‘Our Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– began wearing a ring at a later time period after his migration (Hijra). He took it towards the end of the sixth year of al-Hijra when the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– began writing to the kings and leaders with the call to the Deen of Allaah – Tabaraka wa Ta’ala. When the Prophet wanted to write to Rome, it was said to him that they do not read letters except if they are stamped, so then he took a ring [for stamping].

This is why some of the people of knowledge have written in detail regarding the rulings of wearing rings. They say if it is a need, for example a person is a judge or a person in a position of responsibility and he needs to have a ring [for stamping letters etc], then in respect to this person taking a ring it is the Sunnah, as for wearing it not for a need then this is regarded as something permissible.’

Some of the scholars compiled separate works about the rulings of wearing rings, like, al-Bayhaqi who wrote ‘al-Jama’ fil-Khatim’ and Ibn Rajab in ‘Kitab Ahkaam al-Khawateem wa ma Ta’alaq biha’.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.107]

Hadeeth 71 – Silver Ring

From Anas bin Malik who said:

‘The Prophet’s -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– ring was made of silver and its stone was Ethiopian.’

[Collected by Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, Nisa’ee, Ahmad and Albaani graded it Saheeh Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.58]

Shaykh Albaani said:

‘The point of the stone is that upon which the ring’s owner’s name is engraved upon. It was made from materials from Ethiopia. It was from Onyx, it is a material which has in it both white and black. Or that it was from a canyon and its metal was from Ethiopia.’

[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.58]

Hadeeth 72 – Stamp for Letters

From Ibn Umar

That the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– took a ring made of silver and he would stamp letters with it and not wear it.’

[Albaani said: Its Isnaad is Saheeh upon the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim. Collected by Ahmad and Abul-Shaykh with a complete wording without the wording ‘and not wear it’. This part is weak. Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.57]

[and not wear it]

AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad said:

‘This opposes many Ahadeeth which show that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– wore a ring. There are from the people of knowledge who took the path of combining between the Ahadeeth and there are those who regarded the Hadeeth to be weak due to it opposing other Ahadeeth.

It has been said that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had more than one ring, so he would wear some rather than others. The reason he did not wear it is, that it was not pure silver, but it was mixed with that which is not allowed to wear like iron for example.

It has been mentioned that Imam Ahmad -Rahimuhullaah- said: ‘that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had a ring made of iron which had a stone in it and he threw it away.’ Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab -Rahimuhullaah- said in his book ‘Ahkaam al-Khawateem’: ‘Perhaps it was the ring with which he would stamp letters and not wear it as is mentioned in the Hadeeth of Ibn Umar which is collected by Tirmidhi in ‘Shamial’ if it is authentic. Here he indicates to this Hadeeth, if this extra wording is authentic then it is understood to be for a specific situation.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p. 108]

Hadeeth 73 – A Stone in the Ring

From Anas bin Malik who said:

‘The Prophet’s -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– ring was made from silver, its stone was from it.’

[Collected by Bukhari. Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ibn Sa’ad, Abul-Shaykh, Albaani graded it Saheeh in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.58]

Hadeeth 74 – Engravement on the Ring

From Anas bin Malik who said:

‘The engravement on the ring of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had the word ‘Muhammad’ on a line, the word ‘Rasool’ on a separate line and the word ‘Allaah’ on a separate line.’

In another narration from him:

‘The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– wanted to write to Kisrah (Persian King), Caesar and Najashi. It was said to the Prophet: ‘they do not accept a letter if it is not stamped.

So, the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had a ring forged and its ring was made of silver. It had Muhammad Messenger of Allaah engraved on it [it is as if I can see the whiteness of it on his palm.]’

[Collected by Tirmidhi, Bukhari in ‘Chapter: Should the engravement on a ring be three lines’, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nisa’ee, Albaani graded it Saheeh in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.58. Also by Bukhari from another chain: ‘Chapter: Taking a ring to stamp things with it or to write with it to the people of the book and others’ Muslim and Abu Dawood]

[The engravement on the ring]

AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad said:

‘In this Hadeeth it mentions that the stamp of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– was made up of three words, which are: ‘Muhammad’ ‘Messenger’ the word ‘Allaah’. These words were not on one line, but they were on three lines, ‘Muhammad’: one line, and ‘Messenger’ : on another line, and the word: ‘Allaah’ on a line, and that is perhaps -and Allaah Ta’ala knows best- due to the impossibility that the three words to be written on the ring on one line.

What is apparent from the hadeeth is that the first line from the top had: ‘Muhammad’, the second: ‘Rasool’ and the third: ‘Allaah’. This was what was engraved and there was nothing else on it.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p. 109]

Hadeeth 75 – Weak Narration

From Anas:

‘That when the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– would enter the toilet he would remove his ring.’

[Collected by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Nisa’ee, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim & Albaani declared it Da’eef in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.59]

Shaykh Albaani said:

‘Abu Dawood said: ‘Hadeeth Munkar’ and he was truthful even though it was authenticated by Tirmidhi and others, as is established in the books of Takhreej and I explained it in ‘Irwaa’ no. 48 and ‘Da’eef Abi Dawood’ no. 4.

Ibn Sa’ad reported with an authentic Isnad that al-Hasan al-Basri was asked about a man who has on his ring a name from the Names of Allaah and he enters the toilet? He answered: ‘Was there not on the ring of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- an Ayaat from the Book of Allaah? Meaning Muhammad, the Messenger of Allaah.

[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.59]

Carrying a Mus’haf in your pocket into the toilet

Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Uthaymeen was asked:

‘What is the ruling of entering the bathroom with papers which contain the name of Allaah?’

He answered:

يجوز دخول الحمام بأوراق فيها اسم الله ما دامت في الجيب ليست ظاهرة , بل هي مخفية ومستورة.

‘It is permissible to enter the bathroom with papers which contain the name of Allaah as long as they are in a pocket and not apparent, but they should be hidden and covered.’

[Fatawa min at-Tahara p.109]

Shaykh Albaani was asked:

Questioner: If we supposed that a person entered with a Qur’aan into the toilet, what would the ruling be? Is it permissible to take it in there?

Shaykh Albaani: What do you mean the toilet?

A questioner: Meaning the bathroom.

Shaykh Albaani: You mean the toilet, dear brother, the bathroom has a general meaning which includes, if you entered into it to initially wash your hands, which also includes a place to have a shower. However, you mean the toilet, the place where one relieves himself in the toilet and he has with him a Mus’haf, is this permissible?

The answer, if this Mus’haf as is mentioned that it is not apparent, left in an inside pocket of a jacket or inside of a shirt, etc then there is nothing wrong with this.

A questioner: a person has a Mus’haf and a bag and he is a traveller, he needs to enter the toilet, he cannot leave it outside, it may get stolen, and the Mus’haf is in his pocket or in his bag, I understand the answer to be that there is no problem with this.

Shaykh Albaani: No problem.

[Silsilah Huda wa Noor no. 142 / Jama’ Turaath allaamah al-Albaani fee Fiqh 1/ 137-138]

Hadeeth 76 – In the Possession of the Three Khulafah

From Ibn Umar who said:

‘The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– took a ring made of silver and it was in his possession, then in the possession of Abu Bakr and Umar, then in the hands of Uthmaan until it fell into the Well of Arees. Its ascription was Muhammad Messenger of Allaah.’

[Collected by Bukhari, Nisa’ee, Abu Dawood & Albaani graded it Saheeh in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.59]

[The Well of Arees]

Shaykh Albaani said:

‘The well of Arees was in a garden near Masjid Quba’. Its ascription is to a man from the Jews whose name was Arees.

[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.60]

Shaykh AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad said:

‘Uthmaan was at the well and he began moving the ring in his hand and it fell from him into the well. Uthmaan -RadhiAllaahu anhu- took turns with his companions for three days draining out the well, but they did not find it.

As for the opinion that the ring of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– is present in our later times is a claim that needs proof. The likes of this is not accepted except with firmly established proof and clear evidences.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.110-111]

Different types of Rings

1 – Gold rings

The statement of the Prophet-sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– about gold and silver:

“إِنَّ هَذَيْنِ حَرَامٌ عَلَى ذُكُورِ أُمَّتِي حِلٌّ لِإِنَاثِهَا ”

‘Indeed, these two are prohibited for the males of my Ummah and permissible for the females.’

[Collected by Tirmidhi, Nisa’ee and Albaani graded it Saheeh in Irwaa.]

At-Tahawi -Rahimahullaah- said:

‘What is established from the Athaar is, that it used to be permissible to wear gold rings, then it was prohibited after that, so it is established that it is prohibited to wear them.’

[Sharh ma’ani al-Athaar 4/262]

Ibn Rajab -Rahimahullaah- said:

‘The action of those of the Companions who wore gold rings is understood that the news of the abrogation did not reach them.’

[Ahkam libss al-Khawatim]

2 – Silver rings

From Anas that:

‘The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– wanted to write to Kisrah (Persian King), Caesar and Najashi. It was said to the Prophet: ‘they do not accept a letter if it is not stamped.

So, the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had a ring forged and its ring was made of silver. It had Muhammad Messenger of Allaah engraved on it.’

[Bukhari & Muslim]

3 – Rings made from valuable metals & Rubies

Ibn Hazm -Rahimahullaah- said:

‘Jewellery of silver, pearls, rubies and emerald are permissible in everything for men and women.’

Shaykh Salih al Fawzan said:

‘As for rings made from other than gold, which are made from silver or others made from other types of metals then it is allowed for a man to wear them, even if they are from expensive materials.’

[Al-Muntaqa 5/336]

Prohibition of Wearing Rings Made of Iron or Brass

From Amr bin Shuaib from his father, that a man came to the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and on his hand, was a gold ring, so the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– turned away from him. When the man saw the Prophet’s dislike for it he went away and threw it away, then he took a ring made of iron and put it on and came to the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and the Prophet said:

‘This is eviler, this is the jewellery of the people of the Hell fire.’

So, the man went away and threw away the ring and wore a ring made of silver and the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– remained silent about it.’

[Ahmad, Bukhari in adab al-Mufrad and Albaani graded its Isnaad to be Jayyid. Ghayatul murram p.59 – 60]

The Allowance for Wearing an Iron Bracelet

Shaykh Albaani was asked: Is it permissible to wear all different style iron bracelets and rings, for children or women?

The Shaykh answered:

‘As for rings then they are not allowed, the ruling for an iron ring or a brass, or gold ring are equal, they are prohibited for men and women. As for anything other than that from bracelets etc, then there is no prohibition for this. In some Islamic countries it is presumed that all things such as iron bracelets are the same as iron rings which are prohibited. This type of extension of analogy is dispraised, because the foundation of using analogy is that a Muslim turns to analogy only if he is forced to.’

[Silsilah Huda wa Noor no. 342]

Part Eleven What is mentioned about the ring of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- From Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah

Introduction to Chapter 11

Hadeeth 71 – Silver Ring

Hadeeth 72 – Stamp for Letters

Hadeeth 73 – A Stone in the Ring

Hadeeth 74 – Engravement on the Ring

Carrying a Mus’haf in your pocket into the toilet

Hadeeth 76 – In the Possession of the Three Khulafah

Different types of Rings

1 – Gold rings

2 – Silver rings

3 – Rings made from valuable metals & Rubies

Prohibition of Wearing Rings Made of Iron or Brass

The Allowance for Wearing an Iron Bracelet