The great scholar of Fiqh, Shaykh Mufti Amjad ‘Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه   has said, ‘It is narrated that whosoever clips his/her nails on a Friday, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will protect him from calamities till the next Friday and for three days thereafter, that is, for 10 days in total. In one narration, it is said that whosoever clips their nails on a Friday, [for that person] mercy will come and his sins will go [i.e., be forgiven].’

(Durr-e-Mukhtar, Rad-dul-Muhtar, pp.9, vol. 668, Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 16, pp. 225-226)

1.         The following is a summary of the prescribed method of cutting the fingernails as narrated in authentic books: begin with the index finger of the right hand and work your way right towards the pinkie (smallest finger). Now, beginning with the pinkie (small finger) of the left hand, work your way towards the left thumb. In the end, clip the nail of the right thumb. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, vol. 9, pp. 670; Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, pp. 193, vol. 1)

2.         There is no prescribed order of clipping the toe nails. It would be better to start from the smallest toe on the right foot working your way left to the big toe, then cut the big toenail of the left foot working your way left to your little toe. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, pp. 193, vol. 1)

3.         It is Makruh [disliked] to clip the nails whilst in the state of Janabat, that is, when Ghusl has become obligatory on one.

(Fatawa ‘Aalamgiri, pp. 308, vol. 5)

4.         It is Makruh [disliked] to bite the nails with one’s teeth; there is a fear of being inflicted with leprosy in doing so. (Fatawa ‘Aalamgiri, pp. 308, vol. 5)

5.         Bury the nails after clipping them; they can also be thrown away.

(Fatawa ‘Aalamgiri, pp. 308, vol. 5)

To learn various Sunan, obtain the following books, Bahar-e-Shari’at part 16 comprising of 312 pages and Sunnatayn aur Adaab, comprising of 120 pages, both published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah, the publishing department of Dawat-e-Islami. One of the best ways to learn Sunan is to travel in the Madani Qafilahs of Dawat-e-Islami with the lovers of the Beloved Prophet.