Masah alal Khuffain is an act of ibaadat ordered by the Shariah. Just as all acts of ibaadat have their requisite conditions (Shuroot) for their validity, so too does Masah alal Khuffain have Shar'i conditions for its validity. An ibaadat is not valid if its conditions are not observed.
Masah means to wipe or rub. Khuffain are a special kind of socks made of leather. The act of lightly wiping the wet hand over the khuffain is called Masah.
Ghair Muqallideen (those who have renounced the Taqleed of the Four Math-habs of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah) among whom is the sect known as Salafis, have completely distorted the Shariah's Ahkaam (rules) pertaining to this ibaadat. Notorious for their taqleed (blind following) of their desires, these Ghair Muqallideen have discarded the Shuroot which are necessary for the validity of Masah. They therefore claim that masah on ordinary conventional cotton, woollen and nylon socks is valid.
Purely on the basis of their personal opinion have they refuted the fourteen century old Ijmaa-ee (on which there is Consensus) Ruling of the Shariah which specifies a particular type of sock for the validity of Masah. The opinion of the Salafis is in conflict with the unanimous Ruling of the Four Math-habs —in other words, in conflict with Islam - its Shariah and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Besides personal opinion, they have no Shar'i Dalaail (Proofs of the Shariah) for their baseless opinion.
The Salafis claim that they are following the Sunnah. To bolster a view, they will cite some Hadith. Their fundamental error is that they submit the Hadith to their personal opinion. But personal interpretation and opinion which conflict with the Interpretation which has been transmitted authentically down the centuries from the age of the Sahaabah and the Taabieen or from the Khairul Quroon (the Three Noblest Ages of Islam), overrides all opinions and interpretations.
Masah alal Khuffain has to be viewed in the light of the Rulings of the Fuqaha (Jurists) of the Ummah from the earliest times, not in terms of the opinions of non-entities who have popped up in this era which is so far away from the Age of Risaalat (the age of the Nabi - sallallahu alayhi wasallam), and so close in proximity to Qiyaamah.
This discussion will, Insha'Allah, set out the Proofs of the Shariah for its Law pertaining to Masah on special socks called Khuffain.