Wiping over Footwear, Bandages and Turbans for Wudoo
Creator: Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani
Date: 2007-07-25
Format: text
Identifier: http://web.archive.org/web/20020625053206/www.al-manhaj.com/articleprnt.cfm?ArticleID=133
Language: en
Subject: prayer
Title: Wiping over Footwear, Bandages and Turbans for Wudoo
Created on: Wed Jul 25 20:51:00 -0400 2007
Updated on: Wed Feb 06 16:57:03 -0500 2008
Version: 5
Abstract: ... the answer is based upon what is certain, so if he is doubtful if he started wiping for Dhuhr or ‘Asr prayers, then he should make his starting period ‘Asr because the basic principle is the absence of wiping. And the evidence for this is the rule that the principle remains upon what it is and that the basic principle in this case is the absence of wiping. And also a man once complained to the Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that he thought that he had passed wind in his prayer, so he told him not to leave the prayer until he heard a noise or smelt something. Q10: A person wipes over his socks after the period of wiping has expired and prays, what is the ruling of his prayer? A10: If he wipes after the period has expired, whether he is traveling or a resident, then his prayer with this purification is invalid because the wudoo is invalid due to the period of wiping having expired. So it is obligatory on him to make a new and complete wudoo, washing his feet, and to repeat his prayers that he prayed with that invalid wudoo in which he wiped over his socks after the period had expired. Q11: If a person removed his socks while he was in a state of wudoo, then he put them on again before his wudoo broke, is it permissible to wipe over them? A11: If he removes his socks and then puts them back on again while he is in a state of wudoo, then if this wudoo was his first wudoo (i.e. the one in which he washed his feet) and this did not break for the duration he had his socks on, then there is no problem in him putting his socks on and wiping over them again when he makes wudoo. But if this wudoo was a wudoo in which he wiped over his socks then it is not permissible for him to put his socks on and continue wiping over them, because it is necessary for him to wear them when his feet have been purified with water, and in this case the purity is with wiping over the socks, this is what is known from the speech of the People of Knowledge. But if one were to say that if he put his socks on again while he was still in a state of purity, even if it were the purity of wiping over the socks, then he could continue wiping over them as long as the period of wiping lasted then this is a strong opinion. But I do not know of anyone who held this opinion, and the thing which prevents me from holding this opinion is that I have not come across anyone from the People of Knowledge who holds this opinion, so if one of the People of Knowledge were to have this opinion then this would be the correct one according to me. This is because the purity gained from wiping is a complete state of purity, so it is desirable to say that if he can wipe over his socks after putting them on after having washed his feet, then he can wipe over them after the purification of wiping over them. But I have not seen anyone who holds this opinion. Q12: So therefore we do not say that removing the socks is from the things that invalidate the wiping? A12: Removing the socks (in this second case) does not invalidate his state of purity but it invalidates his wiping, so if he were to put them on again another time and then broke his wudoo then it is necessary for him to remove his socks and wash his feet when he makes wudoo. The important point is that it is necessary for him to have put the socks on when he has made a wudoo in which he has washed his feet (in order to wipe over them later on) as far as we know from the speech of the People of Knowledge. Q13: A person wipes over his shoes in the first instance, then in the second he removes his shoes and wipes over his socks, is this wiping of his correct? Or is it necessary for him to wash the feet? A13: There is a difference of opinion over this. So from the People of Knowledge are those that opine that if one were to wipe over one of the two khuffs, be it the upper or the lower then the ruling remains with that and the wiping does not move to the second. And from them are those that opine that it is permissible for the wiping to move to the other for as long as the period of wiping remains. So for example, if one were to wipe over the shoes, then he removed them and wished to make wudoo, then he can wipe over his socks. This is the strongest opinion. Likewise if he were to wipe over his socks, and then put on another pair, or put on a pair of shoes, then there is no problem in his wiping over the upper layer for as long as the period of wiping remains. But the period is calculated from the point of the first wiping, not the second. Q14: Many people ask as to how the wiping should be done and the place of wiping? A14: The way of performing the wiping is to pass the hand over the feet from the extremity of the toes to the start of the shin only. Meaning that the part of the khuff that is wiped is the upper part only. And the wiping is done by passing both hands over both feet simultaneously i.e. the right hand wipes over the right foot and the left hand over the left foot at the same time, as one would wipe the ears. Because this is what is clear and obvious in the sunnah due to the saying of Mugheera bin Shu’ba (in his hadeeth), “and he wiped over them”, and he did not say he (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) started with the right or left, rather the clear and literal meaning is what we have explained. Yes, if one of the hands cannot be used then you start with wiping the right foot then the left. And many people wipe by using both their hands to wipe the right foot, and both their hands to wipe the left foot. This has no basis as far as we know, all that the scholars have said is to wipe the right foot with the right hand, and the left foot with the left hand. Q15: We see people wiping over the upper and lower parts of the khuffs, so what is the ruling of this wiping and what is the ruling of their prayers? A15: Their prayers and wudoo are correct, but they should be informed that wiping over the lower part of the khuffs is not from the Sunnah. So in the Sunnah is the hadeeth of ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib (radyAllaahu 'anhu) who said: “If the Religion were according to opinion then the underside of the khuffs would have been wiped, but I have seen the Messenger of Allâh (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) wiping over the upper part of the khuff.” And this indicates that only the upper part of the khuff is legislated to be wiped. Q16: What is the stance on the saying of Ibn Abbaas: “The Messenger did not wipe after (the revelation) of Surah Al-Maa’idah” and that what is related from Alee preceded this revelation? A16: I do not know if this narration is authentic or not. And I have mentioned before this that ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib is from those that narrated the hadeeth of wiping from the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and he narrated it after his death, and he explained that the Messenger set it’s time limits, and this indicates that this ruling is established to exist after the death of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) according to him, and it is not possible to abrogate anything after the death of the Messenger. Q17: Are the rulings for wiping the same for women as for men? Or is there a difference? A17: There is no distinction between man and woman in this. And it is desired that you learn a basic rule, and that is that in principle that whatsoever is established with regards to men is also established with regards to women, and whatsoever is established with regards to women is also established with regards to men, unless there is an evidence which indicates otherwise. Q18: What is the ruling on removing the sock, or part of it to examine ones feet or to remove a small stone for example? A18: If he puts his hands in his socks (without removing them) then there is no problem in this. But if he removes them then he should look, if he removes only a small portion than this is all right. But if he removes the majority of the sock then wiping over them in the future becomes invalid [in the case where this is not the first wudoo]. Q19: It has become common amongst the common folk that they wipe over their socks for the five daily prayers only, then after this they put them on another time (i.e. after washing their feet). A19: Yes this has become common amongst the generality of the people who think that wiping for one day and night means that you wipe only for the five daily prayers, and this is not correct. Rather the limitation of one day and night means that he c... [Full Article...]
