‘Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem’
Sallallahu Ala Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wa Alehi Wasallam
The
metal of the ring should be made of silver. It is makruh (and according
to another tradition haraam for men) for both men and women to wear
rings made out of iron, steel, or brass.
According to Imam Jaffer as-Sadiq alayhis salam, the Holy Prophet peace be upon him used to wear a silver ring.
According to Imam Jaffer Sadiq alayhis
salam the Holy Prophet (Sallalahu Ala Muhammad Sallaahu Alayhe Wa Alehi
Wasallam) used to wear the ring on the first finger of his right hand
and has prohibited to wear it on the middle finger.
The Imam (A.S.) further instructs that
the ring should be worn at the lowest end of the finger, where it joins
the palm. Also the ring should be worn on the right hand, although some
traditions do allow it to be worn on the left also.
Types
Hadith and Sunnah About Gemstones
It is Sunnah to wear the ring with the gemstone turned outward to the back of the hand (zhahir al-kaff)
since that is how Ibn `Abbas said the Prophet (upon him blessings and
peace) wore it, and how Ibn `Abbas himself wore it, – on the smallest
finger of his right hand – as narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi in
their Sunan, and the latter said al-Bukhari told him it was a “hasan sahih” hadith.
As for turning the flange or ring-setting (fass) palmward (batin al-kaff), Imam al-Bayhaqi clarified in his “Monograph on Signet-Rings” (al-Jami` fil-Khatim)
that the most probable case is that wearing the ring turned toward the
palm was when the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) had first worn
a gold ring and on it was inscribed Muhammadun Rasul Allah, whereupon people started wearing such rings then he threw it away and said on the minbar:
“I used to wear a gold ring with its gemstone turned toward the palm. I
shall never wear that again.” After that he took a silver signet-ring
with the same inscription which he used as a seal to sign letters
without wearing it, and he ordered that no one use the same inscription
as he used. Al-Bayhaqi added “it is also
possible that he wore the silver ring with the stone turned toward the palm, Allah knows best.” Al-Bukhari’s narration mentions “a gold or silver ring” in the above account.
possible that he wore the silver ring with the stone turned toward the palm, Allah knows best.” Al-Bukhari’s narration mentions “a gold or silver ring” in the above account.
Al-Nawawi and al-`Iraqi explained the
reasons for which the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) turned his
ring inward as follows:
- because it is farther away from ostentation and pride;
- for the protection of the naqsh (inscription) on the ring lest any
hard-hitting contact alter it, which would mar the signature;
- to keep it from prying eyes (both Muslims and non-Muslims) lest its
inscription be duplicated;
- for the reason mentioned below by Ibn al-Mundhir.
- for the protection of the naqsh (inscription) on the ring lest any
hard-hitting contact alter it, which would mar the signature;
- to keep it from prying eyes (both Muslims and non-Muslims) lest its
inscription be duplicated;
- for the reason mentioned below by Ibn al-Mundhir.
The literal Sunnah here would be for the
gemstone to have an inscription, as the Prophetic reason for keeping a
signet-ring in the first place was utilitarian (to sign letters) and not
aesthetic. Yet beautification (tazayyun) is permitted for the believer or rather encouraged, without ostentation.
It is also established that the Prophet
(upon him blessings and peace) wore it on both the right and the left
hand, and Shaykh Sulayman al-Jamal in his commentary on al-Tirmidhi’s Shama’il said
that both hands are Sunnah as long as the ring is on one of the last
two fingers of the hand, but the right hand is a superior Sunnah.
Al-Qari in his Sharh al-Shama’il, however, states that wearing
it on the left is farther from ostentation, especially on the little
finger, and especially with the setting turned inwards, and Allah knows
best.
Ibn Hajar said: “If one wears a ring for
beautification then the right hand is more deserving; if for a
signature-seal then the left, as if for safe-keeping and in order to
take it with the right hand at the time of signing. But in absolute
terms the right is preferable since the left is used for cleaning
oneself.”
Removing the ring before entering the
latrine, as the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) did, is when it
contains an inscription similar to that mentioned above, but Ibn
al-Mundhir said that even in that case it would be sufficient to turn
the ring palmward at that time, as mentioned by al-Qari and others. The
upshot is that if there is no inscription or if there is just a
gemstone there is no precaution needed according to the Shari`a.
Wearing silver rings is detestable for
women as it resembles the practice of men; but if they do not find or
cannot afford gold they may wear yellowed (musaffar) silver
jewelry. This shows that yellowed silver is detestable for men to wear
and anything golden even if it is not gold, because it is the practice
of women. Allah knows best.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
===============================
All perfect
praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave
and Messenger.
Some scholars are of the view that it is
disliked for a man to wear gem stones; their evidence is that wearing
them could be an act of extravagance and imitating women’s fashion. So,
wearing them is a doubtful matter and it is better to avoid it.
As regards wearing carnelian, then most
scholars are of the view that it is permissible, and there is even a
narration in the Hanbali school of jurisprudence that it is desirable to
wear it, and they have another narration that it is just permissible
like the view of the majority of the scholars .
Therefore, it is permissible for you to
continue wearing the carnelian ring, but if you leave it and wear a
silver ring, then this is better, as by doing so, you would act
according to the Sunnah because Anas narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) had a ring made of silver.
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