The Benefits of Two Hadiths: (When one of you comes to the mosque, let him look...) and (When one of you steps on impurity with his sandals, their purification is dry earth).

The Shaykh : This hadith indicates several issues, among which are:
It is obligatory for one who intends to enter the mosque wearing his sandals to look at them. However, this obligation applies only if the presence of impurity is possible. If it is not possible, there is no need to look. For example, if a person drives from his home to the mosque and gets out, and there is no impurity or dirt in front of him that requires him to look, he does not need to look. Doing so in such a case would be a waste of time. But this applies when there is a possibility.
Among the benefits of this hadith is the obligation to keep the mosque free from all impurity or dirt. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that the rewards of his Ummah were presented to him, including the reward for removing a thorn from the mosque. This is supported by the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic): .
If someone asks: If impurity or dirt falls in the mosque, who is responsible? We say: It is a collective obligation (fard kifayah) upon the Muslims in general. This is why, when the Bedouin urinated in the mosque, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . It is a collective obligation upon the Muslims to purify the mosques. If there is a person in charge, let him be informed. In that case, we say: It is obligatory for a person either to remove the impurity and dirt himself or to inform the person in charge. If he informs the person in charge, his conscience is cleared. However, if the person in charge fails to perform the obligation, it becomes obligatory for anyone who knows about it, provided they have the ability to do so.
Among the benefits of this hadith is that wiping the leather socks (khuffayn) or sandals with dry earth purifies them. The apparent meaning of the hadith is general, so even if there is some impurity between the stitches, it is excused as long as the outer surface of the sandal is clean. It is difficult to avoid impurity getting between the stitches. If we said that wiping must reach between the stitches, it would cause hardship, and washing would be easier than that. However, this is something that has been excused by custom. This is what the hadith indicates, and it aligns with the leniency and facilitation of the Shari'ah. This is because if the servant were obligated to wash them, it would cause hardship, especially in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), when water was scarce around the mosque. Furthermore, obligating the washing of sandals would cause harm in another way: it would ruin the sandals, especially the old ones stitched from leather. Washing them would undoubtedly affect their durability. Then, if they are washed and the person enters the mosque with them immediately after washing, they would contaminate the mosque in another way: the moisture, which may not be free from odor. Therefore, it is clear that the correct view is what the hadith indicates, because it is easier and more in accordance with the principles of the Shari'ah.
Some scholars said: It is obligatory to wash them, based on a principle they hold, which is: "Nothing removes impurity except pure water".
You are with us. The one behind you, yes, you. Yes, you are with us. Okay. Those who said: It is necessary to wash the sandals... based on what? Based on the fact that nothing removes impurity except pure water.
As the author of *Zad al-Mustaqni'* said: "Nothing removes the state of ritual impurity (hadath) or removes impurity (najasah) except it", meaning except pure water. When they were presented with the established fact that the excretion of urine and feces is purified by stones, which is called istijmar (cleaning with stones), they said: It is a means of permission (mubih) and not a purifier. This wiping with stones is a means of permission and not a purifier. So we do not accept that it purifies. They were also presented with the removal of ritual impurity by tayammum (dry ablution). They also said: It is a means of permission. Therefore, tayammum is a means of permission, not a remover. And so is istijmar. They said: The effect of istijmar is not excused except in its specific place. So if the clothing becomes wet and touches the place, it becomes impure, because the excuse for the place of istijmar is only for that place for the sake of permission. But this opinion, as you know, is very weak. The correct view is that tayammum is a remover and istijmar is a purifier. We passed over this in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud: . So, according to this opinion, we say: It is obligatory for a person who steps on dirt in his sandals to wash them. The correct view is the opposite: that wiping is sufficient.
If someone asks: If one wipes them with dry earth at the mosque, there is a problem, because the trace of the impurity or dirt will be on the ground on the path to the mosque, and feet may step on it while it is wet, especially on rainy days. What is the answer to this problem?
The answer to this problem, and Allah knows best, is: This is something that is excused. This is something that is excused because the dirt will spread and change, and the predominant element will be the dry earth. The dry earth will be predominant. This is something that is excused, just as the use of water was excused and wiping became sufficient.
It is derived from this hadith: "Hardship brings about ease". Hardship brings about ease, but the ease is within the limits of the Shari'ah, within the limits of the Shari'ah. Not everything that is difficult is permitted to be made easy, otherwise we would say: Riba (usury) is permissible if economic weakness calls for it, and so on. But we say: Hardship brings about ease within the limits of the Shari'ah, meaning that the Shari'ah considers hardship and facilitates matters. Among the benefits of the hadith is: Whatever removes impurity is a purifier. Anything by which impurity is removed is a purifier. The reason for this is that the dry earth here removed the impurity, so the sandals and leather socks were purified by it. This is from the perspective of the effect. From the perspective of reasoning: Impurity is a substance that exists in itself. If it is removed from the place, what happens? The place becomes pure, because the ruling revolves with its cause in existence and absence. Based on this, is purifying woolen clothes with steam beneficial or not? It is beneficial, because the impurity is removed and the clothing becomes very clean, perhaps cleaner than with ordinary water. And based on this, if chemicals are added to the sewers, the sewers of filth, and the smell, taste, and color are removed, the water becomes pure and one can perform wudu' from it, because the ruling revolves with its cause: It is impure due to the presence of impurity, and it is pure due to the removal of impurity.
Among the benefits of this hadith is the permissibility of praying in sandals, based on his saying: . This is a point of discussion. Do we say that the letter "lam" indicates permissibility, based on his saying: , meaning that after wiping them, it is permissible to pray in them? And on this basis, this hadith would indicate permissibility. Then the recommendation (mustahabb) of praying in sandals would be taken from another proof. Or do we say that the letter "lam" indicates a command?
It is derived from this hadith: Is it recommended to pray in sandals? Both possibilities are possible. But the original issue, which is praying in sandals, is a Sunnah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to pray in his sandals, and the Companions used to pray in their sandals. In fact, he commanded praying in sandals, that a person should pray in them, or place them to his left, or under his feet. So we say: Praying in sandals is permissible and lawful. In fact, we say: It is a Sunnah. But let us know that if a Sunnah leads to harm, leaving it is better. It is known that if we tell people: Pray in your sandals, this will lead to harm: contaminating the carpets. Purifying the carpets is not an easy matter, and it causes hardship for those around the person, and there is negligence in respecting the mosques. Therefore, we saw our scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) not doing this, even the scholars who are keen on applying the Sunnah do not do it, out of fear of the harm. I used to think that this was a Sunnah and I did it. I remained doing it for years, praying in my sandals. Then the people started, instead of lifting their sandals with their hands when they entered the mosque, walking in their sandals and taking them off when they reached the row. They brought the harm and left the Sunnah. So I saw that deviating from this was better, especially after the mosques were carpeted with this carpet. At first, they were covered with sand. In any case, if the issue is a Sunnah, based on the fact that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , then the issue is a Sunnah, it is not obligatory. If a Sunnah leads to harm, then leaving it is better. Yes.
Among the benefits of this hadith is: That dry earth is a purifier. I mean the hadith of Hurayrah that dry earth is a purifier, just as water is a purifier. So dry earth is a purifier in its place, just as water is a purifier. And from Ma'awin ibn al-Hakam (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . Narrated by Muslim. Yes, yes.