Wudhu on Nail polish
| Fatwa #1579 | Category: Tahaarah (Purity) | Country: South Africa | Date: 8th August 2025 |
| Fatwa #1579 | Date: 8th August 2025 |
| Category: Tahaarah (Purity) | |
| Country: South Africa | |
Question
Does wearing modern “breathable”/water-permeable nail polish prevent water from reaching the nail and therefore invalidate wuḍūʼ?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, the validity of wudhu is dependent on water reaching the actual skin and nails of the limbs that must be washed in wudhu.
Normal nail polish creates a barrier between the water and the nail, thereby rendering one unable to perform wudhu.
As for ‘halal nail polish’, if they genuinely are permeable and allow water to pass through to the entire nail underneath, then it will be permissible to use. However, whilst we cannot issue a ruling for each and every such product, it should be noted that many alleged ‘halal nail polishes’ did not pass the test when scrutinised by scholars. Kindly refer to the link below for additional information.
https://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/33892
https://jamiat.org.za/halaal-nail-polish-2/
Therefore, given the fact that without wudhu ones salah is not accepted, it is necessary to avoid dubious nail polish. If a certain product has been certified as permeable by reputable Ulama, then only may one use that product.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia