Wiping over non-leather socks
Hanafi:
Mughirah bin Shu’bah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ performed wudu and wiped over his socks and sandals.[1]
“Wiping over socks is valid for minor ritual impurity for men and women even if they are made from something thick other than leather, whether they have a sole from leather or not.”[2]
Commenting on this, Imam Al-Shrunbulali said, “Like wool, broadcloth, and thick cotton.”[3]
In relation to the degree of thickness, Hanafi texts have mentioned the following:
“Wiping over socks is permitted (whether they have leather outers, leather soles, or not) if they are thick whereas they cling to the foot without tying and they don’t soak up water when they are wiped over i.e. they don’t attract the water and allow it to penetrate to the feet (and it is confirmation of their thickness).[4]
“It is permitted to wipe over a sock if it is thick enough so that it does not allow water to penetrate by walking on moist ground.”[5]
Maliki:
S’ad bin Abi Waqqas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ wiped over leather socks.[6]
Ibn Abi Zayd (d. 386 AH) said when mentioning the conditions for wiping over leather socks:
“That they are made of leather and are not things like cotton socks.” Hence, in the Maliki School, the socks must be made of leather only.[7]
Shafi’i:
Imam al-Nawawi says: “The sound position in our school is that if the sock is thick, continuous walking in it is possible, then wiping over it is valid and if not, then no.”[8]
Hanbali:
“It is permitted to wipe over socks and boots… Ahmad said, ‘wiping over socks has been mentioned from eight or nine companions of the Prophet ﷺ.’
It is a condition for the sock that it is thick covering the foot because if it is thin depicting the foot it is not permitted to wipe over it because it is not covering so it is not permitted like a ripped leather sock.”[9]
Answered by Shaykh Bilal Brown
[1] (Al-Tirmidhi, 99; Abu Dawud, 159; Ibn Majah, 559).
[2] (Nur al-Idah, Chapter of Wiping over Leather Socks).
[3] (Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter of Wiping Over Leather Socks).
[4] (Al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab, Section on Wiping Over Socks).
[5] (Majma’ al-Fawa’id, Section on Wiping Over Socks).
[6] (Al-Bukhari, 202).
[7] (Al-Risalah, Chapter of Wiping over Leather Socks).
[8] (Al-Majmu’ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, Chapter on Wiping Over Leather Socks [1/499]).
[9] (Al-Uddah Sharh al-Umdah, Topic 80, 81).