Question:
What is the ruling in Sharia regarding men getting their ears pierced and wearing earrings?
Answer:
It is not permissible in Sharia for boys or men to get their ears pierced and wear earrings, as this is considered imitation of women, which is prohibited.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"There is neither any worldly benefit nor any religious benefit in piercing a child's ear. It merely involves cutting a part of their body, which is not permissible."
[Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkam al-Mawlood: 143]
◈ Ibn al-Khas writes:
"It is an innovation that must be rejected and prevented."
"Wadhalika Bid'atun Yajibu Inkaraaha wa al-Mana' Minha"
Benefit:
There is a narration from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that mentions seven things considered Sunnah for a child, one of which is ear piercing.
[Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by al-Tabarani: 1/176, Hadith: 558]
Comment:
The chain of this narration is weak because:Its narrator, Rawad bin Jarrah, is considered "Hasan al-Hadith" by the majority but became unreliable in his later years, thus he is considered "Matrook".
As mentioned by:◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"He is a truthful narrator, but in his later years, he became unreliable. His narrations from Sufyan al-Thawri are severely weak."
[Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb by Ibn Hajar: 1958]
There is no indication that al-Qasim bin Masawar al-Jawhari heard from Rawad before he became unreliable, making the chain "weak".
◈ Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on him) says that his father, Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on him), was born with pierced ears. His grandfather, Rahwayh, went to al-Fadl bin Musa al-Sayani to ask about this. Al-Fadl said:
"Your son will either be a very good person or a very bad person."
[Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi: 6/347, its chain is Hasan]
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"This is a good chain and a strange story."
[Siyar A'lam al-Nubala by al-Dhahabi: 11/380]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"It seems that Imam al-Fadl bin Musa understood that just as this child is unique in this feature, he will also be unique in religion or worldly matters."
[Tuhfat al-Mawdood: 143]
◈ Regarding Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh al-Marwazi (161/238 AH), Imam Khatib Baghdadi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"He was one of the Imams of the Muslims and a scholar of the religion, combining Hadith, Fiqh, memory, honesty, piety, and asceticism."
[Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib: 6/345]
He strongly refuted the Jahmiyyah and other innovators in Khurasan, playing a significant role in promoting the Sunnah and spreading correct Islamic beliefs.
Benefit:
It is permissible and correct for girls or women to have their ears pierced because women need jewelry for adornment. The hadith of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about Umm Zar' serves as evidence for this. In the hadith, the eleventh woman said about her husband:
"He has adorned my ears with jewelry."
[Sahih Bukhari: 2/780/5189, Sahih Muslim: 2/288, 2448/92]
There is also a narration from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that after the Eid prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged women to give charity:
"Women began to remove their earrings."
[Sahih Bukhari: 2/843, Hadith: 5873, Sahih Muslim: 1/290, Hadith: 890]
Muhammad bin Mahmood al-Surushni (al-Hanafi, died 632 AH) writes:
"There is no harm in piercing the ears of girls because people did this during the Prophet's time without any objection."
[Jami Ahkam al-Sighar: 122]
Conclusion:
It is absolutely impermissible for men to get their ears pierced and wear earrings as it is considered imitation of women, which is prohibited. Unfortunately, some young Muslims have adopted this practice in imitation of non-Muslims, contrary to the principles of Sharia.
What is the ruling in Sharia regarding men getting their ears pierced and wearing earrings?
Answer:
It is not permissible in Sharia for boys or men to get their ears pierced and wear earrings, as this is considered imitation of women, which is prohibited.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"There is neither any worldly benefit nor any religious benefit in piercing a child's ear. It merely involves cutting a part of their body, which is not permissible."
[Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkam al-Mawlood: 143]
◈ Ibn al-Khas writes:
"It is an innovation that must be rejected and prevented."
"Wadhalika Bid'atun Yajibu Inkaraaha wa al-Mana' Minha"
Benefit:
There is a narration from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that mentions seven things considered Sunnah for a child, one of which is ear piercing.
[Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by al-Tabarani: 1/176, Hadith: 558]
Comment:
The chain of this narration is weak because:Its narrator, Rawad bin Jarrah, is considered "Hasan al-Hadith" by the majority but became unreliable in his later years, thus he is considered "Matrook".
As mentioned by:◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"He is a truthful narrator, but in his later years, he became unreliable. His narrations from Sufyan al-Thawri are severely weak."
[Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb by Ibn Hajar: 1958]
There is no indication that al-Qasim bin Masawar al-Jawhari heard from Rawad before he became unreliable, making the chain "weak".
◈ Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on him) says that his father, Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on him), was born with pierced ears. His grandfather, Rahwayh, went to al-Fadl bin Musa al-Sayani to ask about this. Al-Fadl said:
"Your son will either be a very good person or a very bad person."
[Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi: 6/347, its chain is Hasan]
◈ Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"This is a good chain and a strange story."
[Siyar A'lam al-Nubala by al-Dhahabi: 11/380]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"It seems that Imam al-Fadl bin Musa understood that just as this child is unique in this feature, he will also be unique in religion or worldly matters."
[Tuhfat al-Mawdood: 143]
◈ Regarding Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh al-Marwazi (161/238 AH), Imam Khatib Baghdadi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
"He was one of the Imams of the Muslims and a scholar of the religion, combining Hadith, Fiqh, memory, honesty, piety, and asceticism."
[Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib: 6/345]
He strongly refuted the Jahmiyyah and other innovators in Khurasan, playing a significant role in promoting the Sunnah and spreading correct Islamic beliefs.
Benefit:
It is permissible and correct for girls or women to have their ears pierced because women need jewelry for adornment. The hadith of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about Umm Zar' serves as evidence for this. In the hadith, the eleventh woman said about her husband:
"He has adorned my ears with jewelry."
[Sahih Bukhari: 2/780/5189, Sahih Muslim: 2/288, 2448/92]
There is also a narration from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that after the Eid prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged women to give charity:
"Women began to remove their earrings."
[Sahih Bukhari: 2/843, Hadith: 5873, Sahih Muslim: 1/290, Hadith: 890]
Muhammad bin Mahmood al-Surushni (al-Hanafi, died 632 AH) writes:
"There is no harm in piercing the ears of girls because people did this during the Prophet's time without any objection."
[Jami Ahkam al-Sighar: 122]
Conclusion:
It is absolutely impermissible for men to get their ears pierced and wear earrings as it is considered imitation of women, which is prohibited. Unfortunately, some young Muslims have adopted this practice in imitation of non-Muslims, contrary to the principles of Sharia.