1.Are women allowed to have long nails in Islam? 2.Are we allowed to read the nightly waazifaas (eg surah sajida,waqiyah) before magrib salaat?

1) It is Mustahabb (commendable and desirable) to pair the finger nails every Friday. Only a Mujahid is exempted from this and it is preferrable that he lenghtens his nails because it can be used as a weapon to attack the enemy. It was aso the blessed habit of Nabi alaihis salaam that he would pair his nails and not let them grow long. It is also noted in the books on Jurisprudence that he who lengthens his nails, his sustenance and income becomes straitened and restricted. (Shaami vol. 6 pg. 405, H.M. Saeed).

Also, one should remenber that at the time of wudhu it is necessary for the validity of the wudhu that water reaches below the nails if the nails are longer than normal. Many a times women are busy in their choirs of the kitchen wherein different types of ingredients tend to stick under the nails and if not removed, Wudhu will be invalid if it does reach the bottom of the nails. Therefore it will not be permissible to keep long nails unnecessarily.

2) The virtues concerning these surahs are normally mentioned for when they are recited in the night. According to Islam, night will refer to that time after Maghrib Salaat and not the time before the salaat of Maghrib. Therefore, these surahs will have to recited in their respective specified times in order to reap the complete benefits and rewards.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai