Is It Obligatory To Trim Long Nails
Prophet (sws) instituted this Sunnah that long nails should be trimmed. Dirt often accumulates in elongated nails and such nails also have resemblance with savage animals. So strict was the Prophet (sws) in observing these norms that for some of them he even stipulated a certain time limit. Anas (rta) reports: وُقِّتَ لَنَا فِي قَصِّ الشَّارِبِ وَتَقْلِيمِ الْأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفِ الْإِبِطِ وَحَلْقِ الْعَانَةِ أَنْ لَا نَتْرُكَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً The time before which we must trim our moustache, pare our fingernails, shave pubic hair, remove hair from under the armpits has been fixed as forty days. However, it has not been made obligatory like five daily salah or fasts of Ramdhan etc. It is an emphatic Sunnah, with great stress i.e a recommended act with great emphasis . Any intentional violation might incur a minor sin for the person.