Yes, cutting nails is permissible and even encouraged in Islam. It's considered a Sunnah, meaning a recommended practice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Sunnah of Cutting Nails
Islamic texts recommend regularly trimming nails, ideally within a 40-day period. This is considered part of maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness, which are highly valued in Islam. Many hadiths (sayings and traditions of the Prophet) support this practice. [Source: Cutting of nails is Sunnah. Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) instructed us to cut our nails within 40 days. As per Hadith it is in our fitrah.06-Nov-2021]
Several resources highlight the Sunnah of cutting nails:
- Frequency: While a maximum of 40 days is mentioned, frequent trimming is recommended for better hygiene. [Source: The maximum days the Prophet mentioned we should let our nails grow out is forty days. But we should make it a habit to trim often. It is the view of many… - myislam.org]
- Specific Days: Some interpretations suggest preference for certain days of the week (e.g., Thursday), but there's no prohibition on cutting nails on other days. The belief that Wednesday is an unfavorable day lacks strong evidentiary support. [Sources: https://www.sewsomestuff.com/2014/07/sunnah-cutting-nails.html, https://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/49958/should-we-not-cut-our-nails-on-wednesday]
- Night-time Cutting: There is no specific prohibition against cutting nails at night. [Source: https://islammuslims.quora.com/Why-is-it-considered-wrong-to-clip-nails-after-Maghrib-or-at-night]
- Before Religious Observances: There are no restrictions on nail clipping before rituals like Qurbani (sacrifice) unless one is in a state of Ihram (ritual purity for Hajj or Umrah). [Source: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-you-can-t-shave-or-clip-nails-for-10-days-before-Qurbani]
- Disposal of Cut Nails: There are no specific religious guidelines for disposal; throwing them in the trash or burying them is acceptable. [Source: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/1179/where-to-throw-cut-nails-in-islam]
It's important to note that while some traditions mention specific days or times, the core principle is the importance of maintaining cleanliness and following the Sunnah of trimming nails regularly.
