Islam is one of the most sacred and accepted religions in the world. Five pillars form the basis of the Islamic religion. The pillars include Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Fasting, and Hajj. All of these pillars form the foundation of Muslim life and guide them on how to live.
Shahada is the declaration of faith and accepting the fact that there is no God other than Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. Salah is a daily routine of praying five times a day. Zakat is the 2.5% charitable giving of one’s income to the needy and deserving. Fasting is abstaining from eating, drinking, and certain physical acts from Fajr till Maghrib for twenty-nine to thirty days during the month of Ramadan. Hajj is visiting Mecca if financially and physically able to do so.
In order to perform salah, one has to perform wudu so that he/she is eligible to perform their religious duties. Wudu includes washing your hands, face, mouth, and feet with water; if water is not available, Muslims use purified soil.
Importance of Wudu in Salah
Wudu is the key to Salah and Salah is the key to Jannah. Wudu is the most essential and basic step for Salah. It purifies the person not only physically but spiritually and mentally as well. It helps remove sins: as one washes one part of their body, their sins also get washed away. Wudu is seen as a way of forgiveness and it is believed that angels accompany the state of wudu.
The following are some basic steps that are essential for the completion of Wudu:
Step 1: Make the intention of making wudu
Step 2: Say Bismillah
Step 3: Wash your hands and nails x3 (make sure that water reaches your nail beds)
Step 4: Run water through your mouth and nose x3
Step 5: Wash your face x3
Step 6: Wash your forearms till the elbow joint x3
Step 7: Clean your ears and neck
Step 8: Wash your feet x3
Every step needs to be in order, and all requirements must be fulfilled; otherwise, your wudu would be incomplete, making your Salah invalid.
However, there are certain problems faced by women during the perform of wudu, such as the idea of wearing nail polish. It is said that wearing nail polish invalidates wudu, rendering salah impossible. We’ll look into this and try to understand it.
Nail Polish vs Wudu
According to Islamic rules, it is not permissible for a woman to have nail polish on during the performance of wudu as it prevents water from reaching the nail beds, thus invalidating your wudu. As nail polish didn’t exist at the time of the revelation of the Quran so there is no direct reference to it. However, there is a clear mention regarding wudu in Surah Maidah (verse 6) as:
“O believers, when you stand up for the service of prayer, wash your faces and hands up to elbows, and also wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles.”
According to this verse, water should reach every part as mentioned above, including hands and feet. Wudu is invalidated if any of the requirement is not fulfilled carefully.
Invalidation of Wudu Due to Nail Polish
Nail polish serves as a protective barrier against water, making it impossible for it to reach your skin or nail beds. It is one of the requirements of wudu that water should flow over every part of the body that is mentioned in the verse, including the fingers and toenails, and by wearing nail polish, the requirement is not fulfilled.
How to Make Wudu Valid
To make your wudu valid, remove the nail polish before washing your hands. You can always reapply nail polish after performing Salah. One thing more you can do is to find an alternative, like wudu-friendly nail polish, henna, or fake nails. Some of the nail polishes are non-porous and don’t block water from reaching nail beds and skin. They are much easier to remove/ harmless, and don’t invalidate your wudu, and they allow water to reach every part. But most of the scholars recommend not using either of these nail polishes to be on the safer side. The best option is to remove nail polish before performing ablution.
Conclusion
Islam is the second most accepted religion in the world. Muslims must follow the five pillars of Islam to fulfill their religious duties. Out of these five pillars, the second pillar is Salah. Salah has to be performed by Muslims five times a day. To perform salah, one must perform wudu.
Wudu means purifying yourself physically and spiritually with water. Making wudu washes away sins and purifies the soul/ body, but it requires certain crucial steps. One of the steps is washing hands and making sure that water reaches every part, including nails. Nowadays, one of the major problems faced is the application of nail polish. As traditional nail polishes don’t allow water to seep into the nail beds, they make your wudu invalid.
So, it is recommended to either remove the nail polish before making wudu or use alternatives such as breathable nail polishes, fake nails, henna, and nail tattoos, as all of them can be easily removed and re-applied, making it possible for you to make wudu with ease and perform your salah.
FAQs
What are the five things that break wudu?
Defecation, urination, flatulence, deep sleep and bleeding.
Is nail polish water permeable?
Yes, some of the nail polishes are water permeable. It means they allow water to reach the skin and nail beds, making wudu valid.
Can you make wudu with nail polish on?
Only if they are porous and water-permeable, as most of the traditional nail polishes are not water-permeable, doing wudu with them on makes it invalid. But the best recommendation is to avoid these as well to avoid invalidation of wudu.
Why does nail polish invalidate our wudu?
It doesn’t allow water to reach the parts that are supposed to be cleaned and purified during wudu, rendering it invalid and incomplete.
Can women pray with fake nails?
Yes. Only if they first perform wudu, then apply them, or remove the already applied nails and reapply after.
If we apply nail polish after performing wudu, is it still considered valid?
Yes. It would be considered valid, as you have already made your wudu.
