Which Hand Should a Ring Be Worn On?
✍ Written by: Imran Ayoob Lahori
A ring may be worn on both the right and the left hand, though the stronger opinion is that it is better to wear it on the right hand.
① Hadith of Abu Salamah bin ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (رضي الله عنه)
He narrated:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يتختم فى يمينه
“The Prophet ﷺ used to wear a ring on his right hand.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3557; Abū Dāwūd: 4226; Tirmidhi: 1744]
② Hadith of Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما)
He narrated:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يتختم فى يساره
“The Prophet ﷺ used to wear a ring on his left hand.”
[Shādh: Ḍaʿīf Abū Dāwūd: 908; Abū Dāwūd: 4227]
Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله) said: The wording “in his right hand” (يمينه) is authentic and preserved, not “in his left hand.”
③ Statement of Nāfiʿ (رحمه الله)
He said:
أن ابن عمر كان يلبس خاتمه فى يده اليسرى
“Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) used to wear his ring on his left hand.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3558; Abū Dāwūd: 4228]
Conclusion:- Both hands are permissible for wearing a ring.
- The more authentic and stronger practice is to wear it on the right hand, as established from the Prophet ﷺ.
