Sufyaan Ath-Thawree (rahimahullaah) said: "Wipe over them (the socks) so long as

they are attached to your feet. Were the socks of the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar
anything but torn (with holes), ripped and tattered?? [Reported by 'Abd-ur-Razzaaq in
Al-Musannaf (no. 753) and from that path of narration, by Al-Baihaqee (1/283)]
Ibn Hazm (rahimahullaah) said:
"So if there is found in the khuffs, or whatever is worn on the feet, any holes that are
small or large, long or wide, such that some part of the foot is visible, whether a little or
a lot, or both, then all of that is the same. And wiping over them is permissible, so long
as any part of it continues to attach itself to the feet. This is the opinion of Sufyaan AthThawree, Dawood, Abu Thawr, Ishaaq Ibn Raahawaih and Yazeed Ibn Haaroon." [AlMuhallaa (2/100)]
Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah (rahimahullaah) said in his Ikhtiyaaraa (pg. 13):
"It is permissible to wipe over the (foot) garments on one of its two sides - Ibn Tameem
and others related this. It is also permissible to wipe over the khuff that has holes in it,
so long as it continues to hold that name (khuff) and one is able to walk in it. This is the
older of the two opinions Ash-Shaafi'ee held on it, and it is that which Abul-Barakaat and
other scholars have preferred."
I say: Ar-Raafi'ee attributed this view in Sharh Al-Wajeez (2/370) to the majority of the
scholars and uses as a support for it, his argument that the opinion that forbids wiping
over them, narrows the door of this allowance, so one must wipe. And he was correct,
may Allaah have mercy on him.
It was narrated that Yahyaa al-Bakka said: I heard Ibn Umar saying, Wiping over the
socks (jawrabayn) is like wiping over the leather slippers (khuffayn).
Al-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah, 1/173
Ibn Hazm said: wiping over anything that is worn on the feet of things that are
permitted to be worn and which come up above the ankles is Sunnah, whether they
are slippers (khuffayn) made of leather or felt or wood, or socks made of linen, wool,
cotton, camel hair or goat hair, whether leather is worn over them or not, or whether
they are overshoes or slippers worn over slippers or socks worn over socks.
Al-Muhalla, 1/321
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned in al-Majmoo (1/502) that even
if a person were to wear khuff made of glass, if it were possible to walk in them then it
would be permissible to wipe over them, even though the skin beneath them would be
visible

The position of Imam Abu Hanifa was on the invalidity of wiping over socks not
completely made of leather or soled with it. The position of his two main students, Imam
Muhammad and Abu Yusuf, was on the validity of wiping over socks as long as they
were thick enough to prevent the immediate transfer of water whether made of leather
or otherwise. (Maydani, al Lubab fi Sharh al Kitab Pg: 59)
However, it is established that Imam Abu Hanifa went back on his position and agreed
with the stance of his two students. It is narrated that at the end of his life he himself
wiped over his socks (jawrab), stating that he was now performing what he had
previously forbidden. This, according to the scholars, was an indication of his ruju`.
Thus, it is stated in Ibn Qutlubaghas al Tashih, It is related concerning him [s: Abu
Hanifa] that he returned to their position [s: the two companions], and the fatwa is upon
this. This is also what is mentioned in the Hidaya, Bada`i, and by Ibn `Abidin in his
Radd al Muhtar.
The upshot is that it is valid to wipe over any footgear that fulfills the conditions of wiping
whether made from leather or otherwise. This is what is generally indicated in the texts
and Ibn `Abidin states this explicitly quoting Nasafi.
Imam Abu Dawood has mentioned the names of the following Sahabah who used to
wipe on a jawrab:
1) Ali bin Abi Taalib (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
2) Ibn Masood (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
3) Baraa bin Aazib (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
4) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
5) Abu Umamah (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
6) Sahl bin Sad (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
7) Amr bin Huraith (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him)
He also adds that there are narrations which mention that Umar Bin Al Khattaab and Ibn
Abbaas (May Allah Ta'ala
be pleased with them) used to wipe on Jawrabs. (Sunan Abi Dawood 1/61)