MASAH ALAL KHUFFAIN
- INTRODUCTION
- THE MEANINGS
- THE BASIS FOR MASAH ALAL KHUFFAIN
- THE KINDS OF JURRAAB (NON-LEATHER SOCKS)
- THE BLIND TAQLEED OF THE SALAFIS
THE BLIND TAQLEED OF THE SALAFIS
The followers of the deviant Salafi sect are the only people who consider masah on ordinary socks valid. There only basis for their fallacy is the opinion of their Imaam, Ibn Taimiyyah to whom they offer blind allegiance. In the attempt to escape the charge of blind following, they do not overtly cite the opinion of their Imaam. Instead they cite the Hadith narrations which constitute the basis for the opinion of their Imaam.
In his Fataawa, Ibn Taimiyyah states:
“Masah on jurabain is permissible when one is able to walk in them, whether they are mujallad (covered with leather) or not is the most authentic view of the Ulama. And, in the Sunan: Verily Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) made masah on his jurabain and na’lain (shoes). And this Hadith even if it is not proven, qiyaas (logic) demands this (validity of masah) because the difference between jurabain and na ‘lain is only this that the one is from wool and the other from leather. It is known that a difference of this nature has no effect in the Shariah. Hence, there is no difference between leather, cotton or woollen socks just as there is no difference between white and black ihram. At most, leather is more durable than wool. Thus this has no effect…” (Vol. 21 page 214)
Even Ibn Taimiyyah concedes, albeit grudgingly, that the Hadith narration pertaining to masah on jurabain is of questionable reliability. As such it is not valid to extend the Masah alal Khuffain ruling (effect) to jurabain. The law pertaining to Khuffain is the effect of Ahaadith-e- Mutawaatarah (Hadith narrations of the highest category, the authenticity of which is absolute). It is for this reason that we see that not a single one among the Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen and the Fuqaha of the four Math-habs claiming that masah on jurabain is valid.
While Ibn Taimiyyah has primarily resorted to logic, the authorities of the Shariah - the Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen and the Fuqaha - have acted purely on the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) - on such Ahaadith of absolute reliability which constitute a valid basis for omitting washing the feet inspite of this act being a categoric command of the Qur’aan Majeed. Since the order of masah alal khuffain is in conflict with Qiyaas (the Shar’i process of Analogical Reasoning), it cannot be extended to jurabain in terms of the principles governing valid Qiyaas and also on account of the weakness of the relevant narrations.
It is of importance to note that Ibn Taimiyyah appeared on the scene seven centuries after Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Inspite of the vast chasm of seven centuries between him and the age of the Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen who had acquired their knowledge of the Shariah from the Sahaabah, he lacked the spiritual discernment to understand his error of differing with the Ijma ‘ (Consensus) of the Fuqaha of the first seven centuries before him. He had failed to understand that among these illustrious Fuqaha were all the Aimmah-e- Mujtahideen - all those noble Fuqaha who had acquired their knowledge from the Sahaabah. It is inconceivable that the Fuqaha of all Four Math-habs, from the earliest time of Islam, could have unanimously ruled in error that masah on ordinary socks is not permissible while a man appearing seven centuries later discovered this ‘error’.
This position of Ibn Taimiyyah leads to the conclusion that the entire Ummah with all its illustrious Ulama and Fuqaha from the time of the Sahaabah had erred on this issue and for seven centuries the Ummah was in the dark only to be extricated from this darkness by Ibn Taimiyyah. This is most certainly untenable and unacceptable.
Ibn Taimiyyah’s claim that his view is “the most authentic of the two (opposite) views” cannot be corroborated by evidence. In fact, it is baseless. We have earlier in this discussion shown that the authorities of all Four Math-habs - the entire Ummah - refute the validity of masah on ordinary socks. Among these authorities the position taken by Imaam Maalik is the strongest and most rigid. According to him masah is valid on only leather socks while the other Fuqaha hold the view that if socks of another material are as durable as khuffain and have the properties of khuffain, then such socks will be in the category of khuffain. Imaam Maalik was among the Taabieen. He had Sahaabah for his Ustaadhs. He did not appear seven centuries after Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) like Ibn Taimiyyah.
In a self-contradiction, Ibn Taimiyyah stipulates the condition of being able to walk in the socks. This is a condition which the Four Math-habs stipulate for the validity of masah alal khuffain. The implication of Ibn Taimiyyah’s condition is that masah is not valid on such socks in which one cannot walk, i.e. walk with socks without shoes on normal terrain. Most certainly, such walking is not possible with ordinary woollen, cotton and nylon socks. Since ordinary socks do not satisfy this condition, masah on them would not be permissible even according to Ibn Taimiyyah.
It should be remembered that all the Fuqaha who lived seven hundred years before Ibn Taimiyyah, and in particular Imaam Maalik (rahmatullah alayh), were well aware of the existence of the jurabain Hadith. Inspite of this, they ruled that masah on ordinary socks is not valid.
The ruling of the Four Math-habs, viz., Masah on ordinary socks is not valid, is the only reliable view and has existed in the Ummah from the time of the Sahaabah.