Do I have to take off my socks every time I make wudu?

Wiping over socks is a real sunnah

A companion named al-Mughira ibn Shu'bah once reached down to take off the Prophet's ﷺ leather socks during wudu. The Prophet told him to leave them, because he had put them on after wudu, and then wiped over them (Sahih al-Bukhari 206).

This is called mash 'ala al-khuffayn, wiping over leather socks (khuffs). It's one of many ways Islam makes daily life easier.

The conditions

• You put the socks on after a complete wudu, with your feet washed.
• The socks cover your feet up to the ankles.
• Time limit: one day and night at home, three days and nights while traveling (Sahih Muslim 276). Scholars differ on whether the clock starts when your wudu first breaks or when you first wipe.

Leather socks vs. regular socks

Wiping over leather khuffs is accepted by all four schools. For ordinary cotton or wool socks, the Hanbali school and many contemporary scholars allow it. The Hanafi and Shafi'i schools traditionally require thick socks you could walk in, and the Maliki school generally accepts only leather.

Many converts buy a pair of thin leather khuff socks online for work and travel, which settles the question for every school.

How to wipe

1. Make wudu as usual until you reach your feet.
2. Wet your hands.
3. Wipe the top of your right sock from the toes to the ankle, then the left. Once is enough.

Only the top is wiped. Ali ibn Abi Talib said that if religion were based on opinion, the bottom would make more sense, but he saw the Prophet ﷺ wipe the top (Sunan Abu Dawud 162).

When it ends

You need to wash your feet again when the time limit runs out, when you take the socks off, or when you need a full ritual shower (ghusl).

And yes, you can pray in your socks. Clean socks are perfectly fine for prayer, at home or in the mosque.