Yahya bin Ma'in narrated to us: Amr bin Al-Rabi' bin Tariq narrated to us: Yahya bin Ayyub informed us, from Abd al-Rahman bin Razin, from Muhammad bin Yazid, from Ayyub bin Qatan, from Ubayy bin Amarah - Yahya bin Ayyub said, and he had prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) facing the two qiblahs - that he said: "O Messenger of Allah, may I wipe over the leather socks?" He replied: "Yes." He asked: "For a day?" He replied: "For a day." He asked: "And for two days?" He replied: "And for two days." He asked: "And for three days?" He replied: "Yes, and as long as you wish." Abu Dawud said: Ibn Abi Maryam al-Misri narrated it from Yahya bin Ayyub, from Abd al-Rahman bin Razin, from Muhammad bin Yazid bin Abi Ziyad, from Ubadah bin Nusay, from Ubayy bin Amarah, and he mentioned in it until he reached seven days, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Yes, and whatever seems best to you." Abu Dawud said: There is disagreement regarding its isnad, and it is not strong. Ibn Abi Maryam and Yahya bin Ishaq al-Sailahini narrated it from Yahya bin Ayyub, and there is disagreement regarding its isnad.
Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah) - Sunan Abi Dawud 158
The hadith addresses the permissibility of wiping over leather socks (khuffayn) during ablution, a significant concession in Islamic ritual purity laws that demonstrates the Shariah's consideration for practical ease.
Textual Analysis & Juridical Ruling
The initial exchange establishes a minimum period of one to three days for wiping over socks, while the extended version mentions seven days. The Prophet's final response "as long as you wish" indicates this is a concession (rukhsah) not bound by strict temporal limits, provided the socks remain pure and undamaged.
Classical scholars interpreted this as establishing the legitimacy of masah (wiping) over khuffayn as an alternative to washing feet during wudu, with the majority view permitting this for 24 hours for residents and 72 hours for travelers.
Conditions for Valid Wiping
The socks must be worn after complete ablution, must cover the entire foot up to the ankles, and be made of material that prevents water penetration while being sturdy enough for walking.
Wiping becomes invalid if major ritual impurity occurs (requiring ghusl), if the socks are removed, or if they develop holes exposing parts of the foot that require washing.
Method of Wiping
The proper method involves moistening the hands and wiping the top of each sock once, from toes to shin, following the sunnah practice of the Companions. This symbolic act substitutes for washing the feet in wudu.
Scholarly Note on Chain Weakness
As noted by Imam Abu Dawud, this particular chain contains variance and weakness. However, the ruling of wiping over socks is established through multiple authentic narrations in other collections, making the juridical ruling sound despite this specific chain's weakness.