The hadith collections record the Prophet ﷺ holding up silk and gold and saying that these two are forbidden for the males of his nation and permitted to the females. That is the starting point for every man asking whether he can wear a gold ring or a silk tie. The finer details, such as white gold, gold plating, silk trims and silk blends, are discussed by scholars, and how they apply to you is a question for your own scholar; we don't issue rulings here. What we can do is set out the texts, explain what these metals and fabrics actually are, and celebrate everything a well-dressed Muslim man can wear with confidence, starting with the silver ring the Prophet ﷺ wore himself.
What does the hadith say about gold and silk for men?
One narration, in Sunan Ibn Majah, is graded sahih by Darussalam:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took hold of some silk in his left hand and some gold in his right, then he raised his hands and said: 'These two are forbidden for the males of my nation, and permitted to the females.'— Sunan Ibn Majah 3595, narrated by 'Ali bin Abu Talib
A similar wording appears in Sunan an-Nasa'i, from Abu Musa: "Gold and silk have been permitted for the females of my Ummah, and forbidden to the males."
Are there any exceptions for silk?
Two narrations in Sahih al-Bukhari bear on this:
- A small amount. Umar wrote that the Prophet ﷺ forbade wearing silk "except this much", illustrating with his two fingers, the index and middle.
- A medical need. Anas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ allowed Az-Zubair and Abdur-Rahman to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch.
How these apply to a modern wardrobe, whether a silk lining, a woven-in stripe, a silk-blend suit cloth or a skin condition, is exactly the kind of detail scholars work through. Take your specific case to a scholar you trust.
Is white gold allowed for men?
First, the facts about the metal. White gold is not a different element. The Sheffield Assay Office explains that white gold is an alloy of yellow gold and a white metal, for example palladium, and because it usually looks yellowish it is often plated with rhodium to give it a bright white colour. Under the bright finish, it is still gold.
You can see how much gold is in a piece from its hallmark. In the UK the millesimal fineness mark shows the precious metal content in parts per thousand; the gold finenesses recognised under the international Hallmarking Convention are 375, 585, 750, 916 and 999. The Birmingham Assay Office gives the example of 375 for 9ct gold, and a white gold band stamped 750 is 750 parts per thousand gold.
Whether white gold falls under the hadith in the same way as yellow gold is a question to put to your scholar. Our practical advice: if a jeweller calls something "white gold", ask for the hallmark and you will know exactly what you are buying.
What about gold-plated jewellery?
Plating means covering an item made of one metal with a layer of another. In UK law, when a silver, platinum or palladium article is coated with gold, the gold coating is ignored when deciding which hallmarks to strike, so a gold-plated silver ring is hallmarked as silver. The Sheffield Assay Office adds that where plating is applied after hallmarking, it must not exceed 2 micrometres in thickness.
Scholars discuss whether a thin layer of gold counts as wearing gold. Again, that one is for your scholar, and the hallmark tells you what the piece is underneath.
What rings can Muslim men wear?
Silver has the best pedigree of all. Anas bin Malik narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ wanted to write to a group of non-Arabs and was told they only accepted stamped letters, he had a silver ring made for himself, engraved "Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah". Ibn Umar narrated that the same ring was later worn by Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman, until it fell into the well of Aris.
That is a beautiful lineage for a piece of jewellery, and silver has never looked better on men. The number to look for is 925: as the Birmingham Assay Office puts it, a ring stamped 925 contains 92.5% silver, which confirms it is sterling silver.
Our favourite ways to wear it:
- A flat-top signet. Have it engraved with your initials or a meaningful word, in the spirit of the Prophet's seal ring.
- An oxidised silver band. The darker finish looks modern and pairs well with steel watches.
- A stone set in silver. Agate, onyx or lapis in a simple silver mount suits both a suit and a thobe.
- One ring, done well. A single good piece reads as confident; a stack can look busy.
Can Muslim men wear a gold watch?
The same question as rings applies to a gold case, gold bracelet or gold-plated finish, so ask your scholar about a specific piece. The good news is that the most admired watches in a man's collection rarely need gold at all. Our picks:
- Stainless steel for everyday: a steel sports watch on a bracelet goes from the office to the masjid to a dinner.
- Titanium for travel: light on the wrist on long-haul flights.
- Ceramic or black-coated steel for evenings: discreet and very sharp with dark tailoring.
- Leather straps in brown or black to dress any of the above up.
If a listing says "gold-tone" or "rose finish", ask the retailer what the material actually is before you buy.
How do I know if my clothes contain silk?
Read the label. In the UK, the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012 require textile products to carry a label showing the fibre content, and blends must be marked with each fibre followed by a percentage. One catch: decorative matter making up 7% or less of a product is excluded from the fibre content, so a small silk trim may not appear on the label at all.
The pieces we would always check: ties, pocket squares, scarves, wedding sherwanis, suit linings and luxury knitwear. A silky look is not the same as silk, so read the composition, and ask the shop about trims and linings.
Beautiful alternatives are everywhere:
- Wool and wool-mohair for suits with a natural sheen.
- Cotton and linen for shirts, kurtas and summer jackets.
- Cashmere for winter knits and scarves.
- Polyester or viscose satin if you want the liquid look of silk for an evening tie or pocket square, once you have checked the label.
Whatever your scholar advises on gold and silk, there's no shortage of style. Find more ideas in our fashion section.
Edited by Jeloni, editor-in-chief. Researched and drafted with AI assistance; every fact in this article was checked against its sources.
