If there's a universal beauty grief for Muslim women, it's nail polish.
According to Islam, impermeable polish on one's nails invalidates wudu, or the washing that precedes prayers.
So it's not surprising that the recent introduction of a so-called "halal" option has been met with joy by Muslim women living around the world.
The Polish beauty brand Inglot has captured attention with its new O2M - oxygen and moisture - range. Allegedly porous and breathable, the polish is designed to allow water vapour to penetrate to the nail surface, making it suitable for ablutions.
Cue the social media excitement - and censure.
One Twitter user, @MarwaSammi, summarised it well: “Halal nailpolish. [sic] Bismillah and mashallah and all other holy words, this is exciting.
Maria Kari, writing on a blog for Pakistan's The Express Tribune, echoed the sentiment of many Muslim women: "I'm not ashamed to admit that discovering O2M Breathable polishes constitutes the entire sum of my current happiness."
The controversy comes from some of the more devout, who argue its permissibility. While the Quran does not specifically address the issue of nail polish, some religious scholars say water must touch the surface of the nail for wudu to be done correctly, and have deemed nail polish a no-no at any time.
Conflicting fatwas were swift to follow, as were the independent tests done by enterprising bloggers who wanted to see for themselves just how reliable the porous claim was.
Not even the American Muslim scholar Mustafa Umar escaped criticism when he tested the product and declared it permissible on www.suhaibwebb.com.
Sobia Kamran, a blogger in the US, wrote that, despite her initial excitement at Inglot's release, upon closer examination and "careful research", she dismissed it as an option for herself. She presented her findings to readers and left it up to them to decide.
The website Halaal Talk was more strident in its criticism: "Muslim women who are conscious of the importance of Salaat [prayers] and ibaadat [worships] in general should not be deceived by the 'halal' advertisement attached to this new kind of nail polish."
The range and volume of conflicting opinion prompted Maryam Khan Ansari, a reporter for the US-based digital news outlet Illume, to write that Inglot nail polish isn't revolutionary "but rather, the dialogue that has surrounded it" is.
Still, it seems many women are eager to give Inglot the benefit of the doubt. When I queried friends, the reaction was mixed. Some were cautious, if not downright suspicious, that it was truly halal. Others bought the product, wanting - and needing - it to be true.
And as is often the case, opinion sways towards disgust that something as innocuous as nail polish can cause such a stir, mainly from the "non-religious" segment. As one friend put it, she loathes "this halal nail polish idea".
For others, anything that can make the difference between prayers being accepted or denied deserves the scrutiny.
While Inglot has capitalised on the halal tag, it's not alone in the market. New water-based products pushing the "permeable" element are also available from the Canadian beauty brands Tuesday in Love and Suncoat. Or there's Acquarella, which touts itself as vegan.
The latter two emphasise natural ingredients that make them halal, rather than being halal altogether.
This highlights a broader issue. While the term "halal certified" used to apply to food groups, it is increasingly being applied to beauty products, making cosmetics and personal care products that target the Muslim market big business.
According to research from Dr Murray Hunter conducted at the University of Malaysia, the halal cosmetic and personal care market is worth between US$5 billion and $14bn (Dh18bn and Dh51bn) in Muslim-populated countries.
Meanwhile, the European cosmetics news website Cosmetics Design-Europe reported an increasing preference for natural and organic beauty and personal care products, which are considered halal-friendly.
For a product to be certified halal, it can't contain alcohol, fragrances or animal ingredients. It should also carry a guarantee that it hasn't been tested on animals.
Apparently Colgate-Palmolive is developing halal-certified cosmetic ranges, while Inglot has since indicated a desire to explore the Muslim market further. And why wouldn't they, given all the attention given to their first effort?
There's more mileage in this market, and it will be interesting to see what other halal beauty trends emerge. And while there is no arguing that the Muslim market is being commercialised, it seems that ethical - not just "wudu-friendly" - products might just be the next big thing.
artslife@thenational.ae
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
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Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
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Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
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The specs
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The years Ramadan fell in May
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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