There arc firstly two types of jurraab or socks made of a material other than leather, such as woollen, cotton or nylon socks. The two kinds are called: Thakheen and Raqeeq.

Thakheen Socks

In the terminology of the Fuqaha, Thakheen are socks of such durable and tough material which renders them khuffain for all practicalpurposes, We have already explained the properties of Thakheen earlier on.

According to Imaam Maalik's one view masah on jurabain is not valid even if they are Thakheen and even if leather is sewn on them. In another view, he avers that masah will be valid on socks of the Thakheen kind if leather is sewn on them, for then they will in reality bo khuffain. According to Imaam Shaafi, masah will be valid on Thakheen socks only if leather is sewn on them. In the view of the Hanafi and Hambali Math-habs, masah is valid on Thakheen socks even if leather is not sewn on them, i.e. they are Mujalladain.

Raqeeq Socks

Non-leather socks in which the properties of Thakheen socks are not found, are called Raqeeq in the terminology of the Fuqaha. Not a single Authority of the Shariah holds the view of validity of masah on Raqeeq socks. The only miscreants who hold this view are the Ghair Muqallideen of this age. How can Muslims even offer any consideration to a view which has absolutely no support in the Shariah? From the time of the Sahaabah, it was always the mas'alah that masah on Raqeeq (non-!eather socks not of the Thakheen type) was never permissible.

The deviate Salafis, making taqleed (blind following) of their 20 th century imam, Al-AIbaani, cite the narrations of several Sahaabah who had made masah on Jurabain. Grabbing these narrations, they legalized masah on ordinary woollen, cotton and nylon socks Inspite of the fact that all the Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen who were fully aware of the Ahaadith pertaining to masah on Jurabain did not accept the validity of masah on just any socks. All of them stipulated certain properties to be found in the Jurabain for the masah to be valid. These properties have already been explained earlier on in this discussion,

The Salafis attempt to confuse ignorant and unwary Muslims on the issue of Jurabain. They peddle the idea that ordinary socks arc the same as the Jurabain on which the Sahaabah would make masah. But the explanation and interpretation of Jurabain given by all Authorities of the Shariah, and their unanimous ruling make it abundantly clear that masah on ordinary socks is not valid since these socks are not the kind of Jurabain on which the Sahaabah would make masah..

MUJALLAD AND MUNA'AL

There are two kinds of Jurraab (non-leather socks): Mujallad and Muna'al. Socks on which the leather covers the entire foot including the ankles are called Mujallad two are called Mujalladain), Socks on which only the under surface (soles), heels and toes are covered with leather are called Muna 'al.

(i) Raqeeq Mujallad are ordinary socks over which leather

has been sewn covering the entire foot. In the unanimous ruling of the Ahnaaf (Hanafi Fuqaha), masah is valid because they are in fact in the same category as Khuffain, According to Imaam Maalik and Imaani Shaafi. Masah on such socks is not valid despite the full leather outer-covering. According to the Hanaabilah (Hambali Math-hab), it is permissible.

(ii) Raqeeq Muna 'al are ordinary socks on which leather has be sewn on the soles or/and the heels and toes. Masah is not lawful on such socks in terms of all Four Math-habs.

RAQEEQ

As mentioned earlier, Raqeeq in the language of the Fuqaha refers to all such socks which are either not covered entirely by leather or in which the properties of Thakheen socks are not found. In this category are our ordinary woollen, cotton and nylon socks. No Math-hab and no Authority of the Shariah holds the view that Masah is valid on such socks. Such socks do not come within the meaning of Khuffain, and masah on them cannot substitute for the washing of the feet as commanded in the aayat of Wudhu.

The severity of the ruling of prohibition on making masah on ordinary socks can be gauged from Imaam Abu Hanifah's stand. Throughout his life he held the view that masah is not valid even on Thakheen socks although the other Hanafi Fuqaha have ruled that masah on Thakheen socks is valid. Only during his last illness does it appear that he had retracted this view and accepted the view of the other Fuqaha. The question of making masah on ordinary socks simply does not arise in the Shariah. It is unanimously prohibited.

It should now be quite clear that the issue of Masah Alal Khuffain is not insignificant and so imple as the Salafis portray. The validity of any ibaadat is dependent on its Shuroot (Conditions) which the Fuqaha of the Ummat have explained in detail on the basis of the Qur'aan and Sunnah. Masah Alal Khuffain is no exception.

If the logic and reasoning of just any man had to be valid, then just as the Salafis have extended the ruling of masah from Khuffain to ordinary socks, so too may it be extended to masah on the turban instead of the head, and masah on the niqaab (face-veil) for women instead of the face.

SALAAT BEHIND A SALAFI

If the imam leading the Salaat happens to be a Salafi Ghair Muqallid and he is wearing socks, then Salaat will not be valid behind him. It is their common and permanent habit to make masah on ordinary socks. Their wudhu will therefore not be valid in terms of all Four Math-habs. Hence Salaat behind such an imam is not valid.

A BASELESS CLAIM

Another baseless claim which the modernist Salafis make is that it is permissible to remove the socks after masah has been made on them, and perform Salaat. This is absolutely false. Firstly, their masah is not valid on ordinary socks. Secondly, if masah is made on proper khuffain, these khuffain symbolically and in the law of the Shariah acts as a preventer of the hadth (ceremonial impurity or Najaaset-e-Hukmi) descending into the feet, hence the feet are deemed taahir (pure) if at the time of hadth the khuffain are on. (Hadth is the state of impurity following the nullifying of Wudhu. In other words in the state of not being with wudhu).

If at the time when Wudhu broke, the Khuffain were not on the feet, then the feet will have to be compulsorily washed. One may not don the khuffain in the state of hadth, then make masah on them. The khuffain have to be put on after a complete Wudhu. If someone makes a complete Wudhu, then dons the khuffain, and later removes them before his Wudhu broke, it is permissible then to perform Salaat because the Wudhu is intact. The removal of the khuffain at such a juncture does not nullify the Wudhu nor masah because masah is not necessary on the khuffain which are put on after a complete Wudhu has been made.

However, once the Wudhu is broken, the feet will have to be compulsorily washed if the khuffain are removed after masah is made on them.