Is it permissible to wipe over socks (sharab), even if they are thin or have small tears?
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The questioner : The questioner asks: Is it permissible to wipe over socks, even if they are thin or have small tears?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible to wipe over socks, even if they are light or have tears, because it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stipulated they must be thick and free of tears. Rather, whatever is called a sock or a leather sock, wiping over it is permissible in whatever condition it is in and whatever state it is in.
But let it be known that wiping over them requires certain conditions:
The first condition is that one must put them on while in a state of ritual purity. The evidence for this is the hadith of al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, who reached out to remove the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) leather socks, and he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 206 meaning that he had put them on while in a state of ritual purity.
The second condition is that this must be for minor ritual impurity, not for major ritual impurity or the like, based on the hadith of Safwan ibn 'Asal (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:.
The third condition is that the wiping must be within the specified time limit, which is one day and one night for the resident and three days and their nights for the traveler. The time limit begins from the first time one wipes after becoming ritually impure, and its end is known from what we have mentioned; so the time limit is twenty-four hours for the resident and seventy-two hours for the traveler. Within this time limit, a person wipes, but as we said, for minor ritual impurity, not major, because major ritual impurity requires washing the body, including the feet.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible to wipe over socks, even if they are light or have tears, because it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stipulated they must be thick and free of tears. Rather, whatever is called a sock or a leather sock, wiping over it is permissible in whatever condition it is in and whatever state it is in.
But let it be known that wiping over them requires certain conditions:
The first condition is that one must put them on while in a state of ritual purity. The evidence for this is the hadith of al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, who reached out to remove the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) leather socks, and he said:
He ordered me to leave them as he had put them after performing ablution
دعهما فإني أدخلتهما طاهرتينThe second condition is that this must be for minor ritual impurity, not for major ritual impurity or the like, based on the hadith of Safwan ibn 'Asal (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us, when we were traveling, not to remove our leather socks for three days and their nights, except from major ritual impurity, but from defecation, urination, and sleep.
أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا كنا سفراً ألا ننزع خفافنا ثلاث أيام ولياليهن إلا من جنابة ولكن من غائط وبول ونومThe third condition is that the wiping must be within the specified time limit, which is one day and one night for the resident and three days and their nights for the traveler. The time limit begins from the first time one wipes after becoming ritually impure, and its end is known from what we have mentioned; so the time limit is twenty-four hours for the resident and seventy-two hours for the traveler. Within this time limit, a person wipes, but as we said, for minor ritual impurity, not major, because major ritual impurity requires washing the body, including the feet.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.