Explanation of the Book of the Adhan-05a

The reciter: And in the chapter before this, it was narrated: Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Isma'il ibn Ja'far narrated to us from Humaid, who said: Anas was asked, "Did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have a ring?" He said, "Yes. One night he delayed the 'Isha' prayer until the middle of the night, then he turned to us with his face after he had prayed and said: He said: 'It is as if I am looking at the gleam of his ring.'

The Shaykh : This hadith contains evidence for wearing a ring, but it should be made of silver, not gold, for gold rings are forbidden for men, as established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Among the benefits of this hadith is that it is permissible for the one being asked to provide more than what was asked, because Anas was asked about the ring and he added extra information. It also contains evidence that the ring of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was clean. From this, it is derived that a person should have good sandals, good clothing, and a good ring, and everything he uses should be good. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about a man who likes to have good sandals and good clothing, he said: meaning he likes to adorn himself. If someone asks, "Is it recommended for us to wear a ring?" The answer is: No, it is not part of the Sunnah, but it is among the permissible things, except for those who need it, such as a judge, a ruler, a chief, a minister, a manager, or the like—anyone who needs to seal documents. For these people, we say it is recommended to wear a ring. It was made a ring because it is safer; if a person put it in his pocket, it might be lost or fall out, so wearing it on his finger is safer and more likely to be found by someone who can write on his behalf. Yes, 'Abd al-Wahhab.