One who is sick and one who is incontinent – can they wipe over their socks?

Question: 162395

Is it permissible to wipe over the socks that are not see-through and are somewhat thick, for the following reasons:
Cold, difficulty and sickness because of eczema in the feet, or because it is difficult to wash the feet every time one does wudoo’ because of old age and the individual is incontinent and needs to do wudoo’ several times a day?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

The permissibility of wiping over the khufoof, or what takes their place of socks, is not limited to cases of sickness, cold or difficulty, because of the general meaning of the texts that were narrated about wiping over them. Indeed the person who is sick in this case may have more need than others to wipe over the khufoof.

The same applies to one who is affected by incontinence; he may wipe over the khufoof because of the general meaning of the evidence that it is permissible to wipe over the khufoof or socks, with no exceptions.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If the woman who is suffering istihaadah (irregular vaginal bleeding), one who is affected by incontinence, and others in similar cases, do wudoo’ and put on khufoof, they may wipe over them. This was stated by Ahmad, because they are regarded as being in a state of complete tahaarah (purity). Ibn ‘Aqeel said: Because she has no choice but to avail herself of the concession, and the one who is compelled to avail himself of a concession is more entitled to do so.

End quote from al-Mughni, 1/174

Al-Mirdaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Wiping over the khufoof or socks is permissible for the woman who is suffering istihaadah (irregular vaginal bleeding) and the like, as it is for others according to the correct view, as stated by Imam Ahmad.

End quote from al-Insaaf, 1/169

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (4/245):

The one who is affected by ongoing incontinence should, when the time for prayer begins, clean himself (istinja’) and put something over his private part that will prevent urine dripping, then he should do wudoo’ and pray. And he should do the same at the time of every prayer. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”

[al-Taghaabun 64:16].

And because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the woman who was suffering from istihaadah to tie a cloth (or put a pad) and do wudoo’ for each prayer. And it is permissible for the one who is suffering from incontinence, when he does wudoo’, to put on his socks and wipe over them until the end of the period during which wiping over the socks is permitted, because of the general meaning of the evidence. End quote.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd

We have discussed the conditions on wiping over the socks in the answer to question no. 9640.

And Allah knows best.

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