Should Socks Be of Leather to Wipe Over Them in Wudu?

Question: 13954

What is the nature of socks during wiping? Can a person wipe on any socks or it must be leather? Give the answer in light of Quran and Hadith?

Summary of answer

Wiping over socks is Sunnah whether they are made of linen, wool, cotton, camel hair or goat hair, whether leather is worn over them or not.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did wudu and wiped over his socks and shoes.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 92; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 86)

The author of al-Qamus said: “Jawrab (socks) means something that is wrapped around the feet.”

Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said: “Jawrab means a thin cover for the feet made of wool, worn to keep the feet warm.”

Yahya al-Bakka said: “I heard Ibn `Umar saying, “Wiping over the socks (jawrabayn) is like wiping over the leather slippers (khuffayn).” (Al-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah, 1/173)

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, 1/321)

Some scholars differed as to whether it is permissible to wipe over the slippers (khuffaayn) . The correct view as indicated by the evidence is that it is permissible to do that, as stated above.

And Allah knows best.

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Source:

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid