UPDATE 8-22-2013: My initial article on Inglot’s breathable nail polish was welcomed by many and severely critiqued by others. One of the main criticisms was that the experiment conducted by one of my students was inaccurate and could not be repeated with success. There were many people who reported successful results while several others who documented failure. Obviously, there are several variables that could lead to the experiment not working as it should. Therefore, I have been pressuring Inglot cosmetics to perform a professional experiment which is well documented, and they finally responded. The results should clear up most misconceptions that people may have had. Keep in mind, this only applies to only one coat of polish and has not been tested with base or top coats. Inglot is continuing experimentation and will be releasing more results soon. The results of the latest experiment is below.
When asked about the use of the coffee filter resembling the flexibility of the human nail, Inglot stated the following:
“We are working on finding a different testing surface, other than a coffee filter, that would resemble a surface of human nail. For the purpose of future experiments we have invested in purchasing more advance testing equipment. Additionally we have already discussed a cooperation with one of universities to conduct more tests checking the following factors: time, pressure, temperature and a number of layers. We will be working closely to find a different testing surface. We have already taken that issue into consideration during the last experiment. Look at the 1:10 minute of the film when the metal stand is being completed and the filter is being placed. The bottom part, on which the filter is placed, has a metal screen built in, which has the flexibility similar to the human nail. It was intentionally used to prevent from extensive or unnatural bending while rubbing which would cause damage to the filter and let the water penetrate easily.”
UPDATE 07-16-13: For those who are skeptical about using the Inglot polish because of the variance in experiments conducted by various people, I recommend checking out the Tuesday in Love brand of water permeable polish: http://www.tuesdayinlove.com/how-it-works
UPDATE 04-03-13: I have been contacted by quite a few people from different parts of the world who are claiming that they attempted their own experiments on the nail polish and it isn’t working for them. Here are links to two well-documented experiments performed by others: one and two. Here is a video of another experiment that worked. I am open to feedback and appreciate comments, but please: if you are going to criticize my article, make sure to actually read it first and then specify which part you don’t agree with and why.
UPDATE 03-25-13: Inglot has conducted tests which may reveal that not only water vapor but even a droplet can permeate a single layer of O2M polish. The results are unofficial and will be finalized soon. In the meantime, here is some information which explains how and why the polish works: download here
UPDATE 02-25-13: Mr. Inglot, the founder of the company, just passed away on Feb 23. We were scheduled to meet this week and he was going to share his research on some tests being performed on the O2M polish. The tests will now be delayed for a while. You may download his preliminary findings here.
UPDATE 02-07-13: The permeability may be affected by wearing more than one layer [e.g. a base coat, top coat, etc.] so make sure to either test permeability or wait until Inglot releases the tests that they are currently conducting before using multiple layers.
One of the most common questions asked by Muslim sisters is whether or not they are allowed to wear nail polish. The frequent query about whether nail polish is ḥalāl (lawful) or ḥarām (prohibited) is worded incorrectly. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with wearing nail polish. ((This is according to the widely-held opinion by several Muslim scholars that cosmetics containing alcohol are allowed to be worn. Also, cosmetics should not be tested in a cruel manner on animals or contain any pork products such as gelatin. The Inglot brand discussed in this article is free from these deficiencies. See http://veggiebeauty.com/cruelty-free-statement-inglot)) The real issue is that this substance forms an impermeable barrier over the nails preventing water from getting underneath. So when a sister needs to perform wuḍū’ (ablution) in order to pray, it cannot be completed without first removing the nail polish.
Many Muslim women have found a solution: wear the nail polish during their period since they don’t need to pray during those days. Yet many sisters will admit that they wish it would be somehow possible to wear nail polish at any time of the month. First, it is highly fashionable nowadays. Second, wearing nail polish usually indicates to another person that a sister is undergoing her period, which can be very embarrassing for others to know.
Now there is a solution. No, I’m not talking about wearing henna. Most scholars advise it as a substitute while failing to realize just how different henna is from nail polish in the world of fashion and beauty. The urge to wear nail polish on a regular basis has even led some sisters to wear a ‘peelable’ variety, which can be scraped off without any chemicals. But what if there was a nail polish that allowed the water to seep through?
Good news. Inglot Cosmetics, a company from Poland, has released a new line of polish called O2M that it has labeled “breathable nail enamel”. ((http://inglotcosmetics.com/o2m.nail.enamel/products/141/565)) It borrows a polymer used in some contact lenses that allows oxygen and moisture to penetrate to the nail. ((http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/fashion/22SkinOne.html?_r=3&)) One sister wisely decided to call the company and was told that water vapor reaches the nail but not water in its liquid form. ((http://www.reveilingyourself.com/2012/04/halal-nail-polish.html)) The question then arises about whether water vapor reaching the nail suffices for wuḍū’. Let’s look at the issue in detail.
Reasoning Behind the Necessity of Washing
There are several sisters who don’t know that nail polish prevents wuḍū’, and probably just as many who don’t care and will wear it anyways. But for those who do care, this analysis might help clarify things.
Muslim scholars have analyzed the issue of impermeable substances in the following manner. This verse of the Qur’an prescribes the wuḍū’, “…wash your faces and your arms…” (Qur’an, 5:6). The points that require investigation are: what is meant by ‘arms’ and what is meant by ‘wash’. Mention of the word ‘arms’ (which includes the hands linguistically in Arabic) indicates that every part must be washed and not a single spot should be left dry. Scholars arrived at this conclusion both through linguistic analysis as well as by analyzing reports from the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him), which emphasize that the body parts must be washed thoroughly. From this they concluded that anything that prevents water from reaching any of these parts must be removed. For example, if someone had dried paint, dough, or wax on their hand while performing wuḍū’, the water would not permeate that substance and the hand would not have been properly washed. The same is true with nail polish which, when dried, forms a solid impermeable layer on the nails. This is why women are instructed to remove their nail polish when performing wuḍū’. Other substances that do not form an impermeable solid layer such as henna, oil, ink, and lotion are allowed due to the ability of water to penetrate through, especially when rubbing over the wet area. ((It is interesting to note that Ibn ʿĀbidīn [ḥanafī] argues this is not the real reason but substances like henna are allowed due to necessity. See Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār, 1:154.))
As to the definition of ‘washing’, it means that water flows over the surface of every body part which must be washed during wuḍū’. ((Al-Samarqandī, ʿAlā’ al-Dīn, Tuḥfah al-Fuqahā’, 1:8.)) The bare minimum amount of water that must be used in order to suffice has been a matter of contention among scholars. Some stated that the part being washed must drip off at least one drop of water. ((Ibn al-Humām, Kamāl, Fatḥ al-Qadīr, 1:15.)) Other scholars held that water must have reached every area of that body part, but dripping off is not necessary. ((Ibid. This is the opinion of Imām Abū Yūsuf.))
The important thing to realize is that these scholars were trying to precisely define a minimum point at which the body part in question has had water ‘flow’ over it. The first opinion did not imply that drops of water must drip from any particular area but rather from any area of one body part. For example, while washing the arm with the hand elevated above the elbow, it is likely that the water would drop off near the elbow area due to gravitational forces. For our case concerning the fingernails, this opinion (which is the stricter of the two) does not necessitate water having to drip off the fingernails. This makes sense because water usually drips from a small area when it has completely flowed over that region.
Based on this difference of opinion concerning the definition of washing, scholars have differed concerning whether rubbing snow over the body parts suffices for wuḍū’ if no drops fall off. ((Kāsānī, ʿAlā al-Dīn, Badā’iʿ al-Ṣanā’iʿ, 1:3.)) At first glance, it might appear to a student of Islamic Law that this example serves as a good analogy to apply to the issue of breathable nail polish. However, upon further inspection the analogy fails because the case of snow involves no drops falling whereas the case of the fingernails does involve drops falling, even if not from the nail area. Keeping this in mind, if the entire hand was immersed in water and water vapor permeated through to the nails, it would not matter whether or not an actual drop of water in its liquid form reached the nail. The entire hand is still considered washed since water reached every area.
A Test Case
One of my students ((Shabana Haxton lives in California and is an RN, MSN, and CNL.)) decided to perform a test to see whether or not water actually seeped through when using the Inglot O2M nail polish. As a test case, she applied standard pink nail polish and purple O2M on a coffee filter and allowed both to dry. She then placed another coffee filter below the painted one, squeezed two drops of water over the polish, and applied some pressure with her finger. ((The extra drop on the filter paper seen in the picture was an accidental misfire from the dropper and was not taken into consideration during the experiment.)) After about ten seconds it was clear that the water was prevented from seeping through (even to the back side of the first filter) on the standard polish but clearly went through the O2M and even wet the second filter. This is sufficient to show that the claims made by the manufacturer are correct and water does indeed permeate through to the nail.
Conclusion
It is imperative that issues such as the legitimacy of wearing breathable nail polish while performing wuḍū’ be properly researched both on the scientific level as well as the fiqhī (Islamic Law) level. It appears to me that there is a sound basis for believing the water seeps through to the nail when wearing O2M breathable nail polish. Perhaps not every brand that claims to be breathable meets this criteria and perhaps the nails need to be soaked in water for a few seconds. Nonetheless, the basis exists for permissibility. As for the questions concerning whether or not nail polish should be used by Muslim women in public, which colors may potentially cross the boundaries of modesty (ḥayā’), and whether these cosmetics are an extravagant use of one’s wealth are all beyond the scope of this article and not directly related to the issue at hand. Sisters must consider all those variables before using any cosmetics, but after they have done so, the research on breathable nail polish points to its permissibility.
For more info on contemporary fiqh issues, see Mustafa’s new book: Guide of the Believer
Very interesting read! It’s been something I’ve avoided all together, but this has piqued my interest. Still may not be worth it though 🙂
Sometimes, too much knowledge prevents a person from using common sense.
SMH Is this really that important when you look at the state of the Ummah?
I really appreciate Imam Mustafa Umar’s addressing this issue. It’s an important topic because many sisters do wear nail polish and pray with normal (impenetrable) nail polish on. So, their wudu’ would be invalid and, therefore, their prayers are invalid.
If we’re not purifying ourselves and rectifying our relationship with God, then we can’t rectify the state of the Ummah.
Muslims always make things 10 times more complicated than they need to be, nobody should be caring about nail polish THAT much. If it’s water penetrable then wear it,if it’s not don’t wear it, but if it is, don’t tell people not to wear it just because it goes against everything you’ve ever known about the subject cause it makes you feel insecure. Now we got sisters gloating about how they’re “so pious” that they wouldn’t wear it even if it was permissible?!
Ok, so if something is permissible you’ll continue to act as if it’s haram?
That makes like no sense at all…
Agreed. The house is burning down and we’re still worried about rearranging furniture…
Also, am a little confused about a couple of things: 1) My understanding was that Wudu was made from the amount of water in a cup. The Prophet SAW lived in a desert. Did they really have that much water to perform wudu in the way that is being prescribed? Muslim bathrooms become swimming pools after some perform wudu; I’m not sure that so much water should be wasted.
2) I’ve heard that the Prophet SAW has made wudu over socks or turban. Is this true? If so, I’m guessing these items were not dunked in the water to permit “flow”. Are we really going to parse based on the permeability of these coverings?
1) in the dessert, they do tayamum to replace wudhu, in which they wash their hands n faces only using the sand 🙂 if u dont want ur toilet to flood, then just do the washings of the 5 parts of the body (the compulsory one) 🙂 and just once since doing it three times is just a sunnah 🙂
reminds one of the times when the scholars were debating whether parrot (?) meat was halal or haram while they were being invaded by mongols.
huh? Where did you hear that story? CNN?
Yes sis Sara is right:
When Halagu Khan invaded Baghdad,the scholars were discussing fiqh issues(parrot,crow or something else,does nt matter what) but they were discussing every matter besides defending themselves and the locals from onslaught.
Halagu grew angry at this and combined with some other reasons he killed the Caliph by rolling him in a carpet and being trempled or mauled by horse.Terrible death indeed.
Its not in CNN,from authentic history books.
What scholars? What authentic books? Would you kindly give names of couple of those book.
This article, although scientific, begs the question regarding the real issue. The prophet pbuh mentioned that Muslims should refrain from “grey” areas that have not been defined as either halal or haram, and this seems to be one of them to say the least. I am talking about the “breathable” nail polish not the regular one of course. So why don’t scholars just state it as it needs to be stated rather than beat around the bush. Fatwas are not meant to be popular, just meant to be based on sound prophetic evidence.
The scholars should not say something is haram when it is not haram even if the issue is skirting the line. They CAN say clearly that this is discouraged since it is a grey area, and should not be performed.
Agree. When something is discouraged, saying that makes those who stay away from it seem pious rather than seem extreme.
It was a grey area before on regular nail polish now with the breathable nail polish as it touches and cleans the surface of nail it is considered halal… no grey ares… quite simple really pleaser dont make things more complicated than need to be.
Why is it a gray issue if this nail polish really is water permeable and reaching the nails? It seems anyone can do the test at home for themselves.
When I was much younger, this question was asked of the Imam by another sister, and he did not scoff at her as I believe many sisters seem to be. He answered the question with sound reasoning. This is true of our beloved prophet (saw). Many questions concerning daily life seem trivial to some, but Islam is a way of life and that includes all aspects.
This article is very relevant for women in the United States so JazakAllahu khayr! I’ve heard many religious sisters discuss if it’s valid from a fiqh perspective so it’s refreshing to see our scholars researching what the the normal Muslim is thinking about. This is an example of fiqh in action and I appreciate that the findings and research are shared with the reader.
If this isn’t relevant to a specific reader, than you can always read other articles and fiqh opinions out there about the topics that interest you but I feel that downplaying what is relevant to others is inappropriate.
Also, shuyukh should not be put down for researching topics that are relevant to some segments of the Muslim population. If anything, that IS the role of our shuyukh. They should guide and teach us what is and is not permissible, albeit it be something as small as whether or not we can wear nail polish.
Be positive people. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked a thousand questions and he never refused answering a question because he had bigger fish to fry or more “important” things to deal with.
How is this whole stupid topic important at all. Get a clue. The Ummah is in a sad state. People are being slaughtered, others are starving and Sister in the US are worried about polishing their nails. I’ve got to make hijrah soon. Stuff like this makes me physically ill. Astaghfirullah.
Jazak Allah khair Shayk for addressing this issue! I benefited greatly from this!
Rhonda: beautifully said. Couldn’t have said it better myself 🙂
Adilah: The Ummah is in a sad state because of people like you who don’t have proper adaab when addressing our scholars. Look at the prophetic teachings of how the prophet (S) dealt with people and look at how our scholars dealt with their teachers and other scholars around them.
This is of grave importance to some sisters because some sisters love putting on nail polish. So much so that they pray with nail polish on! Therefore, their wudu is not valid, making their prayers invalid.
If we can’t address the basic fundamentals of our faith, which in this case is salah, without stirring a debate based on emotions then we are far from solving the problems that our Ummah is facing, my friend.
Adilah: My intention is not to offend you. It just makes me real upset when people disrespect our scholars. May Allah give you the best akhlaq and make it a means of you entering Jannah inshAllah 🙂
agreed with Z with the answer given responding to the Adilah’s comment..
couldn’t have said it better myself. JazakAllah for the research
Rhonda, you make good, reasonable points.
Agreed with sister Rhonda. Some mundane issues for some people, might be an important issues for others. So do not judge others just because you don’t see or feel the same way. Also I think this article shows us clearly how to think and understand properly for some fiqhs that related with every-day’s life. How we apply the thought process and the step by step thinking before come into conclusion.
Right on sister, we we shouldn’t shun others personal likes or dislikes, just because they are different then our own!!! May Allah bless us with more understanding & consideration towards one another,AMEEN!
If its not relevant to you let it be. I appreciate this article and respect the scholar for taking his time. I know there are bigger and more concerning issues out there, but no matter is too small when it comes to deen. I am in my thirties, mother of two, and perhaps I care; if you don’t no need to comment, just move onto the next article.
Jaazakallah khair for this very interesting and informative post!
ZEENA — adornment — should also be discussed.
ZEENA in front of foreign men was prohibited by the Prophet peace be upon him.
the author says that was out of the scope of the article. It’l probably be discussed in another one. As it constitutes of hijab.
And Allah knows best.
Assalamu Alaikum wr wb,
Besides the wudu aspect of nail polish, what about the attention that nail polish may bring? I’m more concerned about the “hijab/modesty” aspect of nail polish. Thoughts?
I’m not convinced that nail polish is immodest.
Is the issue that the nail polish is attractive? Or is the issue that it brings attention to the hands which could be seen as attractive?
Surely we are beyond discussing whether a woman’s hands can be shown, right? If a women’s hands are showing, so would any jewelry she is wearing, and those are adornments too. Did people not wear jewelry in the Prophet’s (SAW) time? So, quite frankly, if a guy is aroused by a woman’s nail polish, he’d probably be aroused by her rings, or by her naked hands. I would consider him to be the one with the problem that needs to be fixed, and not prohibit women from yet another thing becuase some weird guy is finding it attractive or it is bringing attention to something that is permissably shown.
To me, nail polish could fall into less worrisome categories.
1) Grooming. At least in the US, many professional women get manicures. It’s a sign of being well-put together, like wearing a nice suit.
2) Personality. Wearing different colored nails can be seen as an expression of personality, just like wearing different colored clothes. I worry when all expressions of personality are categorized as being immodest. This taken to its natural conclusion would relegate us all into black-niqabi-gloved-wearing conformity-bound women, and I don’t think is in the spirit of our beautiful, inclusive religion.
So to answer your question, I think the discussion of not wearing nail polish due to immodestly is fairly off the mark. The wudu discussion is slightly more relevant, but even then I don’t really see it as super-relevant. While I appreciate the scholar finding us girls a nice alternative and researching the issue, I wish I saw more articles about what men should or shouldn’t be doing. It seems like a lot of focus on “women must’ and “women can’t” lately…
@aa Read my article about urinating while standing, and you will see that men are just as much addressed in my research.
The end of this comment is absolutely ridiculous. Why do you want to see more articles about what men should and shouldn’t be doing? That’s a comment a teenager would make or something. “Stop picking on me! Pick on someone else!” We women can benefit from articles that are written for us (granted, I think this one is silly, but I’m not the one who plans to wear nail polish when I’m praying), so I don’t know why you feel like the heat is on you.
@imam umar, I will certainly check it out. Thanks for pointing it out and thanks for the response.
@AL86, you certainly make a lot of assumptions about me. I’m not being defensive and I’m not being adolescent. My point is that in the past six months I’ve received a spate of articles on this website about what women can and cannot do while not seeing any articles about when men can or can’t do. That’s a fact I think we can both agree on (if I’ve missed one, please let me know, I’d love to read it!). I find it a concerning pattern when there is a trend of focusing only on rules that would limit female behavior. Women, wear hijab. Women, don’t wear nail polish. You’re right that women can benefit from these articles. But where is the discussion about men’s requirements to wear beards? the role of the turban or hat? Or what clothes are appropriate for a man to wear? Surely men can benefit from a discussion of these topics, too, right?
I generally am a big fan of this website and the good work the scholars do. But I also think it’s important to point the unbalanced focus so it can be addressed. It’s not an accusation. Take it as an editorial suggestion.
I completely agree with you Sister Rhonda. I have never cared for nail polish but have daughters who may care one day, and I would love to give them a scientific/ Islamic information on this issue. Thanks to the Sheikh for researching this issue thoroughly and for giving us options. May Allah increase our beneficial knowledge. Ameen!
salam all,
Thank you for investigating into this matter as it demonstrates the thirst for true knowledge as prescribed by Islam.
However, my thoughts are, everything in Islam is judged by Allah on the basis of intention (niyyah). therefore, i believe that it would be best to also address the following
-the purpose of wearing the nail polish (self confidence? praise from other women? praise from (nauzubillah) men?)
-the necessity of wearing the nail polish (why bother if there’s other things that is more beneficial in the path towards jannah- the concept of zuhud or moderation)
wallahualam
well said, Rhonda!
عن أبي عبد الله النعـمان بن بشير رضي الله عـنهما قـال: سمعـت رسـول الله صلي الله عـليه وسلم يقول: (إن الحلال بين وإن الحـرام بين وبينهما أمور مشتبهات لا يعـلمهن كثير من الناس فمن اتقى الشبهات فـقـد استبرأ لديـنه وعـرضه ومن وقع في الشبهات وقـع في الحرام كـالراعي يـرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يرتع فيه ألا وإن لكل ملك حمى ألا وإن حمى الله محارمه ألا وإن في الجـسد مضغة إذا صلحـت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فـسـدت فـسـد الجسـد كـلـه ألا وهي الـقـلب
Jazak Allah khair for this. I have been dying to wear nail polish for my husband, to prevent nail biting, for myself, and to be fashionable with NO intention to attract men. I have a question about how long hand must be submerged in water for the water to get through the polish? I am worried that I expend so much energy to wake up for fair and keep my 5 prayers, and then not getting rewarded because of an invalid wudu.
Jazakum khiran
Salaam alaikom well although this topic may not seem important to some it may be to others so please respect one another. I am pretty neutral on this topic but I will say that there are women out there who like to paint their toes or a housewife that would like to appear pretty to her husband and would like to wear nail polish. It is in her intention we don’t know people’s circumstances so to cast judgement should be avoided. We don’t know if the sister wants to paint her toes goes out without showing her feet or if the housewife never leaves the home. We should make excuses for one another instead of claiming they are immodest or have bad intentions. Yes this ummah has many problems all which have happened by the will of Allah and the best weapon the believers have is dua so to change a state of an entire people we should all unite in supplication for Allah to help us
What I would like to know is how many layers of nail polish were painted onto the coffee filter before the water drops were placed over it. Do extra layers make the nail polish less permeable?
I was so happy when I read this, as I love nail varnish and am very sad to remove it when I have to pray. It made me think, however – does the nailpolish sit on the coffee filter in the same way it sits on the nail?
In the image it looks less like the polish coats the filter and more like it has been absorbed by the filter, which then also absorbed the water. Nailpolish on the nail is shiny and solid-looking. The polished filter doesn’t look that way.
Also, the standard manicure is two coats of nailpolish – can we check whether water impermeates both coats? and perhaps a different surface than just a coffee filter?
🙁 I realized these things just before I was about to buy four of those Inglots.
Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,
Real questions deserve real answers, even if others think the question isn’t worth asking. The issue at hand deals with the validity of a sisters’ wudu, which is directly related to the validity of her prayers, so it’s not as trivial as some might think. May Allah reward our dear brother Mustafa Umar for his efforts.
As salaamu alaikum,
It wasn’t really made clear in the post but it appears from the picture that although the water permeates the nail polish it becomes mixed. So by the time the water would reach the fingernail it would no longer be mutahhir. Can Imam Mustafa clarify this issue? Would this (ie water mixed with coloring) be valid for wudu according to any school?
Shukran
ws
You brought up a very good fiqhi point. I didn’t take that into consideration. But now, after reflecting upon it, it should not be a problem since water does not remove the nail polish over time, and that means that any small amount of polish that mixes with the water is negligible. My [hanafi] opinion on mixed water is that as long it is deemed [‘termed’] water it is still absolute water [mutlaq] and it is so in this case since the quantity of polish mixed is very little.
Interesting article. I’m alarmed by how much negativity and arrogance there are in some of the comments. It just an interesting insight that may be beneficial to some people. If you don’t find it beneficial, then don’t read it and then go to the lenghts of commenting on it. You could’ve just spent that time on reading something that was beneficial to you.
The first thing a person will be asked about on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. Ritual purity is a precondition for the validity of one’s prayer. Therefore, this topic is not only not trivial, but of immense importance. Furthermore, addressing this topic and having concern for the ummah’s problems are not mutually exclusive.
Imam Suhaib it would be greatly appreciated to analyse the suras and hadiths that analise the wearing of hijab. Because the hijab issue has become somehow vague and a lot of the times you are finding people saying that its not obligatory for Muslim women to wear it since its not in the Quraan, therefore it would help a lot of the women out there to go through the relevant verses and their detailed explanation. the fact is alot of the women are struggling with it but the imams are not addressing the issue of how hard it is, they just try to brush it off. Another important issue is hijab practical in this day and age when everyone is walking semi naked?????
Here you go: http://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/quran/hijab-fard-obligation-or-fiction/
Assalamu alaikum! THANK YOU for this! 🙂 May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala reward you for your efforts! This may be unimportant for some people but to others, this is a question that needed to be answered. The prophet ‘alayhi salaatu salam always took time to answer people’s questions 🙂 no matter how major or minor. Again, Jazakallahu Khairun 🙂
Sh Mustafa, writing an article is like ‘dancing in the minefields’, so I say enjoy it while you dance 🙂
It’s unfortunate that people are conveying sentiments along the lines of “there are bigger things to worry about than this”…of course not all issues in life carry the same weight of importance than others.
However at the very least; recognize the importance of the subject of this article; and also recognize the validity of the subject. Most importantly however; ponder on why this is why Islam is the beautiful way of life and faith that it is…because no stone is left unturned in terms of the subject matter (whether someone may deem the subject matter as “miniscule” or not.)
No others faith has such a rich tradition and history of consistently and constantly asking/seeking questions and answers to life’s little AND large subjects.
Awesome article. This is actually relevant and brings an interesting contribution to the discussion. I like the filter test…I wonder if someone can do a similar test on different types of socks to see if different fabrics are permeable or not to water which is a condition for many for the validity of wiping the sock.
When looking at reasons for doing something, it’s not enough to look at the reasons for the container. One must also understand the reasons for the content.
Two of the reasons for prayer are to come closer to Allah (CC) and to cleanse oneself, the latter of course is part of coming closer to Allah (CC).
Wudu is similar. It is a preparation for prayer. We cleanse our exterior to prepare for cleaning our interior. The exterior being cleaned (Hands, arms, feet, head are those exterior aspects of the body that easily become dirty.) Thus, nail polish is not in the same category as “dried paint, dough, or wax”. The former is an intentional adornment of beauty (which may bring up the topic of modesty but that’s not what’s being discussed here) while the latter is incidental from doing work. Thus, while a normal person will consider paint as something to be cleaned from, the same person would not consider nail polish as something dirty and thus needing to be cleaned.
Of course, some will say that it doesn’t matter what a normal person thinks. It only depends upon what Allah (CC) has commanded. No doubt. But people are interpreting the commands, which as Yusuf Rios in his recent article “Reasons of Revelation” has noted, needs an understanding of why Allah (CC) sends a particular revelation. The reason of wudu is to clean oneself. As nail polish is not an item needing to be cleaned, then a person’s exterior is cleaned by removing any dirt, paint, dough, and so on from the nail polish but not the nail polish.
Consider a doctor who prescribes an antibiotic for a bacterial infection. On a later occasion, the same person has similar symptoms of a fever, aches, and so on. The person decides he needs antibiotics again without understanding that this time he has a viral infection for which antibiotics don’t help. Just as it is not the symptoms but the disease for which a doctor prescribes medicine. In determining whether something is permitted or prohibited, one needs to differentiate the content from the container of the command.
Reed, I agree completely. Nail polish is not the same as paint or dough that one does not intend to get on themselves as it would demonstrate they are dirty. Rather, it is a clean substance covering a clean nail. Alhumdu’Allah, we were granted the responsibility to read the Quran for ourselves and come to our own conclusions for which we will be responsible on the day of judgment. While I don’t wear nail polish because it requires a lot of upkeep, I don’t believe that if I chose to then Allah would not accept my prayers. I think some people spend so much time thinking about the definition of the word “wash” that they have lost sight of common sense and oftentimes bring much of the Muslim world with them. Islam is a logical religion that is meant to be understood and practiced by all who are individually responsible for their choices. Thus, I do not think Allah made his commands difficult for the average person to follow in this situation or others.
Assalaamu alaykum. I’ve got a few questions. Why is there a need for nail polish in the first place? Is it to beautify herself for her husband or for herself? I’m asking because I’ve always thought that a woman’s beauty is for her husband.its extremely rare to find nail polish on women’s hands whose nails is not grown or long either, so will they be keeping there nails short as they should and still where nail polish or will they be violating shariah on cleanlyness aswel? Do we show we are different to other religions if we follow what non-muslims do? I’ll leav it at that because i agree totally with Adilah.
I was raised in the West and just started practising Islam, but this is exactly why I dislike very religious people who judge every little thing. This article was beyond amazing, and I do believe that many sisters will benefit from it just like I did. This is very sad but at one point I actually gave up salah just to wear nail polish, I am very thankful for this. I understand the state of the ummah is not well, and that we have bigger problems to worry about….but I am one of the ummah and this definitely has helped me greatly! jazak allah khair.
Your comment made my day 🙂
🙂
Alhamdulilah, right there with you sister. As a convert, this is a wonderful article for me and I was ecstatic upon reading it. My mom and sisters love to get their nails done together and are so upset when I refuse to join them or won’t put on nail polish for a special occasion. No matter how I explain it they always seem to forget and take it personally and dislike Islam for how it “restricts” me. Using this nail polish, I can take part in their “bonding experiences”, I can PLEASE MY MOTHER and in doing so and maintaining wudu, I can PLEASE ALLAH SWT. People do not understand our situation so I implore them to think outside of the box. JazakAllah khair for this article. It has truly improved my situation as a convert muslim and inshAllah will be great dawah to my family. May Allah swt reward you for your efforts and open the hearts of those who cannot see.
My 2 cents? I wouldn’t risk my salat by wearing polish if not sure my wudu was valid..if in doubt, leave it out! Wear it when you’ve got your period, Allah has given women prayer free times during the month so wear it then, not even non Muslims wear polish continuously because they know your nails get flaky, it’s not good for you. So problem solved 🙂
I have a friend who has been wearing this nail polish for a few months and she has said that her nails do not become flaky because it is breathable. That is part of the reason the company came up with it in the first place, to help with the health of the nails. 🙂
Salaam… I totally agree with Green..
So getting this nail polish.
This is really great, jazakAllah khair sheikh. I have a friend who also stopped praying because she wanted to put nailpolish on. It made me very sad, but I think we need to realize that we all have our personal struggles and unfortunately in what is a now a global society that emphasizes the importance of our external attributes, that the way we dress is an extension of us and our creativity, it will take a lot to undo this notion. Until then, having these sorts of allowances really helps!
Jazak Allah khair for this. I have been dying to wear nail polish for my husband, to prevent nail biting, for myself, and to be fashionable with NO intention to attract men. I have a question about how long hand must be submerged in water for the water to get through the polish? I am worried that I expend so much energy to wake up for fair and keep my 5 prayers, and then not getting rewarded because of an invalid wudu.
Jazakum khiran
Here is a response that one sister received from a company:
I contacted aquarella, another brand. Here is their response:
Dear ___,
First of all we apologize for the delay in our reply. We appreciate your question and expect it is in regards to Wudu’. We did a study on this last year and the short answer is “yes” however it’s not quite that simple, so we’ll explain it because it’s time dependent:
Basic Premise – Acquarella Nail Polish and Conditioner, being a water based, permeable acrylic emulsion allow air and water to pass through its surface film unlike conventional, nitrocellulose polishes.
Short Term Water Exposure – The answer is no.
The time required to have full permeability, detectable to the human eye is greater than 4 minutes of full contact (soaking, etc).
Longer Term Water Exposure – The answer is an absolute YES.
Full permeability of greater than 4 minutes of full contact (soaking, etc) and is detectable/realized when the polish loses its “shine”. When the polish has lost its “shine”, it has absorbed water into the polymer matrix. After such time as the water leaves the polymer matrix either through absorption into the body or evaporation, the “shine” will return to the surface of the Nail Polish. The polish may even change shade or opacity when absorbing water relative to how long after the initial application of the nail polish. Time for full contact may be made shorter by raising temperature of water. This effect is most prominent within the first week of wearing the polish, after which the polish takes longer to absorb water. We recommend weekly change cycles (or less) to facilitate lower time for absorption.
All are products are as they are either synthetic or plant based with water and therefore Halal. If there is anything else you would like to know about our products, feel free to let us know. We hope this answers your question and we thank you for your interest in Acquarella nail products.
Sincerely,
Customer Service
Acquarella Water Based Nail Products
Email – customerservice@acquarellapolish.com
Web – http://www.acquarellapolish.com
Salaam
Very interesting read- thank you. I wonder whether the author is familiar with an alternative ruling that holds a woman may pray with nail varnish (of any kind) – so long as she performed wudhu prior to applying the nail varnish.
The reasoning appears to be thus: just as the impermeable property of nail varnish means water cant reach it, it also means no impurities can reach it. Thus the nails will remain in a state of wudhu throughout, provided wudhu was performed BEFORE the varnish went on.
This appeared a sound reasoning to me but perhaps there is more to it than that? I guess it would depend on whether the objective of wudhu was purely a ritual purification or actual removal of impurities – this ruling seems more sensible in the latter case but may not be in the first case.
God knows best.
salaam, as a convert to Islam, this is exactly the question I have asked, a number of times. I was told simply “Water cannot get to the nail, therefore, impurities cannot be removed!”
I asked about how, if one has wudu before the nail polish is applied, how any impurities can get through, to contaminate, if the cleansing water cannot get through to clean. No one has been able to answer this.
I could not find the reference for this alternative ruling.
Naturally I don’t want to do anything that displeases Allah,(SWT), but I also don’t want to get caught up in the pernicketty little things, and lose sight of the big picture, our responsibilities to Allah.
Jazakallah Khayr for writing this article imam, it is very much appreciated!
I enjoy wearing nail polish when I’m I am not able to pray and I know many other sisters who do as well. This is very encouraging and I hope that this or other brands will make breathable nail polishes that will be deemed permissible to wear while praying salat. I do plan on refraining from using it though until more research has been done as salat is MUCH to important to take lightly. But I do especially appreciate that the concerns and questions many women have are being taken seriously.
And to my fellow posters, obviously this is a minor issue in regards to the plethora of issues our ummah faces but seriously must we be cynical and sarcastic in the replies? Totally unnecessary.
i think we have an important issue to consider when we are trying to decide what is modest or not: what would Fatima do? (WWFD)
would Sayyida Fatima (alayha assalam) wear nailpolish? would Sayyida Maryam (alayha assalam) wear nailpolish?
would Sayyida Khadija (alayha assalam) waer nailpolish?
whose fashion are we following? i am not talking about kafir vs muslim. i am talking about pious and authentic expressions of feminine baeuty vs. those created by people or shayateen who don’t have in mind our best interests when they convince us to deck ourselvs out. This is a type of zeena that is unnecessary and not befitting of a modest woman.
Do you think that the mothers of Islam did not do things to make themselves feel beautiful? We may have different cultures now, as I’m sure Allah did not intend for Muslims to be caught in a time warp, but women want to feel good about themselves in any era. Did women living during the time of the prophet (saw) wear henna? Did they wear silk or jewelry? Did they darken their eyes with kajul? What makes you think they would not have worn nail polish had it existed? I’ve grown tired of all the Muslims who seem to think a woman must be completely plain and nonexistent to be modest. This culture of scrubbing the earth of femininity is wrought with absurdity and leads to a great burden being placed on women that I don’t think is required by Allah so much as it is by men. Stop worrying about women’s modesty and start worrying about why women’s behaviors are limited to any reaction by men (in this case, to merely seeing nail polish on fingernails). If we start there perhaps some of the bigger issues our ummah faces will be resolved as well.
I totally agree! Being modest shouldn’t be completely doing away with anything that makes you feel confident, or brings you any kind of happiness. I truly find some rules people impose to be so out of the bounds of common logic or sense, it’s as if anything you do is deemed haram in some way shape or form! I think we should care more for our actions and intentions rather than nitpick every last aspect of anything remotely enjoyable.
Logically speaking, there wasn’t such a thing as nail polish, at the time of the companions of our Prophet (PBUH)?
Cigarettes did not exist at the time of the Prophet, but we know that they are harmful, and therefore should be considered to be haraam.
Nail polish is like mascara or eyeliner, it’s not a harmful substance (unless one is allergic?) surely?
For me nailpolish is like wearing makeup and makeup is not permitted. So I choose not to wear nail polish. It’s my personal choice. I shouldn’t be treated poorly because of this as you would mot be wanted to be treated bad for wearing it. I can wear it at home for my husband but I don’t it’s too much of a hassle and maintenance.
[…] Is Breathable Nail Polish Sufficient for Wudu? by Mustafa Umar A detailed response to one of the most common questions asked by Muslim sisters, urging the importance of researching both the scientific and fiqhi (Islamic law) angles before coming to a conclusion. […]
As a revert to Islam, painting my nails is one of the things I miss doing the most. It made me feel confident and more importantly feminine. It was never put on for anyone else (well sometimes the color was chosen to appease my mother), but instead worn for my own enjoyment. I would love it if scholars would look further into breathable polish, as it would make me personally feel a little more connected with my American culture which I feel like is slipping away sometimes.
Salam, jazakAllahkhair for doing this research. I’m curious to know how many coats of nail polish were applied in the test? Normally when getting a manicure, people tend to do 3-4 coats (including the base and topcoat), so I wonder if water would seep through all that as well since I know inglot sells the base and topcoat as well.
Salams all.
I tried that same exact experiment at home. Didn’t work 🙁 i was hoping it would. i think we need to have more evidence (from the manufacturers themselves or an independent scientific experiment) to prove the statements they are making about their product.
That’s kind of disappointing. I was gonna buy it and try the test myself too, am I wasting my money?
You wouldn’t be wasting ur money if u want a healthier alternative for ur nails (or so they claim 😉 but a bunch of my friends and I ordered and a couple of us tried the experiment on different textured paper (coffee filter, notebook paper) with different coats and we didn’t feel any wetness on the opposite side. The only explanation I have for the experiment conducted in this article is that accidental drop (see footnote 11) seeped to the other side and spread (as a drop would do on paper towels or paper) and that’s how she felt the wetness…but u would think they were extra careful and would have accounted for that??? I dunno!!! I don’t recall from my science classes what it is called, but if an experiment cannot be replicated with similar results, something isn’t right about it.
She did account for that extra drop and did the test three times. I personally know three other people who also performed the test and it worked the same way. That is specifically why I mentioned that misfire drop in the footnote. She just didn’t want to take another picture 🙂
Salam,
Thank you so much for this article & JAK. I also would like to point out that every single article I read pertaining to Islam always has those unnecessary negative comments. If you aren’t particularly worried about this subject, don’t read the article! Allah swt didn’t give us this life to constantly feel caged, and have pessimistic views on every subject. Some people enjoy painting their nails and some don’t. That’s okay and entirely up to each individual but there is no need to look down upon others and see yourself as more pious or religious because you would “never do such a thing” inshallah Allah will guide us all to the straight path and may we learn to treat each other’s opinions with respect. As Muslims we must be more compassionate towards one another, not turn people away from our religion because of the rules and strict regulations we choose to impose and all the limits we set. Do things within the boundaries of Islam and with a pure intention and inshallah Allah will be satisfied with all your doings. Ameen.
Compassion*
I agree. The religion is simple. There is no compulsion in Islam. We should emulate the Mothers of the Believers, that is true. However, everyone walks the Path to God at their own pace …
[…] Check out this post on SuhaibWebb.com for perhaps a more educated look at this […]
It seems some hijabi sisters are so concern about their beauties that they want to look beautiful all the time fr head to toe. In Islam as muslimah, we should dress modestly and for the sake of Allah and not to attract others attention. So, what’s the purpose of putting nail polish & also wearing heavy make up? Is it for Allah? or to attract compliments? Only Allah knows your intention.
I think this is a concern for many people. Women intrinsically love to beauty themselves. This is hinted to in the Quran. Islam does not ask people to stamp out their fitra. It guides it and gives it boundaries. So married women or among other women or mahrams…dressing up is no problem.
Sisters who are married or among mahrams may love the option of having nailpolish on which allows their wudu to be valid. Personally im a bit unsure because im wondering if the coffee filter test is enough to prove that water indeed gets to the nail,
You know what is even more sad, when we contacted the company asking for proof that their product really does as it says (without mentioning anything about religion) they automatically assumed we were Muslim and gave me a link to this exact article as proof that there’s a fatwa regarding their nail polish’s legitimacy when this article doesn’t do so whatsoever. It’s kinda sad that they r sending to everyone as a canned response (my friends also sent similar questions). Personally, unless they show me scientific evidence to prove what they r saying, I will be skeptical.
If only Allah knows our intentions, why are you assuming you know theirs?
Dear Madinah, you are absolutely right!!! I agree with you- 100%!!! 😉
Firstly in order for wudu to be valid, water should flow and penetrate the skin. In this case the water took ten seconds to penetrate. The water isn’t flowing, it is merely wetting the nail. Furthermore even wetting the nail means you have to dip your fingers in water for 10seconds. It should be noted that wudu will be invalid by just dipping your hands or nails etc. in stagnant water. Secondly, the dripping of water will still not validate the wudu if water has not flowed and permeated the nails.
What is your evidence for all of these explanations?
Why are many of the people commenting here only to argue with others who have commented? If you like polish, wear it. If you don’t like it (or disagree with its halaleness) don’t!
It makes me sad to see brothers and sisters in Islam ready to jump on each other without hesitation! know Islamically we should tell others if we believe something is wrong, but Haraam is a strong word!
Manners are very important in our religion, and we should remember we are all on the same page here!
Just please remember that as Muslims we should stick together, not fight over how good a person we are if we do or do not wear nail polish!
and also, 72 excuses guys 🙂
As a few have mentioned this is a grey area and really should be avoided in which i agree, like How many layers can one apply before water vapor stops reaching the nail, this could probably differ from color to color.Besides natural healthy nails as allah intended never really have been or will be out of fashion ladies……….
So, I just bought this nail polish from macys. $15. pricey, but i thought it was worth it since the reviews are really good and it lasts a long time. and sometimes, religion is expensive. (think about how much we spend on clothes in order to keep up with our modesty. i dont know about you, but i spend a lot because the ‘halal’ clothes are more expensive and tend to be from branded companies). bought a nice pink color to start off so it’s not so bright. It feels really light. other women will notice the difference as for when a person wears nail polish and washes their hands, they can feel that there is something covering your nails. but when i washed my hands it felt as if there was nothing there. i would suggest to stick with one layer of the nail polish while you are praying. the darker colors are pretty dark with even with one layer. i would suggest to the ladies to try it while you’re on your monthly cycle. if you feel a difference, then stick with it. otherwise, just stick w/ the cheaper kind for your monthly cycle.
With all due respect, but I don’t know how it could feel different? At the end of the day, if we take inglot’s words, only vapor reaches the nail. Of course that’s other than the fact that experiment sites in this article doesn’t work. U should try it. I did.
you’re probably right that i should try the experiment.
i don’t know if you just did the experiment at the macy’s store or actually bought it. in other words, i do not know if you wear nail polish on a regular basis or not. I, on the other hand, LOVE nail polish. but i can’t stand the feeling of nail polish after like three-five days, and i start picking at it. and when i wash my hands, my nails have this weird feeling afterward. that’s what i meant by it feels different.
and i don’t know if it just me, but i feel like my nails are releasing moisture even after a little while after i wash my hands.
I did buy the polish and yea I probably don’t wear polish as much I should (I just never gets around to putting it on lol). I just like to make sure that when someone makes a claim (I.e., that the polish permeates) they have something to back it up instead of sending me a link to this article cuz that certainly is not the proof I was looking for
i’m soooo excited..I SOO WANT TO TRY Inshallah,but yeah definitely gonna do the experiment first…:)
I’d like to find out exactly how they did this experiment because I went off and bought this nail polish and tried it out for myself. I used an oil filter first and it didn’t work. Then I tried it on a piece of tissue paper and I covered a larger surface area of the tissue paper and still nothing happened. I actually rubbed the water in (because thats what happens when you do wudhu, you’re rubbing your hands while water flows over it) and still only the area around the tissue paper got wet but not the spot below where I had put the nail polish. If water vapour does go through, the underside should still show residue of some sort. but it was completely dry. I am sorely disappointed as this nail polish is very expensive!
Guys, I went and bought this nail polish, but before I did, I used the testers in the store to conduct my experiment. Here’s the results: First of all, the paper that you use for the experiment must be completely water permeable, so if you drop water over it, it must soak through immediately, because we are testing whether the water permeates the nail polish, not the paper. Ok, so I took normal nail polish, and spread it over a serviette, and did the same with the O2M polish. I waited for it to completely dry, then I placed a drop of water over the painted part, making sure that I never let the water slip onto the actual paper like what happened in the experiment in this article. I pressed the water down on the normal polish, and after many attempts the water did not go through and the paper remained hard. When I placed water on the 02M, the water did not immediately absorb (obviously not), but I pressed on the water and it DID wet the paper. The water did not “flow”, but it definitely went through the paper. I did this test THREE times over (actually more), and I got even better results with thinner paper. So if the water is going through the paper, then OBVIOUSLY it is going through the polish. You just have to wash your nails properly when you take wudhu, like rub it a little. This was my personal investigation and I am not someone to easily believe anything. I had to make sure for myself that is does work, and it does. Although, if anyone wants to buy it, I suggest you try the experiment yourself just so you can see for yourself and not stress about whether your wudhu is permissible or not.
Wow, never mind my previous comment. I just tried the experiment a few times now again and it suddenly won’t work! But it definitely worked the first few times. Something seems dodgy.
Lol sorry!! I’m jur glad that you all are trying it out instead of blindly accepting claims of permeability 🙂 it makes me feel better that we have Muslim women who don’t blindly accept everything they r told without first making sure that the claim is backed up by evidence
My prayers have been answered!!!!!!! Woohoooooohooo!
I understand how the experiment was conducted but what I do not understand is that Inglot Company claims that the nail polish allows water vapor to pass through not liquid water but your experiment seems like you used liquid to conduct the experiment. How can this be possible if the company does not even claim that this is possible?
Excellent point. Too bad most others arent thinking like you.
It could be that water vapor will go through consistently but liquid water sometimes does and sometimes doesn’t go through….the company wouldn’t want to claim that water gets through if it doesn’t do so 100% of the time because they could face trouble for making fraudulent claims.
where can we find that brand? I waaaaaaaaaaaannntt 😀
Macys!
is there any other nail polish like that and what are they also where can you get this type of nail polish at which stores. Thank you! <3 <3
If its important enuf to someone, then just buy it and conduct the test ur self. This is better than taking the word of others.m
Fazila that was a good point, first I was thinking that in this experiment, the liquid water was PRESSED on over the polish and filter, in other words pressure was applied.
However, water vapor is a gas, and a gas spreads out on it’s own without pressure, filling the limits of whatever area it is released. I am not a scientist, just a homeschooler 🙂
The question then, if we are to follow PURELY the company’s statements, would be if water vapor is considered valid for wudo. I will leave that to the scholars.
Amatullah, while it is permissible to take trustworthy Muslims word, it would perhaps be better to find out ourselves. Unless I know someone very well; know they are constant in salat, their history of honesty and I trust their judgement, I research or confirm things myself, especially matters of my deen. None of us are perfect though, but we strive to do best.
The women who asked questions and specifics in Rasullullah’s day salla lahu alahi wa salam, were commended for their persistance in finding out and clarifying even what was considered as small matters. Al hamdulilah may we be like them, living for the Akhirah.
Assalamou alaikom wa rahmaullah sisters
its funny how everyone is jumping to the conclusion that this nail polish really is islamically acceptable when the founder of the polish himself couldnt himself do that because he wanted to be certain…..at least there’s some conscience and honesty left in this world.
“Inglot had insisted on having more data before he felt he could responsibly promote the varnish as being compliant with Islamic law.” found in the link posted below
http://news.yahoo.com/breathable-nail-polish-surprise-hit-151546563.html
I understand that the chap who developed this product isn’t a Muslim. So maybe that’s why he sought advice?
I am getting really annoyed with u SK, read all the articles before u even make a judgement.
Inglot’s varnish was developed about four years ago but became a hit with Muslim women after an Islamic scholar, Mustafa Umar, declared last November that it was permissible under Muslim law because it allowed water to reach the nail.
“I don’t think there is a single Muslim living here,” Inglot said at his factory, near the border with Ukraine, nine days before his death from internal haemorrhaging. “We didn’t even think about this.” He said the company was unable to immediately meet all requests for orders, and that the phenomenon was so fresh that he didn’t yet have any figures on sales.
“But it looks very promising,” Inglot said. “We were very surprised and very happy with that.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/wojciech-inglot-cosmetics-maker-who-caused-a-craze-among-muslim-women-8513670.html
SO IT IS APPROVED BY A SCHOLAR! IT IS HALAL
Although Br. Mustafa Umar has studied Islamic Law, it is apparent that he is unqualified to issue a fatwah: http://mustafaumar.com/about-2/
And I applaud Br. Mustafa’s efforts, and perhaps the reporter has used the label of ‘a scholar who issued a fatwah’, but it is misleading to some, because one must be qualified in order to issue fatawah.
Online Muftis: Who Is Eligible?
by Sheikh/Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustafa, a well known faqih[http://www.drsano.net/#]
http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/dawah-principles/177025.html
[…] that is what Ayesha was talking about. When I want to relax I like doing my nails (Muslim chicas check out “halal” H2O nail polish) and when I want to reconnect with myself I run. So that weekend I decided I should pick up an old […]
Nails are cleaned before painting with nail polish,if hands and nails are washed throughly water can reach the nail and skin from underneath – no nail polish there!
[…] issue has sparked a ‘nail-biting’ debate on Islamic online forums such as SuhaibWebb.com. Some critics argue that the discussion on the issue is a futile one, and even if the nail polish […]
updates from Mustafa Umar’s blog:
UPDATE: 02-25-13: Mr. Inglot, the founder of the company, just passed away on Feb 23. We were scheduled to meet this week and he was going to share his research on some tests being performed on the O2M polish. The tests will now be delayed for a while. You may download his preliminary findings here.
UPDATE: 02-07-13: The permeability may be affected by wearing more than one layer [e.g. a base coat, top coat, etc.] so make sure to either test permeability or wait until Inglot releases the tests that they are currently conducting before using multiple layers.
_________________________________
Sisters your wudu is far more important than beautifying yours nails. If your wudu is questionable, then your worship is questionable. Do you really want a question mark in your books on the day of Qiyamah?
Please refrain from wearing Inglot or any other ‘breathable’ nail polish until further tests have been made.
Listen i only wear 1 layer so im not bothered, according to bloggers who have worn 1 layer or 2 layer they say it does not chip therefore there is no need to buy a base coat therefore my wudhu will be halal seeing as i only wear a coat of it anyways
please be bothered…we here here in this dunya for a short while..as muslims we will not live once..but twice..here and the hereafter..Almighty God guide us always..
i tried the test with one layer. still didnt work.
assalmualaikum..when the the holy quran tells one that wudu is an important step for salaat…why should we then jeopardise our salaat by wearing nail polish…just saying…
Because people are not praying, so they are not jepordizing their salat, they’re just not making it. Sad 🙁
[…] http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/worship/prayer/is-breathable-nail-polish-sufficient-for-wu%E… […]
Ma Shaa Allah Finally a sensible comment.
don’t wear nail polish, never have, never tempted. but clicked ‘like’ for the reasoning and effort employed to explore whether grounds for permissibility may exist (note: the existence of grounds, is legally different from the actual decision; i think the article totally understood this and communicated the findings well).
You’ve got to be kidding. 117 responses on nail polish?
Really people is something as simple as having your nails painted keeping you from praying? Are you going to respond on the day of judgement with “I didn’t pray because I liked to paint my nails” ?! You all sound so ignorant. Sure I wear makeup and I am a makeup artist however this is just wrong, in my opinion prayer is prayer respect it. Just like if your job didnt want you wearing nailpolish you wouldnt because you be afraid of the consequences. Fear the consequences of Allah swt. He knows best
Mashalla well said Hanan.
So true Hanan
Absolutely; our prayers are far too important to take a chance with.
i tried this on tissue paper and the drop of water sat on the color for the whole day never went through it so ya i dont think it should be risked anyway.
[…] http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/worship/prayer/is-breathable-nail-polish-sufficient-for-wu%E… […]
[…] for the Muslim women who are caught up in the Inglot “halal” nail polish craze, there is one of those stores […]
My dream! I love nail art, is is the perfect solution, I think its pretty legit.
“It is imperative that issues such as the legitimacy of wearing breathable nail polish while performing wuḍū’ be properly researched both on the scientific level as well as the fiqhī (Islamic Law) level.”
Seriously? is it imperative?, I think it comes somewhere so down the list of things that need to be properly researched, perhaps we ought to concentrate more on our adab with each other and being inherently more Islamic than by focussing on minutiae like this.
The problems we have in Islam today are a result of looking at everything under a microscope and not looking enough at the gist of the thing. How is it that most Muslims seem to have an undeveloped inner voice that makes them more confident of their infinitely merciful lord.
These sorts of posts are SO depressing, where we make religion into a binary YES/NO lens betweenthe paths to heaven and hell.
Stop it and learn to love as god loves you, only then will you be able to judge with mercy.
i dont see the problem with testing this product in a scientific setting. in fact, that’s what the author of this article should have done before promoting this product, the makers of which cant even provide us with decent proof (other than a link to this “fatwa”) that their product actually works. that’s called false advertising. muslims are so gullible.
thank you..i couldnt agree with you more..could someone please wake up ppl somehow..i dont know whats going on with the world, but ppl need to wake up. this is why messenger after messenger was sent..its getting to that point again.
Assalaamu Alaykum Sisters,
After reading that the breathable nail polish is not valid for wudu which contradicts this article I decided to conduct the experiment myself. I paid $22.00 for the nail polish and delivery. I used coffee filter to conduct the test. I spread one layer of the o2M breathable nail polish and place it over a glass, secured it with an elastic band then poured water into the nail polish lined filter. The water did not permeate the surface. As the control test, I used a fresh coffee filter (no nail polish), placed it over a glass and poured water into. Unlike the nail polish treated filter, the water immediately seeped and dripped. My conclusion is that the breathable nail polish is NOT valid for wudu.
Thank you! This is what i’ve been trying to tell the whole world but people conveniently skipped over my messages lol. i, along with a bunch of my friends, also conducted this experiment and it failed as well.
*bangs his head against a wall*
We seem to be becoming a community of Sharia jurists with undeveloped faculties for appreciating divine love. Good luck with that everybody, I guess you’re hoping on the day of reckoning that god turns out to be petty and not the infinitely merciful one he’s promised to be. Only then will your pedantry and distraction from focusing more on your adab have it’s true reward.
Wake up, God doesn’t care about your nail polish, he’s far more concerned with your adab and intentions.
Please don’t judge women who love wearing nail polish like me. My husband pays for my manicures & pedicures every time I have my monthly period and I really don’t see any harm in having it done. I use gloves and socks to cover my hands and feet from strangers and only mahram gets to see them in their glory. It is unfair to say that its not ‘islamic’ to do so. I’m not going to be plain and boring for my husband. I dress up, color my hair, style it, take care of my body. What is wrong with that?????? And I wear nail polish and a bit of light make up to female only wedding receptions too, is that also unislamic? Please do not make it as if our religion is hard, it is NOT. Everything is considered PERMISSIBLE until proven otherwise.
I don’t think anyone is judging anyone here but just trying to give their advice. You’re right we should not make islam hard as it’s not that difficult. One thing I did want to say was that…nail polish may not be haraam as it probably does not have any haraam ingredients in it…but one thing that does not cross many sisters’ minds is that: yes you don’t have to pray so I guess it’s okay that you wear nail polish because wudhu is not necessary to do zikr etc.
But to clean our hands is necessary for ghusl and can any one on this discussion board guarantee that we will live until tonight? If we have nail polish on and we die then I don;t know how many of our mothers and sisters want to take nail polish off our dead body! It’s just something to think about… I know many of us feel that it’s okay to wear it during those 7 days or for a wedding etc but we can’t guarantee that we will live to take it off…
May Allah grant us all Knoweldge. Ameen.
“I don’t know how many of our mothers and sisters want to take nail polish off our dead body! It’s just something to think about”
This is absurd, your Rab is rahman and rahim BEFORE anything else, as long as your niyyah is good, I’m pretty confident that you’ll be fine by Him. Love Him more than you fear Him and you’ll come to see that too.
Some of these comments are ridiculous.. For the record, I agree with Saqib and Foxymardy.
Too many people from the Muslim community are bogged down with correcting the silliest and smallest things in others. Do you really think that Allah is going to be concerned about women wearing nail varnish or about how pure their intentions are when they pray? Some people get so silly about these things it drives me nuts. Allah has not made our paths difficult for us but it is all we seem to do and these are the reasons why the ummah is constantly being divided into more and newer sects.
Let me tell you about an experience that I had:
I began my salah in the University prayer room and a woman who was kneeling next to me and (whom I believe had just broken her own salah), started to nudge me repeatedly while I was praying. At first I tried to ignore it but then I thought to myself that it has to be something important for another Muslimah to actually disrupt my salah, so I broke it and turned to her. She looked at me and said: ‘You can’t pray’, to which I questioned,’why not?’. Her answer was simple: ‘You’re not wearing any socks’. I told her that I didn’t have any and that I didn’t believe I had to cover my feet to pray and smiled at her. I went back to pray but she stopped me. We got into a confrontation and she insisted that she would not let me pray because apparently I ‘couldn’t’ because my feet were uncovered – NOT my ankles or my legs, this was simply about my feet. I then asked her to tell me where this ruling was written and after a pause of hesitation she stuttered and said ‘er er in the Qur’an’. So I asked her to show me where in the Qur’an she had read the ruling on covering ones feet during salah. She then indicated to me that she would show me once she had completed her own prayer – in the meantime my manager unawarely, was paying for me to stand in the prayer room to not even pray. I knew this woman hadn’t read anything about the ‘ruling’ in the Qur’an herself because her body language and reluctance to discuss it with me had pretty much given her away, not to mention I had already read the Qur’an myself and never read anything of the sort in any of the verses regarding a) salah or b) modesty. Even if she had said she had read it in a Hadith I would have understood – not agreed with it however, but understood.
Back to my point – this women did not let me pray and instead I had to pray in someone’s office which I later got into a bit of trouble for. Our duties as Muslim brothers/sisters is to advise one another not enforce our views upon others. Allah is all-Merciful and all-Forgiving and too many people focus on the things that don’t matter because they forget about what really matters and that’s the our imaan which can only be found within our hearts.
May Allah guide us all to the right path insha’Allah.
I agree there are much more things we need to worry about rather than worrying about little things. I would like to apoligize for anything I have said or implemented to any of my sisters out there.
Let’s not argue/fight/put down others as we are all Muslims and we all know what is our duty. Satan just wants us to fight with eachother and break down the sisterhood of Islam.
Let’s be strong and not let him get to us.
Its not black and white people, how do you not see the world and know this. Do some research, read “Even Angels Ask” by Jeffrey Lang. Please.
this is very informative. thank you 🙂
I am curious as to how this test was done exactly seeing as how Inglot claims only water vapor gets through and I personally tested it (as others seem to have done) three times, once with a tissue and twice with a coffee filter, and water did not seep through and the underside of where the nail polish was applied was completely dry. I think this was maybe too good to be true…
Assalam alaykom,
For the record, I got this “breathable” nail polish (Ingot O2M breathable) and did my own test. I painted a corner of a thin tissue with one layer of the nail polish. I let it dry and then put a drop of water on it. The water DID NOT seep through even when I applied pressure! I had done istikhara before this test and I think that this was the answer! As far as I am concerned, I don’t feel comfortable doing wudu’ while wearing this nail polish as the nails will remain dry, thus rendering the wudu’ invalid according to my understanding. I felt I ought to share this with you.
Just a thought: if water can’t get under nail polish, how will dirt get under there?
Allah has given you all wisdom, if you choose not to use it, you never know to depend on it and just end up taking everything literally.
He is infinitely merciful, have faith that he loves you as he says he does and not fear him as he has said his mercy outstrips his wrath. What stops you lot embracing that?
its not about whether dirt with get to your fingernails…
True; it is not about dirt but about following the command of Allah swt in the best way possible ( in this case the command is washing every part of the arm as part of Wudu).
It does make sense to stay away from anything that might put a question mark on this obedience.
Aslm alkm my dear sisters vanity is taking over and we seem to be adopting the mantra image is everything, that said, I wished this could be true untill I realized that how does water vapor come about; water gets heated to 100 degrees c, so technically that would be an impossible feat on our nails us we would burn, personally I think this consumer market has honed on the fact we Muslim women are desperate to use beauty products, so why not bend the rules to put us on the playing field? Just saying! May Allah Almighty guide us to what’s right
Interesting. I have always avoided nail polish for this reason.
How about someone tests this realistically and not on some tissue paper/coffee filter? How about somebody actually tests this on their nails? Be creative you could use henna… Later taking off the nail polish check to see if there is ‘any’ henna stain at all? And by the way ‘Zu’ when you catch cold and use a steamer for inhalation or use a warm most humidifier in your room are you actually inhaling a 100 degree steam? Not to put you down but it sounds ridiculous if you think team can only be produced/used at 100 degrees!
Salam sister, you made a very good suggestion regarding the henna and I actually tried it. Ive had the breathable nail polish on my nails for a few days now so on top of my nail I just applied some henna. After removing the nail polish and henna my nail had the dye of the henna underneath! So I believe this goes to show that water would pass through it.
and sorry I forgot to mention that I tried the same method on my sister who wore a normal nail polish and after removing both products the nail underneath was clear.
Give it a try yourself proof is there.
JAK =)
Ok, so the nail polish is permeable. That’s good news. But how do you feel about the whole point why women wear nail polish? Is it not to beautify the hands, while we are asked to be modest? I’m all for choices, but I wouldn’t feel right wearing this outside of my home anymore than I would feel right wearing makeup, permeable or not. Though, I do appreciate the convenience of wearing it within my home without having to remove it for each salah.
And in all this minutiae you think you’ll find God?
He doesn’t care, we were advised to be modest in the sense that do not flaunt your outer beauty that men might make inappropriate advances but to take that to an extreme and leave your moustache or your bushy monobrow in place is not what was meant either. Where is all your akkal?, avoid revealing or tight fitted clothing and you’re generally good.
Women really should avoid giving other women advice, not only do most of you not have the hidaayah for it, the other thing is, that if your narrow minded men aren’t making life hard enough for you, other women are even less merciful towards their sisters in Islam. Stop it, use the akkal God gave you and love yourself in the knowledge that God loves you and in turn love him back more than you fear him.
So much of everything written above is mindless hysteria and not taking a step back and thinking.
Saqib,
if you take a step back and read your comment, you will see that you are being judgmental yourself. I dont care much about all this (i care that a company may be misleading and falsely advertising) but to judge a person with a monobrow or that most of the women dont have the “hidaayah” to advise each other is very judgmental of you. I dont agree with a lot of the comments above or the way the “advice” is given, but i’m not going to make broad statements like yours.
if a woman (or man) is comfortable with their unibrow, more power to them. I’m not going to judge based on the standards set by society and expect every unibrow owner to fix that “problem.”
basically, you are doing exactly what they are. and if a woman really wants to make sure that a product satisfies what she views a prerequisite to salah, then we shouldn’t judge her either.
otherwise, you can use your argument for every detail in Islam. why face the qiblah? why pray 4 raka’s of asr?
i’m not trying to nitpick i’m just trying to make a point. if we expect others not to pick on the details, we shouldn’t either.
I agree with SK above. If people want to strive for what they believe in, who are others to criticize!!
I’m with you on this saqib. Thanks so much for putting this sense out there. The muslim world has gone nuts and we need to bring back what we have lost. You stand for the truth and thats what is counted. People have lost akkal through these things and the message is really getting lost. I hope people start to relearn what Our Creator hopes to see in us.
I conducted the test on coffee filters. The water didn’t penetrate. I did it along with a highschool teacher and a PHD of Science (who both assisted).
Water vapours aren’t sufficient for wudu. The fingernails are one of the 4 obligatory parts to be washed in the Hanafi school. The part being washed must be able to drip two drops of water for it to be considered washed…not two vapours, or anything else.
It didn’t pass – wudu isn’t valid – prayer isn’t valid without wudu.
This is a matter of what is VALID and not ACCEPTED. Acceptance is a matter of Allah, VALIDITY is a treasure that 1400 years of scholarship toiled to learn, preserve, and transmit.
[…] http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/worship/prayer/is-breathable-nail-polish-sufficient-for-wu%E… […]
It’s saddening to see that Muslims are prepared to jeopardise their salah for a bit of nail polish. There are varying reports about this so it cannot be conclusively said that water passes through. And if there’s any doubt about a matter, we should leave it like the prophet(saws) advised:’ “That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear and between the two of them are doubtful [or ambiguous] matters about which not many people are knowledgeable. Thus, he who avoids these doubtful matters certainly clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor. But he who falls into the doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein.’
Thank you
Water permeability aside.. Isn’t nail polish a form of zina (beautification), which is only permissible for the woman to wear in front of her mahram and husband only? She isn’t supposed to beautify herself for all to see publicly. And nail polish does attract attention of non-mahram men, which is against the spirit of hijab. Wallahu alam.
In all honesty, I don’t think a woman would put on nail polish as a form of beautification for her “mahrams” or her “husband”. Nail polish is usually worn to parties, weddings, or even in general when a woman is on menstruation, she wears it since she will not be praying. There is nothing wrong with wearing nail polish, and we shouldn’t go so far and so extreme as to put ourselves in unnecessary restriction. Of course, if that is your belief, you can do what you are comfortable with, but we do not impose our beliefs on everyone. Salam tc 😉
Some of you sisters – and maybe brothers – on either side of the argument (because that’s what it’s become, not a disagreement but an actual argument in which both sides are throwing around base insults and bad adab) need to really fear Allah, take a step back and look at how you treat one another. I came to this to read about the nail polish and wandered into some of the nastiness that makes people run away – not toward – this ummah. Get a grip and priorities. Subhannallah.
Salam, it is a nice post for a new cosmetic product, but still there is a doubt. Therefore, it will be wise to remain on safe side and protect our Salah.
Taking care of our wudu is a huge thing. Our intentions are important… but what are intentions without action? Our actions are important but isn’t wudu a part of that crucial action?
Our brothers sisters and children are being murderd
around the world. Wake Up!!!!!! Painting fingers…..really?
Lets get our minds off ourselves!
Looking pretty is the least of our concerns right now!
I really appreciate your experiment on breatheale Nail polish and i really impressed you focusing more on more experiments,so we will not hasitate to apple this nail polish coz of Wudu.
Nice work!
So is the inglot halal?! And what about the Tuesday brand?!
Assalamu alaikum, I am a female convert, and before I came to Islam I used to wear nail polish from time to time. But when I embraced Islam, I stopped it. At first, I was happy to hear that this breathable nail polish was invented. But after thinking about it for a while, I decided still not to use it.
Why? In the article it says: “There is nothing intrinsically wrong with wearing nail polish.1 ” And this is the point where I don’t agree. I feel like chasing the western beauty ideals is the wrong thing to do. We don’t need to imitate this. At the end we have to ask ourselves: what are my priorities? My salah or being able to keep up with today’s “world of fashion and beauty”? I mean, it is possible to live a decent live without nail polish. Believe me, I lived it now for 10 years 🙂 And just think about what you are putting at risk: the validity of your salah. It’s not a small thing….
Please remember the following hadith:
Thawban narrated, that the Prophet (Sallahu Alayhi Salaam) said: Nations will soon summon (invite) one another to attack you, as people do when eating invite others to share their dish.
Someone asked: Is that because we will be small in number at that time?
He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum of the sea, and Allah will take fear of you (Muslims) from the hearts of your enemy and cast Wahn (A weakness) into your hearts.
Someone asked: What is wahn (Weakness), Messenger of Allah (Sallahu Alayhi Salaam)
He replied: Love of Dunya (the world) and hatred of death. (ie the next life meeting Allah) (Sahih- Abu Dawoud Book 37, Number 4284)
Well said sister Sabina, i totally agree.
I’m sorry, I dont agree. It doesnt make your prayer count more because you dont wear nailpolish. We need more muslims to stand for the truth, not for the satan that is in the details. No one can say prayer doesnt count because of wearing nailpolish. No one person is the judge here, it is Allah who is our Creator, He created everything and everything with moderation. Everything has a meaning. So prayer needs more sincerity instead of people telling others why it wont count.
Salaams guys. What is wrong with y’all? Stop making islam complicated please. If you pray namaaz just dont wear it. Simple. Allah knows best. O.- no need to put your arguments across. Everyone thinks theyre right. Ok thanks. Bye.
Tuesday in love has released a new clinical study showing their water permeability test: http://tuesdayinlove.miiduu.com/clinical-study
Why doesn’t any sister ever express outrage at the fact that a man is always the one commenting on these issues of feminine interest?
Our global Muslim community needs educated and scholarly WOMEN commenting on such issues germane to their own unique feminine experience.
Why should anyone express outrage that a man is commenting on this? This is not a feminist issue. This is about common sense.
There are numerous posts in here that refer to the fact that this nail polish does not allow water to get through. This means that your wudhu is invalid since water is not passing over the natural nail. Your salaah is more important than anything else, least of all nail polish. Why are we making this a priority? I did the test myself, on a number of occasions and each time I tried different types of paper but it did not work at all. Get your priorities right people. If you don’t pray, then by all means go ahead and use it. If you are someone who prays then don’t let your salaah go to waste over wearing nail polish.
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I have a question: When you don’t have access to water, we are supposed to do wudu with the earth, such as sand, leaves, etc. So does that not imply that wudu is a ritual to prepare for prayer, instead of actually a cleanse of our nails, hands, face??
Therefore, wouldn’t wearing nail polish be okay at all times, breathable or not?
Good analysis..we need more of us to stand for the truth. Following rituals is good, but not blindly.
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Why are we looking at nail polish only in relation to wudu and not modesty? We should be discouraging men and women from excessive adornment. The world of fashion puts unreal expectations on women or at least pressures them to look a certain way. We should not be encouraging this. The impermissibility of nailpolish gives us a good opportunity to stay away from all this, we shouldn’t be looking for excuses or loopholes. Clearly this is of great importance to women, judging from the comments. Being a man, I really don’t get it.
That aside, this discussion also gives free, undeserved advertisement to the company, which most likely has un-Islamic values. If we buy from Muslims, we support Muslim economies. I’m sure there are many Muslim small businesses who produce and sell cosmetics.
[…] http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/worship/prayer/is-breathable-nail-polish-sufficient-for-wu%E… […]
Assalaamu Alaykum Sisters,
I bought this nail polish and IT IS not Hallall!!! How can it be!! I have performed several test water didn’t move from the paper IT DID NOT “penetrate”. I rubbed it in, nothing. Well i guess you can spend the money and do the test yourself. I spend over $90 and when i did the test i tried calling customer service no one was able to help because no one ever called back.
It is a good sale. Got give them that. They said that is approved by “Scholars”??? I was listening to those scholars none of them said its hallal. Hana is the only one they said that is. But there is different interpretation. Well then we can also say that killing innocent people is hallal, because that what most people believe anyway?? In Kuran is a specifically state that is Haram killing innocent but someone has read otherwise, Right? What the difference here we still believe them. SubhanAllah what makes us different from those who are selling it??
Well Allah knows the best. You do as you please. But don’t waste you SALAT just because you want to look pretty. On the Day of Judgment we won’t be asked what color nail polish we were wearing.
VeEssalamu Ajejkum
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An interesting attempt, yet experiment is still obviously flawed. The nail polish was wet when the water drops were applied on top it, and an unknown amount of pressure applied by her fingers to ‘push’ the water through the coffee filter with wet nail polish, in ‘just 15 seconds.’
Still unconvinced!
how do we order this halal nail polish
I found for my daughter store at Fashion Island Newport Beach California.Store name is same as nail polish inglod.
Please contact us if you inside Egypt.
Thank-you for this useful article. I love nail polish and have often found it so tiring to remove it every time I need to do wudu. Thanks for helping clarify.
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It seems that Macy’s seeks it. Herald square, downtown Boston. You may be able to order it online from them.
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The new O2M nail polish is clearly halal, and the strict interpretation that regular nail polish was not halal are ridiculous. A woman’s hands are clean, even if wearing regular polish, after washing them. The intent of the ritual is that you touch the holy book with clean hands, not to soil it. It was not meant to be a ritual preventing women from being fashionable. Overly strict interpretation of rules leads to more harm than good. You could argue that wet nail polish would not be halal as you could stain the holy book.
I would need to state commenting on the reply saying that whudhu is to prevent soiling the Quraan this is incorrect. We have been told exactly how to perform whudhu and that in order for it to be accepted water needs to reach all fardh areas and preferably Sunnah areas too or it won’t be accepted.
Nooraan..who said it won’t be accepted? Only Allah is to judge..did Allah explicitly say that or did you find that in the hadith? Isnt the bible the same as hadith? Written by people after the prophet left? Prophet asked to not write down his words..and people did so after his death. So, prayer wont be counted by Allah because of this? Our bodies will not remain but our spirit will..spirituality is above all.
Your comparison of the Bible with the Hadith books is inaccurate. The full names of Matthew, Luke, John and Paul are not even known. Thankfully, we have not only the names, but detailed biographies of the companions and the few generations after the Prophet (saw). This includes place and date of birth, lineage, education, profession, and reputation. This is obviously incomparable to the low standards other communities have applied to their history and religion.
To put it simply, the people who brought you the Qur’an are the same people who brought you the Hadith. There is no reason not to believe in the narrators because of the overwhelming evidence (by consensus) of their trustworthiness, honesty, and excellent memories (owing to the fact that they come from an oral culture). I hope you now see that believing in the Qur’an while rejecting the Hadith is a bit illogical.
Going back to the topic, the wudu guidelines are very simple both for men and women. It is, in fact, mentioned in the Qur’an, “O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles.” [Al-Mâ’idah 5:6]
It would be reasonable to think that if there is a barrier between water and the body part, then the water doesn’t touch the body, it only touches that barrier. Therefore, we have not really made wudu because we have not washed our body parts, as specified. Still, it would be possible for someone to misinterpret this ayah as they wish, but we can only interpret the Qur’an according to how the Prophet interpreted it. For this reason, the Hadith is essential, and we know from it exactly how the Prophet made wudu in detail, and we should be performing it like he did.
I think that the issue of safety of any nail polish (breathable or not) is of more concern:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/ask-well-is-nail-polish-harmful/
That was actually the inspiration behind making breathable nail polish, to reduce the health risks and eliminate the use of the “toxic trio”
I think this is a fascinating advancement in the cosmetic world, but can someone clarify what makes it ok for wudu’? It takes 15 seconds for water to actually penetrate to the filter (with constant rubbing), as the video shows. That’s also with the surface being flat and a layer of water sitting on top of it the entire time. When you’re making wudu, your fingers aren’t fixed in one position and water easily glides right off your nails. So, how is it guaranteed that water will penetrate to the (entire) nail as it does in the experiment when the positioning and conditions aren’t exactly the same? Also, let’s say that water does penetrate to the entire nail, how is the time duration (15 seconds) not too long of a time if each body part is supposed to be washed/wiped thoroughly before moving on to the next?
Thank you in advance for clarifying.
Tuesday in Love has been tested by several people and they also have a clinical study proving that their product is water permeable. Inglot however does not seem to work. Based on the experiment above it seems that the lady is just wearing down the coffee filter and therefore the water is going through due to the abrasion.
[…] We would recommend that you do some research of your own on this. There is lots more information out there to read up on. Mustafa Umar has a pretty comprehensive piece with lots of relevant links at SuhaibWebb. […]
You’ll still have to rub each finger for 15 secs though
is this all not a bit silly? wudu is about psychological cleansing as a preparation for prayer. being so pedantic seems rather ridiculous to me. plus there are better things to worry about than this
It’s not silly when you consider the Islamic requirements for a valid wudu’. If the wudu’ is invalid b/c the water isn’t permeating to the nails, then the prayer could be invalid. That’s a pretty big deal.
I think people make Islam harder then it is. Wudu is more spirutual then physical. Nail is not even part of the skin so why is it a big deal?
I’m curious…since fingernails don’t breathe why do you need breathable nail polish? No offense intended, just curious.
[…] I’ve never had a run-in with them, although I never wear niqab, I like nail polish regardless of what time of the month it is, and occasionally my tarha slips back on my head, exposing some of my hair. (I spent my whole life […]
Thanks for this amazing article. It’s comprehensive, scientific, and gets straight to the point.
AssalamoAlaikum
JazakAlah Khair for a great article. I would like to know if this nail polish still allows water to reach nails if we apply double coat. Usually a single coat is not enough to achieve the full colour.
[…] for Muslim women to wear during Wuḍū, a pre-prayer purification practice. Here’s more on Inglot O2M nail polish and Wuḍū, and a permeability-test […]