What is the ruling on acquiring an engagement ring?

The questioner : The second question, my dear Shaykh, is that I bought this ring from silver in Madinah, and it was in my hand, and our brother Abu Ahmad, may Allah reward him with good, pointed it out to me and said thatThe Shaykh : He issues a ruling that it is not permissible.

The Shaykh : Not permissible, what?

The questioner : This ring.
Abu Layla : This is a band, not a

Another questioner : An engagement ring.

The questioner : I told him ... .

The Shaykh : Why did he say that? Did you understand from him?

The questioner : I understood from him that he means it is from the practices of the polytheists.

The Shaykh : Ah, and not because it is a silver ring.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Not because it is a silver ring; a silver ring is permissible, but anything from the clothing of the disbelievers, or their traditions and customs, is not permissible. If this is of that nature, then the prohibition comes from there. What is your knowledge of the subject?

The questioner : I had read the book *Adab al-Zafaf* (Etiquette of the Wedding).

The Shaykh : Yes, my question is very specific. What is your knowledge regarding the engagement ring? Is it permissible if it is made of silver?

The questioner : It is not permissible.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. If it is a silver ring and an engagement ring, it is not permissible. But if it is a silver ring and not an engagement ring, it is permissible.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. It is not an engagement ring.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : It is not an engagement ring, this one.

The Shaykh : Heh, so it is between you and him, heh heh.
Abu Layla : Shaykh, if this is a band and not a ring.

The Shaykh: All right.
Abu Layla : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : My brother, what does "band" mean? An engagement ring.
Abu Layla : Yes, that is right, Shaykh. It does not have a stone, yes.

The Shaykh : I do not want to delve into these details. If you disagree, you must agree. If we say that the word "band" is not Arabic, but we have "engagement ring," then this is an engagement ring. If that is the case, it is not permissible. If it is not, it is permissible. So what is left of the disagreement!
Abu Layla : I, Shaykh, what I understood from you in detail once is that this band does not imitate the disbelievers.

The Shaykh : We did not disagree, my brother ...
Abu Layla : ... Shaykh, the original point is understood, Shaykh. But now, there is nothing wrong with this band.

The Shaykh : I did not understand you. Is this an engagement ring among the Christians?
Abu Layla : Yes, in my knowledge, it is so.

The Shaykh : So you and he agree on this.
Abu Layla : Well, Shaykh, can you clarify for us this simple matter?

The Shaykh : No, I do not have a detailed explanation. I have a scientific idea, but what exactly an engagement ring is among the Christians, I do not recall, yes.

The questioner : I leave the matter to someone else.

The Shaykh : All right, may Allah reward you with good.