Why wiping socks isn't what you think
Understanding the Sunnah of Wiping Over Footwear in Wudu
Summary
This lecture explains the Islamic practice of wiping over footwear (khuffs) during ablution (wudu), a topic that is often misunderstood. Sh. Ali Mashhour emphasizes the importance of approaching acts of worship with the best effort rather than doing only the bare minimum required. He details the Prophet Muhammad's method of wiping over footwear: making complete wudu, putting on socks or shoes, then wiping over the tops of the feet once with wet hands during subsequent ablutions. Sh. Ali Mashhour clarifies that this practice is valid for 24 hours for residents and 72 hours for travelers, counting from the first time one wipes over the footwear.
The lecture addresses common misconceptions and practical questions about wiping over footwear. Key points include that the material of the footwear is irrelevant—what matters is that it covers the area that would normally be washed and is difficult to remove. Sh. Ali Mashhour explains that merely taking off the footwear does not break one's wudu, but one can only wipe over footwear if they were put on after performing wudu with washed feet. The only reasons to remove the footwear are if ghusl (full body ritual washing) is required or if the 24-48 hour time limit has expired.
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.
Wiping over the footwear. Now, this is traditionally an issue that is often confused by a lot of people, but it's not confusing. I've been teaching this issue and this book really for about 20 years and as long as we understand the basic principles, the basic tenants that these acts of worship are built on, the rest are very understandable. It's important for us in our worship of Allah to not differentiate between the Sunnah and that which is bare minimum acceptable. We don't want to do that. Meaning whenever we go to do anything, any act of worship, any act of worship, it is not the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah to approach that act of worship with the attitude of I'm only going to do what I have to and what I don't have to, I'm going to avoid cuz you know, I'm not going to do anything extra. This is a very poor attitude we have to scrub away out of our hearts. Whenever you approach Allah Rabbil Alameen in his court, you approach with the best that you have. What does Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala tell us? Wa'mur qawmaka ya'khudhu bi'ahsaniha. Even Allah Subhana wa ta'ala, he commanded Musa when he gave him the the laws, he said, "And instruct your people to follow the best of it." The best of it, the best of all of it. To do their best in every single aspect, to do the best of it. Now, this verse has many meanings. But one of the big differences between this ummah, or we should say those who succeeded in this ummah, and the failures of the previous nations is a lack of enthusiasm to holding to that which is best. You always want to do what is best, what is most complete, the most you can do in that particular thing. If we were to break down salah, for instance, and say this is obligatory, this is mustahab, and I'm only going to really do what is obligatory, but mustahab, you know, someone else somewhere is doing it. This is a failure. This is a failure. The companions radiyallahu anhum did not differentiate between obligatory and preferred, except in one instance. What instance do we differentiate between obligatory and preferred? In the instance of failure, or an inability to fulfill the entirety of something. When we miss something by accident, then we go and we look, did I miss something that is obligatory? Do I need to do it over? Or is it acceptable? So, we don't look to that which is obligatory and mustahab as we're approaching to do something. We only look at it if we fail in fulfilling something. Based on that, what is the Sunnah of wiping over the footwear? I'm going to show you exactly how the prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam wiped over his socks or shoes or leather I think we should not call them leather socks because it gives the wrong idea. Leather moccasins, let's say, right? Hard leather footwear. Here's how he did it. When he would put his footwear on, he would make wudu completely. So, he would have wudu. Then he would put the socks. He's been narrated to have wiped over socks, cotton socks, wool socks, all kinds of socks, or shoes. And shoes have a sole on the bottom. A detached sole, that's a difference between a a shoe and other types of footwear. And most usually wipe over his khuff, which is a khuff is a hard leather that is worn instead of shoes. It's never worn with shoes. It's worn instead of shoes. That is a khuff. And we'll get into that. The material is inconsequential. It does not matter. The material does not matter. What matters is the spirit of the act of the act of worship. And what is the spirit? If we have something that is covering the place where we are supposed to wash, and it is a hassle to remove it every time we make wudu, we can wipe over it. Right? And so, he would make full wudu and he would put any of these types of footwear on. Then he would go about his prayers. The next time he would make wudu he would make full wudu and after wiping his head and his ears, he would take water, wet his hands again. Okay? And then he would wipe over his footwear exactly this. Right? That's it. I'll show you again. Okay? He would He's making wudu. He wipes over his head, his ears, take water again. At the same time not right and then left, not two hands on each foot, not the bottom, not the sides, not like this. Just this. Toes forward fingers towards the toes. Wipe up one time. That's it. That's how he would wipe. He would never wipe more than once. And it doesn't matter how much is wiped. What matters is that the symbol of wiping occurs. That's all that matters. This is not meant to clean the physical footwear. This is not meant to take the place of washing in the sense that it has the same physical effect on the footwear as washing. That's not what it's meant for. You make wudu like this, wet his hands, and then wipe over just that. And then he would go about his day, right? Nothing more than that. Nothing more, nothing less. He would not do right and then left. Mhm. He would wipe simultaneously. He would wipe over the tops. Fingers towards the toes. And he would wipe his footwear if he happened to be wearing his footwear when it was time to make wudu. And he would wash his feet if he happened to not be wearing any footwear when it is time to make wudu. This is an important distinction that Ibnul Qayyim.
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That is how he made wudu. Now, for 24 hours from the moment that he first wiped over his footwear. Notice, when does the timer start? It starts the first time he wipes over them. The first time he makes wudu and wipes over his footwear instead of washing his feet. That's when it starts. A full day and night for a resident, 3 days and 3 nights for a traveler. Travel and residence has changed a lot since then. I doubt any of us here is going to even wear his socks or shoes to bed, right? Or is going to not take their footwear off for an entire 24 hours. Or if you're traveling to not take a shower or bathe or change your socks for 3 days and 3 nights. However, that is the bare minimum. And so the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, he taught the companions that the only time a person would have to take these these socks off or shoes off or to wash the feet is one of two instances. Number one, because he has to make ghusl. Now you have to wash. You can't wipe over your footwear in ghusl. Number two, the time ran out and he has to reset the time. That's the only two times. Now here's a question. This is a question that comes up often. We already discussed what breaks your wudu, correct? What are the things that we mentioned that breaks your wudu? Al kharij min as-sabilayn. So anything that comes out of the front or back private parts, okay? That's one and two. Number three. Deep sleep. Very good. Number four. Hm? Eating camel meat? Okay. Passing out, which is like losing consciousness, which is like sleep, okay? And one more. Nope. Those don't break your wudu. It is the sunnah to make wudu after these things, but it's not obligatory. We mentioned touching the private parts with sexual intent, with arousal, directly, in one opinion. Okay. Does taking your socks off break your wudu? Listen to the question. Did the Sheikh forget? Or what is going on here? Does taking your socks off break your wudu? If you make wudu and you wipe over your socks, then as you're coming to the masjid, you step in a mud puddle. Dag on it. Now you got to take your socks off. You come into the masjid, you take the socks off, you put them in the shoes, you walk into the masjid. Do you still have wudu? You say yes? What do you say? No? No? Yes? If you say no, you don't have wudu, that means taking your socks off breaks your wudu. If you said yes, you still have wudu, that means that taking the socks off doesn't interfere with the wudu that you have. And that is what is correct. Taking the footwear off does not interfere with your wudu. Your wudu is not connected to the footwear. What is connected is wiping on the footwear again. This is the difference. So you come in, you take your socks off, you still have wudu. You have wudu as long as you don't break your wudu. But when you break your wudu, now you have to wash your feet again. You can't wipe over those socks again cuz you took them off. So, your wudu is not connected to your socks being on or off. Your wudu is fine. What is is the ruling of wiping over that footwear again. Because remember, you have to have washed your feet to put socks on to then wipe over them. You still have wudu. You put the socks back on after the prayer, after you leave the masjid or whatever in our hypothetical. You put the socks back on. Sure, you still have wudu. You have wudu for a whole other 10 hours until you break your wudu. But then if you were to go wipe over those socks again, did you put those socks on after having washed your feet in that scenario? What's the answer? You came in, you took them off. Then you put them back on. Did you Did you put them back on while having wudu after washing your feet? No. Pay attention, guys. No, you didn't. That is the condition. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam is making wudu. Jarir ibn Abdullah is there. He's helping him. He's pouring the water for for wudu. He wipes over his head. Jarir goes to take off his footwear for him. And he says, "Leave them on." fa inni labis tuhuma tahiratain. He said, "Leave them because I put them on after having wudu. Right? So, what's the condition now? I can only wipe over the footwear if I had put them on after having washed my feet for wudu. That's the condition. If you understand these things that I just mentioned to you right now, you took 90% of all the rulings of wiping over the footwear. It's not hard, right? So, now when we get into the technicalities, just keep these principles that I just told you in mind.
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