Does the Type of Footwear Matter for Wudu?
The Prophet's Practice on Wiping Over Footwear: Material and Style Distinctions
Summary
This lecture discusses the Islamic jurisprudence of wiping over footwear during wudu (ablution), specifically addressing whether the material and style of footwear matters. Sh. Ali Mashhour explains that based on prophetic traditions and companion practices, there is no distinction made regarding the type of footwear—whether socks (jawrab), shoes (na'al), or leather boots (khuff)—as long as they cover the majority of the foot. The lecturer emphasizes that the focus is on understanding the actual practice of Prophet Muhammad and his companions rather than the various scholarly opinions that developed later across different Islamic schools of jurisprudence (madhahib).
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Yes. Yesterday we discussed how a person goes about wiping over his or her footwear. The next issue that the author discusses is the material of the footwear. Is it relevant? Does it matter? And this is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars of Islam. There are those who view that the material does in fact matter. And furthermore, the style of footwear matters. Whilst others are of the opinion that the footwear is irrelevant its style or material. Any style or material that is worn on the feet as long as it covers the majority of the foot, as long as it fits the criteria of footwear that the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam wiped over, that is sufficient. And so based on this, there are different sets of criteria that various scholars have outlined and mentioned. But remember we are in this sitting trying to mention only what the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam did or didn't do, and what his companions did or didn't do. This is not really a a discussion regarding the various opinions of the scholars and why they arrive at them. This is geared towards learning the prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam sunnah. And so, based on this, the question that we must ask ourselves is based on the evidences that are cited by the scholars of fiqh and the scholars of hadith, is there, in fact, a difference in the time of the prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam, did he or his companions outline a difference in material or style of footwear to distinguish that which can be wiped over and that which must be taken off in order to wash the foot? This is the question that we want to address. is literally translated to a sock, something that hugs the foot and is usually made of a material that is worn with something else. So, you wear the sock, you don't usually wear it alone. You wear it and then wear a khuff over it or you wear it and you wear a na'l over it, okay? And then we have a na'l. A na'l is something that has a sole on it. It has a separate sole on the bottom, usually made out of thick hide or leather that you know, now it's usually made out of rubber or its derivatives or but this is the distinction in the Arabic.
[Arabic recitation]
Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah that Al-Mughirah said he went to take the Prophet's footwear off so that he could wash his feet, and the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "Leave them cuz I put them on whilst having made wudu." Likewise, Al-Mughirah narrates to us outside of that incident, what did the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam used to wipe over? He says, "The messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam was witnessed to have wiped over his socks and shoes in separate incidents. So, he's seen him wipe over his socks, he's seen him wipe over his shoes, and he's seen him wipe over his his khuffain, made out of leather.
[Arabic recitation]
Little bit Omar. Right in a cat fell off the chain. Call it a woman who call it a right in a cat fell off the chain. Call it a right in a cat fell off the chain. Why you have to water via wire? And near Alice up to you know men and near Alice up to you know men and women fear of the Nabi Sallallahu alaihi was selling women take one Mashhur Mahmoud Fiji 0 to the Arab in La Calina. Can I accept my Calista Arab? Call Satan fee Arab in Hijaz. Can we have a suit? I'll call off. Have a lady can Mashhur then Mashhur and Mahmoud and fee of three. and Jack when I need me Omar and the Nabi Sallallahu alaihi was selling La Mesa and now I accept the fee. We have a little bit of in the Bay Area fee. I assume the Cobra and so here is another narration on the authority of a bit Omar in which and now keep in mind where was a bit Omar during the time of the tab being a bit Omar was in Mecca and a bit Omar was in Medina. He was in that area. He didn't leave the Arab Peninsula. And so when would people usually learn from a bit Omar when they would come for Hajj or Umrah? They would meet a bit Omar and collect narrations from him. From Medina and sometimes when he would go for Hajj or Umrah in Mecca and so they mentioned to him some of his students, we saw you do something that we've never seen anyone else do. Anyone else meaning any other companion do or any other person do in general. And he said, "What is that?" He said, they said, "We see that you wear these very particular type of shoe. It's called the Septia. It was not as common as a Khuffain in the Prophet's time. We saw you wear this type of shoe and wipe over it." And he says that he saw the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam wear these shoes and the style of shoe and wipe over them. So when we look at the narrations we see that there are numerous narrations of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam himself not making a distinction in material or style of footwear when wiping over them. That's the conclusion we come to. Now this is just mentioning the Prophet himself Sallallahu alaihi wasallam. The companions, there are dozens of narrations of them understanding this, taking away this understanding. Now a person may say but in the Madhab or in the Madhab of Malik and a Shafi'i and even the Hanbali Madhab and especially the Hanafi Madhab it must be a Khuff it has very specific parameters. Remember we mentioned that the majority of the differences of opinions between the madhahib is not what is halal and haram. It is what is good and better. What is bad and worse. What and it's rarely an issue of halal and haram. Second of all, in a madhhab, to simplify things, the madhhab is usually choosing one particular way of doing something or one particular thing and standardizing it.
[Arabic recitation]
We are discussing is the actions of the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and his companions. So, there's no difference between any of these. One last thing. What if a person were wearing dress sho- socks? Dress socks. I almost said dress shocks. Dress socks. You know dress socks are supposed to be really sheen. They're very thin. Men's dress socks or specially female dress socks which are even more delicate, more thin, more sheen. You can see through them. Does this make a difference? No. It doesn't make a difference. Why doesn't it make a difference? Because the same issue presents itself for the person who's wearing thick socks and thin socks. For the person who's wearing sheen socks and you know socks that are not transparent. The same exact issue presents itself. And what is that issue? Taking off the washing the feet, putting the socks back on, putting them back into shoes. This in itself can present itself as a hurdle and a person could do it once, twice, 10 times, 20 times, 500 times in a row throughout the year wherever they go. Now it becomes a difficult thing. This becomes a burden, right? And Islam takes that into account. That's why we have this allowance.