Wearing an Iron Ring

Question:

Assalamu alaykum. My question is what is the ruling (hukm) of wearing finger ring made of iron?

Country: Nigeria

Answer:

Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,

It is permissible to wear an iron ring. Yet, it is better to avoid doing so. (al-Minhaj al-Qawim w/ Kurdi 2/82-83)

A hadith is related,

…وأخذ خاتما من حديد فلبسه وأتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: هذا شر من حلية أهل النار

“…He took an iron ring and wore it. He came to the Prophet Muhammad who said, ‘This is an evil from the jewelry of the people of Hell…’” (The wording is Bukhari’s from al-Adab al-Mufrad.)

This hadith is related via:

The Tariq of ‘Amr b. Shu’yab from his fathers:

1) Isma’il < Sulayman < Ibn ‘Ajlan via ‘Amr b. Shu’ayb… In al-Adab al-Mufrad 568-69, Imam Bukhari related it.

2) Yahya b. Sa’id < Ibn ‘Ajlan via ‘Amr b. Shu’ayb… In al-Musnad 13/269, Imam Ahmad related it.

3) Musaddad < Yahya < Ibn ‘Ajlan via ‘Amr b. Shu’ayb… In Ithaf al-Khayrah al-Maharah 4/529, Hafiz Busayri related it, and mentioned, “Its narrators are thiqat, and it is corroborated by the hadith of Buraydah which Abu Dawud, Nasai’i, and Tirmidhi related.” (Ibid 4/530)

In al-Tarikh al-Kabir, Imam Bukhari mentioned that Yahya encountered Ibn ‘Ajlan, and wrote hadith from him. Ibn Ma’in, Abu Hatim al-Razi, Abu Zur’ah al-Razi, and others made tawthiq of him. (al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil 8/49)

The Tariq of Abu Taybah ‘Abd Allah b. Muslim al-Marwazi < Ibn Buraydah < his father:

1) Ahmad b. Sulayman < Zayd b. Hubab < Abu Taybah… In al-Sunan 4/529, Imam Nasai’i related it.

2) Hasan b. ‘Ali and Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Abi Rizmah < Zayd b. Hubab < Abu Taybah… In al-Sunan 4/1805, Imam Abu Dawud related it.

3) Mohammad b. Humayd via Zayd b. Hubab < Abu Taybah… In al-Sunan, 4/248, Imam Tirmidhi related it.

Regarding Abu Taybah, Abu Hatim al-Razi said, “yuktabu hadithuhu wa la yuhtajju bihi.” (al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil 5/165) Hafiz Ibn Hajar said, “saduq yahimu.” (Taqrib al-Tahdhib 323)

Authorities Differed on the Hadith’s Authenticity

Authorities differed regarding the ruling on this hadith: be it sahih, hasan, or da’if. Some went the way of declaring it da’if. This would be Imam Nawawi’s view in Sharh al-Muhadhdhab and Sharh Sahih Muslim. Accordingly, it is the stance of the School’s later authorities.

Others, like Ibn Hibban, considered it sahih. And again others graded it hasan. Hafiz Munawi related that Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani assessed its lowest grade as hasan. (Fayd al-Qadir 1/113-14)

Ibn Hajar al-Haytami mentioned that the hadith is a proof that wearing a ring made of iron is disliked [makruh]. (al-Fatawa 1/262) Be that as it may, Imam Nawawi judged the aforementioned hadith to be weak; and thus, ruled that it is permissible to wear an iron ring, without it being disliked.

In conclusion, it is permissible to wear an iron ring, but better to avoid, as Ibn Hajar al-Haytami mentioned.