Is the repentant apostate required to wash his feet during ablution, or can he wipe over the socks he was wearing? And is one considered an apostate if they praise a religion other than Islam without intending apostasy, or mock something in the religion unintentionally, or laugh without intending mockery?

Among the things that invalidate wiping over the khuffayn (leather socks) is when a person becomes obligated to perform ghusl (full ritual bath), such as an apostate who returns to Islam, because their apostasy nullified their deeds and their ritual purity, making them obliged to perform ghusl, which includes washing the feet, just as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded Qays ibn Asim to perform ghusl when he embraced Islam.

As for praising a religion other than Islam or ridiculing the religion, even without intending disbelief, this is considered disbelief, based on the Almighty’s saying: (Say: Was it at Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief). Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah clarified that they disbelieved by their words even though they did not believe in their validity. And whoever says or does something that is disbelief has disbelieved by that, even if they did not intend disbelief.

However, mockery and laughter without intending ridicule are not considered disbelief. And if the questioner suffers from obsessive whispers (waswas), their faith is sound, and what was mentioned does not harm them, because the person with waswas is excused. They are advised to ignore these whispers and seek refuge in Allah from them.