Source: Excerpt from the book “Aḥkām wa Masāʾil: In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah” by Shaykh Mubashshir Ahmad Rabbānī ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to get artificial teeth implanted, such as using gold or silver teeth? Please provide clarification in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
❖ Answer:
If a person loses teeth due to illness or any other reason, it is permissible to replace them with artificial teeth, whether they are made of metal, silver, or even gold.
❖ Use of Gold for Medical Necessity
Although gold is generally prohibited for men in Islam, an exception is granted in cases of necessity, such as:
- Replacing lost body parts
- Using prosthetics for medical reasons
❖ The Incident of ʿArfajah ibn Asʿad رضي الله عنه
During the Jāhiliyyah, in the battle of Kilāb, the noble companion ʿArfajah ibn Asʿad al-Tamīmī رضي الله عنه lost his nose. Initially, he replaced it with a silver nose, but it began to emit a foul odor.
The Prophet ﷺ then instructed him to replace it with a nose made of gold.
🟢 This ḥadīth is narrated in:
- Musnad Aḥmad (4/342, 4/23–24, ḥadīth: 19215, 20534–20539)
- Abū Dāwūd (ḥadīth: 4232)
- al-Tirmidhī (ḥadīth: 1770)
And has been authenticated with a ḥasan chain of narration.
❖ Scholarly Commentary
Hāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, Ibn al-Athīr, and Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr have all recorded this incident in their respective works:
al-Iṣābah, Usd al-Ghābah, and al-Istīʿāb.
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله explains:
❝This ḥadīth allows scholars to
Similarly, al-Sindhī in his commentary on Musnad Aḥmad (31/340) confirms this understanding.
❖ Early Precedents Among the Tābiʿīn
Ḥammād ibn Jābir Sulaymān says:
I saw al-Mughīrah ibn ʿAbd Allāh with golden teeth wiring, and when I informed Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī, he said:
❝There is no harm in it.❞
❖ Chapter Headings in Ḥadīth Collections
- Imām al-Tirmidhī placed this under:
“Bāb: What has been reported about binding the teeth with gold.”
Reference: Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī with Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 5/267 - Imām Abū Dāwūd has a similar heading:
“Bāb: On fastening teeth with gold.”
Imām al-Khaṭṭābī explains in his commentary:
❝This ḥadīth proves that in cases of necessity, it is permitted for men to use a
❖ General Principle:
If the nose, a part of the human body, may be replaced with gold, then teeth, which are also essential for daily function, may likewise be replaced with gold if necessary.
Similarly, amputated limbs — such as arms or legs lost in battle or due to injury — can also be replaced with artificial prosthetics, and this is permissible and correct in Sharīʿah.
❖ Conclusion:
✔ Artificial teeth are permissible, regardless of whether they are made from metal, silver, or gold.
✔ The use of gold is allowed in cases of necessity, especially for medical or structural restoration.
✔ Prosthetics such as artificial limbs are also permissible for those in need.
And Allah knows best.
