Source: Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani – Ahkām wa Masā’il: In Light of Qur'an and Sunnah
In the second volume of Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, there is a narration from Asmāʾ bint Yazīd رضي الله عنها that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“A woman who wears a gold necklace will be made to wear a similar necklace of fire on the Day of Judgement, and a woman who wears gold earrings will be made to wear similar earrings of fire on the Day of Judgement.”
Does this mean it is forbidden for women to wear gold jewelry, or is this warning only for those women who wear such ornaments for show?
Wearing gold jewelry is permissible for women, whether it is circular in shape or otherwise. Allah ﷻ states in the Qur’an:
“Is then he who is brought up in adornments and cannot express himself clearly in dispute?”
[Surah al-Zukhruf: 18]
In this verse, by stating that women are brought up with adornments, Allah ﷻ does not rebuke the wearing of jewelry. This statement is general—whether the jewelry is circular or of another type.
Imām Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله writes in his commentary on this verse:
"A woman is deficient, and her deficiency is compensated for by adorning her with jewelry from childhood."
[Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (5/519), verified by ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Mahdī]
Imām Mujāhid said:
"رخص للنساء فى الذهب والحرير"
"Women have been permitted to wear gold and silk."
Imām al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī writes:
"This verse indicates the permissibility of adornment for women. There is a consensus on this, and there are countless ḥadīths on the matter."
[Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī (16/18), Mukhtaṣar al-Qurṭubī (2/2), Tafsīr al-Qur’ān by al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī (4/391)]
"Silk and gold have been made unlawful for the men of my Ummah, but lawful for their women."
[Musnad Aḥmad (1/393, Ḥadīth: 19732), al-Nasā’ī: Bāb Taḥrīm al-Dhahab ʿala al-Rijāl (5151)]
"Silk and gold have been made unlawful for the men of my Ummah, and lawful for its women."
[Tuḥfat al-Akhyār (6), Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār (6/250, 4197)]
I heard ʿAlī رضي الله عنه say:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took gold in his right hand and silk in his left, then raised them and said: ‘These two are forbidden for the males of my Ummah.’"
[Musnad Aḥmad (1/96, Ḥadīth: 750), al-Nasā’ī (5147–5150), Abū Dāwūd (4057), Ibn Mājah (3595), Ibn Ḥibbān (5434)]
"Do you pay zakāt on these?"
They replied: "No."
He said:
"Would you like Allah to make you wear bangles of fire instead?"
They replied: "No."
He said:
"Then pay their zakāt."
[al-Tirmidhī: Bāb Zakāt al-Ḥulī (637), Abū Dāwūd (1563), al-Nasā’ī (4/140, Ḥadīth: 7549)]
Verified as ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in Irwā’ al-Ghalīl (3/296)
The Prophet ﷺ saw silver bracelets on my hand. He asked:
"What is this, O ʿĀʾishah?"
I said: "I made them to adorn myself for you."
He asked: "Do you give zakāt on them?"
I replied: "No."
He said: "That is enough for you to be from the people of Hellfire."
[Abū Dāwūd: Kitāb al-Zakāh, al-Ḥākim (1/389–390, Ḥadīth: 1437), al-Bayhaqī (4/139, Ḥadīth: 7547)]
Imām al-Ḥākim graded this ḥadīth as authentic on the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Imām al-Dhahabī agreed, and Shaykh al-Albānī affirmed it as well.
Imām al-Bayhaqī رحمه الله said:
"These reports and those similar to them indicate the permissibility of women wearing gold. The consensus also supports abrogation of those reports that suggest prohibition for women in particular."
[al-Bayhaqī (4/142)]
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله stated:
"It is unanimously agreed upon that it is permissible for women to wear silk and adorn themselves with silver and gold."
[al-Majmūʿ (4/442)]
He further said:
"Muslims have unanimously agreed that all types of jewelry made from gold and silver are permissible for women: necklaces, rings, bangles, anklets, armlets, chains, and everything commonly worn. There is no disagreement in any of this."
[al-Majmūʿ (6/40)]
The narration mentioned from Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (4402), also found in Abū Dāwūd (4238), al-Nasā’ī (8/157), and Musnad Aḥmad (2/420), includes Maqālāt (points of criticism) regarding its chain. Specifically, Maḥmūd bin ʿAmr, a narrator in the chain, was only considered reliable by Ibn Ḥibbān, who is known to include anyone in his book al-Thiqāt if there is no known criticism against them, even if they are otherwise unknown.
Moreover, Ibn Ḥajar said Maḥmūd bin Labīd is maqbūl (acceptable only in corroboration), and Ibn Ḥazm graded him ḍaʿīf (weak). Imām Ibn al-Qaṭṭān al-Fāsī said:
"The flaw in this narration is that Maḥmūd bin ʿAmr is majhūl al-ḥāl (status unknown), even if several narrated from him."
[Bayān al-Wahm wa al-Ihbām (3/590)]
Hence, this weak narration cannot override the clear and authentic aḥādīth and Qur'anic evidence establishing the permissibility of women wearing gold.
✔ It is permissible for women to wear gold and silver jewelry.
✔ The narration warning of Hellfire applies to those who do not give zakāt on their gold jewelry, not to all women wearing gold.
✔ If zakāt is paid, then wearing such jewelry is not considered hoarding (kanz) and does not lead to punishment.
✔ The overwhelming Qur’anic guidance, authentic aḥādīth, and unanimous scholarly consensus confirm the permissibility.
❖ Question:
In the second volume of Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, there is a narration from Asmāʾ bint Yazīd رضي الله عنها that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“A woman who wears a gold necklace will be made to wear a similar necklace of fire on the Day of Judgement, and a woman who wears gold earrings will be made to wear similar earrings of fire on the Day of Judgement.”
Does this mean it is forbidden for women to wear gold jewelry, or is this warning only for those women who wear such ornaments for show?
❖ Answer:
Wearing gold jewelry is permissible for women, whether it is circular in shape or otherwise. Allah ﷻ states in the Qur’an:
﴿أَوَمَن يُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ﴾
“Is then he who is brought up in adornments and cannot express himself clearly in dispute?”
[Surah al-Zukhruf: 18]
In this verse, by stating that women are brought up with adornments, Allah ﷻ does not rebuke the wearing of jewelry. This statement is general—whether the jewelry is circular or of another type.
Imām Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله writes in his commentary on this verse:
"A woman is deficient, and her deficiency is compensated for by adorning her with jewelry from childhood."
[Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (5/519), verified by ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Mahdī]
Imām Mujāhid said:
"رخص للنساء فى الذهب والحرير"
"Women have been permitted to wear gold and silk."
Imām al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī writes:
"This verse indicates the permissibility of adornment for women. There is a consensus on this, and there are countless ḥadīths on the matter."
[Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī (16/18), Mukhtaṣar al-Qurṭubī (2/2), Tafsīr al-Qur’ān by al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī (4/391)]
❖ Authentic Aḥādīth Permitting Women to Wear Gold
- Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه narrated:
"Silk and gold have been made unlawful for the men of my Ummah, but lawful for their women."
[Musnad Aḥmad (1/393, Ḥadīth: 19732), al-Nasā’ī: Bāb Taḥrīm al-Dhahab ʿala al-Rijāl (5151)]
- ʿUqbah bin ʿĀmir رضي الله عنه narrated the same:
"Silk and gold have been made unlawful for the men of my Ummah, and lawful for its women."
[Tuḥfat al-Akhyār (6), Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār (6/250, 4197)]
- ʿAbdullāh bin Zurayr al-Ghāfiqī said:
I heard ʿAlī رضي الله عنه say:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took gold in his right hand and silk in his left, then raised them and said: ‘These two are forbidden for the males of my Ummah.’"
[Musnad Aḥmad (1/96, Ḥadīth: 750), al-Nasā’ī (5147–5150), Abū Dāwūd (4057), Ibn Mājah (3595), Ibn Ḥibbān (5434)]
- ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAmr رضي الله عنهما narrated:
Two women came to the Prophet ﷺ wearing gold bangles. He asked:
"Do you pay zakāt on these?"
They replied: "No."
He said:
"Would you like Allah to make you wear bangles of fire instead?"
They replied: "No."
He said:
"Then pay their zakāt."
[al-Tirmidhī: Bāb Zakāt al-Ḥulī (637), Abū Dāwūd (1563), al-Nasā’ī (4/140, Ḥadīth: 7549)]
Verified as ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in Irwā’ al-Ghalīl (3/296)
- ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ saw silver bracelets on my hand. He asked:
"What is this, O ʿĀʾishah?"
I said: "I made them to adorn myself for you."
He asked: "Do you give zakāt on them?"
I replied: "No."
He said: "That is enough for you to be from the people of Hellfire."
[Abū Dāwūd: Kitāb al-Zakāh, al-Ḥākim (1/389–390, Ḥadīth: 1437), al-Bayhaqī (4/139, Ḥadīth: 7547)]
Imām al-Ḥākim graded this ḥadīth as authentic on the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Imām al-Dhahabī agreed, and Shaykh al-Albānī affirmed it as well.
❖ Scholarly Consensus on Women Wearing Gold
Imām al-Bayhaqī رحمه الله said:
"These reports and those similar to them indicate the permissibility of women wearing gold. The consensus also supports abrogation of those reports that suggest prohibition for women in particular."
[al-Bayhaqī (4/142)]
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله stated:
"It is unanimously agreed upon that it is permissible for women to wear silk and adorn themselves with silver and gold."
[al-Majmūʿ (4/442)]
He further said:
"Muslims have unanimously agreed that all types of jewelry made from gold and silver are permissible for women: necklaces, rings, bangles, anklets, armlets, chains, and everything commonly worn. There is no disagreement in any of this."
[al-Majmūʿ (6/40)]
❖ Clarification Regarding the Ḥadīth in
The narration mentioned from Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (4402), also found in Abū Dāwūd (4238), al-Nasā’ī (8/157), and Musnad Aḥmad (2/420), includes Maqālāt (points of criticism) regarding its chain. Specifically, Maḥmūd bin ʿAmr, a narrator in the chain, was only considered reliable by Ibn Ḥibbān, who is known to include anyone in his book al-Thiqāt if there is no known criticism against them, even if they are otherwise unknown.
Moreover, Ibn Ḥajar said Maḥmūd bin Labīd is maqbūl (acceptable only in corroboration), and Ibn Ḥazm graded him ḍaʿīf (weak). Imām Ibn al-Qaṭṭān al-Fāsī said:
"The flaw in this narration is that Maḥmūd bin ʿAmr is majhūl al-ḥāl (status unknown), even if several narrated from him."
[Bayān al-Wahm wa al-Ihbām (3/590)]
Hence, this weak narration cannot override the clear and authentic aḥādīth and Qur'anic evidence establishing the permissibility of women wearing gold.
Conclusion
✔ It is permissible for women to wear gold and silver jewelry.
✔ The narration warning of Hellfire applies to those who do not give zakāt on their gold jewelry, not to all women wearing gold.
✔ If zakāt is paid, then wearing such jewelry is not considered hoarding (kanz) and does not lead to punishment.
✔ The overwhelming Qur’anic guidance, authentic aḥādīth, and unanimous scholarly consensus confirm the permissibility.
