Question:
What is the ruling of men wearing white gold? Is it the same as the ruling of the normal gold?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
It is prohibited for men to wear gold rings and this prohibition is clearly stated in the hadith of the Prophet PBUH. From Abu Hurairah RA:
أنَّهُ نَهَى عَنْ خَاتَمِ الذَّهَبِ
“The Prophet [SAW] forbade gold rings.”
Sahih Muslim (2089)
Regarding the ruling of men wearing white gold, there are several matters need to be taken into consideration.
White gold is a material created from the mixture of two metal elements which are gold and a type of white metal which can be nickel, manganese or palladium. [1]
The usual formulation used to produce white gold is a mixture gold alloyed with nickel with the ratio of 90% gold and 10% nickel. [2]
Naturally, there is no such material known as white gold and it is just a mixture of gold and other metals that changes the original goldish color of gold.
Hence, it is prohibited to wear this type of white gold for it is just gold covered with platinum or mixed with other materials such as zinc, silver and copper. Whereas, if the white gold meant is platinum, then it is permissible to be worn by men for there are no elements of gold in it.
This is in accordance with the Islamic legal maxim:
إذا اجتَمَع الحلالُ والحرامُ غُلِّبَ الحرام
When the permissible and prohibited are assembled, then the prohibition is applied. (Refer: Al-Asybah wa al-Nazair by al-Imam al-Suyuti Rahimahullah pg. 105)
52nd Muzakarah of National Council’s Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia conferred on 1st July 2002 discussed on The Ruling of Men Wearing White Gold and the muzakarah decided that it is prohibited for men to wear white gold.
The same is concluded by the members of Saudi Arabian Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ where they issued a fatwa that prohibits men from wearing white gold. (Refer: Fatwa Al-Lajnah al-Da’imah, fatwa number 21867, 24/67)
Wallahua’lam.
End notes:
[1] https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Colored_gold#/White_gold
[2] Emsley, John (2003) Nature's building blocks: an A-Z guide to the elements, Oxford University Press, pg. 168