Is It Permissible To Wear an Engagement Ring and Wedding Rings?

Question: I have heard that wearing an engagement ring and a wedding ring is haram because it imitates kuffar (non-Muslims) and because it is shirk to believe that it will make a marriage stronger. If we wear the rings because they are gifts and don’t believe what the non-Muslims believe, is it permissible?

Answer: 

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question.  You will find the details to your answer here:
https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/86998
https://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/124660

In short, it is permissible to wear a wedding or engagement ring if it is a gift given by the husband. She has every right to wear it and accept it as an expression of happiness for their marriage, and it is superior if she intends not to imitate non-Muslims or believe in their beliefs regarding it.

At the same time, please keep in mind this Prophetic saying, “The marriage which produces most blessing is that which involves the least burden.” [Bayhaqi] She should also keep in mind that an extravagant ring would not be permissible for her to wear in public, as it is considered adornment and a display. May Allah bless your union and give you both 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, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.