Is It Permissible to Wear a Silver Ring with a Design Inspired by Greek Mythology?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
Is it permissible to wear a silver ring with a design inspired by Greek mythology if it is within the allowed weight and worn for its design?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Wearing a silver ring is permissible for men on condition that the weight of silver does not exceed the allowed amount. See this link for more details. [‘Ala’ al-Din ‘Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya]
As for the design inspired by Greek mythology, this is not permissible as it is a religious symbol foreign to Islam. This falls under the prohibition of resembling people of disbelief and corruption.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever emulates a people is from them.” [Ahmad; Abu Dawud]
As a principle, the Sacred Law is very cautious concerning emulating other religions, especially polytheistic ones. For this same reason, there are certain times of the day that we are prohibited from praying, namely while the Sun is rising, when the Sun is at its zenith, and while it is setting (except for that day’s Asr). These times are prohibited because they are the times that Sun worshippers worship. [Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom Seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
