MUHAMMAD’S TEACHINGS TO MANKIND
“ A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, wearing an iron ring, so he (the Prophet) said, "Why do I see you wearing the ornament of the people of the Fire? (1)" He then came wearing a copper ring, so the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, asked, "Why is the smell of idols emanating from you? (2)" Then he came wearing a gold ring, so the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him asked, "Why do I see you wearing the adornment of the people of Paradise? (3)". The man (then) asked, "What should it be made of?" He replied, "Silver, but less than a mithqāl (4) (5)". Footnotes: (1) Referring to the iron rings that the disbelievers used to wear, or to the chains of the people of the Fire that are also made of iron. (2) As idols were generally made from copper. (3) Men are not permitted to wear gold, but it will be permissible for them in Paradise. (4) Mithqāl: A unit of weight, usually used to measure gold, equivalent to 4.6 grams or 4.2 grams, but it is generally considered equivalent to 5 grams for simplicity. (5) Most scholars find wearing a silver ring that weighs more than a mithqāl permissible for men based on other evidence. ”
