WASHING SECTION · 61 – WEARING SOCKS OVER A COVERING
It is narrated from Muğira ibn Shu'ba (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution, wiping over his socks and sandals. [135]
Abu Dawud said: Abdurrahman ibn Mahdi would not narrate this hadith.
The well-known narration from Muğira ibn Shu'ba is: Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wiped over his socks.
Abu Dawud said: This hadith is narrated from Abu Musa al-Ashari, as it appears above, regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wiping over his socks. However, it is neither continuously connected nor strong.
Abu Dawud said: Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn Mas'ud, Bara’ ibn Azib, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Imama, Sahal ibn Sa’d, Amr ibn Urays wiped over their socks. It is also narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab and Ibn Abbas that they wiped over their socks.
EXPLANATION:
For wiping to be permissible over socks, the sock must be thick, tightly woven so as not to immediately absorb water, and strong enough to endure a walk of three miles (6 kilometers). If these conditions are present, wiping is permissible; otherwise, it is not. As for wiping over sandals, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wore sandals while wearing socks. When he wiped over his sock, he wiped over the sandal with it; it does not mean that he only wiped over the sandal. Ahmad ibn Hanbal says that wiping can be done over socks. According to Malik and Shafi’i, it is not permissible. Shafi’i says: If it is covered in leather, it is permissible. According to Imam Muhammad and Imam Abu Yusuf, it may also be wiped over a sock, provided it is thick and does not absorb water. (Avnu'l-Mabud vol. 1, p. 61)