What are the conditions for doing this and is there a correct way to do it? Can I do it with ordinary everyday socks when I am at work?
I have read different things.
as far as i kno u shuold wash them properly wiv socks off...
unless u'v got an injury on da foot which would get worse wiv water den u can do a tayummum over da foot but dat... one shud always do their wudhoo properly wiv da proper method....
Re: wiping over feet when doing wudu?
tabassum, unless you are wearing leather socks (or the type through which water cannot penetrate), you have to do a complete wudhu where washing feet up to ankles and in between toes is necessary. If you are wearing the special socks after wudhu, you are not required to wash your feet again until you take them off.
Re: wiping over feet when doing wudu?
What do you think about these socks?
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Re: wiping over feet when doing wudu?
Sura a maida verse number six is very clear. There is no room for any kind of interpretation. I do not even accept any ahadees which go against this verse.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَڪُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ جُنُبً۬ فَٱطَّهَّرُواْۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ۬ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡغَآٮِٕطِ أَوۡ لَـٰمَسۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ مَآءً۬ فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدً۬ا طَيِّبً۬ا فَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِڪُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيكُم مِّنۡهُ*ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجۡعَلَ عَلَيۡڪُم مِّنۡ حَرَجٍ۬ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُ ۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ (٦)
O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that ye may give thanks. (6)
According to this verse you are supposed to wipe your feet , Allah is not ordering to wipe your shoes or your socks. your shoes and your socks are not part of your feet. Are they ? I do not know how people find ambiguity in these verses and interpret them differently and bring in ahadees into picture which go against this clear Divine Decree.
But now since you are at work and you are in a situation where you cannot take off your shoes and wipe your feet then you can even perform even dry masah/wiping. Which will be partial taemum. Taumem is also alowed in many situations and is alowed by Quran and I accept all the ahadees in this respect because they do not go against what Quran has ordered for Taumem.
This is a good source of information on this topic:
Cleanliness in Islam, abulation wadu Seven pre-requisites of Prayer