Waswaas about presence of barrier on foot between water and skin
29-11-2017 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu alaykum. Following up from the last answer about the barriers on my foot, how far should I go in searching for them and removing them? Currently, I check my feet with a nail clipper and/or pair of scissors in order to cut out any of the spots that are stuck to my toe nails. Again, how far am I suppose to go in checking for barriers to water? I am doing this so that I can purify my foot from invisible impurity and be able to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) and ablution. I did not receive the answer I was hoping for on my last question. That being said, if there are still small barriers on the toes and their nails that can only be seen by holding the foot upclose and inspecting them, does it mean that the foot is not purifued from invisible impurity when water is poured over it? If so, if the foot touches clothing, does it make the clothing impure aswell? Currently, I am unable to perform the prayer because I am so busy checking my feet for barriers. I do not know how far to go in this. Should I ignore these tiny spots on my toe nails? Please help me with some clarification on this matter.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is obvious that you are overwhelmed by Waswaas (obsessive thoughts). Therefore, we ask you to disregard these thoughts and strive in getting rid of them. You should know that the basic principle is that there is no barrier; it is sufficient for you to act upon the basic principle in this regard. You should stop the checking that you mentioned and not pay any attention to your doubts about there being a barrier on your feet. In fact, some scholars, like Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah 
held that the insignificant barrier is excused and pardoned. You can follow this view in order to repel Waswaas and avoid inconvenience and hardship. Moreover, Shaykh Al-Islam held that the insignificant impurity is excused and pardoned in all cases. So you should follow this view lest you get carried away with Waswaas, which would lead you to evil consequences.
Allah knows best.