‘The author [Tirmidhi] -Rahimuhullaah- wrote this heading to explain that the Sunnah regarding wearing a ring is that it is worn on the right hand – and this is the opinion that the author chose -Rahimuhullaah- whereby he brought a number of narrations about it. He regarded the narration which mentioned that the ring of the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– was on his left hand as having a deficiency in its chain.

Whoever reflects about what has been mentioned in this chapter finds narrations which show that the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– wore his ring on his right hand and other narrations which show that he wore his ring on the left. Ibn al-Qayyim -Rahimuhullaah- said in ‘Zaad al-Ma’ad’: ‘The Ahadeeth are varied; was it on his right hand or his left and all of those Ahadeeth have authentic chains.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p. 112]

AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad continues:

‘As for the ruling in this issue as it is, then Nawawi -Rahimuhullaah- said: ‘there is consensus of the permissibility of wearing a ring on the right hand and the permissibility of wearing it on the left and there is no dislike in either of the two ways. However, they differed which of them is better? So many of the Salaf wore a ring on the right hand and many wore it on the left. [Imam] Malik preferred wearing it on the left hand and disliked it on the right hand. In our Madhab there are two opinions for our companions; what is correct is that wearing it on the right hand is better, because it is for beautification. The right hand is nobler and has more of a right for beautifying and is more generous.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.112]

Hadeeth 77 – On the Right Hand

From Ali bin Abu Taalib:

‘That the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to wear his ring on his right hand.’

[Collected by Abu Dawood, Nisa’ee, & Al-Al-Albaani said its Isnaad is Saheeh upon the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim. It has been researched in al-Irwaa no. 820 & Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.60]

Imam Bukhari said:

‘Wearing the ring on the right hand is the most authentic matter in this issue. The right hand has more of a right to be beautified, as for the Rawafidah taking it as a practice and a custom of wearing it on the right hand then they have no relevance.’

[ash-Shamial ash-Shareefa by Suyootee p. 277]

Hadeeth 78 – Weak Hadeeth

From Hamad bin Salamah who said I sawIbn Abu Rafa’ wearing his ring on his right hand, so I asked him about it?

He said: ‘I saw Abdullaah bin Jafar wearing a ring on his right hand.’

And Abdullaah bin Jafar said:

‘The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to wear a ring on his right hand.’

[Collected by Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Nisa’ee & Al-Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.60 Al-Al-Albaani said: ‘I say: that the author (Tirmidhi) said: ‘Muhammad bin Isma’eel (Bukhari) said: ‘This is the most authentic matter narrated from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– in this issue.’ Its Isnad is Saheeh, researched there and Bukhari narrated the first if it in ‘Tareekh al-Kabeer’, Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.60]

Hadeeth 79 – Weak Hadeeth

From Jabir bin Abdullaah:

‘That the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to wear a ring on his right hand.’

[Al-Al-Albaani said its Isnaad is very weak, collected by Abu Shaykh with a different chain similar to it in weakness, however the text is authentic due to the preceding and following Hadeeth.’ Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p. 61]

Hadeeth 80 – Ibn Abbas

From as-Saltt bin Abdullaah who said:

‘I think that Ibn Abbas used to wear a ring on his right hand, except that he said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to wear a ring on his right hand.’

[Collected by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi & Al-Albaani graded it Hasan. Al-Al-Albaani said: ‘The author (Tirmidhi) said: ‘Muhammad bin Isma’eel (Bukhari) said: ‘Hadeeth Hasan Saheeh’ Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.61]

Hadeeth 81 – Towards the Palm

From Ibn Umar:

‘That the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– took a ring made of silver and he placed a stone on the ring towards his palm and it had an engraving on it of Muhammad Messenger of Allaah.

He prohibited anyone from engraving on top of it. It was dropped by Muayqeeb into the well of Arees.’

[Collected by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nisa’ee, Ibn Majah & Al-Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.61]

[Muayqeeb]

Shaykh Al-Al-Albaani said:

‘He accepted Islaam a long time ago, he witnessed Badr and migrated to Habsha [Ethiopia]. He would take care of the ring of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam. He was given authority over the Bait-ul-Mal by Abu Bakr, then Umar and the Uthmaan.’

[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p. 62]

[Towards his Palm]

AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad said:

‘The stone on the ring was not visible due to it facing the inside of the palm. This shows that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– did not wear the ring for beautification but he took it for a need.’

[Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.114]

Hadeeth 82 – On the Left Hand

From Jafar bin Muhammad from his father who said:

‘al-Hasan and al-Hussain would wear a ring on their left hand.’

[Collected by Tirmidhi & Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.62]

Al-Albaani said:

What is correct is that it is permissible to both wear it on the right and left hand. There is no proof to show that one of these two situations has been abrogated.’ As for the Hadeeth: ‘The Prophet used to wear a ring on his right then he transferred it to his left’ is not authentic.

[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.62]

Hadeeth 83 –

From Anas bin Malik:

‘That the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to wear his ring on his right hand.’

[Al-Albaani said: Its Isnaad is Saheeh Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah P.62]

Hadeeth 84 – A Gold Ring

From Ibn Umar who said:

‘The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– took a ring made of gold and he would wear it on his right hand. So, the people took rings made of gold. Then the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– threw it away and said:

‘I will never wear it ever.’

So the people threw away their rings.’

[Bukhari, Muslim in the ‘chapter the prohibition of gold rings for men and the abrogation of it being allowed in the beginning of Islaam’ also by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah from Ibn Umar that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– prohibited gold rings.’ Tirmidhi & Al-Albaani in Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p.63]

Summary:

Shaykh Al-Albaani said:

‘This Hadeeth shows the prohibition of gold rings for men and that its permissibility has been abrogated. These Ahadeeth indicate that generally the Messenger used to wear a ring on his right but this does not prevent the permissibility of wearing a ring on the left hand as is established in some Ahadeeth. And Allaah knows best.’

[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadeeyah p. 63]

In another narration:

From Ibn Umar -RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said:

‘That the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– took a ring made of gold. And in another narration: and he would wear it on his right hand, then he threw it away and took a ring made of silver and it had an engraving on it of Muhammad Messenger of Allaah. The Prophet said: ‘No one should have an engraving like my engraving on my ring.’

When he would wear it he would placed its stone on the ring towards his palm.’

[Collected by Bukhari & Muslim]

Shaykh Al-Albaani said:

‘This means the same engraving as is on his ring. He -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had engraved on his ring Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah so that he could stamp the letters which he would write to kings. Therefore, if others had the same engraving then corruption would enter and disorder would occur.’

[Mishkat al-Masabih 2/1253]

Wearing a ring on the middle finger and the index finger

From Ali -RadhiAllaahu anhu- that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–prohibited that rings should be worn on these two fingers, this one or this one. Then he said: ‘He indicated to the middle finger and the one next to it.’

[Collected by Muslim]

Imam Nawawi wrote a chapter heading: ‘Chapter the prohibition of wearing a ring on the middle finger and that which is next to it’

He said in the explanation of Saheeh Muslim:

” وَيُكْرَه لِلرَّجُلِ جَعْله فِي الْوُسْطَى وَاَلَّتِي تَلِيهَا لِهَذَا الْحَدِيث , وَهِيَ كَرَاهَة تَنْزِيه وأما المرأة فلها التختم في الأصابع كلها .”

‘It is disliked for a man to wear it on his middle finger and the one next to it due to this hadeeth, it is an extreme dislike. As for a woman then she can wear it on any finger.’

[From Sharh Muslim 14/71]

Wedding & Engagement Rings

A Wedding Ring

Question: What is the ruling on wedding rings or a ring each which both the husband and wife wear, and they write the wife’s name on the husband’s ring and the husband’s name on the wife’s ring, along with the date of the engagement. Is this a Bida’ or does it have an origin?

Is the saying of the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– to one of the Companions, from the collection of Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim from the hadeeth of Sahl bin Saad: ‘Seek something even if it is a ring made of iron.’ As a proof for the permissibility of wearing a ring for marriage?’

Answer:

Firstly, as for what you have mentioned about a man and a woman who are engaged to be married or a husband and wife wearing a ring or a ring for engagement or marriage – as you have described – then it does not have an origin in Islaam, in fact it is a Bida’.

The ignorant and weak Muslims have followed the non-Muslims in their habits and that is not allowed, due to what it has of resembling the non-Muslims and the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– warning against resembling them.

Secondly, the statement of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– to some of the companions from the collection of Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim from the hadeeth of Sahl bin Saad: ‘Seek something even if it is a ring made of iron,’ is not an evidence of the permissibility of what you have mentioned. This is because the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– requested from that person to bring an iron ring as dowery for the one whom he wanted to marry.

Success is with Allaah and may Allaah give security and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his Companions.’

The Lajna Da’imma lillbahooth al-Ilmeeyah wal Ifta

The Head: AbdulAziz bin Abdullah bin Baz

Vice head: AbdurRazzaq Afeefi

Member: Abdullaah bin Qhuddayaan

Member: Abdullaah bin Qa’ood

[Fatwa no. 4127]

Wearing a ring for Marriage

Question:

Is it permissible to use a ring which is in the form of a ring for the occasion of a marriage?

The Answer:

‘It is not allowed to wear a ring for the occasion of marriage, due to this resembling the non-Muslims in their habits. This is because it is not from the practices of the Muslims in marriages, rather it is from the practices of the non-Muslims in their marriages. Then those of weak Eemaan and the ignorant Muslims.

Success is with Allaah and may Allaah give security and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his Companions.’

The Lajna Da’imma lillbahooth al-Ilmeeyah wal Ifta

The Head: AbdulAziz bin Abdullah bin Baz

Vice head: AbdurRazzaq Afeefi

Member: Abdullaah bin Qhuddayaan

Member: Abdullaah bin Qa’ood

[Fatwa no. 5158]

Wedding rings

Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen -Rahimahullaah- (d. 1421 A.H.)

The Ruling on wearing an engagement and wedding ring

The Question:

O noble Shaykh, some of the people have become accustomed to some traditions before and after marriage, from them, is a practice of a man placing a ring on the finger of the woman. Also the practice of presenting the bride with gold after the engagement, and presenting gold on morning of the wedding.

Fourthly, the mother of the bride is given an amount of money in return for unveiling her face to her son in law. So what is permissible from these matters and what is not?

The Answer:

These are four matters:

Firstly, the wedding ring, which is when a man gifts a ring to the wife [for marriage]. There are something people who place a ring on the wife when they want to get married or when they actually marry. These practices were not well-known to us before.

Shaykh Al-Al-Albaani -may Allaah give him success- mentioned that it is taken from the Christians, and that the two who want to get married go to the priest in the church, and the woman wears a ring on the small finger, or the finger next to it or the middle finger, I do not know how they wear it.

However, the Shaykh said it is taken from the Christians, so without doubt leaving it is better. Perhaps it would mean that we are resembling other than the Muslims.
I would add to this, that some people hold a belief in that the man writes his name on the ring which he wishes to give her, and she writes her name on the ring which the husband wears, and they believe that as long as the wedding ring is in the hand of the husband and has his wife’s name on it, and likewise the ring in the hand of the wife and it has the name of her husband on it so that there will not separate, this Aqeedah is a type of Shirk. It is from Tiwala (a type of magic), which they claim causes a husband to love his wife and the wife to love the husband.
Therefore, with this Aqeedah (belief), this act is prohibited, so the issue of the wedding ring now is surrounded by two matters:

The first: it is taken from the Christians.

The second :

If the husband believes that this ring is the means for the connection between him and his wife then it becomes a type of Shirk. This is why we hold the opinion that leaving it is better. As for ash-Shabaka (i.e. engagement), I do not know, do they mean by ash-Shabaka that they believe that it connects between the two spouses, or does it mean that the wife is pleased with the husband and the husband with the wife? What seems apparent is it means this. We used to call this in the past ‘Qabd al-Ruqbah’ or ‘Qabdah al-Ruqbah’. The meaning of Qabd means, reserving. When a man proposes to a woman for marriage, he would send some jewellery to her and it used to be called ‘qadab al qabool’ (i.e. engagement). Nowadays they call it ‘Shabakka’ (i.e. engagement). I do not think there is a problem with this, since there is no prohibition for this. However, what is prohibited is what I heard takes place in some countries: That a man comes with a net which has a necklace in it, and he himself places it on his wife to be, but this is Haram.

The fiancée in relation to the fiancé is like any other woman in a market place, it is not allowed for him to enjoy himself with her, with anything.

This leads us to another issue: when some men propose to women they begin speaking to them a lot on the phone, so much so that it reached us that some of them speak the whole night – the winter nights especially in the middle of the month – and the fiancé chats to his fiancée, we have heard this happens, and this is Haram. Is she his wife or not his wife? Not his wife, so how can he just chat to her?! How can it be comprehendible that he speaks with her for this long period without feeling a desire for her? This is not possible. Some people will say to you, ‘When I speak with her – I swear by Allaah – I see what she has of culture etc.’ When you marry her, then you can examine her, as for this moment she is not your wife, you are not Halal for her, and she is not Halal for you.

The third point:

Giving a gift of gold on the morning of the wedding, this is also from practices which we do not see any problem with. This is a well-known practice among the people. This is a way of bringing harmony with the wife and let her have good feelings, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The Fourth:

Al-Fatasha, this is a strange word! What does this word mean? It means that the mother of the bride does not unveil her face in front of her daughter’s husband. But here, if she is going to unveil her face to her son in law and he has to give her something for that, then this is the first time I have heard this, have you heard of this before?’

The audience replied, ‘yes, it occurs.’

The Shaykh: ‘I swear by Allaah, I withhold from answering until I ponder over it.’

[Silsilah al-Liqah ash-hari 46] http://zadgroup.net/bnothemen/upload/ftawamp3/mm_046_02.mp3

Placing a Wedding ring on the Bride’s finger

Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddeen al-Al-Albaani said: ‘Placing a wedding ring on the bride’s finger is from the customs of the Christians, and we have been commanded to differ from them.

The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

من تشبه بقومٍ فهو منهم

‘Whoever resembles a people then he is from them.’

[From ‘Adab az-Zafaf’ p.212 – 213]

Part Twelve What is Mentioned Regarding that the Prophet Used to Place his Ring on his Right Hand

Hadeeth 78 – Weak Hadeeth

Hadeeth 79 – Weak Hadeeth