Question:
What is the ruling regarding breathable nail polish? Is it permissible even when praying salah?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
For wudhu to be valid, water must reach all of those mandatory limbs to wash in wudu, including the nails. On the basis thereof, if there does exist such a nail polish that allows water to reach the entire nail, then it would be permissible to make wudu whilst having such nail polish applied to one’s nails. However, since there is no conclusive, credible evidence before us that substantiates that water reaches the nail’s surface, it is advised that one avoids making wudu whilst having any nail polish on one’s nails, including ‘breathable’ nail polish.
Ahsanul Fatawa: v. 2, p. 26-27 (HM Saeed Company); Fatawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya: v. 1, p. 643-644 (ZamZam); Jadeed Fiqhi Masaail: v. 1, p. 59-60 (Zam Zam)
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham