one is not required to be free of physical impurity in order to touch a copy of the Quran; rather, one must be in a state of ritual purity.
However, if he makes leather socks from the tanned hide of an animal found dead, from an animal that would be lawful if ritually slaughtered, then this depends on the scholarly disagreement (1):
If we say that it is not purified—and this is the established position of the school—then wiping over it is not permissible.
But if we say that tanning purifies it, then wiping over it is permissible.
The reason purity is stipulated is that wiping over something intrinsically impure only increases its defilement. Indeed, if a wet hand comes into direct contact with this impurity, it becomes impure.
This may perhaps also be inferred from the Prophet’s words, peace and blessings be upon him: “For I put them on while they were pure” (2).
However, the meaning of the hadith is: “I put them on”—that is, the feet—while they were in a state of purity, as is explained by some versions of the wording (3).
Permissible …
His statement, “permissible”: this excludes what is prohibited. This is the third condition, and that which is prohibited is of two types: