The Ruling on Using Gold and Silver Vessels and Trading in Them

This is a letter we received from (Abdulrahman . F. A.) from Riyadh. He says: In these days, the use of gold and silver vessels has spread, especially among the wealthy among people. In fact, the matter has reached the point where some of them buy sets of sanitary materials, such as bathroom faucets or prayer beads, or water pipes or their fittings, all made of pure gold. They do not pay zakah on this gold, nor do they look at its value. It is known that this is prohibited. What is your opinion on this, and is it possible to direct the prevention of selling such devices to Muslims who are unaware of their ruling? May Allah reward you?
Answer: Vessels made of gold and silver are forbidden by explicit text and scholarly consensus. It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: And in another wording: So gold and silver are not permissible to use as vessels, nor to eat from them, nor to drink from them, nor to perform ablution with them, nor to perform the full ritual bath with them. All of this is forbidden, based on the explicit hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is obligatory to prevent their sale so that the Muslim does not use them, for Allah has forbidden their use upon him. So they are not to be used for drinking or eating, and it is not permissible to make spoons from them, nor cups for tea, nor cups for coffee. All of this is prohibited because they are a type of vessel.
So it is obligatory for the Muslim to beware of what Allah has forbidden upon him, and to stay away from extravagance and waste, and the playing with money. If he has abundance of wealth, there are poor people to give charity to, and there are those striving in the path of Allah, like the mujahideen in Afghanistan and others. He gives in the path of Allah, he gives charity, he does not play with money. Money has a need, and there are those who are in need of it.
So it is obligatory for the believer to spend money in its charitable direction, in supporting the poor and the needy, in building mosques and schools, in repairing roads, in repairing bridges, in helping the mujahideen and the poor emigrants, in every aspect of good, in paying off the debts of debtors who are unable to pay, in marrying those who cannot afford to marry, helping them. These are all charitable paths, all of them are paths of peace, paths of good. As for playing with them in vessels or spoons or cups or pipes, all of this is wrong (munkar). It must be abandoned and one must beware of it. And it is obligatory for those who have authority in the countries where this practice exists to denounce it, from among the scholars and the rulers, and to prevent the extravagant people from this playing. And Allah is the Helper. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. In truth, in support of the questioner's words, many people have become lax, even in the lands of the Muslims, and the matter has become ordinary for them. So one proceeds to buy, for example, swimming pools, or something in them, meaning: faucets and water mixers made of gold... their value reaches twenty or thirty thousand riyals.
The Shaykh: We ask Allah for well-being. This is wrong (munkar), without doubt it is wrong, and it is obligatory for the state to denounce it.
The presenter: And we discussed it with some sellers. They say: We inform them that it is not permissible, and that it is forbidden, and with this the sin is lifted. Is this correct?
The Shaykh: No, he is helping them in sin. He does not sell it, he does not take charge of selling it. If it comes to him for sale, he returns it. Allah will give him something more blessed than it. But he prioritizes his need for the sake of effort, and for the money he takes, and he does not care. Allah says: [Al-Ma'idah: 2] So he does not help in what Allah has forbidden. Even if he says to them: This is not permissible, he is not helping. He does not sell to them. He says to the one who gave it to him: I do not sell this, and I do not mediate in its sale, and I disavow myself to Allah from this action, so that he may have helped in good. Allah says: [Al-Ma'idah: 2]. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. So the ruling on prohibition is general, because there are those who say: it is limited to eating and drinking only?
The Shaykh: No, no.
The presenter: In door handles and car handles.
The Shaykh: Yes. It is even more so...
The presenter: May Allah reward you.