Is Trimming the Nails Obligatory in Islam?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpūrī
❖ Question:
Is trimming the nails necessary according to Islam?
✿ Answer:
Yes, trimming the nails is necessary.
It is a part of natural disposition (fiṭrah) and essential for personal cleanliness.
It is obligatory to cut the nails within forty (40) days.
Delaying beyond this limit is considered a major sin (kabīrah).
Long nails often accumulate dirt and filth, which is unsightly and offensive to others.
⚠️ Warning Against Modern Trends:
Sadly, some people, especially women, take pride in growing long nails and display them boastfully — this is a public sin.
Some individuals grow only one or two nails long as a style statement — this too is impermissible, as it is an imitation of non-Muslim culture, which some ignorant people have adopted.
❀ Prophetic Guidance on Nail Cutting:
✅ Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
“Five practices are from the fiṭrah (natural way):
① Circumcision, ② Shaving the pubic hair, ③ Plucking the armpit hair, ④ Cutting the nails, and ⑤ Trimming the mustache.”
📚 (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5889, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 257)
✅ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Ten acts are from the fiṭrah:
① Trimming the mustache, ② Growing the beard, ③ Using the miswāk, ④ Rinsing the nose with water,
⑤ Cutting the nails, ⑥ Washing the knuckles, ⑦ Plucking the armpit hair, ⑧ Shaving the pubic hair,
⑨ Cleaning oneself with water after relieving oneself,
⑩ (The tenth was forgotten by the narrator, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.)”
📚 (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 261)
✅ Conclusion:
✔ Cutting the nails is part of Islamic hygiene and the Prophet’s Sunnah.
✔ It should be done at least once within every 40 days.
✔ Neglecting it is sinful, and adopting styles that resemble non-Islamic cultures is prohibited.
✔ Muslim men and women should remain proud of their Islamic identity and not follow harmful societal trends.
