Question
One assumes that in the state of Ihraam he is not permitted to clip his nails, but long nails may prevent water from reaching the part that is under them when performing ablution or Ghusl (ritual bathing). Will such ablution or Ghusl be valid?
Some people say that as long as the one in the state of Ihraam does not clip his nails and his ablution is valid, then it follows that it is permissible for anyone to grow long nails as this has nothing to do with the validity of ablution, and that it (cutting them) is simply one of the Sunnahs of Fitrah (acts of natural disposition) and that the one who abandons it is not held sinful. Is this true?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.
Growing long nails is a clear violation of the Sunnah of the Prophet and his guidance, which is the best guidance. The majority of scholars state that clipping the nails is an act of Sunnah and not obligatory, while some scholars, such as Al-Qaadhi Abu Bakr ibn Al-‘Arabi who was a Maaliki scholar, said that it is obligatory as he believed that all the Sunnahs of Fitrah are obligatory.
The fact that the one in the state of Ihraam is prohibited from clipping his nails does not mean that growing long nails is permissible or lawful as scholars stated that it is permissible for people who are in the state of Ihraam to clip their nails before they assume Ihraam. Moreover, the period of Ihraam is not usually long, so it would allow for the nails to grow long in an excessive way.
Muslims should be diligent in following the Sunnah of the Prophet and not to give preference to their own opinion over the Sunnah of the Prophet .
They should not be in a state that prevents them from applying the Sunnah of the Prophet . As for the ruling on the dirt that accumulates under the nail, if it is negligible, then it does not affect the validity of ablution.
Supposing that the duration of the state of Ihraam is prolonged or the person who assumes the state of Ihraam did not clip his nails prior to assuming Ihraam, it will not be permissible to clip his nails during Ihraam because this is prohibited, while clipping the nails is something favorable (and less than obligatory), and what is prohibited cannot be made permissible because of something favorable. As soon as the person ends the state of Ihraam, it becomes permissible for him to clip his nails. The prohibition of clipping the nails during Ihraam is not a proof of the unfavorability of clipping them in general and no one can quote this as a proof except the one who is totally ignorant.
If the nails grew very long in an abnormal manner, the person should remove the dirt that is under them to be on the safe side and stay away from that which the scholars differ over.
And Allah knows best.