Ruling on Men Wearing Gold-Plated Watches — Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi
Question:
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, Shaykh.
I hope you are well. Alhamdulillah, I greatly benefit from your Sunday classes. I had a quick question, if that’s okay. What is your opinion regarding men wearing gold-plated watches? Please feel free to respond whenever it’s convenient for you.
Jazakallahu khayran for your continued guidance and teaching.
Answer: Salam,
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Alhamdulillah, may Allah reward you for your kind words and your eagerness to learn.
Regarding your question about men wearing gold-plated watches:
The ruling depends on the nature and amount of the gold plating. If the watch is merely coloured to resemble gold, or the plating is so thin that no actual gold can be gathered from it, even if it were to be scraped or melted, then, according to many jurists, there is no harm in wearing it. In this case, it does not come under the prohibition of gold for men, as it is not genuinely gold in substance but only resembles it in appearance.
However, if the plating consists of an actual layer of gold that could be collected if removed, then the watch would be considered to contain real gold, and in that case it would be impermissible for a man to wear it, as it falls within the general prohibition of gold for men found in authentic ahadith.
That said, even in the case where the plating is insignificant and technically permissible, it is generally preferable to avoid such items. This is because they may give the appearance of wearing gold, leading others to suspect that one is wearing genuine gold, or to imitate him in doing so. Caution and avoidance of doubtful matters is always closer to piety.
By: Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi
Oxford London UK
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