Which Hand To Wear Wedding Ring in Islam?

Wedding rings signify commitment, love, respect, and an unbreakable bond for many people. Muslims also observe the wedding ring exchange custom, but the rules regarding placement aren’t as definite as in other cultures.

The reason is the difference in Islamic law interpretation. Each person has valid arguments to support their opinion.

Despite the view discrepancy, Muslims agree that the ring’s placement doesn’t matter as much as the owner’s attitude towards it.

The Bride

Wedding rings are not mandatory in Islam. A dowry is all a man needs to give his loved one to marry her. However, many Muslims still choose to wear a wedding ring. But on which hand?

Muslim women can wear their wedding ring on either hand, depending on the hadith they follow. According to Hanafi, Maliki, and Hambali, women should wear their wedding rings on their left hand.

According to Anas ibn Malik, they should wear the wedding band on the right hand. The reason for such opposing opinions lies in the fact that there are three hadiths about rings in Islam.

Note that the hadiths refer to rings in general, not wedding rings. Quran never mentions wedding rings explicitly, which gives freedom for interpretation.

Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani offered a compromise – he proposed that women should wear the wedding ring on the right hand if it’s an accessory and on the left hand if they use it to give stamps and seals like in the old days.

According to Hanafi, Maliki, and Hambali, Muslim women should wear the ring on the left hand. Wearing any ring in the right hand is a Rafidi custom that opposes the views of the first two successors of Muhammad – Abū Bakr and ʿUmar.

One of the points in favor of this opinion is that people eat and drink with the right hand, and the left hand is considered unclean.

So how could one pick up a wedding ring with their left hand to put it on their right hand? Another point is that the ring of the Prophet was worn on the left hand.

Furthermore, wearing a ring on the left hand is easier for those who want to make a seal with it because they would pick it up using the right hand.

In contrast, the right hand is noble and deserves adornments more than the left hand.

Muslims with this opinion prove it by presenting a quote from Quran as evidence, stating that the Messenger of Allah wore a silver ring on his right hand.

There are also other hadiths that state that wearing a ring on the right hand is preferable. Perhaps, we could agree that this is a complicated matter that requires further discussion.

Women who follow older traditions typically prefer to wear the ring on the left hand and women with modern views on the right hand.

Some even argue that Muslims should wear rings on both hands to comply with all hadiths mentioning rings.

The Groom

Wedding ring rules for men in Islam are stricter than for women, but this doesn’t apply to the choice of hand. The rules regarding which hand to wear a wedding band in Islam are universal.

Like women, Muslim men are free to choose which hand to wear a wedding ring based on their attitude to innovation in religion and the ring’s purpose.

If the ring serves merely as an accessory, a man should wear it on the right hand. But if he uses it as a stamp, he should wear it on his left hand.

Which Finger to Wear the Wedding Ring?

If you think Islamic rules about the ring hand are confusing, you don’t yet know the laws about the ring finger. Muslim women can wear their wedding ring on any finger – that’s simple.

Young women with modern views often wear their wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left or right hand, like in the west.

Other Muslim women wear their ring on the little finger of the left hand or the index finger of the right hand according to the ring hadiths.

Meanwhile, Muslim men are not allowed to wear their wedding ring (or any other ring, for that matter) on the index or middle finger, according to the hadith of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib.

Therefore, Muslim men can wear their wedding ring on any hand and finger apart from the middle and index fingers. Most men choose to wear their ring on the little finger of the left hand as per old tradition.

However, some also wear it on the thumb or index finger. Most importantly, Muslim men shouldn’t follow the western tradition of wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger.

Men who follow this custom are said to commit a makrooh, or a disapproved act. Islamic law has five categories – obligatory (fard), recommended (mustahabb), neutral (mubah), disapproved (makrooh), and forbidden (haram).

No Ring?

Many Muslims don’t wear a wedding ring at all. The reasons vary – some people consider wedding rings uncomfortable or can’t wear them because of work; others have an allergy, see them as unnecessary, or can’t afford one.

In this sense, Muslims are no different from Christians or Hindus. However, one of the points against wearing wedding rings distinguishes Muslims from other people refraining from bands.

The problem with wedding rings is that they aren’t explicitly mentioned in Islamic law. The hadiths mention rings, but not wedding bands.

Any practice not included in Islamic scriptures is considered bid’ah. Bid’ah refers to any innovation to the Quran or Sunnah, such as incorporating acts not mentioned in the religious scriptures into a holy ceremony of marriage.

In other words, some Muslims say that following the wedding ring exchange tradition is bid’ah and goes against the Islamic faith.

However, there’s a solution for those who want to wear a wedding ring. If the ring exchange is viewed as a personal choice and cultural practice unrelated to Islamic teachings, it isn’t bad’ah, and the couple can practice it.

Causes Of Wedding Ring to Be Haram

Wedding ring rules in Christianity are simple – you either wear one, or you don’t. Even if you decide to go against the tradition of wearing the ring on the fourth finger, no one will bat an eye.

Islamic wedding ring laws, in turn, aren’t as democratic. Wedding rings can easily fall into the haram (forbidden) category, and Muslims must strictly follow the rules to prevent their wedding rings from becoming sinful.

People in the west consider gold a traditional wedding ring material. However, Ibn Majah states that Prophet Muhammad forbade men from wearing gold adornments and silk. Therefore, Muslim men can’t wear gold wedding rings.

They can wear any other material, including silver, platinum, or modern metals like tungsten. In contrast, Muslim women can wear as much gold as they wish to.

Other rules apply to both men and women. Muslim couples should not believe that wedding rings protect their marriage from harm and temptation. This rule doesn’t mean that wedding rings don’t serve as symbols of commitment.

However, the couple mustn’t believe that their bond somehow becomes stronger due to wearing rings. For the same reason, many Muslims criticize engravings with the partner’s name or wedding date on the rings.

Islamic teachings state that only Allah protects the relationship of Muslim couples. Ascribing such power to a metal token is a shirk – a sinful act of mistakenly or intentionally allocating something as equal to Allah.

Furthermore, by ascribing Allah’s power to a ring, Muslims break another rule – they wear the name of Allah.

Following the same logic, Muslims shouldn’t consider taking off the ring a bad sign. The couple shouldn’t believe in the ring symbolism and instead should focus on their own effort in the relationship and communication.

Frankly, this teaching is helpful for every married couple – wedding rings aren’t a guarantee of a happy relationship and don’t replace respect and commitment.

Muslim couples should wear their wedding rings with the right intentions. For many western women, an exquisite diamond eternity band is a way to showcase their social status.

On the other hand, Muslims shouldn’t wear any accessories, including the wedding ring, to boast. They must only wear it because they like it, even if it’s expensive and beautiful. Overall, pridefulness is frowned upon in Islam.

Due to so many rules regarding wedding rings in Islam, many Muslims refrain from ring exchange entirely. Often, only the wife wears a ring because women have more choice in design and placement.

Muslim men traditionally wear their ring on the little finger of the left or right hand and prefer simple bands without adornments because it’s the safest option.

To conclude, Muslims simultaneously have more and less freedom than Christians in terms of wedding ring placement. The decision is based on the attitude towards the ring and the Islamic law interpretation a person prefers.