What is the ruling regarding removing only one of two Khuffs (leather socks) when performing Wudu (ablution)?
Chapter on Wiping over the Khuffayn (Leather Socks)
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
The ruling among the majority of scholars, including Malik, Al-Thawri, Al-Awza'i, Ibn al-Mubarak, Al-Shafi'i, and the people of opinion (Ahl al-Ra'y), is that removing one Khuff is equivalent to removing both. If one is removed, the other must also be removed. The justification is that the two Khuffs are treated as a single entity in this legal context. Consequently, the validity of wiping over one is nullified by the exposure of the other, similar to the ruling concerning a single foot.
Supporting text
Al-Zuhri holds the opinion that the foot from which the Khuff was removed must be washed, while the other foot, still covered by its Khuff, should have the wiping (Masah) completed over it. This view compares the two feet to the head and the foot, which are treated as separate parts in Wudu.