tone, saying: Come here. We said to the Bedouin: Woe to you! Lower your voice, for you are in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ), and you have been forbidden to raise your voice before him. Because of his roughness, the Bedouin replied: By Allah, I will not lower it. Then he said: O Messenger of Allah, a man loves righteous people but has not done deeds like theirs—what about him? The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A person will be with those he loves on the Day of Judgment. Zirr said: Safwān continued telling us until he mentioned a gate of repentance in the direction of the Levant (Shām), which Allah created on the day He created the heavens and the earth—its width is such that a rider could travel across it for forty or seventy years, and it will not be closed until the sun rises from the west.

1. The virtue of seeking knowledge, the high status of the seeker of knowledge, and the honor and care that the angels show toward him.
2. Clarifying the great keenness of the Tābi‘is (the generation after the Companions) to seek knowledge from the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
3. The permissibility of wiping over the leather socks, with its duration being three days and nights for the traveler, and one day and night for the resident.
4. Wiping over the leather socks is permitted only in the case of minor Hadath (ritual impurity).
5. It is permissible for a questioner to ask a scholar whether his answer is based on a textual proof or on reasoning and personal judgment, and the scholar should not be embarrassed by such a question.
6. Showing proper manners with scholars and righteous people, and lowering one's voice in the knowledge assemblies.
7. Teaching the ignorant good manners and proper rules of conduct.
8. Encouragement to follow the example of the Prophet (ﷺ) in his forbearance, excellent character, and in addressing people according to their knowledge and understanding.
9. Al-Mubārakfūrī said: The Prophet (ﷺ) raised his voice out of compassion for the Bedouin, so that his deeds would not be rendered void by the verse: {O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet}. Thus, he excused him due to his ignorance, and the Prophet (ﷺ) raised his voice to be like his or louder, out of great mercy and compassion toward him.
10. The importance of keeping the company of righteous people, staying close to them, and loving them.
11. An-Nawawi said: It does not necessarily entail that being with them means having the same rank and reward as them in every respect.
12. Opening the door of hope and optimism, giving glad tidings of salvation, and showing gentleness in admonition.
13. The vastness of Allah's mercy and His opening of the door of repentance.
14. Encouragement to hasten in repentance, hold oneself accountable, and return to Allah Almighty.

سنن الترمذي (5/ 505) (3535). سنن ابن ماجه (1/ 302) (478). مسند أحمد (30/ 18) (18095). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 36). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (1/ 107). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 57). المعجم الوسيط (2/ 968).

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that if the religion were to be based on reason instead of revelation, then wiping the bottom of the socks would be more appropriate than wiping over the top, as the bottom part is what touches the ground and dirt and therefore would make more sense to wipe the bottom. However, Islamic law says the otherwise, and adherence to it is obligatory and anything suggesting otherwise should be disregarded. ‘Ali saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wiping over the top of his sock. What the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did, conforms with common sense from another aspect. That is because, if he wiped the bottom of his sock with water, it would result in it picking up impurities, so instead, he wiped over the top to remove any dust that was stuck there, as the top of the sock is what is seen and thus wiping it makes more sense. Significantly, none of the rulings of Islamic law contradicts sound intellect; however, this is sometimes hidden from people of intellect (humans).

سنن أبي داود، تأليف: سليمان بن الأشعث السِّجِسْتاني، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، الناشر: المكتبة العصرية، صيدا. مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: علي بن سلطان القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ. مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: محمد بن عبد الله التبريزي، تحقيق : محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، الناشر: المكتب الإسلامي، الطبعة: الثالثة، 1985م. تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، تأليف: صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1427 هـ - 2006 م. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن صالح البسام، الناشر: مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة الطبعة: الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ - 2003 م. سبل السلام شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: محمد بن إسماعيل بن صلاح الصنعاني، الناشر: دار الحديث الطبعة: بدون طبعة وبدون تاريخ. شرح سنن أبي داود، تأليف: عبد المحسن بن حمد بن عبد المحسن العباد، نسخة الإلكترونية.

Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched a group of his Companions to face the non-believers. While they were marching, the cold weather made it difficult for them to remove their turbans and socks. When they returned to Madīnah, they related this to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who permitted them to wipe over their turbans and socks, regardless of whether they were made from leather, wool, or cloth, as a facilitation and lightening of their burden. This practice is observed equally for residents and travelers, with an excuse or without any.

سنن أبي داود، تأليف: سليمان بن الأشعث السِّجِسْتاني، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، الناشر: المكتبة العصرية، صيدا. مسند الإمام أحمد، تأليف: أحمد بن محمد بن حنبل، تحقيق: شعيب الأرناؤوط وغيره، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى، 1421هـ. صحيح أبي داود - الأم، للألباني، نشر: مؤسسة غراس للنشر والتوزيع، الكويت، الطبعة: الأولى، 1423هـ - 2002 م. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن صالح البسام، الناشر: مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة، الطبعة الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ - 2003 م. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، الناشر: المكتبة الإسلامية، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأُم إسراء بنت عرفة. منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن صالح الفوزان، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة الأولى ، 1427 هـ - 1431 هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies that if a Muslim puts on his leather socks after performing ablution, then later he becomes in the state of Hadath (minor ritual impurity) and wants to make ablution, he is permitted to wipe over them if he wishes. He can pray while having them on without taking them off for a specific period unless he becomes in the state of Janābah, in which case he must take off the leather socks to take a ritual bath.

1. It is impermissible to wipe over leather socks unless they are worn after complete ritual purification.
2. The prescribed wiping period for the resident is: one day and one night, and for the traveler: three days with their nights.
3. Wiping over leather socks is restricted to minor, not major, Hadath (ritual impurity). In the case of major Hadath, wiping is impermissible; rather, one must take off the leather socks and wash the feet.
4. It is recommended to pray while having shoes on, leather socks, and the like by way of opposing the Jews, in case they are pure and bear no harm for those praying or for the mosque, like the mosques that have carpets, in which case one should not pray while having them on.
5. Wiping over leather socks entails facilitation and alleviation for this Ummah.

سنن الدارقطني (1/ 376) (781). توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (1/ 274). سبل السلام شرح بلوغ المرام، للصنعاني (1/ 86).

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that they went on a journey, and one of them was seriously injured in his head by a rock. Then that man had a wet dream and asked his companions if it was acceptable for him to make Tayammum instead of bathing with water. They replied: "We do not find any concession for you since water is available to you", meaning that Tayammum is not sufficient in this case because of the presence of water, and the concession for making Tayammum is applicable when water is not available. So, the man bathed and his wound became worse because of the water, and he eventually died. When they arrived at Madīnah, they informed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about his story and he was upset and rebuked them saying: "They killed him, may Allah kill them!" The Prophet made supplication against them because they caused his death based upon the wrong Fatwa they gave him. "Why had they not asked when they did not know?", meaning that it was obligatory on them to ask and not to be hasty in giving a Fatwa, because of what this type of action entails of harming others, and this was exactly what happened. "The cure for ignorance is inquiry", meaning why had they not asked when they did not know, because the cure for ignorance is to ask questions. If someone is ignorant of a Shariah ruling, the cure for this ignorance and lack of knowledge is to ask, and not to give a Fatwa that leads to harming people or to their death. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the Shariah ruling regarding this issue saying: 'It was enough for him to perform Tayammum and to press – or bind – a bandage over his wound then wipe with wet hands over it and wash the rest of his body." That was what he had to do, and it is in accordance with the principles of Shariah. As for obliging him to take a bath despite what it may lead to of harm to his body or his death or the delay in healing, then this is contrary to the principles of the Islamic Shariah. Accordingly, a concession is given to the one who is injured or has a serious cut or wound to wash the rest of his body with water and wipe with wet hands over the bandage, and this is sufficient. As for Tayammum while wearing a bandage or cast, it is not permissible, because making it obligatory to purify one organ in two different manners of purification is against the principles of Shariah. The command in this Hadīth is understood –and Allah knows best– to mean that the bandage is in excess of what is needed and difficult to remove, or will harm the person if removed. For this reason, Tayammum was made permissible for the excess bandage. Another way to understand the Hadīth is that the organs of ablution were injured, hence, it was difficult to make the water reach them, so Tayammum was required instead of washing the organ.

سنن أبي داود، تأليف: سليمان بن الأشعث السِّجِسْتاني، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، الناشر: المكتبة العصرية، صيدا. سنن ابن ماجه، تأليف: محمد بن يزيد بن ماجه القزويني، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، الناشر: الناشر: دار إحياء الكتب العربية. مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: محمد بن عبد الله، التبريزي، تحقيق: محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، الناشر: المكتب الإسلامي، الطبعة: الثالثة، 1985م. معالم السنن، تأليف: حمد بن محمد بن إبراهيم الخطابي، الناشر: المطبعة العلمية، الطبعة: الأولى 1351 هـ. النهاية في غريب الحديث والأثر، تأليف: مجد الدين أبو السعادات المعروف بابن الأثير، الناشر: المكتبة العلمية - بيروت، 1399هـ - 1979م، تحقيق: طاهر أحمد الزاوى - محمود محمد الطناحي. معجم اللغة العربية المعاصرة، تأليف: د/ أحمد مختار عبد الحميد عمر، بمساعدة فريق عمل، الناشر: عالم الكتب، الطبعة: الأولى، 1429 هـ - 2008م. تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، تأليف: صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1427 هـ - 2006 م. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله البسام، الناشر: مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة، الطبعة: الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ - 2003 م. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، الناشر: المكتبة الإسلامية، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأُم إسراء بنت عرفة. سبل السلام شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: محمد بن إسماعيل بن صلاح الصنعاني، الناشر: دار الحديث، الطبعة: بدون طبعة وبدون تاريخ. شرح سنن أبي داود، تأليف: عبد المحسن بن حمد بن عبد المحسن العباد، نسخة الإلكترونية.

Shurayh ibn Hāni' is one of the companions of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He went to ‘Ali seeking a ruling on the period of time wherein it is allowed to wipe over the leather socks. This inquiry came after our Mother ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had advised him to address his question to ‘Ali, who was an expert in the Sunnah of wiping (over the leather socks). Shurayh said: "We asked him about wiping", i.e. about the duration of its validity. "Wiping" means passing a wet hand over the organ and the leather sock, which is a foot covering made from leather that covers the heels and the ankles. A sock is anything that covers the feet and the ankles. It can be made from hair or wool, and can be thick or thin, and is worn in the cold. 'Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that the duration for wiping is three days with their nights for the traveler, and one day and night for the one who is not traveling. This evidence supports the opinion held by the majority of scholars that the duration in which wiping remains valid is three days for the traveler and one day and night for the non-traveler. The traveler is granted a longer duration because he is more entitled to the concession than the non-traveler due to the hardship involved in traveling.

صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423 هـ. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة، الطبعة: الخامِسَة 1423هـ، 2003م.