Can I Wash My Feet for Wudu Using a Damp Tissue to Spread the Water on Them?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: As salam alaykum,

At work it is difficult to wash my feet in the sink. So what I do is do a complete wadhu in the bathroom , come to my desk and using a pinhole in my water bottle, I squirt some water over my feet to the point that some drops fall to the ground. Then I use a damp tissue to spread the water across my entire foot. Is my wudu valid?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.

What is obligatory is in the ritual ablution (wudu) is to wash the feet, and this is fulfilled by allowing water to flow over them.

Though the jurists described a minimum washing, we need to be careful so that (a) we don’t wipe our feet, thinking that our action is considered washing, nor (b) use so little water that our action is actually disliked (makruh) according to them.

If you find washing your feet at work to be difficult or uncomfortable, consider investing in a pair of suitable socks which can be used as footgear (khuffs) and wiped over, after having performed a complete wudu.

See also: Is It Permitted to Wipe Over Thick Socks? and: Wiping over Knitted Socks During Ablution (Wudu)

Consider taking the following free class at SeekersGuidance: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Basic Hanafi Jurisprudence (STEP)

And Allah alone knows best.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani