Can I Wear Regular Socks After Wiping Over My Khuffs?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

Can I remove my Khuffs after performing wudu with them and wear regular socks to pray?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

No, a person’s ritual ablution (wudu) would not be valid in the case that they remove their footgear (khuffs) after (1) nullifying their ablution and (2) wiping over them. Prayer thereafter would be invalid.

The basis is that the footgear protects the feet from ritual impurity. Consequently, a person may wipe over them and proceed to pray and perform other acts of worship. When removed, however, the ritual impurity affects the feet such that they need to be washed, just like the other limbs.

Practically, consider investing in a pair of thick socks which fulfil the conditions of wiping. That way, you won’t need to change your socks during the course of the day, nor should you encounter any other difficulties.

[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah, with Tahtawi’s Gloss (1.187)]

Please also see: Is It Permitted to Wipe Over Thick Socks?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.