Fatwas on Wearing and Using Gold and Silver

Q 438: What is the rule of wearing gold rings by men, (particularly during prayers)?
A: A man is not allowed to wear a gold ring at all, and the prayer he performs while wearing it is void as per obligatory caution.

Q 439: What is the rule of wearing white gold rings by men?
A: If the so-called white gold is the known yellow gold which is mixed with a substances that makes its color white, it is ḥarām. While if the amount of gold in it is so small that in the common view it is not called it gold anymore, it is not forbidden to wear it. Platinum is also no problem.

Q 440: Is there any problem, according to shar‘, in wearing gold when it is not for beautification purposes and the gold is not visible to others?
A: It is absolutely ḥarām for men to wear gold whether ring or something else even though it is not for adorning purposes and the gold is hidden from others.

Q 441: What is the ruling with respect to wearing gold by men for a short period? We ask this question because there are some people who claim that there is no problem in wearing gold for a short period such as the time of marriage.
A: Wearing gold is ḥarām for men, whether for a short period or a long one.

Q 442: Taking into consideration the rules regarding the clothes of a praying person and that wearing gold as an adornment is forbidden for men, please answer the following two questions:
i. Does adorning with gold mean any use of gold by men even in bone surgery and dentistry?
ii. Given that, according to a tradition in our area, newly married youths wear engagement rings made of yellow gold, and this action is by no means considered by ordinary people as an adornment for men, but as a sign of the beginning of the individual’s marital life, what is Your Eminence’s opinion in this regard?
A: i. The criterion in the prohibition of wearing gold by men is not that it falls under the category of adorning, rather it includes all forms and purposes of wearing gold. Therefore, it is ḥarām even if it happens to be an ordinary or wedding ring, chain, etc. However, there is no problem in the use of gold for men in bone surgery and dentistry.
ii. Wearing rings made of yellow gold is ḥarām for men in any case.

Q 443: What is the rule of selling and making golden jewelry which is specifically to be used by men and not worn by women?
A: Making golden jewelry to be specifically used by men is ḥarām. Similarly, it is not permissible to buy and sell it for that purpose.

Q 444: We see in some parties that sweets are served on silver plates. Is this action considered an example of eating from a silver plate? And what is its rule?
A: If to take food or the like from a silver plate for the purpose of eating is considered as eating from a silver plate, it is ḥarām.

Q 445: Is there any problem in having one’s tooth covered with gold? What is the rule of having it covered with platinum?
A: There is no problem in having one’s teeth covered with gold or platinum. However, a problem arises in the case of covering the front teeth with gold for the purpose of adornment.