Al-Albani on women wearing gold: The difference between a real faqih and mufti and someone who is self-taught.

Question: Right now I am in the process of getting married, all praise be to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds. However, a few days ago one of my friends came to me and told me that there was this good book by Sheikh Nasir u-Din Al-Albani called Adaab Az-Zifaaf (Wedding Etiquettes). Obviously, I went to the market and I bought it from one of the Islamic bookshops and then I went home and read all of it from start to finish. However, I was surprised by the subject of gold being declared haraam (forbidden) for women and the ahadith given to indicate this. My question is: what is your opinion of this Sheikh (Muhammad Nasir u-Din Al-Albani), what is your opinion of this book of his (Adaab Az-Zifaaf) and what is the correct ruling regarding gold being haraam for women. Please benefit me, may Allah have mercy on you, before I get married, and if you have any pieces of advice for me before I get married or afterwards regarding that which pleases Allah and His Messenger, then may Allah reward you with goodness. All Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds.

Answer: Indeed the deviation of some who occupy themselves with knowledge or those who learn by themselves without a teacher is of no value in terms of knowledge or the Shari’ah and their opinions are dismissed and rejected.

Declaring gold to be haraam for women is both an intellectual and Islamic deviation, as The Noble Qur’an has made it clear in the aya: “that which is raised with jewellery and unclear in dispute.” [43:18] that a woman adorning herself with jewellery is part of her nature and disposition.

It has also been established in the Prophetic Sunnah that the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: ‘Gold and silk are halaal (permissible) for women and haraam for men.’ [Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol.14, pp. 499-500, hadith #19407, Dar ul-Hadith, Cairo edition] Saying that it is haraam is to go against the ijma’ (consensus of the scholars).

I have not read the book Adaab Az-Zifaaf and if it has opinions like this in it, it shouldn’t be bothered with.

[Translated from Fataawa Mu’aasira by Sheikh Wahba Zuhayli, pages 203-204, Dar Al-Fikr, Damascus, 2003]