if he puts it on after completing the purification.

His statement, “if he puts it on,” refers to the four types mentioned: leather socks, a turban, a woman’s head-covering, and a splint.

His statement, “after completing the purification”: he did not merely say, “after purification,” lest someone take this figuratively and say that it means after most of the purification has been completed.

Thus, if a man is in a state of major ritual impurity, washes his feet, puts on the leather socks, and then completes the ritual bath, this is not valid, because the purification had not yet been completed.

It is true that the feet had become purified, since no sequence is required in the ritual bath for major impurity; nevertheless, the purification itself had not been completed.

Likewise, if a man performs ablution, then washes his right foot and puts it into the leather sock, and afterward washes the left foot, the well-known position of the school is that this is not valid, based on his statement, “if he puts it on after completing the purification.” When he put the leather sock on his right foot, he put it on before the purification was complete, since washing the left foot remained. Therefore, he must wash the left foot before putting the right foot into the leather sock.

The evidence for this view is the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “For I put them on while they were in a state of purity” (1).

The phrase “in a state of purity” describes the two feet. Does it mean: “I put each one on while both feet were in a state of purity,” in which case he put them on after completing the purification? Or does it mean: “I put each one on while it was pure,” such that the case we have mentioned would be permissible? Both interpretations are possible.

Shaykh al-Islam chose the view that, once he has purified the right foot, he may put on the leather sock, then purify the left foot and put on its leather sock (2).