The Wisdom Behind Prohibiting Men from Wearing Gold
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The Wisdom Behind Prohibiting Men from Wearing Gold
Question:
What is the reason behind prohibiting men from wearing gold? We know that the religion of Islam forbids only the things that are harmful for the Muslim. So what is the harm in a man wearing gold?
Answer:
Know, O questioner, that the reason behind Shari'ah rulings, for every believer is because it is the saying of Allaah and His Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam), since Allaah Almighty said:
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"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision." [Al-Ahzab 33:36]
So if anybody asks us what is the reason for such and such ruling, we merely produce the wisdom from the Book and the Sunnah. So we say that the reason for that is the saying of Allaah Almighty and the saying of His Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and this reason is sufficient for every believer.
Similarly, when 'A'ishah was asked why the menstruating woman makes up fasts missed but not prayers, she said: "When we would suffer from that we were ordered to make up the fast and we weren't ordered to make up for the prayer."
This is because a text from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) is proof enough for every believer. However there is no harm if a person seeks to know the wisdom, and to comprehend the wisdom behind Allaah's judgements since that will increase tranquility and respect for the Islamic Shari'ah when the judgements are coupled with their reasons. Additionally, when one knows the reason for a judgement with confirmed texts, it is possible to make an analogy with another matter there is no text for.
So these three benefits come with knowing the wisdom in the Shari'ah.
After this, we say in response to our brother's question that it is confirmed that the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) forbade males, not females, from wearing gold, and the reason for that is that gold is one of the highest and most beautiful means of adorning oneself in this world; so it is an adornment and a form of jewelry, and man, who is complete with his masculinity, has no need to complete himself with extrinsic adornments such as gold, and he does not need to beautify himself to that level in order to achieve his ends in matters of love. The woman, however, does have some need to beautify herself with the highest of adornments, for it leads to good relations between her and her husband. This is why women, and not men, are allowed to adorn themselves with gold. Allaah Almighty said of them:
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"And one who is brought up in adornments, and who in dispute cannot make itself clear?" [Az-Zukhruf 43:18]
Thus the Shari'ah wisdom behind the prohibition of wearing gold for men becomes clear. I'd like here to take the opportunity of warning those men who have been deluded into wearing gold; they have disobeyed Allaah and His Messenger; they have, out of ignorance, become effeminate; they have adorned themselves with an ember from the fire, as has been established in a saying of the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam).
It is incumbent upon these people to repent to Allaah Almighty, and if they wish to adorn themselves with silver within the limits of the Shari'ah, then there is no harm in that. They can also wear rings made of other materials if wearing those rings does not lead to extravagance or temptation.
Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Pages 392-394, DARUSSALAM
