Question: What is the ruling on wiping on socks which have a hole and are thin?
Answer: “The correct opinion is that it is allowed to wipe over socks with holes and which are thin such that the skin can be seen from behind it because the purpose of wiping over the socks and likes is not that the sock has to be covering. For the leg is not [from] the awrah which is obligatory to cover. Verily the purpose is to give the legally responsible one easiness [in the matter] such that it is not necessary to remove the socks or leather sock when making ablution. Rather we say: it is sufficient to wipe over them. This is the reason it is legislated to wipe over the leather sock and this reason, as you see, applies to the leather sock, the cloth sock, the sock which has a hole, the one that is sound [free of holes], the one that is thin, and the one that is thick” [Majmoo’ al-Fatawa wal-Rasaail (11/167)]
He also said rahimahullah:
“The permissibility of wiping over the think socks was quoted from some of the Companions of Shafi’ee from Umar and Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them).This supports the statement of the permissibiility of wiping over the thin socks and over the sock with a hole…” [Majmoo’ al-Fatawa wal-Rasaail (11/166)]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
