Question

Ibrahim woke up at 6:00am, did wudu for Fajr salah, prayed, and then got ready for work. He put on his leather socks at 7:30am before putting on his shoes and then headed to work. Around 11:00am, Ibrahim ate an early lunch and then used the bathroom but did not have the chance to make wudu again. He ended up making wudu at 2:00pm right before he prayed Dhuhr in the break room. Ibrahim finished his shift at 5:00pm, headed home, and immediately removed his socks when he arrived.

Did taking the leather socks off at 5:00pm invalidate his entire wudu? Explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Removing the leather socks at 5:00pm did not invalidate Ibrahim's wudu. If he had put on the socks after performing wudu and kept them on without invalidating his wudu through other means, removal of the socks themselves does not nullify it within a 24-hour window for non-travelers.

Step-by-step explanation:

Did taking the leather socks off at 5:00pm invalidate Ibrahim's entire wudu? According to Islamic jurisprudence, the act of removing the leather socks themselves does not invalidate the wudu. The concept at play here is known as Masah 'ala al-Khuffain, which allows a person to wipe over their leather socks when performing wudu rather than washing their feet each time, for a certain period.

For a resident person, this is permitted for 24 hours from the time they first put on the socks after making wudu. Ibrahim performed his wudu at 2:00pm and he removed his socks at 5:00pm on the same day, well within the permitted timeframe.

Therefore, removing the socks did not nullify his wudu. He would, however, need to perform a new wudu if he committed an act that traditionally nullifies wudu, such as using the restroom or passing gas.