Are Women Allowed to Wear a Watch in Public?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I was thinking about gifting a watch to my brother and his wife. Are women allowed to wear a watch in public, or is this forbidden adornment in public?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your sincerity and your generosity, and may He help you pick the perfect gift for your brother and his wife.

Watch

I learned from my teachers that a watch is a tool while also having an element of adornment to it. Therefore a woman is permitted to wear a watch in public, but she should use her good reasoning and wisdom to ensure that it is not extravagant and does not cause undue attention, in the same way that she would with her jewelry.

Allah Most High said in the Quran, “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their ˹hidden˺ adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, (…).” [Quran, 24:31]

Please see these links as well: On Which Hand Should One Wear a Watch?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.