Islamic Manual

Wiping over the socks (masah over khuffayn)

When you may wipe over your socks instead of washing your feet, for how long, and what ends the concession.

If you did a full, proper wudu and then put on thick socks (khuffayn), you can wipe over the socks next time instead of washing your feet again.

The rules for wiping over socks

  1. You can only start doing this after you washed your feet properly in a full wudu, before putting the socks on.
  2. If you stay home, you can do this for one day and one night. If you are travelling, you get three days and three nights.The time starts counting from when your wudu first breaks after putting the socks on, not from when you put them on.
  3. Your socks need to cover your ankles, be thick enough that water cannot go through, and let you walk properly while wearing them.
  4. If a hole in the sock is big enough to show an area about the size of three small toes, you cannot wipe over it any more; you have to wash your feet instead.
  5. Wipe with three fingers, drawn over the top of the sock.
  6. If your wudu breaks, the time runs out, or the socks come off (or mostly come off), you have to wash your feet properly next time.
Wiping over the khuff, and the tear that voids itA foot wearing a thick sock or leather khuff that covers the ankle, seen from the side. Three short curved lines on the top of the sock run from the toes toward the shin, showing the three fingers of a wet hand drawn once over the top, the sole and heel are not touched. A dashed oval at the toe is labelled 'about three toes': the largest tear the khuff may have before it must be removed and the foot washed instead.three fingers, once, toes toward the shinthe sole and heel are not wipedabout three toesa larger tear voids the wipe
Wiping over the sock.

The fourth obligation of wudu, washing the feet, can be replaced by wiping over the socks (khuffayn), if they were put on after a complete wudu.

How long the concession lasts
Person Duration
Resident One day and one night
Traveller Three days and three nights

The period starts from the first minor impurity (hadath) after putting the socks on, not from when they were put on.

Farḍmust do

The socks must cover the ankles, be made of leather or another thick material that water cannot pass through, and allow the wearer to walk comfortably in them.

Farḍmust do

If a sock is torn enough that an area equal to three small toes is exposed while walking, wiping over it is no longer valid; the feet must then be washed as usual.

Wiping over the khuff, and the tear that voids itA foot wearing a thick sock or leather khuff that covers the ankle, seen from the side. Three short curved lines on the top of the sock run from the toes toward the shin, showing the three fingers of a wet hand drawn once over the top, the sole and heel are not touched. A dashed oval at the toe is labelled 'about three toes': the largest tear the khuff may have before it must be removed and the foot washed instead.three fingers, once, toes toward the shinthe sole and heel are not wipedabout three toesa larger tear voids the wipe
Wiping over the sock.

The wiping is done with the three smaller fingers of the hand, drawn over the top of the sock.

Farḍmust do

Wiping over the socks becomes invalid if anything happens that breaks wudu, if the time limit runs out, or if the socks come off, or come mostly off, the feet.

The fourth fard of wudu, washing the feet, may be discharged instead by masah over khuffayn, provided they were put on after a complete wudu.

The duration of the rukhsah
Person Duration
Muqim (resident) One day and one night
Musafir (traveller) Three days and three nights

The period is reckoned from the first hadath after the khuffayn were put on, not from the time they were put on.

Farḍmust do

The khuff must cover the ankles, be made of leather or another thick material impermeable to water, and allow the wearer to walk in them without difficulty.

Farḍmust do

Where a khuff is torn to the extent that an area equal to three small toes is exposed on walking, masah over it is no longer valid, and the feet must be washed as usual.

Wiping over the khuff, and the tear that voids itA foot wearing a thick sock or leather khuff that covers the ankle, seen from the side. Three short curved lines on the top of the sock run from the toes toward the shin, showing the three fingers of a wet hand drawn once over the top, the sole and heel are not touched. A dashed oval at the toe is labelled 'about three toes': the largest tear the khuff may have before it must be removed and the foot washed instead.three fingers, once, toes toward the shinthe sole and heel are not wipedabout three toesa larger tear voids the wipe
Wiping over the khuff.

The masah is performed with the three smaller fingers of the hand, drawn once over the upper surface of the khuff.

Farḍmust do

The masah over the khuffayn is nullified by anything that breaks wudu, by the expiry of the time limit, or by the khuff coming off, or coming mostly off, the foot.

Terms on this page

khuffayn

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