scholars—even those who authored formal creeds—went so far as to record the ruling on wiping over leather socks in their doctrinal manuals. They did this because the Rāfiḍah rejected the practice, refusing to acknowledge its validity, even though one of the very Companions who narrated the permissibility of wiping was ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with him.

Despite that, the Rāfiḍah deny it and do not act upon it. Consequently, wiping over the leather socks has become a distinctive hallmark of Ahl al-Sunnah, one of their mass-transmitted teachings about which they entertain no doubt whatsoever as coming from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him.

Imam Aḥmad said, “There is no doubt in my heart about wiping,” and in another wording: “There are forty hadiths on the subject from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and from his Companions.”

Nevertheless, certain conditions must be satisfied for wiping over leather socks to be permissible:

Condition One: One must put them on while in a state of ritual purity. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, told al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah—when the latter moved to remove the Prophet’s socks—“Leave them on, for I put them on in a state of purity,” whereupon he wiped over them.

It makes no difference whether that initial purification involved washing the feet or wiping over a previous pair of socks. For example, if a person performs a full ablution, washes his feet, and then dons ordinary socks or leather footwear, he has indeed put them on while pure.

Likewise, if he had previously put on socks and wiped over them, and then needed to—