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The Sock-Wiping Test
January 8, 2007 on 9:10 pm | In Islam, Tahara| By Ilm Seeker
Stuck with only a chest-high sink for wudoo? Maybe you feel really tired and just want to make wudoo quickly so you can pray and sleep?
Then you're in luck! Pass this quick test, and you can just wipe over your socks for wudoo!
- Wudooified feet: Were you in a state of purity (post-wudoo) before you put on your socks?
- Permanent socks: Did you leave your socks on after losing wudoo? You can't take them off if you want to wipe!
- Smellified socks: Are you within 24 hours (72 for travellers) of when you first broke wudoo after putting on your socks?
And that's it! Wipe over the top of your socks, and you're good to go!
Some other things to keep in mind:
- You only need to wipe over the top of your socks.
- Removing your socks if you wipe over for wudoo breaks your wudoo!
- You can make wudoo over leather socks or any ol' socks--because the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) used to wipe over his shoes, according to some ahadith.
- You can safely wipe regardless of how "holey" your socks are.
And Allah Almighty knows best.
References
Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.
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Mashaa`Allaah this was beneficial and funny. Learning the deen need not be bland!
Comment by UmmJ. — January 9, 2007 #
Alhamdulillah, This information was helpful, as I was in a state of confusion with this case.
wassalaam,
AbdulHakeem.
Comment by AbdulHakeem — January 9, 2007 #
More on this topic - http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/sunnah/0036.htm
Comment by Ibn al-Khattab — January 9, 2007 #
The exhaustive special page on islamqa.com below
Rulings of wiping over socks
http://www.islamqa.com/ln/php/the_file.php?ln=eng
Comment by abdurrahman.org — January 16, 2007 #
Salaam,
What about shoes? I have read on a lot of sites that you can wipe over your shoes if they cover your ankles. Is this true? What is the wisdom behind this?
Jazak Allah!
Comment by sheepoo — August 15, 2007 #
Wa’alikum as-salaam, wallahu ta’ala ‘alim; I asked Shaykh Abdool Hamid (a Medinah U grad) of the Islamic Institute of Toronto, he said it’s the same idea–if you wipe over socks, taking off your socks breaks wudoo. If you wipe over shoes, taking off your shoes breaks wudoo.
Also, it’s worth noting either Ibn Al-Qayyim or Ibn Tamiyyah (radiallahu anhumaa) - I can’t remember which - said that your ability to wipe remains even if you take off your socks/shoes.
Comment by Ilm Seeker — August 15, 2007 #
Salaam,
Maybe I did not make my question clear:
1) Is it OK to wipe over shoes? (seems that you
agree)
2) If answer to question #1 is yes then why is there a condition that the shoes should cover the ankles?
3) If it is indeed true that that wiping should only be done over shoes which cover the ankles, then what is the wisdom behind this ruling?Why the covering of ankles is required?
Jazak Allah for your patience!
Comment by sheepoo — August 15, 2007 #
1) It was narrated that al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did wudoo’ and wiped over his socks and shoes.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 92; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 86)
Yes it is ok as per the above mentioned proof.
2) 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)
3) It is necessary for the shoe or any other covering to cover the ankle because when washing the foot for wudhu, the ankle has to be washed as well or the wudhu will be incomplete and invalid. Because of that, the jawrab (socks) or khuffayn (leather slippers/socks) and any other shoes must cover the ankle.
And Allah knows best.
[Source: IslamQA]
Comment by Ghufran ibn Ahmed — August 16, 2007 #
Just wanted to make a quick comment about the comment, “Maybe you feel really tired and just want to make wudoo quickly so you can pray and sleep”
“If anyone of you becomes drowsy whilst he is praying, let him sleep until he is refreshed, because if any one of you prays whilst he is drowsy he may not understand what he is saying and he may to pray for forgiveness but may insult himself by mistake instead.” (al-Bukhaari, 212; Muslim, 786).
Comment by Ghufran ibn Ahmed — August 16, 2007 #
Masha Allah Ghufran,
May Allah bless you for removing my confusion. Another question:
In point #3 you have mentioned that:
“It is necessary for the shoe or any other covering to cover the ankle because when washing the foot for wudhu, the ankle has to be washed “.
Does this mean that I can wipe over my shoes (which do not cover ankles,
like the usual dress shoes) and the socks, which I am wearing and which are covering my ankles?
Jazal Allah for your effort!
Comment by sheepoo — August 16, 2007 #
Masha-Allah, I thought Dr. Socks aka Ghufran already answered the question. From what I know the ruling applies to both the socks and shoes and both of them have to be worn over the ankles. In case you don’t find this satisfactory, if they are dress shoes, they are easy to take off, so take ‘em off! I know we all are lazy…but hey, you’ll burn extra calories to take off your shoes! lol
Comment by Assistant of Dr. Socks — August 16, 2007 #