Do you have a habit of biting your nails unintentionally when you’re hungry, nervous, or anxious? Do you sometimes wonder as a Muslim, whether it is haram in Islam to bite your nails? Are you worried this habit will break your Ramadan fast? We are here to answer all these concerns of yours. Let’s take a deep dive to understand nail-biting from the Shariah perspective.
Nail Biting as a Habit and Its Side Effects
Nail biting is a repetitive behavior of the body as a natural response to triggers like stress, anxiety, boredom, etc. A long-term nail-biting habit can have several side effects on your nails, skin, teeth, and gums. It can cause dangerous consequences and health risks like fungal or bacterial infections or even permanent deformities. You need to learn how to curb the nail-biting habit if you have one to save yourself from all these problems.
Is Nail-Biting Haram in Islam? Understanding From Shariah Perspective
The nail-biting habit can prevail in any age group, however, it is more common among children and teenagers. The behavior may occur intermittently or persistently depending on the individual’s mental state and personality.
When we talk about the Shariah perspective on nail-biting, it is generally considered undesirable and is perceived as a bad habit. However, it isn’t considered haram in Islam especially when it is unintentional and out of habit. It is prohibited only if it causes any severe harm to the body or causes the consumption of nail or skin fragments or blood.
Chronic nail biting is classified as an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and kicking off the habit is quite difficult as it takes a lot of time, patience, and effort. It is difficult for people to leave this habit, but it’s not impossible. The good news is that fasting during Ramadan can help you refrain from biting your nails and curb the habit. How? Let’s see.
According to the Shariah perspective, if you are fasting, you are not allowed to consume anything from your mouth to your stomach. Forget food or water, you cannot even consume blood from your gums or your own nails or skin debris. In this way, Islam helps you control your bad nail-biting habit and curb it altogether in a month.
Does Biting Your Nails During Ramadan Break the Fast?
The simple answer is, No! Biting your nails during Ramadan does not break or nullify the fast until and unless you don’t consume anything or nothing reaches your stomach. However, as discussed above, Muslims should avoid biting their nails all around the year and even during Ramadan.
Though your nail-biting habit won’t essentially invalidate your fast or be considered haram in Islam, there are other considerations you need to keep in mind. Islam is a religion of purity. It teaches you to prioritize your health and well-being and consider them as the fundamental principles of life. The Shariah perspective is about refraining from causing self-harm and maintaining the cleanliness of the body and the environment.
Having said that, Ramadan is an extremely pious month for Muslims. If you follow Islam, you surely know how important it is to take extra care of your health and cleanliness during this month. Ramadan is one of the five main pillars of Islam; fasting during this month is essential and mandatory for all healthy adults.
Even when biting your nails doesn’t break your fast, still it isn’t a healthy habit. You may not consume any debris deliberately, but if any substance enters your stomach via mouth, it will nullify your fast. This includes any germs or dead skin particles you may unknowingly consume while biting your nails.
Even if done unintentionally, there are high chances you may swallow bits of nails or skin when biting, resulting in nullifying your fast. So you should refrain from chewing anything in your mouth so that the chances of swallowing are less.
The long and short of it is that only biting your nails will not break your fast in Ramadan but eating the nail will break it. This is the reason it is believed that nail-biting is not allowed in Islam. It is not haram, but it’s not a good habit and causes more harm than good.
How to Avoid Your Nail-Biting Habit
The Shariah perspective is about following holistic approaches towards life. And Islam encourages every Muslim to adopt good habits when it comes to their health and well-being. The holy month of Ramadan also promotes healthy practices as well as mental and spiritual wellness. So, if you are into a bad habit, this is a good opportunity to kick it off with some tips and tricks:
1) Identify your triggers and work on controlling your stress and anxiety. Keep your mind tension-free to control your habit.
2)Â Keep your nails trimmed and filed properly and maintain cleanliness and hygiene.
3) If you can’t keep yourself stress-free, indulge in harmless activities like squeezing a stress ball to keep your mind busy.
4) Practice relaxation and mindfulness. In the pious month of Ramadan, indulging yourself in deep breathing and meditation activities can be beneficial for both your body and mind.
Ramadan gives you a golden opportunity to curb your bad habits. Though nail-biting is harmless and isn’t considered haram in Islam, it is a bad habit for Muslims as per the Shariah perspective. This is the best time for you to strengthen your good habits and practice self-discipline. Strengthen your willpower by dedicating time to stress-reduction activities like Quranic recitation and charitable deeds. Focus yourself on acts of worship and elevate your spiritual consciousness.
Also View: Are press-on nails haram in Islam?
The Final Word
In light of Islamic teachings, the nail-biting habit is generally considered undesirable and may invalidate the fast if it involves swallowing a portion of the nail. However, there is room for understanding and forgiveness, as the Shariah law emphasizes the importance of intentions and striving for improvement. If you struggle with nail-biting, strive to break the habit and seek forgiveness for any lapses. Remember, Ramadan is not only about refraining from physical actions but also about purifying the soul and improving oneself. With sincere effort and reliance on Allah, you can overcome this habit and strengthen your spiritual journey.
