I poured water while the Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution in the battle of Tabuk. He wiped over the upper part of the socks and their lower part.
Abu Dawud said: I have been told that Thawr did not hear this tradition from Raja'.
Hadith Text & Chain Analysis
"I poured water while the Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution in the battle of Tabuk. He wiped over the upper part of the socks and their lower part."
Abu Dawud's note: "I have been told that Thawr did not hear this tradition from Raja'." This indicates a possible discontinuity (inqitā') in the chain between Thawr b. Yazid and Raja' b. Haywah, requiring careful consideration of the narration's strength.
Legal Ruling on Wiping Over Socks
This hadith establishes the permissibility of wiping over leather socks (khuffayn) during ablution, which is a recognized concession (rukḥṣah) in Islamic law. The phrase "upper part and lower part" indicates comprehensive wiping of the visible surface.
Scholars differ regarding the duration: Hanafis permit 24 hours for residents and 72 hours for travelers, while Shafi'is and Hanbalis limit it to one day and night for residents and three for travelers, beginning from the first wiping after ritual impurity.
Conditions for Valid Wiping
The socks must be worn after complete ablution, cover the entire foot up to the ankles, be made of material that prevents water penetration (typically leather), and be pure themselves.
Wiping is invalidated by things that break ablution, expiration of the time limit, or removal of the socks. Major impurity (janabah) requires full washing, not merely wiping.
Scholarly Consensus & Differences
The four Sunni schools agree on the basic permissibility of wiping over socks, based on multiple authentic narrations. The differences concern technical details like duration and what constitutes valid socks.
Some scholars interpret "upper and lower part" as meaning the wiping should cover the top of the foot while ensuring moisture reaches the bottom through normal contact, not that one must specifically wipe the sole.