Firstly, the permissibility of wiping over the khuff and similar foot coverings, which meets the conditions of acceptance, has been established by evidence from the Sunnah.
In Al-Bukhari and other sources, it is narrated from Al-Mughira ibn Shu’ba that he said: “I was with the Prophet (peace be upon him) on a journey, and I poured water for him to perform ablution. He washed his face and his arms, and then he wiped his head. When I wanted to take off his khuffs, he said, ‘Leave them on, for I put them on while I was in a state of purity.’ So he wiped over them.”
There is no evidence that this ruling has been abrogated by the verse of Al-Ma’ida. This is evidenced by what is narrated in the two Sahihs from Jarir that he had a wound, so he performed ablution and wiped over his khuffs. It was said to him, “Do you do this (i.e., wipe over the khuffs)?” He replied, “Yes, I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) do this.” Ibrahim (one of the narrators) said, “They were amazed by this hadith because Jarir embraced Islam after the revelation of Al-Ma’ida.”
Secondly, there are conditions for wiping over socks, including:
• They must cover the feet up to the ankles.
• They must be thick enough to walk in normally.
• They must be firmly attached to the feet.
• They must be clean and worn after performing ablution.
Some scholars in our school of law have added that they must be worn with shoes, but the correct opinion of the two companions (Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad) is that this is not a requirement.
Thirdly, regarding shoes, there are conditions according to the scholars:
• It should cover the foot up to the ankles, according to the majority opinion. However, there is a narration from the Maliki School, which is the opinion of Ibn Hazm, that this is not a condition and that wiping over the shoes is permissible even if the shoes is cut below the ankles. The ankles are the protruding bones below the legs on the right and left sides and the meeting point of the leg with the foot according to the majority of scholars. However, there is a narration from Muhammad bin Al-Hasan and those who followed him from the Hanafi school that the ankle here refers to the bone in the middle of the foot at the joint of the toes, i.e., the top of the foot.
• It should be clean and worn on a state of purity.
If these conditions are met in the shoes and socks, then wiping over them is permissible for a day and a night for a resident and three nights with their days for a traveler, as mentioned in the Sunnah.
Fourthly, the issue of breaking the ritual purity (wudu) by removing socks or shoes is a matter of disagreement among scholars based on different opinions:
The first opinion states that ablution is invalidated by removing socks or shoes because they take the place of the foot. So, when they are removed, the completeness of the ablution is reduced and the person must perform ablution again. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars.
The second opinion states that if a person removes their socks or shoes, they only need to wash their feet, and their ablution remains valid. The reason for this is that the replacement of the foot (i.e., the sock or shoe) is a concession and is used as a substitute. When the substitute is removed, the original obligation of washing the feet returns. This is the opinion of Abu Hanifa and one of the opinions of Shafi’i, Ahmad bin Hanbal, and a narration from Malik if the time between removing the socks or shoes and the end of the valid period of wudu has not elapsed.
The third opinion states that removing socks or shoes does not invalidate the ritual purity (wudu) because the things that invalidate it were specified by the Prophet through a suspension, (tawqif: Prophet specified those things in a definitive and conclusive manner, leaving no room for further interpretation or additions) and removing socks or shoes is not one of them. The proponents of this opinion also refer to narrations that Ali and Abu Bakr removed their socks and prayed without renewing their ablution. Additionally, they argue that wiping over socks is similar to wiping over hair and then shaving it, and no one says that someone who shaves their head while in a state of ritual purity loses their ablution.
However, it is true that all of these arguments can be refuted and invalidated, and the analogy between wiping over socks and wiping over hair is weak.
Fifthly, regarding the question as to which is better – wiping over the shoes or the socks – if the situation is as described by the questioner, where the person removes their shoes frequently, then to resolve the dispute, it is better to wipe over the socks if they meet the conditions for acceptance. Otherwise, the person can follow the opinion of those who say that removing shoes or socks does not invalidate the ritual purity (wudu), whether it is shoes or socks, although we do not necessarily endorse this opinion.
This is the opinion, and Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr