If a person sometimes wipes over his sandals and sometimes over his socks, and when he enters the mosque he takes off these sandals even though he may have wiped over them, what is the ruling in this case, and which of the two do you advise wiping over?

The questioner : A questioner says: Your Eminence, the issue that is observed and which poses a difficulty for many people—and you have referred to part of it, but I would like details—is that a person sometimes wipes over his socks and sometimes over his sandals. So sometimes, when he enters the mosque, he takes off these socks even though he may have wiped over them on some occasions. What is the ruling in this case? And which of the two do you advise wiping over?

The Shaykh : We advise wiping over the socks, because if a person wipes over the socks, it does not harm him to take off the sandals. However, if he wipes over the sandals, he must take off the socks when performing wudu' a second time in order to wash his feet. This is the position of the majority of scholars. I have not known any scholar to say that if he takes off what he wiped over while in a state of purity, he remains in a state of purity and is permitted to wipe over what is underneath. If any scholar has said that, it is closer to the truth. Accordingly, I point out that a person should make it a habit to wipe over the socks so that he does not care whether he takes off the sandals or not. Yes.