Wiping Over Socks according to the Hanafi Madhab

29 Pages·0.844 MB·English

by  Muhammad Shabbir Usmani

WIPING OVER SOCKS

ACCORDING TO THE

HANAFIMABHAB
Dr. Muhammad Shabbir U
smani
Imam, Maidstone Masjid
CONTENTS
.
INTRODUCTION 7
THE DEFINITION OF SOCKS n

The definition ofthicksocks..,
13
HADITHS ONWIPING SOCKS
15
! THE PRACTISE OF THE SAHABAH 18
THE PRACTISE OF THE ULEMA 21
THE PRACTISE OF THE AHNAF.
25
Ibn AL-Turkumd.nl al-Hanafl and the Hadlth

■
: ofAl-Mughirah 28
1
5
INTRODUCTION
In theName ofAllah,

theMostKind, theMostGracious!

The permissibility ofwiping over the Khuffayn,

leather socks, is by consensus among the

Muslim Ummah. But wiping over the non­

leather, cotton, nylon and woollen socks is

controversial whereas there are a number of

authentic and solid evidences in favour of this

issue. Actions and practices ofthe companions

and the successors exist with clear authentic

chains and texts in the fundamental Islamic

books. Moreover, a huge number of jurists,

noble scholars ofHadith, and Mujtahideen, are

7
The Fiqh of Wiping Over Socks According to the Hanafi Madhab
in favour of wiping over socks. It is also

authentically proven that Imam Abu Hanifah,

may Allah shower his mercy on him, accepted

the view ofwiping over simple socks before his

death in which his students supported him as

well. Imam Abu Hanlfah, during his last illness,

told his visitors and made them aware that he

was now doing which he never did before, i.e.

wiping over simple socks. [SeeJami Tirmidhi]

It is sad that some people of knowledge,

intentionally or unintentionally, did not give

justice to this issue, while some people even

forged a false consensus to negate the issue.

They vocally rejected everything and threw all

the evidences out ofthe window for the sake of

Taqlldalone.

Here, in this small booklet we shall precisely

draw our brothers’ attention to the fact that the

companions of the Prophet it, the successors,

the great Imams, jurists, scholars of Hadith,

8
The Fiqh of Wiping Over Socks According to the Hanofi Madhab
commentators ofthe holy Qur’an, Mujtahideen

and the scholars of various schools of thought

were in favour ofwiping over socks.

This booklet consists ofchapters on:

• The definition ofsocks

• Wiping over the socks in the light of the

practice ofthe Companions

i
• The practice and views of the scholars
i
1 andjurists

• The practice and views of noble Hanafi

scholars
Here, I would like to make clear that this effort

is not to incite anything controversial. It is only

to bring awareness to the readers that Islam is

an easy religion. It does not over burden its
;
followers. Therefore when it allows flexible and

easy choices we must not ignore them just for

the sake of appeasing individual schools of

thoughts, particularly when in cold countries it

9
The Fiqh of Wiping Over Socks According to the Hanafi Madhab
is difficult for brothers, sisters, students,

children and for workers, to take their socks off

and wash their feet in offices, work places etc. I
;
have come to know of many such situations

whereby Muslims have washed their feet in

washing basins at work and due to

embarrassment, they have neglected the

prayer.
We should look into such issues seriously and

honestly and pass the true information to the

Ummah as this is a trust fromAllah.

Muhammad Usmani

PhD IslamicTheology

Maidstone England

10th November2009

10
THE DEFINITION

OF SOCKS

We shall here write the definition of

Jaurablsocks without any metaphorical or

restricted explanation. Furthermore, none ofthe

Sahabah/the companions and the early jurists

gave any definition which restricted socks to

those with leather soles only.

• Al-FayrozabadI says in Al-Qamus al-Muhlt:

“Jourab/socks are worn on the foot like an

envelope.”
• AllamahAl-AinI Hanafi says: “Jourab/socks

are that which the people of Syrian towns

wear during extreme cold. They are made

of spinning wool, and worn on the feet up

11
The Fiqh of Wiping Over Socks According to the Hanafi Madhab
to/above the ankle.” [Al-Banayah SharhAl-

Haddyah]
• Ibn al-Arabl said: “It is a covering for the

foot; it is made ofwool forwarmth.”

• Allamah SuyutI said in Qut al-Mughtadhl:

“In the Arabic language, Jaurab means a

covering for the foot which is made of

wool.”
• Imam Abu Bakr says in his explanation of

Al-Tirmidhl: "The Jaurab/sock is a foot­

covering made ofwool.”

• The footnote to Mukhtasar at-Qudurl

reads: “The Jaurab is a sock made from

lined or cotton or something similar.”

All the above definitions indicate the clear and

simple definition ofJaurab/socks. There is not a

single source that defines the Jaurab as our

Hanafi brothers have tried to explain. The

12
The Fiqh of Wiping Over Socks According to the Hanafi Madhab
Sunnah and Sharia did not set any particular

definition oftheJaurab.

THE DEFINITION OF THICK SOCKS

The term ‘thick’ is mostly misinterpreted in

various personal opinions, words and terms.

Sometimes thick socks are meant as soled with

leather etc. All this is nothing to do with normal

socks or thick cotton, woollen or nylon socks.

We shall here look at the definition ofthis socks

according to Hanafi scholars.

• Al-Sarkhasee said in Tabyln ai-Haqa’iq\ “As

for the thick sock, [it refers to] that which

can stay holding onto the leg (shin)

without being tied and what is underneath

it cannot be seen.”

• Ibn Al-Hammam said in Fath al-Qadlr:

“[Thick socks refer to] when they both are

13
The Fiqh of Wiping Over Socks According to the Hanafi Madhab
thick so that the socks can stay holding on

to the legs without being tied by anything.”

• It is mentioned in Fatawa Alamglri (AL-

Fatawa at-HincLiah), a Hanafi compendium

of Fatawa: “A thick sock means it is not

leather-soled or covered with leather

provided it stays onto the leg without

being tied and its underneath is not seen.

This is according to the fatwa which is also

mentioned in al-Bahral-Fa'iq."

• Al-Banaurl said in Ma’drifal-Sunan: “The

Jaurab is a foot-covering, made of wool,

cotton or made to keep the foot warm.”

[vol.i page. 347]

• He also said: “Imam Shafi’I, Ahmad, both

students ofAbu Hanlfah, and according to

a narration, Imam Abu Hanlfah himself

regarded thick socks with the same status

ofleather socks.” [vol. 1 page: 350]

14
r