Nails and nail polish

 

Nails and nail polish

 

Women are more inclined towards adornment and beautification than men.  The intent there is to make one’s face, hands, etc. look better.  Covering what the Lord given us with artificial things is not beautification.  Removing what is extraneous and unsuitable is true beautification.  For e.g., trimming nails when they have overgrown, using some sort of medicine for skin problems of the face, keeping the face, hands and feet clean, removing pubic hair, etc., all these things constitute beautification.

 

Nail polish

 

Nowadays nail polish has become so ubiquitous that its use is considered a part of life.  Nail polish is harmful both from the worldly and the Shariah point of view.

 

If we look at it from the Shariah point of view, nail polish is a recent invention.  It was not a part of the cosmetics used by the ladies in the Prophet’s time or the ladies after them.  Neither was there any custom of coloring nails.  Yes, henna was used to color the nails.  Those women who follow in the footsteps of these great women, they cannot bear to do something which the mothers of the believers and other pious women did not do themselves.

 

Another aspect of this is that for the sake of using nail polish, nails are not trimmed, which goes against the Sunnah completely.  It is included in the Sunnah that nails should be trimmed at least once a week.  The Hadith describe the importance and benefits of trimming our nails regularly:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Five habits are a part of human nature:  removing pubic hair, circumcision, trimming the moustaches, removing the hair of the armpits and trimming nails.  (Jame’ Tirmidhi, Baabu Maa Jaa'a Fee Taqleemil Azfaar, Hadith No. 2981).

 

It is mentioned in another Hadith:

 

Translation: Hadhrat Anas bin Malik (May Allah be well pleased with him) relates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has fixed a maximum period of 40 days for trimming nails, moustaches and removing pubic hair.  (Jame’ Tirmidhi, Baabu Fit Tauqeeti Fee Ta’aleemil Azfaar, Hadith No. 2983)

 

When nails become overgrown, they should be trimmed because Satan sits on them as mentioned in Ihya Ul ‘Uloom:

 

Translation: The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  O Abu Hurairah!  Trim your nails.  Indeed Satan sits on overgrown nails.  (Ihya Ul ‘Uloom, Feemaa yahduthu Fil Badani Minal Ajzaa'I, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 150)

 

In the days of ignorance, there was no concept of trimming nails and cleaning teeth.  Our religion declared trimming nails, using Siwak, removing hair as a part of human nature.  Then is sporting overgrown nails for the sake of nail polish not against human nature and the Shariah?  We have given thought to outward beautification but have marred the inward beauty.

 

The third aspect here is that nail polish does not allow water to reach the nail.  If one has nail polish on one’s fingers and has to take a bath of purification, then no matter how much we clean our body, purification cannot be gained – until the nail polish is removed.  Similarly unless and until nail polish is removed, there can be no ablution and without bath and ablution, there can be no Salaat.

 

Nowadays, science says that nails are also living tissues like other tissues of the body.  They also need oxygen and water as well.  When covered with nail polish, nails get neither air nor water.  This in turn affects the skin and body.  Usually, skin diseases assail the hands due to nail polish use.  Apart from this, the material of nail polish has some chemicals which (may) lead to diseases.

 

Instead of nail polish, henna may be used.  The Shariah does not prohibit it and neither does it have any medical harms.