Is Nail Polish A Barrier Between Me and My Wudu?

My Outlook Regarding The Misconception of Nail Polish Making Ones Wudu Incomplete

A common issue that arises between Muslim girls, at school, in the workplace, and out in public is that nail polish can't be worn when a girl has to pray Salat. Different scholars and sects have a conflicting stance on this subject, but my opinion is that 'No, nail polish does not impact one's wudu'. Before the comment section fills up with an outpour of commentors stating otherwise, let me just outline the reasons why I take this stance on the subject.

WHY IS IT SEEN AS A BARRIER?

For one to understand the reason that nail polish makes ones Wudu incomplete, we must understand why this claim has been made. For ones Wudu to be complete, water must reach all the parts of our body which are involved (in Wudu), to remove the dirt that has built up in those parts or any perspiration that may come from the human body. Most scholars claim that with nail polish on, the water isn't reaching our nails, making our Wudu incomplete. 

BUT WAIT...

...if water must reach every part of our body that is involved in Wudu, then why is our Wudu still valid if we have socks on? If we perform Wudu and put our socks on, then our socks act as a barrier between our feet and dirt. Then why isn't the same claim made for nail polish? 

PROOF

From my knowledge of the Qur'an and Hadith, I can honestly say that there is no Hadith that states the invalidity of Wudu with nail polish on our nails. However, the one Hadith that many like to use to prove that indeed we can't pray with nail polish on is: 

"If you find water, then let it touch your skin, for that is good." -Narrated by Abu Daud 

But once again let me go back to the point I made earlier. What about socks? Are those not a barrier, preventing water from touching our skin?

PRACTICALITY IN ISLAM

Islam is a practical religion. It doesn't want to make our life difficult, rather fill it with ease. So why would Allah make women remove their nail polish 5 times a day to pray? He wouldn't. The same goes for makeup, we are allowed to do Wudu and put on makeup, and pray all day if our Wudu is still valid. We aren't forced to remove that makeup and reapply it 5 times a day. 

NAILS

We must remember that nail polish is applied to our nails, which are already dead. So in fact, the passing of water to all the other parts of our body is permissible to that degree, but the nail does not matter. Adding nail polish to something that is already dead, doesn't make it any cleaner. The cleanliness is guaranteed with nail polish in that, washing the nail polish becomes the same as washing the nails. 

EXPLAINING IT SIMPLY TO SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT AGREE

"The reason that you believe that nail polish makes one's Wudu invalid is because nail polish doesn't allow water to seep through. Right? If you think of it in that sense, then nothing should be able to seep through. Right? Then how can dirt seep through? If dirt isn't getting through the nail polish, to the nail, then the need for Wudu doesn't arise. So if our hands are already cleaned, and we have completed our Wudu prior to applying nail polish, then shouldn't the nail polish act as a barrier, preventing dirt from going through? Meaning, that the need for Wudu shouldn't arise, since the nail remains clean and our Wudu, valid."

Unfortunately, these things are given far more importance than they need to be given. Such things were never 'wrong' during the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), so they shouldn't be seen as wrong today. Even with nail polish, when the whole hand is washed, your purpose of Wudu is achieved.

This is what Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ra) (the fourth successor of the Promised Messiah (as)) replied to the question stated above:

Take Care, Allah Hafiz