Q. Is it permissible to make masah on woolen or cotton socks?
A. Permissibility of “Masah al Khuffain” (making the masah on socks) on woolen and cotton socks is conditioned with the following four factors:
- The socks should be composed of such material, that it is heavy and durable enough that if one had to walk three miles in them (without shoes) the durability would be of such a nature that it would not rip or tear.
- The firmness of the socks should be such that it will remain firmly on the shin (foreleg) without tying it, i.e. it will not slip down when walking if it is not tied to the shin.
- Water will not be able to seep through.
- The thickness of the material is such that if the sock is held to the eye, nothing will be visible through it.
If the woolen or cotton socks are of the kind as described above, masah on them will be permissible.
(For those that claim a mere wiping of the feet is sufficient, I want you to focus on the following Hadith:
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr: Once the Prophet remained behind us in a journey. He joined us while we were performing ablution for the prayer which was over-due. We were just passing wet hands over our feet (and not washing them properly) so the Prophet addressed us in a loud voice and said twice or thrice: “Save your heels from the fire.”
Volume 1, Book 3, Number 57
Allah Certainly Knows Best.