‘Wiping over the Khuff is established upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– with a Mutawatir Sunnah, so much so that some of the Huffadh (trustworthy narrators) of these narrations from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– reached about eighty people, from them are the ten promised Paradise. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: ‘seventy of the Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum- narrated it.’

There is no difference in this point among the Companions. It is a concession which shows the ease of this Sharia and a negation of hardship in the Sharia and all praise belongs to Allaah.’[2]

Hadeeth 58 – Pure black Khuffs

From Abdullaah bin Buraidah from his father:

‘That Najashi gifted the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– with pure black Khuffs, he wore them, then he performed Wudu and wiped over them.’

[Collected by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Albaani graded it Saheeh, Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.52]

Muhammad Nasiruddeen Albaani said:

‘This hadeeth shows the acceptance of receiving a gift from the Ahl-ul-Kitaab. Furthermore, that the origin of the issue is that they are pure and clean. Likewise, the permissibility of wiping over the Khuff.’[3]

[Najashi]

Shaykh Albaani said:

‘This is a title for the kings of Habasha (Ethiopia). Najashi’s name was Ashamah. He was from those kings whom the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–called to Islaam. He sent him a letter with Amr bin Umayyah ad-Damri. Najashi accepted Islaam in the sixth year al-Hijri according to most of the scholars.

He died in the ninth year al-Hijri and the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– informed his Companions of his death and he prayed Salatul-Ghaib (prayer in absence) upon him.

The Muslims had migrated to him in the beginning of Islaam and he honoured and received them hospitably. He returned the delegation of Quraish, consisting of Amr bin al-Aas and his two Companions without harming the Muslims.’[4]

[wore them]

AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad said:

‘This indicates to the gentleness of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– in accepting gifts and to hasten to benefit from it, so that it makes the giver happy and excited.’[5]

Hadeeth 59 – He wore them

From Abu Ishaaq from Sha’abi who said that al-Mughira bin Shu’abah said:

‘Dihyya gifted the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– two Khuffs so he wore them.’

[Collected by Tirmidhi and Albaani graded it Saheeh in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.52]

[Dihyya]

Albaani said:

‘Dihyya bin Khalifah al-Kalbi was a noble Companion. Jibra’eel used to sometimes descend in his form.’[6]

The Ahadeeth for Wiping over Khuff, Socks & Shoes

1 – Khuff

A – From Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– was asked:

O Messenger of Allaah! Do you see if a person nullifies his Wudu and then performs Wudu and wipes over his Khuffs, can he pray?’

The Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

‘There is no problem with this. Meaning wiping over the Khuffs.’[7]

B – From Khuzaimah bin Thaabit al-Ansaari that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

‘Wipe over the khuff for three days. Meaning during a journey.’

In another wording:

‘We asked the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– about wiping over Khuff? He gave a concession for the traveller for three days and nights, and a day and night for the resident.’[8]

2 – Socks & Shoes

A – From al-Mughirah:

‘The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– wiped over socks and shoes.’[9]

B – From Aws bin Abi Aws who said:

‘I saw my father one day performing Wudu and he wiped over the shoes, so I asked him? Do you wipe over them? He answered: This is how I saw the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– do so.’[10]

C – From AbdKhayr who said: I saw Ali –RadhiAllaahu anhu- perform Wudu and wipe over the shoes, then Ali said:

‘If it had not been that I had seen the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– do as you have seen me do, I would surely have viewed that the bottom of the feet covering were more deserving of wiping than the top.’[11]

D – From Abu Dhibyaan:

‘that he saw Ali perform Wudu and wipe over his shoes then enter the Masjid, he removed his shoes then he prayed.’[12]

E – Ali said:

‘If the Deen was based upon intellect and opinions then the bottom of the Khuff would be foremost to wipe rather than the upper part and indeed I saw the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– wipe over the upper part of his Khuff.’[13]

The Salaf

A – al-Azraq bin Qays said:

‘I saw Anas bin Malik nullify his Wudu and he washed his face and hands [Wudu] and wiped over his woollen socks, so I asked: ‘Do you wipe over them? He answered: They are Khuff but they are made from wool.’[14]

B – Ibn al-Qayyim -Rahimuhullaah- mentions:

‘There are thirteen Companions who narrated wiping over socks.’[15]

C – Ibn Qadamah said:

‘The Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum- wiped over socks, and there was no-one who opposed them in their time, so it is Ijmaa’.[16]

Wiping over the Khuffs for making Wudu

From Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– was asked:

O Messenger of Allaah! Do you see if a person nullifies his Wudu and then performs Wudu and wipes over his Khuffs, can he pray?’

The Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

لا بأس بذلك . يعني المسح على الخفين

‘There is no problem with this. Meaning wiping over the Khuffs.’[17]

I (Albaani) say: this hadeeth has a supporting narration which shows that the hadeeth is correct and not weak.

From Sa’ad bin Abee Waqqas from the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– ‘that there is no problem with wiping over the Khuffs.’

Collected by Nisa’ee, Ahmad and Ibn Asaakir and I say: this chain is authentic upon the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim.

Know that the Ahadeeth about wiping over the Khuffs for Wudu are multiple as has been stated from more than one of the scholars of hadeeth and Sunnah.

As for the Athaar of the actions of the Companions and the Salaf for this are very many and well known.

As for what is narrated from some of them as it being disliked, then that was before the knowledge about it reached them, as is the case of many of the issues of Fiqh, and this is why they returned to that opinion and acted upon it when it reached them.

That is in accordance with the recitation of the saying of Allaah Ta’ala in the Ayaah of wudu with a Kasra : 《 و أرجلكم إلى الكعبين 》.

Some of the Islamic sects remained with rejecting this Sunnah like the Rafidah and the Khawarij and from them the Ibaadeeyah which confirms that they are indeed from the people of desires who have been threatened with the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعۡ غَيۡرَ سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصۡلِهِۦ جَهَنَّمَۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا

《 And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination. 》

If astonishment is something, then it is astonishing that shaykh Abdullaah bin Humayd as-Saalmi al-Ebaadi is so determined to persist these people to contradict the Messenger and to follow a path other than that of the believers – and with that adhering to unfounded and feeble narrations with their chains and meanings which were mentioned by the so called claimant Imam ar-Rabee bin Habeeb in the ‘al-Musnad’ which is ascribed to him!

These narrations revolve around his shaykh Abu Ubaydah, who is unknown to ar-Rabee and he is not well-known to them for narrating with precision, good memory and proficiency!

Then in his explanation of wiping over the Khuff he rejects the Mutawatir (many recurring chains) authentic Ahadeeth and the many well-known and established Athaar and he declares them to be weak in his biasedness to the Ibaadeeyah with the strike of a pen, he says: ‘You have come to know that the Sunnah is not established in this issue!!’

He is not truthful in what he said, from two angles:

The first: that he rejected that which is Mutawatir. So Allaah’s statement is true about him:

وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَٱسۡتَيۡقَنَتۡهَآ أَنفُسُهُمۡ

《And they belied them (those Ayaat) wrongfully and arrogantly, though their own selves were convinced thereof 》[an-Naml: 14]

The other point is his saying: ‘you have come to know. . . . .’ since it is not possible to know the correctness of a claim except by presenting proof and evidence as can be naturally determined in the mind.

However, he did not bring any evidence whatsoever except a claim, this is the condition of their ‘so-called’ scholar who some writers claim is balanced and not biased. I swear by the truth, indeed the one who reaches to such a level of biasedness from the people of desires to the point where he rejects the ‘Akhbar at-Tawatur’ (singular chains of narrations). Those narrations which the Ahl-ul Hadeeth took great concern with, which the likes of the people of desires could never do. So, in reality they are too weak to establish the evidence for the ‘so-called’ correctness of their Madhab with which they isolated and deviated away from the people of Sunnah and Hadeeth.

This is the truth which is not hidden, so leave these people who are not on the correct path.

Before I hold off my pen, I say: this man as-Saalmi is used to bringing speech in favour of his helpers, supporting him with his Madhab and his desires.

From that he associated some of the scholars of the Sunnah from the Dhahireeyah along with the Shia and the Khawarij and he said following on from those mentioned: ‘and Abu Bakr bin Dawood a-Dhairee’.

So I say: this Abu Bakr is Muhammad bin Dawood bin Ali a-Dhairee.

Hafidh Dhahabi wrote a biography for him in ‘Seer’:

‘He narrated from his father and Abbas ad-Doori. . . – He has complete insight into hadeeth and with the sayings of the Companions, he would make ijtihaad and not blindly follow anyone.’

I say: it is very unconceivable from the likes of him that he would oppose the hadeeth and the Companions and be in agreement with the Khawarij in rejecting the Sunnah of wiping over the Khuff, especially since he learnt his Fiqh from his father Dawood and he is with the Imams of Fiqh and hadeeth in the opinion of wiping over the Khuff as this was mentioned by Imam Ibn Hazm in ‘al-Muhalla’ so where did this Saalmi bring what he ascribed to Abu Bakr a-Dhairee?!

و الدعاوي ما لم تقيموا عليها ** بينات أبناؤها أدعياء

How excellent is the saying:

The claim for which no evidence is brought *** is a clarity that its people are mere claimants![18]

Wiping over the Khuff for the Traveller

From Khuzaimah bin Thabit al-Ansaari that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

“ امسحوا على الخفاف ( ثلاثة أيام ) . يعني في السفر “ .‎

‘Wipe over Khuff for three days. Meaning whilst on a journey.’

Collected by Ahmad and Tabraani in ‘al-Mua’jam al-Kabeer’. He brought extra wording:

“ لو استزدناه لزادنا “

‘Had we requested him to increase the time he would have increased it.’

In another wording:

“ سألنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن المسح على الخفين. فرخص للمسافر ثلاثة أيام و لياليهن , و المقيم يوما و ليلة “.

‘We asked the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– about wiping over the Khuff. He gave a concession for the traveller for three days and nights and for the resident a day and a night.’

Collected by Ahmad and Tabraani and its Isnaad is Saheeh.[19]

[1] [Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.95]

[2] [‘Tanbeeh al-Afhaam bi Sharh Umdatal Ahkaam’ p.74]

[3] [Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.51]

[4] [Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.52]

[5] [Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.95]

[6] [Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.52]

[7] [Collected by Ibn Hibban in his book ‘Saheeh’ & in Silsilah Saheehah no. 2940]

[8] [Collected by Ahmad, Tabarani and Albaani declared it have an authentic Isnaad in Silsilah Saheehah no. 1559]

[9] [Collected by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi & Albaani graded it Saheeh in Irwaa no. 101. Also from Abu Musa al-Ashari in Ibn Majah graded Saheeh by Albaani]

[10] [Collected by Ahmad, Tabrani & Albaani said: ‘This Isnad is Saheeh’ in ‘Thamr al-Mustattab fee Fiqh as-Sunnah wal-Kitab’ 1/p.16]

[11] [Collected by Ahmad, Darmi, Albaani said: This Isnad is Saheeh. In ‘Thamr al-Mustattab fee Fiqh as-Sunnah wal-Kitab’ 1/p.17]

[12] [Collected by Tahawi & Albaani said: ‘Its chain is Saheeh Jiddan,’ In ‘Thamr al-Mustattab fee Fiqh as-Sunnah wal-Kitab’ 1/p.15]

[13] [Collected by Abu Dawood, Daraqutni, al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Hazam in ‘al-Muhalla’ and its isnad is Saheeh like al-Hafidh said in ‘al-Talkhees’ and Albaani graded it Saheeh in Irwa al-Ghaleel no. 103 vol.1 p.140]

[14] [Collected by Dulabi in ‘al-Kunna wal-Asmaa’, al-Massih ala Jurbayn p.12-13 & Ahmad Shakir said: This Isnad is Saheeh.]

[15] [Tahdheeb as-Sunnan & al-Massih ala Jurbayn p.8-9]

[16] [al-Mughni 1/215]

[17] [Collected by Ibn Hibban in his book ‘Saheeh’ Silsilah Saheehah no. 2940]

[18] [Silsilah Saheehah no. 2940]

[19] [Silsilah Saheehah no. 1559]

Part Nine – What was mentioned regarding the Khuff of the Messenger of Allaah

Introduction to Chapter 9

Wiping over the Khuff for Wudu