Our Imam in our local masjid does masah on normal cotton socks while wudhu, can I as a hanafi follower offer Salah behind him?
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
At the outset it must be understood that all the four Madhahib have held the opinion that masah cannot be made on thin non-leather socks.
The opinion of validity of making masah on thin (Raqeeq) non-leather socks is only from latter age limited group of ulama’.
Nonetheless, knowing the majority of ulama’ throughout academia have always adopted for (Safeeq) thick enough non-leather socks for masah, it is important to understand the condition that establishes that sturdiness or thickness.
This can be adequately reviewed through Mufti Ismail Moosa Saheb’s detail treatise on the subject at: https://www.qafila.org/wiping-on-modern-day-socks/
That being said, our question is about following (Iqtida’) of an Imam who opts to make masah on thin regular socks from Hanafi perspective.
According to hanafiya, one of the principle in following an Imam is that the Salah of the Imam should be valid according to the madhab of that particular muqtadi (follower). So if I as a hanafi perceives that the Imam (non-hanafi) does an action in or before Salah such that it does not fulfil the condition for validity of salah according to my (muqtadi’s) madhab (hanafiya), then my iqtida’ of the said Imam is not valid.
Make note that this ruling is about Iqtida’, and not about claiming that their salah is invalid. Many people I discuss the issue with misunderstand this and assume that this stance causes deviation because a hanafi is claiming that the congregation is not valid. However, in reality the hanafi has only chosen not to make Iqtida’ because according to him, conditions for his personal salah are not fulfilled.
As the same time, when such instances occur, we must highlight that an Imam should always adopt for cautious stance of coming out of the difference and adopt the safest position. If the Imam, who feels it to be valid to make masah on thin cotton socks, were to either wash his feet for wudhu, or wear leather khuffs, or non-leather thick socks designed for masah, then he would have avoided this difference and everyone would be able to pray in congregation.
A sense of tolerance is vital for the position of Imamat in any congregation. We instill upon you to adopt hikmah, and in very respectful way inform the Imam that as per your madhab, you would not be able to pray behind him because of this issue. A genuinely good Imam would understand the matter and adopt the cautious way to accommodate.
A more wise approach would be to inform him how much you enjoy his congregation. And then give him a gift of leather khuffs, as well as a pair of wudhugear, sealskinz or wudusocks which are designed for masah. Then request him to use them for masah so you can be worry free in performing salah behind him in congregation.
If you perceive that your action is causing an undue stir-up, then desist from engagement and inform that you do not wish to make it into an argument. You may then find another congregation for yourself without causing any commotion.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi