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Fatawa (According to Shafi School of Jurisprudence)
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Question 12
Is wiping over socks permissible? What do I do if I have been wiping over my socks (thin and thick ones) for years?
Answer
Just like the 'khuff', socks must fulfill five conditions before it is permissible to wipe over them during the ablution. They are: (1) It must be strong such that one can walk continuously on them for the length of time that a traveler would in his comings and goings to fulfill his needs. (2) It must be thick, if water is poured on it, it would not enter inside the socks quickly. (3) It must completely cover the part that is to be washed during the ablution, which is the feet including the ankles. (4) It must be pure from filth. (5) It must be worn after one has made a complete ablution having washed both feet first, for if one washes one foot and puts on one socks, then washed the other foot and puts on the other socks, it is not permissible to wipe over them.
So whenever a socks fulfills these five conditions, it is permissible and valid to wipe over them. The above conditions indicate clearly that who has wiped over their thin socks or socks that aren't strong enough, his prayers are invalid; so he must make them up.
This is the point of view of three school of jurisprudence; Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi as their relied-upon books verify the invalidity of wiping over thin socks. The Hanbali school also agreed upon this opinion as Mubarkafuri, an Indian scholar belongs to Ahle- Hadith faction, said in his commentary of “Sunan al-Turmudhi", that the majority scholars of Hanbali madh'hab agree that, wiping over thin socks is not permissible.
So the established position is the invalidity of the prayer in four school if one wiped over their thin socks during ablution and he must make up those prayers.
Now a days, wiping over thin socks has become widespread among the non-scholars to the extent that they condemn the fact that it is not permissible. So that the scholars of Islam must guide the common folk to the straight path of Islam and teach them to avoid the doubtful opinions. Allah knows the truth best and to Him is the return and the final abode.
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