If one wears leather socks over ritual purity, then intends to perform ablution, performs it, and wipes over his leather socks, then intends to pray and removes those leather socks; what is the ruling on his ablution and his prayer?

The questioner : And if one wears leather socks over ritual purity, then intends to perform ablution, performs it, and wipes over his leather socks, then intends to pray and removes those leather socks; is it permissible for him to pray here without removing the sock; meaning, removing the leather sock?

The Shaykh : Meaning, removing the thing over which he wiped?

The questioner : Yes, and that is the leather sock.

The Shaykh : Yes, naturally his ablution is valid, and he may pray as many prayers as he wishes until his ablution is broken, but if he returns to wearing them, it is not permissible for him to repeat the wiping over them; because in the second instance, he wore them without being in a state of ritual purity.

The questioner : And what is the evidence for this? May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : The evidence is the absence of any evidence requiring the statement that the ablution is broken or that the feet must be washed, as some say.

The questioner : No, I mean the evidence for the validity of the ablution remaining valid after removing the leather socks?

The Shaykh : This is what I am saying; that there is no evidence indicating that this person's ablution is broken such that he would be ordered to renew the ablution again.

The questioner : And the hadith of 'Ali, where is its place?

The Shaykh : The hadith of 'Ali, what is it?

The questioner : The one in which he performed ablution and wiped over the leather sock or over his sandal, then intended to pray, removed the sandal, and prayed; is this it?

The Shaykh : Yes, this is the hadith of 'Ali. It is a report stopping at a Companion, and it is with us and not upon us!

The questioner: Yes.