The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out for relieving himself. Mughira went with him carrying a jug full of water. When he (the Holy Prophet) came back after relieving himself, he poured water over him and he performed ablution and wiped over his socks; and in the narration of Ibn Rumh there is" till" instead of" when".
Hadith Text & Context
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out for relieving himself. Mughira went with him carrying a jug full of water. When he (the Holy Prophet) came back after relieving himself, he poured water over him and he performed ablution and wiped over his socks; and in the narration of Ibn Rumh there is" till" instead of" when".
This narration from Sahih Muslim 274a demonstrates the Prophet's practical guidance regarding purification after answering the call of nature.
Scholarly Commentary
The hadith establishes the permissibility of using water for istinja' (cleansing after relieving oneself) and shows the Prophet's practice of performing wudu after answering nature's call.
The wiping over socks (masah ala al-khuffayn) indicates the validity of this practice even after istinja', provided the socks were put on while in a state of purity.
The variant reading "till" instead of "when" in Ibn Rumh's narration suggests the Prophet maintained his purification until the next required prayer time.
Juridical Rulings
This hadith provides evidence for: 1) The recommendation of performing wudu after relieving oneself, 2) The validity of wiping over leather socks, 3) The permissibility of assistance in purification matters, and 4) The importance of cleanliness in Islamic worship.
Scholars derive from this that wiping over socks is sufficient for wudu without needing to remove them, following the Prophet's sunnah.