What is your opinion of those who say that no one before Al-Albani had declared the wearing of gold rings by men to be forbidden?

The questioner : Well, my Shaykh, when they say that only Al-Albani said this, is that statement correct?

The Shaykh : No, it is not correct. We mention in the book *Adab al-Zafaf* (Etiquette of the Wedding) those who preceded us in this; they know this reality but they ignore it.
Another questioner: They focus on Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. What is Ibn Hajar’s statement?

The Shaykh : The first point is regarding consensus (ijma'). Glory be to Allah, we told them that establishing consensus in these matters is impossible. Therefore, it is established from Imam Ahmad that he said: "Whoever claims consensus has lied, and what does he know? Perhaps they differed." Second, there is no consensus on the prohibition of all gold... in terms of legal rulings and Islamic morals, and so on. That means society is proceeding based on the verse Therefore, this relaxation is something we can utilize. As long as people are doing the forbidden acts that the Ummah has unanimously agreed are forbidden, we should practice the Sunnah that many Imams held, even if we oppose the masses. But the fitnah (trial/discord) comes from confrontation and quarreling, especially with that which is worse, not with that which is better.