❖ Shar‘i Rulings on the Use of Gold and Silver ❖
✍ Fatwa by: Fadhilat al-‘Ālim Fahd Ansari ḥafiẓahullāh
◈ Question
Is it permissible to use gold and silver leaf (warq) in food?
And can gold and silver utensils be used for purposes other than eating and drinking?
◈ Use of Gold and Silver Leaf in Food
✔ From a medical perspective, consuming gold and silver leaf is permissible when needed.
✔ There is no explicit evidence in Shari‘ah that forbids their use in food items. (Wa-Allāhu A‘lam)
🔹 Shaykh ‘Abdur-Raḥmān al-Barrāk has permitted the consumption of edible gold and silver foil applied on sweets, provided it does not involve extravagance or excessive display.
◈ Use of Gold and Silver Utensils
✔ The use of gold and silver utensils, especially by men, is forbidden in specific contexts—particularly when they are used for eating and drinking.
🔸 This is based on authentic Hadith prohibiting eating or drinking in vessels made of gold or silver.
✔ However, the use of such items for other permissible purposes—e.g., decoration, storage, or medicinal instruments—may be allowed, subject to scholarly differences and conditions such as avoiding pride or extravagance.
(Source: IslamQA.info)
◈ Summary
✅ Gold and silver leaf on food items (such as sweets) is permissible, as long as extravagance is avoided.
✅ Using gold or silver utensils for eating or drinking is forbidden, especially for men.
✅ Their use for non-consumptive purposes may be permissible, depending on context and intention.
