Chapter One

Chapter One
Purification:
- Ablution
- Ritual Bath
- Dry Ablution
- Wiping over Leather Socks
- Wiping over Turbans
- Wiping over a Splint
*
Ablution
Ablution is to worship Allah Almighty by washing four parts [of the body] in a specific manner.

It is obligatory upon any ritually impure individual who wishes to pray, based on the saying of Allah Almighty: {O you who believe, when you rise to perform prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and [wash] your feet to the ankles} [Al-Mā’idah: 6]It is a condition for the validity and acceptance of prayer, based on the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “Allah does not accept the prayer of anyone of you who is in the state of ritual impurity until he performs ablution. ”[Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and others on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)]

Some of the reports highlighting the virtue of ablution:
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If anyone of you performs ablution thoroughly then says: ‘I bear witness that there is no true god but Allah alone without any partner and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

O Allah, make me one of those who oft repent and make me one of those who purify themselves,’ the eight gates of Paradise would be opened for him and he may enter from whichever of them he wishes. ”‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He who performs ablution perfectly, his sins will leave his body until they come out from under his fingernails.” [Narrated by Muslim]‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Performing ablution perfectly despite difficulties, taking many steps to mosques, and waiting for the next prayer after the last prayer, (all this) washes sins away thoroughly. ”

Manner of Ablution:
1) That one intends in his heart, without pronouncing the intention audibly, to remove the minor ritual impurity or to make ablution to do a deed that ablution is legislated for; because Allah, Exalted and Glorified, knows what is in his heart, and because the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not pronounce the intention audibly before his ablution, prayer, or any other act of worship;
2) then says: “In the name of Allah”;
3) then washes hands thrice;
4) then rinses his mouth and sniffs water into and out of his nostrils thrice using three handfuls of water;
5) then washes his face thrice. The face extends from the hairline to the bottom of the chin lengthwise and between the ears crosswise;
6) then washes his right hand then his left hand thrice, starting from the fingertips to and including the elbows;
7) then wipes his head with water once by wetting his hands and wiping his head from front to back and back to front. The head starts from the hairline at the front till the top of the neck at the back lengthwise and between the two ears crosswise;
then wipes his ears with his hands once by inserting the tips of his index fingers in his ear-holes while wiping the outside of the ears with the thumbs;
9) then washes his right foot then his left foot three times each, starting from the toe tips to and including the ankles.
In parts that are washed thrice, it is also permissible to wash only once or twice.

Ritual Bath
A ritual bath is to worship Allah by purifying the entire body. It is obligatory upon anyone in a state of major ritual impurity or any other state that requires a ritual bath, based on the saying of Allah Almighty: {And if you are in a state of janābah (major impurity), then purify yourselves} [Al-Mā’idah: 6]

Manner of the Ritual Bath
1) That one intends by heart, without pronouncing it audibly, to remove the major ritual impurity or to make the ritual bath for the causes it is legislated for such as the Friday prayer;
2) then says: “In the name of Allah”;
3) then washes his hands three times;
4) then washes his private parts;
5) then makes a complete ablution like the one he makes for prayer;
6) then washes his head by running his wet fingers through his hair until the water reaches its roots, and then he pours water over his head thrice;
7) then washes the rest of his body.
 
If there is a fracture or wound on his body that requires placing a bandage or a splint on it, he may place it and wipe over it instead of washing the part underneath it, because when one is unable to wash a part due to a barrier placed over it, it is sufficient to wipe over itbased on the saying of Allah Almighty: {So fear Allah as much as you are able} [Al-Taghābun: 16]This is a necessary wiping, thus it is assessed in view of its area and the length of time one needs to use it. The barrier should not exceed the area that needs to be covered, and it must be removed once the fracture or the wound is healed. If there is a fractured or wounded area on his body that would be harmed by washing and is not covered by a barrier, then he may wipe over it with water instead of pouring water on it. If it is harmed by wiping, then he may perform dry ablution for it, based on the saying of Allah Almighty: {So fear Allah as much as you are able} [Al-Taghābun: 16]and His saying: {He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty} [Al-Hajj: 78]

Wiping, whether over the barrier or the sick part directly, substitutes washing whereby purification is complete without the need to rewash it after healing.

If the water available is sufficient for washing some parts of the body only, one should use it and make dry ablution for the rest of his body.

Dry Ablution
Dry ablution is to worship Allah by purifying oneself with soil by wiping over the face and the hands with it when it is difficult to use water owing to its nonexistence or the harm that may be caused by using it due to an illness or otherwise.

It substitutes purification using water from major or minor impurity. Allah Almighty said: {O you who believe, when you rise to perform prayer, wash your faces. . . But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it.

Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful. } [Al-Mā’idah: 6]Dry ablution is a full purification that removes ritual impurity until one is able to use water, based on the saying of Allah Almighty: {but He intends to purify you} [Al-Mā’idah: 6]and the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “The earth has been made for me a place of worship and (a means of) purification; so, anyone of my Ummah should pray wherever he may be when the time of prayer is due. ”[Narrated by Al-Bukhāri] Purification (in the hadith) refers to the means by which purification is achieved.

Accordingly, if one makes dry ablution for a supererogatory prayer, it is also valid for obligatory prayer. Dry ablution is valid before the time of prayer is due and is not invalidated when the time of prayer ends. If dry ablution is made to remove a minor impurity, it is valid unless invalidated by another minor impurity. Likewise, if it is made to remove a major impurity, it is valid unless invalidated by another major impurity.

However, dry ablution is invalid once the difficulty is alleviated. So, it is invalid when water becomes available or upon healing from sickness whether it was performed to remove a minor or major impurity. One must then perform ablution to remove the minor impurity that he was performing dry ablution to remove and take a ritual bath to remove the major impurity that he was performing dry ablution to remove.

Any type of soil is valid for dry ablution, whether it is dusty, sandy, or stony and anything sharing its natural origin like the wall, based on the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “The earth has been made for me a place of worship and (a means of) purification. ” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]Abu Juhaym ibn al-Hārith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was met by a man who greeted him with Salām, but the Prophet did not return the greeting until he turned to the wall and wiped his face and hands, then he returned the greeting. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]

Manner of Dry Ablution
That he intends in his heart to remove the ritual impurity in order to pray or perform other acts of worship for which dry ablution is legislated; then he says: “In the name of Allah, ” and strikes the earth once with both palms and wipes over his face and hands with them.

Wiping over Leather Socks
The term "leather socks" refers to footwear made of leather or similar material, while [regular] socks is footwear made of cotton or similar material.

Ruling on wiping over leather socks and [regular] socks:
Wiping over them is an act of Sunnah practiced by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). So, if someone is wearing them, it is better to wipe over them than to take them off to wash the feet.
 
Proof of this is the following report by Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was performing ablution so I bent down to take his leather socks off but he said: ‘Leave them for I have put them on after performing ablution,’ and he wiped over them.”

The legitimacy of wiping over the leather socks is established in the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

Proof from the Qur’an is in the saying of Allah Almighty: {O you who believe, when you rise to perform prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles} [Al-Mā’idah: 6] Allah’s saying: {your feet} is read with a difference in diacritical marks in two authentic modes of recitation both ascribed to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

The first:
using "your feet" in conjunction with "your faces" that precedes it, in which case it means the feet are to be washed just like the faces.

The second:
"your feet" is in conjunction with "your heads", in which case the feet are to be wiped over. What determines that the feet may be washed or wiped over is the practice of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He used to wash his feet if they were uncovered and wipe over them if they were covered with leather socks. As for the proof from the Sunnah, there are successively transmitted reports from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in this regard. Imām Ahmad (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “I have no doubts in my heart about wiping (over the leather socks).

”There are 40 hadiths reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions relevant to wiping.

In poetry, a poet composed the following verses (translated):
Among the successively-transmitted hadiths are “whoever lies” *** and “whoever builds a house for Allah while awaiting the reward” and seeing Allah, the intercession, the fountain *** and wiping over the leather socks among others

Conditions for wiping over leather socks:
There are four conditions for wiping over the leather socks:
First condition:
One must wear them while in a state of ritual purity (i. e. after performing ablution or ritual bath), based on the reply of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah: “Leave them for I have put them on after performing ablution. ”

Second condition:
the leather or regular socks themselves must be pure/clean. If they are impure, it is impermissible to wipe over them. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) led his Companions one day in prayer while wearing sandals but he took them off during prayer. He said that [Archangel] Gabriel told him the sandals had filth on them. This proves that it is impermissible to pray wearing something stained with impurity.

Also, if something impure is wiped with water, the wiping medium will be contaminated with the impurity and will not be valid as a purifier. Third condition: they are to be wiped over when one is in a state of minor ritual impurity, not major ritual impurity which requires a ritual bath.

The proof is the following hadith of Safwān ibn ‘Assāl (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) instructed us that during travel, we need not take off our leather socks for up to three days and nights except in case of major ritual impurity, but not after defecating, urinating, or sleeping. ”According to this hadith, wiping over the leather socks must be in the case of minor, not major, impurity. Fourth condition: wiping is to be done within the legislated period, which is a single day and night for a resident and three days with their nights for a traveler. The proof is the following hadith of ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) fixed the period of wiping over the leather socks to be three days and nights for the traveler and one day and night for the resident. ” [Narrated by Muslim]

This period begins at the first incident of wiping after incurring a minor impurity and expires after 24 hours for a resident and 72 hours for a traveler. For example, if a person purified himself for the Fajr prayer on Tuesday morning and retained his purification until he prayed ‘Ishā’ at night then he slept then woke up for the Fajr prayer on Wednesday morning and wiped over the leather socks at 5 a. m. , his wiping-over-the-socks period begins at 5 a. m. on Wednesday and ends at 5 a. m. on Thursday. So if he wiped over the leather socks on Thursday before 5 a. m. , he may perform the Fajr prayer of Thursday and any other prayers he wishes to perform as long as he retains his purification, because his ablution is not invalidated by the expiry of the period allowed for wiping according to the preponderant view of scholars.

This is because the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not assign a time limit for the state of purification; rather, he assigned a time limit for wiping over the socks. Once that limit is reached, wiping may not be done; but if one is still in a state of purification, then his purification is intact, because it is a purification which is established by a valid proof (from Shariah) and it cannot be repudiated except by another valid proof. In addition, there is no proof that ablution is invalidated upon the expiration of the wiping period. The principle ruling dictates that a state remains intact until it is clearly invalidated.

These are the conditions for wiping over the leather socks. There are other conditions that some scholars mentioned but some of them are debatable.

Questions on wiping over the leather socks, turbans, and splints
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with good conduct until the Day of Judgment.

I have listened to the answers of the questions I was asked regarding wiping over the leather socks, turbans, and splints. They match the answers I gave on the recorder. I have added some slight modifications to themand gave permission of printing to anyone who wishes to print them provided that proper editing is done and without retaining any copyrights for himself or others.

I ask Allah to grant everyone success and acceptance. Those words spoken by:
The writer of this text/ Muhammad ibn Sālih al-‘Uthaymīn
19/05/1410 A. H.

Wiping over Leather Socks
Question (1):
Some jurists stipulated that the leather socks must cover the area that must be washed in ablution; how valid is this condition?

Answer (1):
This condition is invalid because it lacks evidence. As long as it [the footwear] is referred to as leather socks or [regular] socks, then it is permissible to wipe over it, because the reports address wiping over leather socks in the general sense. Any general command in Shariah cannot be restricted unless another Sharia ruling or text indicates the restriction. Hence, wiping over torn leather socks is permissible. It is also permissible to wipe over light socks, because socks are not meant to cover the skin but, rather, to give warmth and protection to the feet. Wiping over the socks was permitted because it is burdensome to take them off, and there is no difference in this respect between light and heavy socks or intact and torn socks. As long as they are called socks, it is permissible to wipe over them.
 
Question (2):
A man who made dry ablution and put on leather socks, is it permissible for him to wipe over the socks if he finds water, taking into consideration that he was in a state of purification when he put them on?

Answer (2):
It is impermissible for him to wipe over the leather socks if purification was through dry ablution, based on the saying of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): “I had put them on after performing ablution. ”

Purification with dry ablution is not related to the feet but, rather, related to the face and the hands only. Following this reasoning, if a man has no water or is sick and cannot use water for ablution, he is permitted to wear the socks even without making ablution beforehand. He may wear them for an unlimited period of time until he has access to water or is healed from his sickness, because the feet have no relevance to the purification with dry ablution.

Question (3):
Is the intention obligatory? In other words, if an individual wants to wear the socks or sandals, must he have the prior intention of wiping over them?  Also, the intention of wiping as a resident or a traveler, is it obligatory or not?

Answer (3):
Intention is not obligatory in this case, because the ruling is based on the mere presence of this deed, thereby no need for a prior intention. Similarly, when one wears a garment, it is not a condition to intend to cover oneself with it during prayer, for example. So, intention of wiping over the socks beforehand is not a condition for it.

The same applies to the intention of the permitted period. If he is traveling, the period of wiping is three days whether or not he made the intention for it, and if he is a resident, then the period is a day and a night whether or not he made the intention for it.
 
Question (4):
What is the minimum distance of traveling beyond which wiping over the socks for three days and nights is permitted?

Answer (4):
The traveling in which prayer may be shortened is the one in which wiping over the socks is permitted for three days and nights, because the hadith of Safwān ibn ‘Assāl mentioned above states, in general, that they were traveling. So, as long as the individual is traveling and shortening the prayer, he may wipe over the socks for three days.
 
Question (5):
If a traveler arrives or a resident travels after they had started wiping over the socks, how is their period of wiping calculated? Answer (5): If a resident started wiping then traveled, he is to wipe as though he is a traveler, according to the preponderant view; and if he was traveling then reached his destination, he is to wipe as though he is a resident, according to the preponderant view.

Some scholars held that if he wiped while residing then traveled, he is to wipe as a resident; however, the earlier view is the preponderant one, because there is still a remaining time in the period allowed for the resident who then traveled. But after he traveled, he became a traveler whose period of wiping is three days.
 
Question (6):
Someone had doubts about the exact time he started wiping; what should he do?

Answer (6):
In this case, he should follow what he is certain of. If he doubts whether he wiped over his socks for Zhuhr or ‘Asr prayer, then he should start calculating the period of wiping from the ‘Asr prayer, because the principle ruling is the absence of wiping. This is based on the ruling that the ruling stands on its original case. In this case, the original state is the absence of wiping. A complaint was made to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about the person who doubts that he has broken his ablution in prayer. He said: “He should not leave (his prayer) unless he hears a sound or perceives a smell (of passing wind). ”
 
Question (7):
A man wiped over the socks after the expiration of the wiping period; what is the ruling on his prayer (is it valid or not)?

Answer (7):
If he wiped after the expiration of the wiping period, whether he is a resident or a traveler, the prayer he performed with this purification is invalid because his ablution is invalidated by wiping beyond the wiping period. He must make a new and complete ablution in which he washes his feetand repeat the prayers he performed with that invalid ablution in which he wiped after the expiration of the wiping period.
 
Question (8):
If a man took off the socks after performing ablution but then put them on again before his ablution was invalidated, is he permitted to wipe over them?

Answer (8):
If he took off the socks then put them on again while his ablution was still intact (not invalidated), then if this is the initial ablution – meaning that he did not break his ablution after putting the socks on – there is no harm in putting them on again and wiping over them when making ablution. But if he had wiped over his socks in the [first] ablution, it is impermissible to wipe over them if he took them off and put them on again, because wiping is valid only if he put them on while in a state of purification with water, not with wiping.

This is the known view of scholars. However, if any scholar held that putting the socks on again in a state of purification - even if it were purification with wiping (not washing) - permits wiping for the remaining length of the wiping period, then this is a strong view. But I do not know of anyone who held this view, which forbids me from proposing it. If a scholar happened to propose it, then I would consider it to be the correct view, because the purification with wiping is a complete one.

So, the view should be: that if one wipes over what he had put on in a state of purification with washing, he should likewise wipe over what he put on in a state of purification with wiping. But once again, I have not heard of anyone held this opinion.
 
Question (9):
So, (based on the last answer) we should not say that taking the socks off is one of the invalidators of wiping (over the socks)?

Answer (9):
If one took off his socks, his state of purification is still valid though the wiping (over the socks) becomes invalid. If he puts them on again then broke his ablution, he must take the socks off and wash his feet (when making a new ablution). The important thing that we should know is that the socks must be worn while one is in a state of purification in which he washed his feet. This is as far as we know from the statements of scholars in this regard.
 
Question (10):
A man wiped over the sandals in the first time but then took them off and wiped over the socks in the second time; is his wiping valid or must he wash his feet?

Answer (10):
Scholars held different opinions in this regard. Some held that wiping over one of the layers of socks, either the top or the bottom layer, links the ruling to the wiped layer and it is not transferred to the other. Other scholars held that it is permissible to wipe over the second layer as long as it is done within the wiping period.

For example, if someone wiped over the sandals then took them off and wanted to make ablution, he may wipe over the socks underneath, according to the preponderant view. Furthermore, if one wiped over the socks then wore other socks or sandals over them and wiped over the top ones, there is no harm in doing so, according to the preponderant view, as long as the wiping period has not expired. However, the period is calculated starting from wiping over the first layer, not the second one.

Question (11):
People often ask about the proper manner of wiping over the socks and the area to be wiped?

Answer (11):
The manner of wiping is to run the fingers from the tips of the feet to the shin only, which is the topside of the socks. Wiping should be done over both feet with both hands; meaning that the right hand wipes over the right foot and the left hand wipes over the left foot simultaneously just like wiping the ears. This is the apparent meaning found in the tradition of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet “wiped over them”. He did not say that he started with the right foot but, rather, “wiped over them, " so this is the apparent meaning. If someone is unable to use one of his hands, then he begins with the right foot then the left.

Many people wipe with both hands over the right foot and with both hands over the left foot. This has no foundation as far as I know. Rather, scholars said: he wipes with the right hand over the right foot and with the left hand over the left foot.
 
Question (12):
We have seen people wiping over the socks from the topside and the underside as well; what is the ruling on such action? And what is the ruling on their prayer?

Answer (12):
Their prayer is valid as well as their ablution, but they should be made aware that wiping the underside [of the socks] is not consistent with the Sunnah. It is reported in the books of Sunnah that ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “If religion was based on reason, then wiping the underside of the leather socks would be more appropriate than wiping its topside, and I have seen the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) wiping the topside of his leather socks. ” This proves that wiping the topside of the socks is the only legitimate manner of wiping.
 
Question (13):
How do you interpret the statement of Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not wipe [over the leather socks] after the [revelation] of Al-Mā’idah,” and the statement reported by ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “The revelation overruled [wiping over] the leather socks.”?

Answer (13):
I do not know if these reports are authentic or not. I have mentioned before that ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the narrators of the hadiths addressing wiping over the leather socks as reported from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and he continued to narrate them after the Prophet’s death. He explained that the Prophet set a time limit for the wiping, thus proving his belief in the continuation of the ruling after the death of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), which rules out the possibility that the ruling was abrogated, since abrogation was not possible after the Prophet’s death.
 
Question (14):
Are the rulings pertaining to wiping over the leather socks applicable to women just as men?  Is there a difference in this regard?

Answer (14):
There is no difference between men and women in this regard. Generally speaking, the principle rule is that any instruction given to men extends to women, and any instruction given to women extends to men unless there is proof indicating otherwise.
 
Question (15):
What is the ruling on taking off the sock or a portion of it to scratch the foot or remove something like a small stone or the like?

Answer (15):
If the person slips his hand inside the socks, there is no harm. But if he takes part of the socks off, then it depends on the extent of that part. If it is a small part, there is no harm; if it is a large part such that most of the foot is exposed, then wiping over the socks afterwards becomes invalid.
 
Question (16):
It is popular among laymen to wipe over the leather socks for five prayers only and then they repeat it again. What is the ruling on this action?

Answer (16):

Yes, this is popular among laymen. They believe that wiping for a day and a night means to wipe for five prayers only, which is incorrect. Instead, a day and a night means that the individual can wipe over the leather socks for a day and a night whether he prayed five prayers or more, and the period of wiping begins with the [first] time he wipes over them.

As mentioned above, the person might pray ten prayers or more. If, for instance, a man wears the leather socks for Fajr prayer on Monday and remains in a state of purification until he goes to sleep at night and then wiped over the leather socks to pray Fajr on Tuesday morning, he is allowed to wipe until the Fajr prayer of Wednesday. In this instance, he prayed Fajr, Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishā’ while wearing the leather socks on Monday. This whole period is discounted because it preceded the wiping. On Tuesday, starting at Fajr prayer, he wiped [the first time] then he wiped at the next four prayers. Furthermore, he may wipe for the prayers of Wednesday if he wiped [the first time] before the wiping period expires.

For example, he wiped at 5 a. m. for Fajr prayer on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he wiped at 4: 45 a. m. and remained in a state of purification until he prayed ‘Ishā’ on the eve of Thursday (i. e. Wednesday night). That person has prayed with this ablution the prayers of Wednesday (Fajr, Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishā’), thus raising the total count to 15 prayers since he put on the leather socks at the Fajr prayer of Monday and retained his purification until the Fajr prayer of Tuesday for which he wiped over the socks at 5 a. m. He then wiped again for the Fajr prayer of Wednesday at 4: 45 a. m. , then retained his purification until ‘Ishā’ prayer. This makes a total of 15 prayers.

Question (17):
If a person made ablution and wiped over the leather socks but he took them off during the wiping period before ‘Asr prayer, for example, should he pray and his prayer would be valid or is his ablution invalidated by taking off the leather socks?

Answer (17):
The preponderant view of scholars which was chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and a group of scholars (may Allah have mercy upon them) is that ablution is not invalidated because of taking off the leather socks. If he takes them off while retaining his state of purification after wiping over them, his ablution is not invalidated. This is because by wiping over the socks his purification is complete based on established proof from Shariah.

If he were to take them off, this established purification cannot be invalidated except by another proof from Shariah; and there is no proof that taking off wiped-over socks invalidates ablution. Hence, his ablution is intact, but if he puts on the socks again and wants to wipe over them in the future, then it is impermissible as far as I know based on the statements of scholars in this regard.

Wiping over the Splint
Question (21):
What is the ruling on wiping over a splint and similar covers?  And what is the proof from the Qur’an and Sunnah?

Answer (21):
First, we must define the splint. In principle, the splint is what is used to heal a bone fracture.

According to jurists, it refers to what is placed on a part of the body that must be purified [in ablution or ritual bath] for a certain need, such as the cast dressed on a fracture and the bandage placed on a wound or a spot of back pain or the like. Wiping over it is sufficient as a substitute for washing.

For example, if there is a bandage covering a wound on a person’s arm that he is in need of, he is permitted to wipe over it instead of washing. This is considered complete purification, which means that if he removes this splint or bandage afterwards, his purification is still valid, because it was done in a Shariah-approved manner. In addition, there is no proof that removing the bandage invalidates ablution or the state of purification.

None of the reports concerning the splint is free of some objection supported by weak reports which some scholars used and said that the collective number of those reports make them sufficient as valid evidence. Other scholars held that those reports are not reliable owing to their weakness and they differed among themselves. Some of them held that one is exempted from purifying that body part or the place where the splint is worn given his inability to purify them. Others held that one should perform dry ablution for it and not wipe over it.

However, the most plausible opinion irrespective of the relevant reports is that wiping over the splint/bandage is permitted without the need for dry ablution.

Hence, we say that if there is a wound in one of the body parts that must be purified, then there are levels for it:
First level:
the wound is exposed and unharmed by washing, in which case washing is obligatory.

Second level:
the wound is exposed and harmed by washing but not by wiping, in which case wiping over it is obligatory without the need for washing.

Third level:
the wound is exposed and harmed by washing and wiping, in which case dry ablution is to be performed instead.

Fourth level:
the wound is covered with a bandage or a similar dressing, in which case wiping over this cover is sufficient and there is no need for washing that part.
 
Question (22):
Are there any conditions for wiping over the splint, like, for example, if it outlasts the need for it?  

Answer (22):
The splint is not to be wiped over except when there is a need for that, so this need must be estimated by the extent thereof. The need is not limited to the site of the wound or pain only but, rather, extends to anything necessary to hold this splint or bandage in place.
 
Question (23):
Does the [ruling] of splint extend to similar dressings like gauze among others?  

Answer (23):
Yes, it shares the same ruling. It should be known that the splint is not similar to wiping over the leather socks in terms of the specified wiping period. Instead, wiping over the splint can extend as long as the need for it is present. Furthermore, wiping over it is valid in both major and minor impurities [i. e. in both ablution and ritual bath], unlike the leather socks as mentioned earlier. If a person must take a ritual bath, he may wipe over the splint just as he does during ablution.
 
Question (24):
What is the manner of wiping over the splint?  Should one wipe it entirely or some portion of it?  Kindly, provide a detailed answer.

Answer (24):
Yes, one must wipe over it entirely, because the principle rule dictates that an alternative shares the identical ruling of the original case unless the Sunnah reports indicate otherwise. In this case, wiping is the alternative to washing, so just as washing must cover the entire body part, wiping must cover the entire splint. As for wiping over the leather socks, it is a concession and the hadiths indicate that it is sufficient to wipe them partially.