are lawful for the women of my community and forbidden to its men.” Thus, the prohibition on wearing silk applies specifically to men, not women. It has also been said that men may wear it in battle; Ibn al-Mājishūn held this view and related it from Mālik. There is therefore no disagreement that men are forbidden to wear it outside battle, except out of necessity. Indeed, “the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, permitted Abd al-Rahmān ibn Awf and al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwām to wear silk shirts because of an itching condition they both suffered.”
Mālik disapproved of this and did not permit it, as the hadith had not reached him—and Allah knows best. It has also been related from him that he permitted it for itching, in accordance with the hadith. The same applies to wearing gold rings, since this is a form of dress permitted to women but not men.
As for silver rings, wearing them is lawful and permissible for men and women, without any dislike, according to the overwhelming majority of earlier and later scholars. Those who disliked them in all circumstances held an isolated view, relying on Ibn Shihāb’s report “from Anas ibn Mālik that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, acquired a silver ring, then discarded it, whereupon the people discarded their rings.” This narration is mistaken, for the accurately preserved report states that he discarded a gold ring, not a silver one.
Likewise, those who disliked wearing a ring except for someone in authority held an isolated view, relying on the report that “the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, forbade wearing a ring except for someone in authority.” Its meaning—if authentic—is that wearing one is not obligatory, or not recommended, except for someone in authority.
The majority prefer that it be worn on the left hand. Their reasoning is that it is recommended to give precedence to the right, since one takes the ring with the right hand and places it on the left. Some of the early generations preferred wearing a ring on the right hand, and this has been related from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. The reasoning here is that a ring is an article of dress and adornment, so the right hand is preferred over the left, just as the right foot is preferred over the left in accordance with the Sunnah concerning footwear: its sandal is put on first and taken off last, so that it enjoys the benefit of wearing it longer than the left. Moreover, the ring may bear Allah’s name; if someone wears it on his right hand, he need not remove it when cleansing himself after relieving himself, whereas removing it is recommended for someone who wears it on his left.
It is not permissible to wear an iron ring, for iron is the adornment of the people of Hell, nor a brass ring, for a prohibition against wearing rings of either metal has been transmitted from the Prophet—upon him be