Question
As a person working in the TTPS (police) or Army, can one make masah over his boots to pray Salah?
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Wudhu is one of the necessary conditions for the validity of Salah, without which the Salah would not be accepted. In principle, the feet must be washed in wudhu, however for a person wearing leather socks, wiping (masah) upon the leather socks, instead of washing the feet, is permissible as it is proven from numerous Ahaadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
As for your specific inquiry, the boots used by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Army etc., must meet the requirements of a leather sock viz;
- The material is waterproof i.e. water cannot penetrate it (excluding the areas where the material is joined, sewn or laced)
- One is able to walk with it for miles (at least three) without it being torn.
- The boots cover the feet up to the ankles (including the ankles).
Thus, if the boots meet the aforementioned requirements, Masah (wiping) over them is allowed instead of having to remove them and wash the feet, provided the following conditions are met:
- It must be worn upon complete Taharah (ritual impurity) i.e. one must wear the boots when he is in the state of Wudhu. Nb: It is not necessary that it be worn immediately after wudhu.
- It is free from physical ritual impurities such as (blood, wine, urine, stool etc.)
The method of Masah (wiping) the boots is as follows:
- Draw the wet fingers on the upper surface of the boots starting from the toes all the way up to the ankle.
- The right hand is used for the right boot and the left hand for the left boot.
Nb: Masah (wiping) should be done once only on each boot.
If a person is a resident (non-traveller by definition of the Shariah), he is allowed to wipe up to 24 hours. If one wants to continue wiping after the 24 hours, one must remove the boots and if he’s in a state of wudhu, all he has to do wash his feet and put on back his boots. If however, after 24hours elapsed he is not in the state of wudhu, he has to remove the boots, make a complete wudhu then put on back the boots. As for a traveller (by definition of the shariah), he is allowed 72 hours.
Nb: The duration of wiping (masah) starts from the time the wudhu first becomes nullified after wearing the boots (and not from the time of wearing)
Nb: Whatever nullifies wudhu nullifies the masah (wiping) in addition to removing the socks and the expiation of the time for wiping.
It is worth mentioning that, it is advisable not to perform salah wearing boots without there being a need to do so, as it compromises the Sunnah postures in Salah viz; Sajdah (in bending the toes facing the Qiblah) and Jalsah and Qa’dah (in spreading the left foot on the ground and sitting on it, and in erecting the right foot with its toes facing the Qiblah.)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Kaleem Muhammad
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom
Marabella Trinidad
