LEATHER SOCKS (KHUFFS) FOR EASINESS IN WUZU

Leather socks (khuffs) for easiness in wuzu

Problem:

While doing wuzu, It's uneasy and embarassing to wash our feet in a toilet or in a wash-basin, especially being in office, where there is no provision to wash the feet. Moreover, it doesn't seem to be so easy and clean method to remove our socks in the toilet, then wash our feet, and then wear back our socks and shoes, and come out of the toilet.

Solution:

To some extent, leather socks, called as khuff (pl. khuffain) in Arabic, can help us out.

Masah of khuffs:

After completing wuzu with water in a normal way, including washing of the feet with water, being in the state of wuzu wear the clean leather socks. So now on, only wiping (masah) these khuffs with a wet hand should be enough in wuzu, instead of washing complete feet. So, whenever we need to make our wuzu, just remove the shoes in the workplace, and walk till the wash-basin with the khuffs to the wash-basin. Then start normal wuzu, and when we need to wash the feet, just do masah of the feet, and the wuzu is valid now.

Another suggestion is that, if we have a problem in wearing shoes upon these khuffs, better use a half-shoe. Since many of us work in corporate offices, where we need to wear formal shoes, wearing a formal-type half-shoe, which is open from behind, should be a better preference, as this can be worn/unworn very easily.

Validity time of the khuffs on:

After wearing the khuffs for the first time after washing feet in wuzu, its validity starts. And when the wuzu breaks for the first time, the validity ends 1 day (24 hours) after that if at home. If on a journey, the validity is retained for 3 days (72 hours) after the wuzu has broken for the first time after wearing the khuffs. After the validity time has expired, again complete wuzu should be done by washing the feet, and then the khuffs have to be worn. And if the khuffs were removed within the validity time, then also the validity expires, and need the washing of feet in wuzu again.

Procedure:

Using wet hands, the wiping of the khuffs should start from the tips of the toes to upwards. Wiping on the khuffs is on their outside, in lines with the fingers, starting from the tips of the toes [and continuing] to the shin. Wiping should not be done for the sole/beneath the feet. Right khuff should be wiped with right hand, and vice-versa. The wiping should be done only with the fingers, not with the complete hand/palm.

Availability:

The khuffs are available in most of the shops which sell exclusive leather goods like bags, jackets, purses, etc. for an amount of Rs.200/- to Rs.400/- in India (in year-2020).

Other Conditions:

There are different opinions regarding different aspects in this regard. Things like thickness and length of these socks, permissible materials, whether this can be done on shoes too, or on cotton/woolen/other socks, etc. So, please consider this text as a suggestion/experience, and not a Fatwa or a detailed explanation. Some scholars consider to use normal socks also for masah, but it's easy to use leather socks, as they don't get wet and we can walk with these leather socks in the wet area also without any problem. And if more information/clarification is required, please consult a good Islamic scholar.

And Allaah knows best!

Assalamu-alaikum!

Syed Iftheqar Hussain.