Is the removal by a pilgrim of a painful fingernail, or dead skin surrounding it or on the sole of the foot, considered among the prohibitions of ihram that necessitate a fidyah (expiatory offering)?

The prohibitions of the state of ihram are nine, and among them is cutting the nails. As for removing dead skin, scholars have differed regarding its ruling, between those who prohibit it and those who permit it. Sheikh Ibn Baz prohibited it, while Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen permitted it. There is no explicit, authentic evidence for its prohibition, and the closer opinion is permissibility. However, it is more cautious to refrain from removing dead skin to avoid the difference of opinion.