Fiqh
5/2/2026
Can I Wipe Over My Socks During Wudu?
Sahih Muslim #276, Sahih al-Bukhari #206
# Can I Wipe Over My Socks During Wudu?
## Question
I wear socks daily and find it difficult to remove them for every wudu, especially at work. Is it permissible to wipe over socks instead of washing the feet?
## Answer
Yes, it is permissible to wipe over socks (khuffayn) during wudu, but specific conditions must be met:
### Conditions for Wiping Over Socks:
1. **The socks must be worn in a state of complete purity (wudu)**
- You must have valid wudu when you first put the socks on
2. **The socks must cover the ankles**
- They should cover the area that must be washed in wudu
3. **Time limit:**
- **Resident**: 1 day and 1 night (24 hours)
- **Traveler**: 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours)
- The time starts from when you first made wudu after wearing the socks
4. **The socks should be thick enough to:**
- Walk in them reasonably
- Stay on the feet without tying
### Evidence
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
**"Let the traveler wipe for three days and three nights, and the resident for one day and one night."**
*Source: Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Hadith #276, narrated by Shuraih ibn Hani*
Mughirah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
**"I was with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey, and I bent down to take off his khuffayn (leather socks), but he said: 'Leave them, for I put them on when I was in a state of purity.' So he wiped over them."**
*Source: Sahih al-Bukhari #206 and Sahih Muslim #274*
### How to Wipe:
- Use wet hands to wipe over the **top** of the socks once
- Pass your fingers from the toes toward the shin
- No need to wipe the bottom or sides
- This replaces washing the feet in wudu
### When You Must Remove and Wash:
- When the time limit expires (24 or 72 hours)
- After ghusl (ritual bath) becomes obligatory
- When the socks come off
### Modern Application:
This ruling applies to regular cotton or synthetic socks worn today, according to the majority of contemporary scholars, as long as they meet the conditions above.
**Note:** This is a mercy and ease from Allah, especially beneficial for those at work, school, or in cold climates.
---
*May Allah make worship easy for us and accept our acts of purification.*
## Question
I wear socks daily and find it difficult to remove them for every wudu, especially at work. Is it permissible to wipe over socks instead of washing the feet?
## Answer
Yes, it is permissible to wipe over socks (khuffayn) during wudu, but specific conditions must be met:
### Conditions for Wiping Over Socks:
1. **The socks must be worn in a state of complete purity (wudu)**
- You must have valid wudu when you first put the socks on
2. **The socks must cover the ankles**
- They should cover the area that must be washed in wudu
3. **Time limit:**
- **Resident**: 1 day and 1 night (24 hours)
- **Traveler**: 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours)
- The time starts from when you first made wudu after wearing the socks
4. **The socks should be thick enough to:**
- Walk in them reasonably
- Stay on the feet without tying
### Evidence
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
**"Let the traveler wipe for three days and three nights, and the resident for one day and one night."**
*Source: Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Hadith #276, narrated by Shuraih ibn Hani*
Mughirah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
**"I was with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey, and I bent down to take off his khuffayn (leather socks), but he said: 'Leave them, for I put them on when I was in a state of purity.' So he wiped over them."**
*Source: Sahih al-Bukhari #206 and Sahih Muslim #274*
### How to Wipe:
- Use wet hands to wipe over the **top** of the socks once
- Pass your fingers from the toes toward the shin
- No need to wipe the bottom or sides
- This replaces washing the feet in wudu
### When You Must Remove and Wash:
- When the time limit expires (24 or 72 hours)
- After ghusl (ritual bath) becomes obligatory
- When the socks come off
### Modern Application:
This ruling applies to regular cotton or synthetic socks worn today, according to the majority of contemporary scholars, as long as they meet the conditions above.
**Note:** This is a mercy and ease from Allah, especially beneficial for those at work, school, or in cold climates.
---
*May Allah make worship easy for us and accept our acts of purification.*
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