Nail is a dead tissue on the outside, but on the under side, it is alive as it is connected with the skin and nerves. Moreover, nails have a natural impermeable enamel that is hydrophobic in nature, which is why nails do not absorb water. Nails do become a little softer on prolonged contact with water (such as in a shower) but that is because of water uptake under the nail, by the epithelium on the under side etc etc. Therefore you cannot “wet” or hydrate a nail unless you keep your hand in water for more than 15 minutes or if you use bleach or acid to break down the nail enamel.
Nail is a dead tissue on the outside, but on the under side, it is alive as it is connected with the skin and nerves.
Yes, very true -- I'm glad someone is bringing in scientific facts into the discussion as well as the usual brimstone/fire rhetoric.
I had asked something earlier here, but I found out the info - yes you're right - the nail tissue you see - is all dead.
The reason why it hurts if you damage the nail, apart from the white area which is the part one cuts with a nailclipper - is because the underside of the nail, which you dont see - is connected to living tissue - and thus if you were to rip your nail off , you'd be hurting the underlying and surrounding visible tissue.
Thus, the part where nailpolish is applied is DEAD. Now, given that its dead, does it have any bearing upon the wudu?
I know one's hair must be clean and washed before namaaz, but doesn't that have to do more with body odor emanating from the scalp and the oils which coat the hair, and the living bacteria on the scalp?
And if this is so, then if nail enamel were to cover one's nails and no water would go upon this dead tissue, then would it really matter as there is no oil to deal with on a nail, no stench or body odor emanating from the nail, etc?
[This message has been edited by PyariCgudia (edited July 10, 2002).]
does somebody have some ayats or atleast ahadith about this directly?
also, i dont completely understand the ruling of socks vs nailpolish but if i see an ayat or hadith, then i will believe it because i believe in following religion blindly without questions.
i know i should not spend so much time thinking about this minor issue but the thing is i reallllllyyyyyyyy loooooovvvvveeeeee nail polish
for some time i had been thinking to post something in respons to your thread, but i declined several times.
however in your last post you said something, which i found really amazing!!!!
you said to follow religion blindly!! This defies the whole purpose of religion!!
the whole issue has been blown up. the reason for wudhu is purification not only the soul, but also of the body.
The whole issue concerning washing your feet or wiping over your socks defies all logic. The basic point is to be clean: if someone thinks that after wearing shoes for a long time his/her feet are not clean (sweating/ smelling!!) then you should wash your feet. Or when you walk bare-footed in your home (or may-be outside??), then your feet might get dirty!!
but if you are at home and have been wearing for example slippers and the feet do not smell or sweat then wiping is an option!! The whole point is to THINK in each situation you are!!( there is no standard rule, the basic message is to be clean).
The whole issue concerning nail-polish is a myth!!!It is not about getting water on each and every inch of your body, it is about getting the message of ALLAH in each and every corner of your mind!!!! and to act accordingly hence to do GOOD DEEDS!!!!
about having blind faith in religion though, i still believe in that. because we cannot rely on our own reason for everything, after all we are just humans with limited reasonsing is it not? imagine, in olden days, people were convinced the earth was flat, now we know it is round. but who knows? i think (and this is just my humble opinion) that a Muslim should have blind faith on atleast the Quran and Sunnah.
about the issue of being clean, i can understand what you are saying. but then i am thinking, for example, even if one sleeps a wink, the person’s wuzu breaks. it is not that his hand or feet have become dirty because of sleeping, then why does the person have to do wuzu again? that’s just an example for you. as i myself believe in blind following of Alla’s orders.
actually, these are just some thoughts, i don’t know too much at all
Fatima:
about having blind faith in religion though, i still believe in that. because we cannot rely on our own reason for everything,
Filhaal:
of course, blind faith in GOD, his messengers, the QURAN!!
but my point is for example in this case your question about nail polish!! there is nothing exclusive on this matter, except opinions of different scholars, pir, fakir etc. the basic order from GOD and his messenger is about cleanliness!!so you have to think what this means for your situation.