Khuffs (Leather Socks)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

SUNNAH OF KHUFFS (Leather socks)

O Allah (The Exalted) bless them in all of Your Creation and as much as it pleases Yourself, in the decoration of Your Throne, in the ink Your Words and to the extent of Your Knowledge and Signs.

The wearing of leather socks is a Sunnah and very beneficial. If one is on their travels and it is the time for Salaah, it is very convenient just to wipe over them which saves one from placing the feet in the sink and spilling water everywhere making it difficult for others to use. As Muslims we need to portray a good image of Islam and not leave water making a hazard for someone. Even at work it is very good as it saves time instead of washing the feet. One should remember that wiping can only be done on leather socks and not on ordinary socks.

Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that, “Najaashi sent two simple black coloured socks as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He wore these and made masah (wipe) over after performing Wudhu.” i

Three days for a traveller

‘Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has permitted travellers for three days and three nights and the residents a day and a night to wipe the Khuffs in Wudhu, provided they are worn in a state of purity.” ii

Remove them for bath

Safwan bin Asaal (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that, “During travel the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would instruct travellers not to remove Khuff’s for three consecutive nights and days, unless a compulsory bath is to be taken.” iii

Wiping over the khuffs

Mugirah bin Shubah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that, “I have seen the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wiping over the khuffs while performing the Wudhu.” iv

‘Abd-Allah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, “Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed wet hands over his Khuffs.’ ‘Abd-Allah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about it. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative and added, “Whenever Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) there is no need to ask anyone else about it.”” v Subhanallah!

Ja’’ar bin ‘Amr bin Umaiya Ad-Damri (may Allah be pleased with him) states that my father said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passing wet hands over his Khuffs.” vi

Urwa bin Al-Mughira (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, my father said, “Once I was in the company of on a journey and I dashed to take off his Khuff’s. He ordered me to leave them as he had put them on after performing ablution. So he passed wet hands on them.” vii

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Shurayh Ibn Hani (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I came to ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) to ask her about wiping over the socks.” She said, “You better ask ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) for he would travel with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). We asked him and he said, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stipulated (the upper limit) of three days and three nights for a traveller and one day and one night for the resident.” viii 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

Manners of Khuff’s

If someone is wearing special socks they would therefore when they perform ablution, do not wash their feet but in fact just wipe their wet fingers over the Khuff then this is allowed.

There are a few qualifications for performing Masah (wiping);

1. The Khuff are long enough that the ankles are covered. If they are a few fingers short but the heel is covered, then the Masah is allowed.

2. They are stuck to the feet, so that when wearing them you can walk freely.

3. They are made from leather or at least the sole is made from leather and the rest made from other thick coated material. The socks worn which are made from either cotton or wool cannot be wiped over, it is obligatory to take them off and wash the feet.

4. They must be put on after performing ablution. Meaning if you put them on and had not performed ablution, then you must take them off when you perform ablution. If they are worn after performing Tayammum, then to wipe over them is not allowed.

5. They must not be worn when bathing is obligatory on you, or wear them and then bathing becomes obligatory for you.

6. They must be worn only for a maximum fixed time, and this is for a non-traveller one day and one night (24 hours) and for a traveller three days and three nights (72 hours). From when the first time the ablution breaks the time starts. For example after performing ablution you wear the Khuff and then your ablution breaks at Dhuhr time, the twenty four hours would start from then. i.e. for a non-traveller the next day Dhuhr would be the full time and for a traveller the fourth day Dhuhr.

7. They must not be ripped more than the feet’s three small toes in size or when walking open more than that gap.

(a) If the Khuff were ripped or the seam opened but three fingers could not be seen, however, when walking more than three fingers could be seen then the wiping over them is not allowed. Meaning that in a ripped Khuff if more than three fingers can be seen then wiping (Masah) is not allowed otherwise it is.

(b) It doesn’t matter much if the Khuff has a ripped part which is over the ankles. The measurement of ripping is from below the ankles.

Method of performing Masah (wiping) over Khuff

The method of performing Masah (wiping) over the Khuff is to stretch the right hand and wet three small fingers and from the start of the top of the Khuff from the toes and wipe and it is Sunnat to go upto the shins. Perform the same for the left Khuff. 3 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

i Shamail-e-Tirmidhi

ii Dar Qutni

iii Tirmidhi & Nisai

iv Abu Dawood

v Bukhari

vi Bukhari

vii ibid

viii Muslim

ix All rules taken from Qanoon-e-Shariat.

There are two (Fardh) obligatory aspects in performing Masah over the Khuff;

1. Every Khuff’s Masah must be at least the same size as the three small fingers.

2. The Masah must be on top of the Khuff.

There are three Sunnats in performing Masah;

1. To use the hands three finger’s full length.

2. To stretch the fingers and wipe all the way upto the shins.

3. When performing the Masah keep the fingers stretched apart.

It is not allowed to perform Masah over the Amama (turban), the Burkha and Naqab (veil).

What aspects breaks the Masah over the Khuff

The actions that break the Masah (wiping) over the Khuff are as follows;

1. (a) Whatever actions break ablution also breaks the Masah.
2. (b) The Masah will finish as soon as the time has finished. In this situation it is sufficient to just wash the feet rather than perform whole of the ablution again.
3. (c) If you take the Khuff off, then the Masah breaks, whether you may have only taken one off. ix