Honored servants of Allahﷻ , in this ongoing Friday series titled “Clothing from the Perspective of Islam”, we have been discussing the rulings related to wearing footwear over the past few weeks.
Last week, we discussed whether one should remove footwear when entering graveyards (qabristan) or whether it is permissible to walk with shoes on.
There is a hadith regarding this. The Prophet ﷺ ﷺ was walking in a graveyard with a companion. He saw a man walking wearing sandals. The Prophet ﷺ ﷺ said to him, “Remove your sandals.” The man removed them.
This narration is found in Abu Dawood, Ahmad and other collections.
Based on this, some scholars say: “It is not permissible to wear footwear in a graveyard because the Prophet ﷺ told him to remove them.” However, major scholars such as Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Sirin, Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i, Abu Hanifa, Malik, Imam al-Shafi‘i and others have said wearing footwear in the graveyard is not a problem.
So how do we understand the hadith?
Those who say footwear is forbidden overlook something important in the wording.
The hadith does not use the word “remove” in the simple sense. It says: “Alqi sibtiyatak” — meaning “Throw away your sandals.” There is a difference between “remove” and “throw away.”
If footwear were prohibited in graveyards, would the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ say “throw them away”? Or would he say, “Remove them and carry them”?
If something is forbidden to wear, you remove it — not destroy it. The man removed his sandals and threw them away. The wording indicates discarding them. This suggests the sandals were unfit to be worn — perhaps torn or inappropriate — not that wearing sandals in a graveyard is prohibited in itself.
In that era, sandals were valuable possessions. Even if a strap tore, people repaired them and continued using them. Sandals were not easily replaceable like today.
Would someone throw away usable sandals casually? No. Thus, the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ must have noticed something defective or inappropriate about those sandals.
Therefore, the hadith does not prove that footwear is forbidden in graveyards.
Moreover, we already mentioned another hadith: When a person is buried and people walk away, the deceased hears the sound of their sandals. If sandals were prohibited in graveyards, how would the deceased hear the sound of them walking away? This indicates that companions were walking away wearing sandals.
That sound is heard briefly before questioning begins in the grave — not permanently.
This further proves footwear in graveyards is permissible.
If wearing footwear is allowed even during prayer (as established in hadith), how could a graveyard be holier than a mosque? Thus, wearing footwear in graveyards is not prohibited.
Impurity on Footwear
Impurity (najasah) only matters when praying. You must check your footwear before prayer. But walking in streets with impurity is normal — many people unknowingly walk with impurity on footwear. Purity is a condition specifically for prayer, not general walking.
Next Topic: Jewelry and Ornaments
Now we move to another topic within clothing — jewelry and ornaments: rings, bracelets, chains, etc., worn by men and women. Islam has specific rulings regarding materials, limits, and types.
Let us begin with rings.
Rings in the Time of the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ ﷺ initially wore a gold ring. When companions saw him wearing it, they also began wearing gold rings. One day, while delivering a sermon, he removed the gold ring and threw it away, saying such things are not suitable for people of piety. The companions also removed theirs.
This indicates gold rings are forbidden for men. So, men are not permitted to wear gold — including rings or any gold jewelry.
The Silver Ring
Later, the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ wore a silver ring — but not as ornamentation.
He used it as a seal for official letters to kings and rulers.
Companions advised him that letters without a seal would not be accepted. So he prepared a silver ring engraved with:
Muhammad
Rasul
Allahﷻ
Arranged in three lines.
He used it as a stamp on leather letters. The wide engraved part faced inward when worn, indicating it was for sealing, not decoration.
This narration is in Sahih Bukhari (5872).
The Prophet ﷺ ﷺ also instructed: “Do not make rings engraved with ‘Muhammad Rasul Allahﷻ ’.” Because if others used that seal, it would falsely imply they were Muhammad, the Messenger of Allahﷻ .
This is in Bukhari (5877).
Wearing Rings with Allahﷻ ’s Name and Entering the Bathroom
People ask: If jewelry contains Allahﷻ ’s name, can we enter the bathroom?
There is a narration that the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ removed his ring before entering the toilet. But scholars like Imam Nasa’i and Abu Dawood declared this narration weak. Its chain contains Ibn Jurayj, who practiced tadlis and did not explicitly state hearing directly.
Thus, there is no authentic evidence that one must remove such items.
The Qur’an and supplications were transmitted orally first — not as written text. Writing was for preservation.
Reward is for recitation — not for carrying written text. If someone writes Surah al-Fatihah on paper and carries it, no reward comes unless it is recited. Thus, entering a bathroom with written Qur’an on paper, phone, chain, or clothing is not prohibited. What is prohibited is reciting Qur’an inside the toilet.
The act of worship is verbal recitation, not merely carrying written text.
The Prophet ﷺ’s Ring After His Death
After the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ passed away, his silver seal ring passed to Abu Bakr, then to Umar, then to Uthman.
During Uthman’s caliphate, it fell into the well of Aris near Quba and was never found.
This is in Bukhari (5873, 5879).
They searched for three days and drained the well but did not find it. Had it remained, people might have treated it as a relic for blessings. Using the ring for blessing (barakah) would be understandable, as items used by the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ carry blessing.
However, using the same seal “Muhammad Rasul Allahﷻ ” for official letters after him is questionable — because it would imply the letter was from Muhammad ﷺ.
They likely did so out of love and continuity, not defiance.
Which Finger and Which Hand?
There is flexibility.
Anas reported seeing the Prophet ﷺ ﷺ wearing a ring on his little finger (Bukhari 5874).
Another narration says he wore it on the right hand (Nasa’i 5203).
Another indicates the left hand.
Therefore, rings may be worn on either hand or on the little finger. There is no fixed obligation. Just as watches can be worn on either wrist — it is a matter of practicality.
Conclusion on Rings
- Gold is forbidden for men.
- Silver is permitted.
- Rings may be worn on either hand.
- No restriction on finger except preference shown for the little finger.
- Jewelry with Allahﷻ ’s name does not require removal for bathroom, though recitation is prohibited inside.
There are more rulings about materials and types of jewelry, which we will discuss in upcoming posts, InshaAllahﷻ .