Muslim clerics from the Saharanpur-based Darul Uloom Deoband seminary, one of the largest in Asia, have issued a fatwa against women wearing nail polish, ANI reported.
"Darul Uloom Deoband has issued a fatwa against Muslim women using nail polish because it is un-Islamic and illegal. Rather women should use mehendi on their nails," said Mufti Ishrar Gaura, a cleric at the seminary.
Recommending women use mehendi on their nails, Gaura said that women should not wear nail polish while offering namaz because it prevents them from washing their nails. In other words, completing Wudhu, the washing ritual performed by Muslims during prayer.
In July, the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary pronounced that shaving and waxing was against Sharia law. The clerics said that barring armpits, mustache and lower part of navel, removing hair from the body was not advisable under Sharia.
In February, the seminary told women to not buy bangles from male shopkeepers. "Wearing bangles from any male other than of any blood relationship is `haram' in Shariat and it is forbidden is Islam for a women to allow some other person to touch her wrist," the fatwa said at the time.
In January, the seminary banned women from marrying into families of bank employees. "One should avoid having any social bonds with such a person because everything including his lifestyle would be connected with 'haraam', and then it would be harmful to the person religiously, socially as well as individually," the seminary said at the time.
In January, the seminary also issued a fatwa against women watching football because it was felt that they would obsess over the "bare thighs" of the male players.
"Why do women need to watch these football matches? What will they gain by looking at footballers' thighs? Their attention will be on that only and they will even miss the scores," Mufti Athar Kasmi said at the time.