Ruling on Wearing Nail Polish for Five Prayers

Question:
What is the ruling on wearing nail polish for five prayers and then wiping it off? Is that permissible?

Answer:
There is no basis for this, and it is not like wiping over leather socks, where the limit is set at five prayers for the socks over which wiping is permissible. As for nail polish, it should not be worn. If it is worn, it must be washed off and removed when performing the ablution for prayer. Henna is sufficient in its place, for henna is adequate. However, this practice has entered among people so that they may imitate non-Muslims and follow the disbelievers. Nail polish is, by its very name, nail polish, and there is no need for it. If it is applied to the nails, it must be removed when performing the ablution for prayer; one does not perform the ablution over it, because it prevents water from reaching the skin of the nail. Since it has a physical substance, it must be removed when performing the ablution for prayer.