#183: Ruling on Salāt with Attachments and Nail Polish
QUESTION
ON SALAT WITH ATTACHMENT AND NAIL POLISH
“As-Salaamu Alaykum. Please what is the Islamic ruling on a woman that wears attachment and nail polish to pray, is her Salāt valid?”
ANSWER:
Alhamdulillah!
Firstly, it should be known that attaching anything that is not a part of the hair in such a way that it will make it look like part of the hair is not permissible in Islam.
That is because of the Ahaadith that forbade it and those in which the Rasul – salallahu alayhi wasallam – cursed the lady that add attachments to her hair.
Imaam Al-Bukhaari #5937 and Imaam Muslim #2122 narrated from Ibn ‘Umar – radiyallahu anhu – that the Messenger of Allah – salallahu alayhi wasallam – said: “May Allah curse the one who adds hair extensions and the one who has them added, the one who does tattoos and the one who has them done.”
Imaam Muslim #2126 narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah – radiyallaahu anhuma – said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade women to attach anything to their head.
The Fuqahaa are at an agreement over adding hair and what looks like hair as attachement. But they differed on adding things such as wool and cloth.
But the use of nail polish and so on are not in themselves prohibited if they help in a woman’s beauification for her husband as long as they are not composed of what is Najaasah (filth and impure). But if it is made of oil that does not allow the percolation of water, then it does not allow the Wudhuu to be sound and is therefore abhorent for a Muslimah unless if she is in her menses. What this means is that such polishes do not allow you to have an accepted Wudhuu and whosoever has not made Wudhu has no Salaat.
As for the Hair attachements, we have already stated its impermissibility on its own.
But for using it for Salaat, then we say:
1. The Malikis view that water must touch all aspects of the head during the Wudhuu for that wudhu to be accepted and complete.
The Shaafi’is believe that as long as the wudhu water touches a portion of the hair, it suffices.
It is safer for a Muslim to abide by the Maliki madh’hab for the reasons they advance of the sunnah of many of the companions which is to make sure the water touches the entire head.
2. Observing the Salaat with what is Haram is a thing the Ulamaa have differed on. Majority of the Fuqahaa see the Salaat of the one who wears something that was Haraam while he was observing it as not been accepted.
But the correct verdict, as Shaykh Al-Uthaymin observed is the acceptance of the Salaat and that its acceptance has nothing to do with the impermnissibility (haram-ness) of that thing.
INFERENCE
1. The Wudhu performed while the nail polish is already on is not accepted and therefore the Salaat observed with such a Wudhu is not accepted.
2. Despite the fact that a Salaat performed with hair attachements is acceptable inshaa Allaah, we have mentioned the difference of opinion among Ulamaa on the acceptability of the Wudhu performed without the water reaching all parts of the head. Therefore such a doubtful position should be avoided.
3. The Fuqahaa are at an agreement on the prohibition of such hair attachements.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum!
📨📤IslamNode
