What are the conditions for wiping on socks and what is the type of socks that can be wiped on?  And what are your evidences?  When does the 24 hour period over which one can wipe on start?

 

In the name of Allaah, the Benevolent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allaah, and peace and blessings be upon the messenger of Allaah, upon his family, companions, and those loyal to him.  To proceed:

Wiping on socks is permissible, and of the evidences for that is:

§    The hadeeth of Al-Mugheerah bin Shu’bah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who reported that the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, performed wudu and wiped on socks and sandals.  Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi, who said, “It is a Hassan Sahih hadith,” and it was authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih Sunnan Abi-Dawood (1/33).  
§    The hadeeth of Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary, may Allaah be pleased with him, who reported that the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, performed wudu and wiped on socks and sandals.  Narrated by ibn Majah, and it was authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih Sunnan bin Majah (1/91).
§    What has been mentioned by Al-Azraq bin Qays, who said: I saw Anas bin Malik intending to make wudu after he invalidated it.  He washed his face and arms, and then wiped on his socks that were made of wool, so I said, ‘Do you wipe on them?’ He said, ’They are Khuff [sandals] but made of wool’”.  Scholar Ahmad Shakir said:  This is an authentic narration.

Stipulated for the permissibility of wiping is the following:

§    The socks or sandals should be worn on wudu, and that they must cover what is obligatory [to be washed from the feet in wudu].  This is understood from hadeeth Al-Mugheerah bin Shu’bah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:  “I was with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, one  night on a trip, so I poured [water] for him from the vessel, so he washed his face and arms, and then wiped his head.  Then I went down to remove his sandals, so he said: ‘[Don’t worry], leave them, for I have put them on when I was clean’ [i.e. on wudu], then he wiped on them”.  Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
§    As for what has been mentioned by some scholars as conditions for the type of socks that can be wiped on – that they should be either bound, soled with leather or thick, and other such conditions – then, there is no authentic evidence to support these conditions, and no evidence has been reported to restrict the socks with these conditions.  It was authentically narrated from al-Thawri that he said:  One may wipe over them so long as it is still clinging to the feet.  Were the khuff of the Muhaajireen and Ansaar anything but full of holes and tears?!” Narrated by Abd al-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf 753, and via another narration from al-Bayhaqi (1/283).  Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyah said: Yes, it is permissible to wipe on the socks if he walks about in them, whether it was soled with leather or not, in the more correct of the two scholarly opinions; it was mentioned in the Sunnan: the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, wiped on his socks and sandals (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa 21/214).

As for the period of time enjoined for wiping [on the socks], it is three days with their nights for the traveler, and one day and night for the resident.  This is understood from what has been narrated by Muslim on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib, who said:  “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, made [the time period for wiping] three days and their nights for the traveler, and one day and night for the resident.”

This period of time begins when one wipes for the first time after invalidating the wudu.  ‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated in the Musannaf (1/209/807), that on the authority of Abu Uthman al-Nahdi, he said:  “I was present when Sa’d and bin Umar referred a dispute to ‘Umar about wiping over the khuffayn. ‘Umar said:  ‘He may wipe on them from the time he [first] wipes on them for a day and night’”.  Al-Albani said:  Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs [i.e. Muslim and al-Bukhari], and it clearly shows that wiping on them begins from the time it is first performed to its corresponding time [in the next day] for a period of a day and night. [Translator’s note: ex. 5 pm on Thursday to 5 pm on Friday]  Imam al-Nawawi said: al-Awzaa’i and Abu Thawr said that the period of time starts from when he first wipes after invalidating his wudu.  This was narrated from Ahmad and Dawud, and it is the more correct opinion based on the evidence.  This was also favored by ibn al-Mundhir, and a similar view was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (al-Majmoo’ 1/487). And this is the apparent meaning of all the narrations related from the Sahaba concerning the time period for wiping, in the best of our knowledge.  And Allaah, the Most High, knows best.