their hands and places the wedding ring on the finger designated for it. Thus, it involves a grave prohibition: imitating the Christians, which is forbidden even if it is free of the belief we mentioned first. It is therefore prohibited on these grounds.

Third: they are generally made of gold, and gold is forbidden for men. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw a man wearing a gold ring, so he removed it from his hand and threw it away, saying, “Would one of you deliberately take a burning ember and place it in his hand?” After the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had left, the man was told, “Take your ring and benefit from it.” He replied, “By Allah, I shall never take it after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has thrown it away.” (1) In the well-known hadith, it is stated: “Gold and silk have been made lawful for the women of my community and forbidden to its men.” (2)

This custom is forbidden and should be opposed, and those who practice it should be reproved, since it entails these grave prohibitions. Likewise, those men who wear gold rings or chains should be reproved, as is done by some effeminate men. Worse still are those who wear gold earrings in their ears.

The Sword’s Pommel

His statement: “and the sword’s pommel.”

The pommel is the part found at the top of a sword’s grip, resembling a cap. It is permissible to adorn this pommel with silver, due to reports concerning this, some traced back to the Prophet and others stopped at a Companion (3), and because the sword is an instrument of war, and in