has no need of that. He beautifies himself for her and not for anyone else—save that husband and wife may each adorn themselves for the other, for such mutual care breeds affection. Be that as it may, a man is never permitted to wear gold under any circumstances.

By contrast, wearing silver is unobjectionable: a man may place a silver ring on his finger, on condition that no creed is attached to it. This qualification pertains to those who have adopted the Christian custom of the so-called diblah, the ring exchanged at marriage.

They say of the diblah that, among the Christians, when a man wishes to marry, the priest comes to him, takes the ring, and tries it on his fingers—one after another—until he reaches the chosen finger, then proclaims, “This is the bond between you and your wife.” Should a Muslim man wear such a ring believing in that ritual, he is imitating the Christians and embracing a false belief; in that case it is unlawful for him to wear the wedding band.

If, however, he wears an ordinary ring without any such belief, there is no harm in it.

Moreover, wearing a ring is not intrinsically recommended; it is only done when a need arises, otherwise it is left aside. The proof is that the Messenger ﷺ did not wear a ring, but when he was informed that kings and rulers would not accept a letter unless it bore a seal, he had a ring made with “Muḥammad, Messenger of Allah” engraved on its bezel, and whenever he completed a letter he sealed it with that ring.

This ḥadith also demonstrates that firmness may be used in eradicating wrongdoing when circumstances demand it.