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This seems to be a recurring question, particular around the Hajj season. In light thereof, a
Maulana requested me to pen a brief explanation on the issue.
General Rule
The starting point is the general rule that females may wear shoes and socks in Ihraam,
whilst males may not1.
Exception
The exception in the case of males is that they may wear footwear which has a low cut.
) are permissible in Ihraam2.كعب( Footwear or socks which are cut below the Ka’b
The term Ka’b in relation to its root meaning refers to something protruding3. When applied
to the bones of the foot, it could either refer to the ankles or the Navicular bone4.
In the context of this particular issue, namely the footwear which is the exception to the
?general rule, which of the two meanings is intended
ْن َّإل أَنْ َي ِج َد اويلََ ،و َل عِ مَام ًَةَ ،و َل َق َل ْنس َُو ًةَ ،و َل ي َْلبَسُ ُخ َّفي ِ صا َو َل قُبَاءََ ،و َل ُجب ًَّةَ ،و َل َسرَ ِ َ 1ف ْالمُحْ ِر ُم َل ي َْلبَسُ ْال َمخِي َط ُج ْم َل ًةَ ،و َل َقمِي ً
ْ
ْن َفي َْل َب ُس ُهمَا ْنَ ،ف َل بَأسَ أَنْ َي ْق َط ُع ُهمَا أَسْ َف َل ْال َكعْ َبي ِ َنعْ لَي ِ
]بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع ()[183 /2
تُوز ًة َكا َن ْ ب ُه َنا ْال َم ْفصِ ُل الَّذِي فِي َوسَطِ ْال َقدَ ِم عِ ْن َد َمعْ ِق ِد ال ِّشرَ اكِ َف َيجُو ُز لُبْسُ ُك ِّل َشيْ ء فِي ِرجْ لِ ِه َل يُغَ ِّطي ْال َكعْ بَ سُرْ م َ ْالمُرَ ا ُد ِب ْال َكعْ ِ
2
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This is answered by, inter alia5, referring to the words used by Imaam Muhammad6 ؒ
?Which protruding bone is situated in the area where the shoelace is normally tied
My assessment is that it is the Navicular bone (highlighted below), as this is the most
protruding of the possible candidates.
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Some ‘Ulama say the Ka’b refers to the Cuneiform bones.
I respectfully disagree. The Navicular bone is square shaped and in the centre, whereas the
cuneiform is a set of three bones. Nonetheless, the difference is slight and hence does not
demand serious debate.
Retraction
I was initially under the impression that Ka’b refers to the Metatarsals. This also appears in
some English fatawa works. An old fatwa of mine was based on this information. However, I
subsequently realised that it is not the Metatarsals, but rather the Navicular bone. This is
apparent from the above diagrams. Hence I retracted from the old fatwa.
Application
Now that the bone has been identified, it needs to be applied to the exception. The
ِ أَسْ َفل من ا ْل َكعْ َبي- Below the two Ka’bs.
operative words are: 7ْن
ِّ " مَا يلبس ْالمحرم من: ] َعن عبد ّللا بن عمر رَ ضِ ي ّللا َع ْن ُهمَا أَن رجل سَأ َ َل رَ سُول ّللا [صلى ّللا َع َل ْي ِه َوسلم: ) الب َُخاري7
الثيَاب؟ ِ
ْن فليلبسِ إِ َّل أحد َل يجد َنعْ لَي، َو َل ْالخفاف، َو َل البرانس، ( َل يلبس) (القمص) َو َل السراويلت: ]َقا َل رَ سُول ّللا [صلى ّللا َعلَ ْي ِه َوسلم
." ْنِ ْن وليقطعهما أَسْ َفل من ْال َكعْ َبي
ِ ُخ َّفي
" ْالمحرم إِذا لم يجد: َسمِعت رَ سُول ّللا [صلى ّللا َعلَ ْي ِه َوسلم] َيقُول: َعن ابْن َعبَّاس رَ ضِ ي ّللا عَ ْن ُهمَا َقا َل، َعن جَ ابر بن زيد:ال ِّترْ ِمذِي
ِ ْن فليلبس ْال ُخ َّفي
." ْن ِ َفإِذا لم يجد ال َّنعْ لَي،اويل ِ َاْلفزار فليلبس السَّر
]اللباب في الجمع بين السنة والكتاب،ْن يبَ ْع َ
ك ْ
ال من ل َ
ف ْسَ أ َا
م قطعه بعد ْنيفَّ ُ
خ ْ
ال لبس ه
ُ َ ل ح
َ َا
ب َ أ َا
م َّ
ن إ ه
ُ َّ
ن َ ِ ، َوالَّذِي قبله ُم َقيد،َف َه َذا الحَ دِيث مُطلق
أل
ِ ِ ِ
[419 /1(
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In order to determine this, one takes the side view of the foot, and then locates the
Navicular. On this draw a horizontal line.
Whatever is below that line may be covered, and whatever is above that line must be
exposed.
Hence, low cut leather socks like those below may be worn in Ihraam.
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Some Examples
In the next photograph, the black one on the right foot may be worn, but not the brown one
on the left foot. Similarly the blue one may not be worn.
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And Allah Taála knows best.
Emraan Vawda
1438 12
4 August 2017
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