Cutting Nails on Friday: A Sunnah Practice

Question

Is cutting nails on Friday a Sunnah?

Bottom Line

Cutting nails is a Sunnah of fitrah, but Friday is not exclusively prescribed.

Quick Answer

Islam emphasizes cleanliness and trimming nails as part of the Sunnah of fitrah. While cutting nails on Friday is permissible and good for hygiene, there is no authentic hadith that makes it a Sunnah specific to Friday. Narrations specifying certain days are weak. What is established is not to let nails grow beyond forty days.

Key Takeaways

• Trimming nails is part of the Sunnah of fitrah (natural disposition).
• No authentic hadith establishes nail cutting on Friday as Sunnah.
• Reports specifying days are weak, clarified by scholars like Ibn Hajar.
• Nails should not be left untrimmed for more than forty days.

Detailed Answer

Islam places strong emphasis on personal hygiene. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged practices of fitrah, which include clipping nails.

He ﷺ said:

“Five practices are characteristic of the Fitra (natural disposition): circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails, plucking the underarm hair, and trimming the moustache.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 5891

Some narrations mention certain days for cutting nails, but they are not authentically established. Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari clarified that these reports are weak.

What is established is the time limit. Anas ibn Malik (RA) reported:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ set a time limit for us to trim our mustaches, clip our nails, pluck our armpit hairs, and shave our pubic hairs: that we should not leave them for more than forty days.”

Sahih Muslim 258

Thus, while cutting nails on Friday is fine for cleanliness, it should not be treated as a Sunnah exclusive to that day.

What This Means for You

Keep nails trimmed as part of the Sunnah of cleanliness. Cutting them on Friday is good, but it is not a Sunnah tied to Friday itself.

And Allah knows best.

References

Primary Sources

Hadith

1. Sahih al-Bukhari 5891: Five practices of fitrah, including clipping nails.
2. Sahih Muslim 258: Nails and hair should not be left beyond forty days.

Secondary Sources

3. Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari: Clarification that narrations about specific days for nail cutting are weak.