21 – Abu Bakr ibn Abi al-Jahm narrated from Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) who said: “I arrived to join the Iraq expedition and saw Saʿd ibn Malik wiping over his leather socks. I asked, ‘What is this?’ He replied, ‘Son of ʿUmar, when you reach your father ask him about it.’ So I went to him and asked, and he said, ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wiping (over his socks).’

In another wording he said: “I came to Iraq for the campaign and found Saʿd ibn Malik wiping over his leather socks. I asked, ‘What is this?’ He answered, ‘When you meet ʿUmar, ask him.’ When I met ʿUmar and questioned him, he said, ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wiping, so we wiped.’

Another version states: “I reached Iraq for the battle of Jalūlāʾ and observed Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ wiping over his leather socks. I said, ‘What is this, Saʿd?’ He replied, ‘When you meet the Commander of the Believers, ask him.’ I later met ʿUmar and informed him of what Saʿd had done. ʿUmar said, ‘Saʿd has spoken the truth; I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do it, so we did it.’

Yet another narration says: “We arrived for the Iraq expedition and I saw Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ wiping over his leather socks, which I objected to. He told me, ‘When you reach ʿUmar, ask him about that.’ Ibn ʿUmar continued: When I reached him I asked and mentioned what Saʿd had done. He replied, ‘Your uncle is more knowledgeable of the sunnah than you; we saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wiping, and so we wiped.’