flesh, from which it flows. This too comes from small veins, but blood from a small wound does not flow continuously like blood from a large vein. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the woman experiencing non-menstrual bleeding:

“This is blood from a vein, not menstruation.”

A wound bleeds only when a vein opens, as we mentioned in discussing bloodletting, for blood is present in both small and large veins.

Section

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded his community to wipe over leather socks. Safwān ibn ‘Assāl said:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us, when we were on a journey—or travelling—not to remove our leather socks for three days and nights, except because of major ritual impurity, but not because of defecation, urination or sleep.”

He did not qualify this according to whether the leather sock stays in place on its own or not, or whether it is free of holes and splits or not. Whatever is called a leather sock and is worn and walked in may be wiped over in the manner permitted by Allah and His Messenger. Anything equivalent to it may likewise be wiped over. Being called a leather sock is not itself a determining factor; rather, the ruling concerns what is worn and walked in. Hence wiping over socks is mentioned in the hadith.