Question Summary:
Is it permissible to do masah over normal socks?

Question Detail:

 
My understanding is that doing masah over normal socks while doing wudu is not valid. But, in office, I see majority of people doing masah over normal socks and they also do imamat. I understand that praying behind such Imam is not valid as their wudu is not perfect. Hence, I pray with them and repeat my prayer again individually. I bear this quitely because I don't have majority and also I feel I may divide the jamaat. I had a bad experience earlier in my previous office when a group objected doing masah over normal socks. This caused misunderstanding among people and there was also a division of jamaat. For this reason, I'm afraid of objecting it again.
One of my friends told me that, in such situations where you doubt the Imam has done masah over normal socks, we can join the jamaat but our intention should be to pray individually, and we can pray on our own. And we should recite surah fatiha and other surahs as we pray individually, but just do the ruku, sujood etc when the imam does it. In other words, it is like pretending to pray in jamaat, but actually we are praying individually. This he does to avoid repeating the prayer again. But, I'm not convinced with this procedure. Please let me know if this can be done. If yes, please advise the exact procedure in the light of Quran and Hadith.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Your understanding is correct. According to the Hanafi madhab masah over socks is only permissible with the following three conditions 1.the socks should be waterproof 2. They should be durable to such an extent that one could walk for one farsakh (3 miles) without them tearing 3. They should stay on the legs without being tied or fastened. The following conditions are normally not found in normal socks (cotton/nylon) hence it is not permissible for one to make masah over normal socks. [1]
 It is also not permissible to perform ones Salah behind an Imam that made masah on normal socks (cotton/nylon etc) as it is evident from above that his wudu will not be valid according to the Hanafi madhab. [2]
The approach advised by your friend is to be able to perform Salah and avoid fitna at the same time. If one adopts such an approach due to unavoidable circumstances and fear of fitna the Salah performed will be valid.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ismail Dawoodjee
Student Darul Iftaa
Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net 
[1] لايجوز المسح على االجوربين عند ابي حنيفة الا ان يكونا مجلدين او منعلين و قال ابو يوسف و محمد يجوز المسح على الجوربين اذا كان ثخينين لا يشفان الماء (قدورى ص54 موسسة الريان)
ام المسح على الجوارب فلا يخاو اما ان يكون الجورب رقيقا غير منعل و فى هذا الوجه يجوز المسح  بلا خلاف و المراد من الثخين ان يستمسك على الساق من غير ان يشده بشي ولا يسقط فاما اذا كان لايستمسك و يسترخى فهذا ليس بثخين فلايجوز المسح عليها و ام اذا كان ثخينا غير منعل لايجوز المسح عليه عند ابي حنيفة رحمه الله و عندهما يجوز و فى النصاب و عليه الفتوى (تاترخانية ج1 ص406 م زكريا)
و المسح على االجوربين اذا كان مجلدين كالمسح على الخفين لانهما كالمسح على الخفين لانه يمشى فيهما كما يمشى فى الخفين وان كان غير مجلدين و هما صفيقان لايشفان فان ابا حنيفة قال لايمسه عليهما و قال ابو يوسف و محمد يمسح عليهما (مختتصر الطحاوى ج1ص455 دار البشائر)
[2] و من اقتدى بامام ثم علم انه على غير وضوء اعاد الصلاة (قدورى ص80 موسسة الريان)