My question is regarding the following hadith concerned with
wiping over one’s socks while in a state of tahaarah (purity):
Ibn Khuzayma said that according to Hadith narrated by Safwan
Ibn Assal, “the Prophet (SAW) ordered us to wipe over khuff if
we put them on in a state of purification, for 3 days during
travelling and for one day and night in residency ” My question
is that can I assume the statement ‘one day and one night’ in
the hadith to mean 24 hours, and if so can I put my socks on in
a state of tahaarah on at ANY TIME and wipe over them when I do
wudu as long as the total period of time I have them on for is
24 hours? For example, can I put them on 11pm on one day and
wipe over them when I do wudu up until 11pm the following
day?
Also please could you tell me exactly which area of the socks
has to be wiped over. I know that it is not permissible to wipe
over the soles of the socks but do we have to wipe the sides
and the back of our socks as well as the front of the
socks?
Please do reply as this would make my life a lot easier and
also because I have sensitive skin. My ignorance of the matter
leads to a lot of waswaas and unsatisfaction.
Praise be to Allaah.
With regard to the beginning of the period
when one may wipe over the slippers or socks, it begins from
the first time one wipes over them after breaking one’s
wudoo’, not from the moment one puts them on. See the answer
to question no. 9640.
The way in which one wipes over them is to put
one’s wet fingers on the toes then pass them over the feet to
the shin; the right foot should be wiped with the right hand
and the left foot with the left hand. The fingers should be
spread when wiping and it should not be
repeated.
(See al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi by
al-Fawzaan, 1/43).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: “This means that what should be wiped is the
top of the sock, passing one’s fingers from the toes to the
shin only, and one should wipe with both hands over both feet
together, i.e., the right hand should wipe the right foot and
the left hand should wipe the left foot at the same time,
just as one wipes the ears, because this is the apparent
meaning of the Sunnah, as al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah said,
‘Then he wiped them both.’ He did not say that he started
with the right, rather that he ‘wiped them both’. So this is
the apparent meaning of the Sunnah. If we assume that he
cannot use one of his hands then he should start with the
right before the left. Many people wipe the right foot with
both hands then the left foot with both hands, but there is
no basis for this as far as I know. No matter how it is done,
wiping the top of the slipper (or sock) is sufficient but
what we have said here is best.”
(See Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah,
vol. 1, p. 250)
You should not wipe the sides or back of the
sock because there is no report concerning that.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “Someone may say
that it is the bottom of the slipper or sock that should be
wiped, because this is what is in contact with dust and dirt.
But if we think about it we will see that wiping the top of
the sock is what makes sense, because this wiping is not for
the purpose of cleaning, rather it is an act of worship; if
we were to wipe the bottom of the sock that would make it
more dirty.” And Allaah knows best.
See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p. 213.
