Fatwa

  1. Fatwa
  2. Tahaarah (Ritual Purity)
  3. Wiping over Boots, Socks and Splints
  4. Rulings on wiping over socks

Ruling on wiping over socks after removing them
Fatwa No: 232978

Question

assalamu 'alaykum 1) a person wears socks after doing wudu (in which they washed the feet) and later on wudu broke, so they did the wudu again (this time wiping ove the socks, not washing feet), this is permissible for them to do, in sha Allaah. However, if u took the socks off (AFTER doing the wudu in which u WIPED over the socks, not washed the feet), and then put the socks back on later (whilst in state of purity), but after putting socks back on, ur wudu breaks again... so this time u cant wipe over the socks again, rather have to do wudu in which u have to wash the feet, right?? 2) what about if u do wudu (washing the feet) and u put on socks, but later on take it off, and then u put them back on later again (and wudu is intact from the wudu u washed ur feet in), then in this case if - after - putting the socks back on, ur wudu breaks, can u wipe over the socks??because in this case, the last wudu done by this person included washing the feet, and though the person took the socks off after doing wudu, but they put them back on whilst in the state of that purity, so does this allow them to do wudu in which they can wipe over the socks??

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

If someone wipes over his socks after invalidating Wudhu' (ablution), and then removes those socks after wiping over them, then he should not wipe over them if he puts them back on unless he washed his feet and then put his socks back on while in a state of purity resulting from washing (by performing complete Wudhu'), not from wiping. We say that this is correct, as you mentioned, because he did not wear his socks after having washed his feet. However, if he washes his feet and wears his socks and then removes them while he is still in the state of purity and puts them back on before his Wudhu' is invalidated, then it is permissible for him to wipe over them because he wore them in a state of purity resulting from washing. Wiping over the socks, leather socks or the like is not permissible unless one has worn them after making Wudhu' in which he had washed his feet with water.

According to a Fatwa of the Permanent Committee: “If you removed your socks after having already wiped over them in order to change into other socks, then it is not valid for you to wipe over the new socks if you wiped over your previous socks in your last Wudhu'. Your Wudhu' is also thereby invalid. You have to perform complete Wudhu' again by washing all the parts of the body that must be washed in Wudhu', including the feet, and then you may wear the new socks and start counting a new period of wiping…”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said; “If someone removes his socks after having wiped over them, then it is not valid to wipe over them again. This means that he should not wear and wipe over them again unless he performs a complete Wudhu' in which he washes his feet…”

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa