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Fatwa CenterRuling on putting hands inside socks to ensure feet are dry after taking ablution and wearing the socks
Question
Hello, I have this issue and I really need an answer. I do wudu with socks and I make sure to dry my feet after doing wudu and wearing the socks. But sometimes I still feel wetness. So is it permissible if I put my hands in my socks to make sure my feet is dry without taking off the socks? Specially if my ablution broke? Or would it invalidate my whole wudu and I need to start over? Thank you
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It should be noted that in order for wiping over the socks to be valid, a person should be in a state of complete ritual purity when they wear the socks. Ibn Qudamah 
stated in Al-Mughni: “We do not know any disagreement among the Muslim jurists concerning the requirement of being ritually pure before wearing the socks.” [End quote]
You are required to be ritually pure when you wear the socks, and whether your feet are dry or wet shall make no difference and shall not affect the ruling. You are also permitted to insert your fingers inside the socks to make sure whether your feet are dry or not, as the fundamental ruling is that this matter is permissible and we are not aware of any evidence preventing it, according to scholars. This act shall not invalidate your ablution, but your ablution shall be invalid if you take off the pair of socks or one of the socks after wiping over them, according to some scholars. It is also said that ablution shall not be invalid in this case.
Ibn Qudamah stated in Al-Mughni: “Before the lapse of the permitted duration, if a person takes off his socks after wiping over them, his ablution shall be invalid. This opinion is held by An-Nakh`i, Az-Zuhri, Mak’hul, Al-Awza`i, and Is-haq, and is considered one of the two opinions held by Al-Shafi`i. Another narration is scribed to Ahmad, in which he held that it is sufficient for this person to wash his feet. This is also the opinion held by Abu Hanifah and the second opinion held by Ash-Shafi`i.” He (Ibn Qudamah ) also said: “It is reported that Malik said that if a person takes off his socks, he should wash his feet and his ablution shall be valid. If he delays doing this act (i.e. washing his feet directly after taking off his socks), he must renew his ablution.”
He also said: “According to the majority of scholars, the same ruling applies if a person takes off one of the socks or the pair of socks.” [End quote]
Allah knows best.
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