Question # 144: What is the ruling for wiping over socks during wudu? Is it allowed to do so over non-leather socks?

bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: There is consensus that wiping is permissible for both men and women, whether traveling or at home, with the only difference being the duration – the permissibility of wiping over leather socks is one day and one night for the resident, and three days and three nights for the traveler.  The wiping is invalidated by the end of the allowed period, post-sex impurity, or removing the socks. As for its method, according to the Sunnah, the Muslim should start wiping with wet hands over khuffs by placing his right hand on the right khuff and the left hand on the left khuff then he should stretch his hands over his khuffs up to the leg. Thus, wiping is on the top and not at the bottom of the sock or shoe.

Conditions for wiping include that the socks must cover the ankles and be worn after performing wudu’. While some classical scholars required the socks to be impermeable and durable, others, including Hanbali scholars and many contemporary authorities, allow wiping over any socks, regardless of material, as long as they cover the ankles. Authentic ahadith mention both leather and cloth socks, and some scholars argue that imposing strict conditions not found in the Qur’an and Sunnah contradicts the intended ease of this concession from Allah (swt). Hence, wiping over anything that is worn on the feet is permissible, whether slippers (khuffayn) made of leather, felt, or wood, or socks made of linen, wool, cotton, nylon, synthetic, or other fabrics.

Long Answer: Safwan ibn ‘Assai narrated, “We were ordered (by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم)) to wipe over the socks if we were in a state of purity when we put them on, for three days if we were travelers, and for one day and night if we were residents. We did not remove them unless we were in post-sex impurity.” (Related by ash-Shafi’i, Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa’i, who graded it sahih)

Shuraih ibn Hani said, “I asked ‘Aishah (رضي الله عنها) about wiping over socks and she answered, ‘For the traveler, three days and three nights; for the resident, one day and night.” This hadith is related by Ahmad, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah. Of its authenticity, al-Baihaqi says, “This is the most authentic report on this topic.” Some say that the duration begins with the time of wiping, while others say it begins from the time of nullifying the ablution after wearing the socks.

The following invalidates the wiping:

(i) The end of the permissible time period for wiping.

(ii) Post-sex impurity. (see hadith above)

(iii) Removal of the socks.

If (i) or (iii) occurs while the person was in a state of purity, he needs only to wash his feet. (‘Fiqh Us-Sunnah’ by As-Sayyid Sabiq)

[As for its method,] according to the Sunnah, the Muslim should start wiping over khuffs by placing his right hand on the right khuff and the left hand on the left khuff, then he should stretch his hands over his khuffs up to the leg. It has been narrated on the authority of Al-Mughirah (رضي الله عنه) commented, “It seemed as if I was looking at the trace of wiping over the khuff of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) in the form of lines drawn by fingers.” (Al-Hidayah, Commentaries on Bidayatul-Mubtadi) (‘Simplified Islamic Jurisprudence’ by Abdul-Fattah) Wiping is done on the top, not the bottom of the sock or shoe; Al-Mugheerah said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) wipe on the top of his socks.” (at-Tirmidhi; graded hasan) (Commentary on ‘Umdat al-Fiqh, Muwaffaq-ud-Deen, Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi)

The following are the conditions of wiping over socks:

  • They must cover the feet up to the ankles.
  • One must wear them when being in a state of purification (i.e., in a state of ablution). [The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said to the one who wanted to help him in taking his khuffs off to perform ablution: “Leave them as I had put them after performing ablution.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
  • Wetness must not reach the feet when wiping over them because it is not lawful to wash and wipe them together.
  • They must not contain any holes through which the feet can be seen. [Per Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al-‘Uthaimeen, “…it is permissible to wipe over torn socks, or thin socks, through which the skin can be seen…” – Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam] Accordingly, it is not permissible to wipe over thin socks because they are in no way like khuffs.

(‘Al-Fiqhul-Muyassaru minal-Qur’ani was-Sunnah’ by Muhammad M. ‘Abdul-Fattah)

[Further,] there is no distinction between the thick or thin socks. Thus, many scholars allow wiping on all socks. You may also wipe on the shoes if they are up to the ankle or if you have socks underneath them, given you wore them after you have made wudu’, in which you washed your feet. (Commentary on ‘Umdat al-Fiqh, Muwaffaq-ud-Deen, Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi) Ibn Hazm said: wiping over anything that is worn on the feet – of things that are permitted to be worn and which come up above the ankles – is Sunnah, whether they are slippers (khuffayn) made of leather or felt or wood, or socks made of linen, wool, cotton, camel hair or goat hair, whether leather is worn over them or not, or whether they are overshoes or slippers worn over slippers or socks worn over socks. (Al-Muhalla) The difference between socks and khuffaayn is that the khuffaayn are made of leather, whereas socks are not made of leather; rather, they are made of wool, linen, cotton, [nylon, or synthetic], or other fabrics. (Islamqa.info)

The following is the paraphrased version of the video Lecture, Ablution on Socks: Permitted or Not? by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi:

Wiping over a full foot covering that is impermeable to water, such as leather socks or similar materials that cover the ankle, is unanimously accepted by all Sunni scholars, and the rulings apply to both men and women. The consensus is based on numerous hadiths (over 20 Sahabah reported masah over khuff) reporting that the Prophet Muhammad (saws) wiped over his leather socks. The most famous narration in this regard is the hadith narrated on the authority of Hammam bin Harith “Jarir bin ‘Abdullah urinated, then he performed ablution and wiped over his leather socks. Someone asked him: ‘Do you do this?’ He said: ‘Why shouldn’t I? I saw the Messenger of Allah (saw) doing this.” Ibrahim Al Nakhai (the famous Shaykh of Imam Abu Hanifa and the greatest scholar of Kufa of the students of the Sahabah, who narrated it from Hammam) said: “They were pleased by the hadith of Jarir because he accepted Islam after the revelation of Maidah. [That is, Al-Maidah 5:6]” (Reported by Sunan Ibn Majah; graded sahih). In another version, Al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah reported: I was with the Prophet (saws) on a journey, and I reached out to take off his leather socks. The Prophet said, “Leave them, for I have worn them in a state of purity.” Then, the Prophet wiped over them for ablution (Bukhari and Muslim).

Imam an-Nawawi said, there is ijma (consensus) regarding the permissibility of wiping over the feet, regardless of whether one is traveling or at home, and regardless of gender. There is no requirement for a specific reason to do so; one does not need to be sick or traveling to wipe over. The only variations pertain to the time frame; that is, it is permissible to wipe over it for one day when resident, and three days when traveling.

However, leather socks are rarely worn today, so the main issue concerns socks made from permeable materials. There is no disagreement about the permissibility of wiping over impermeable coverings; the controversy lies in whether wiping is allowed over modern socks made from materials like cotton, nylon, or polyester. All scholars agree that the sock must cover the ankle; if it does not, wiping is not permitted.

Regarding the material, three of the four Sunni schools require the sock to be impermeable, namely Hanafi scholar, Haskafi in his work “al-Durr al-Mukhtar” mentions that it is only allowed to wipe over the covering of the leg must be thick such that one can walk one farsakh (an old unit of length, primarily used in Persian and Islamic contexts, approximately equal to 5 to 5.5 kilometers) without the socks being torn. It is to be noted that he did not say ‘leather’. That’s another common misconception that some people have, that it has to be leather. Al-Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Jundi, a Maliki scholar, says in his work “Al-Mukhtasar” that it is permissible for both men and women, whether traveling or resident, to wipe over socks provided they are made of leather. A similar quote is from Imam an-Nawawi from the Shafi’i madhhab.

In contrast, the Hanbali madhhab allows wiping over both leather and non-leather socks. Ibn Qudamah in his famous work “Al-Mughni” mentions that any foot covering that extends over the ankle qualifies. It does not need to allow for extensive walking—just enough to be considered an independent foot covering, akin to modern socks. Such items fall under the ruling of khuff, and one is permitted to wipe over them. Ibn Taymiyyah defended the view that anything covering the feet—even if it is very thin—is permissible as long as it is referred to as a sock. Similarly, Ibn Hazm, a renowned scholar from the past, expressed this opinion, and it is also supported by many contemporary scholars. The Majlis al-Islami of Rabita has issued a fatwa affirming that it is entirely permissible to wipe over socks made of cotton, polyester, and wool, without the requirement that they be made from leather. The evidence for this stance is found in authentic ahadith reported in Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, and Musnad Imam Ahmad. In these texts, al-Mughirah narrates that he witnessed the Prophet (peace be upon him) wiping over his jawarabayni (cloth socks) and nalayn (shoes). In Arabic, “khuff” refers to a sock made from leather, while “jawarab” denotes a sock made from cloth, highlighting the specific mention of “jawarab” in this hadith.

The other three madhahib asserted that when the Sahabi mentioned “jawarab,” he was referring to khuff, or they claimed it to be a specific kind of jawarab that is impermeable, imposing various conditions on it. Nevertheless, Ibn Taymiyyah dedicated a substantial section in his fatawa to argue that the purpose behind Allah’s allowance for wiping over the socks was to facilitate the practice of wudu’. He contends that imposing numerous conditions not found in the Quran and Sunnah undermines the ease that Allah intended by granting us the option to wipe over the socks. The essence is to simplify our lives, and it should be noted that the Prophet (saws) did not impose any conditions in the hadith. He (saws) did not specify material or thickness requirements for socks, and the default at his time was leather due to its availability. Such stipulations emerged later through differing schools of thought. Thus, any sock that covers the ankle, regardless of material, is included in the concession.

The final point to address is what to do if you are wearing a sock that covers the ankle. As mentioned earlier, if the sock does not cover the ankle, there is no discussion; you must take it off and perform washing of the feet. Now, if the sock covers the ankle and you put on a shoe that does not cover the ankle, we find ourselves in multiple scenarios. First Scenario: If the shoe goes above the ankle and is impermeable, the three madhahib allow it.

However, controversy arises when the shoe is beneath the ankle and the sock is above the ankle, which is common in Western culture. Most of our stylish shoes fall below the ankle, while the sock remains above. The Majlis al-Fiqhi of Europe and others have commented on this issue, noting that historically, most cloth socks were essentially wraparounds. In other words, they were not like our modern socks that you pull on; they were strips that you wrapped around your feet, somewhat like a bandage. The design of thin socks that protect against shoes was not common back then; this is a contemporary development. The Majlis asserts that, considering this, the socks we wear today are essentially multi-layered entities. For instance, if you imagine a band-aid sock, and then you add one layer above the ankle while also wrapping several layers around the foot itself, the foot becomes thicker and is treated as a single item. The key point is that as long as there is coverage, the ruling remains the same. They concluded that, given these modern circumstances, you’re unlikely to find a classical position, as this is a new style. They stated that the qiyas (analogy) is grounded in the idea that the sock and shoe together count as one unit. Thus, as long as you have worn your socks and shoes while in a state of wudu, you may wipe over the shoe, as they can be considered one piece. However, if you take off your shoes without wudu, or if you don’t have wudu when you put on the shoes, you will need to take off the shoe and wash your foot according to one opinion on the matter.

In summary, Allah has provided this concession clearly to facilitate ease; as stated in the Quran, “There is no difficulty in this religion.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized that Allah loves for us to take advantage of the easier aspects He has provided and not to reject them. This is Ibn Taymiyyah’s fatwa emphasized regarding the concept of wiping being a gift from Allah. He emphasizes that we should not complicate matters; rather, we should make things easy. As long as you have performed wudu’ and your footwear covers the ankle, you may wipe over the entire shoe without needing to take it off.

Therefore, if you have the intention of doing wudu in the morning, you can wear your socks and shoes. Throughout the day at work, you can then wipe over your shoes. If you forget whether you had wudu or not, perhaps because you put your socks on due to the cold, you can take off your shoes and wipe over your socks to be on the safe side.

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam