Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Why i need to wash my feet again when i need to refresh my wudhu. Since I am on socks and i feel that my feet is clean.Is there a way to avoid rewash of feet when conducting refresh of wudhu especially in performing many salats.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Wiping socks in wudu

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If one has put the socks on when he was in the state of wudu, and then has to refresh his wudu later, he need not take off his socks and wash his feet. The wiping of wet hands over the socks would suffice for his wudu, as was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

If has been reported in an authentic narration from Said al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, who said, "I was with the Messenger of Allah (saws), one night during an expedition. I poured water for him to make ablution. He washed his face and arms and wiped his head. Then I went to remove his socks and he said, 'Leave them on, as I put them on while I was in a state of purity,' and he just wiped over them."

Al-Humaidi related in his Musnad that al-Mughirah reported, "We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, may we wipe over our socks?' He said, 'Yes, if you put them on while you were in a state of purity."

It has been reported by Hammam an Nakha'i who said, "Jarir ibn 'Abdullah urinated, performed ablution and wiped over his socks." It was said to him, "You do that and you have urinated?" He said, "Yes, I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) urinate, and then do likewise."

In light of the above and several other narrations, it is permissible for one to wipe his wet hands over his socks when refreshing his ablution, as long as the condition is met that when he did put on the socks he was in a state of wudu.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan