Q: If a person wipes over Khuffs (leather socks) during Wudu’ (ablution) for the Subh (Dawn), Zhuhr (Noon), and ‘Asr (Afternoon) prayers and then takes them off; does this invalidate the Wudu’ or not? Please, support the answer with the relevant evidence, as some unwarrantably claim that Wudu’ is not invalidated!

A: All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and his family and Companions. As there is no Nas (Islamic text from the Qur’an or the Sunnah) explicitly stated about this matter, it is open for Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings). (Part No. 5; Page No. 252) Therefore, scholars have different views in this regard. According to Al-Nakh‘y, Al-Zuhry, Makhul, Al-Awza‘y, Is-haq Al-Shafi‘y, and Ahmad in one of their opinions, "The Wudu’ is invalidated; for when invalidity befalls some parts, its rule expands to the rest of parts similar to the case of ritual impurity."According to Abu Hanifah and the other opinion of Al-Shafi‘y and Ahmad, "It is sufficient for a person to wash his feet (after taking off Khuffs)." They argue that praying without washing the feet in such a case means that prayer is offered with neither washed feet nor Khuffs wiped over.According to Ibrahim Al-Nakh‘y, "Wudu’ is not invalidated by taking Khuffs off. Likewise, a person is not obliged to wash the feet. Thus, prayer is offered without new Wudu’ and without washing the feet." Ibn Hazm and a group of scholars held the same view, because the ruling principle is that the person is ritually pure, and no ritual impurity happened to invalidate his Wudu’, and the ruling principle is that the original state remains effective until evidence proves the opposite. However, the first view holding that Wudu’ is invalidated is preferable and safer.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.