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Is It Haram to Eat in Silver Utensils in Islam?

25 July, 2024
Q Can we use vessels made of gold and silver for eating and drinking? What about kitchen utensils made of copper and steel?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


In this fatwa:

  1. It is not permissible to use vessels made of gold and silver for eating and drinking.
  2. There is nothing wrong with using kitchen utensils made of steel, copper, wood, glass or other materials, apart from gold and silver.
  3. If a permissible vessel, made of wood or iron, is broken, it is permissible to mend the break with a small amount of silver. 

Answering your question, the Fatwa Center at Islam Q and A, states:

It is not permissible to use vessels made of gold and silver for eating and drinking. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not drink from vessels of gold and silver, and do not wear silk and brocade; they are for them in this world and for you in the hereafter.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

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The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The one who drinks from a vessel of silver is gulping the fire of Hell into his belly.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

This includes all kinds of vessels and utensils, such as spoons, cups, plates and so on.

So, with regard to any vessel used for eating and drinking, it is not permissible for it to be made of gold or silver, or to be plated with those metals. This is a ruling on which there is scholarly consensus.

Ibn al-Qattan (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Iqna fi Masa’il al-Ijma:

“The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible for a Muslim to eat or drink from vessels of gold and silver.”

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Our companions said: The ummah is unanimously agreed on the prohibition of eating and drinking, or making other uses, of vessels made of gold and silver, except what was narrated from Dawud (i.e., that drinking from them is prohibited, but not eating), and the former view of Ash-Shafi`i.

And because if drinking (from such vessels) is forbidden, then it is more appropriate that the prohibition also apply to eating…

… Our companions and other scholars said: The prohibition on using vessels made of gold and silver applies equally to both men and women, and there is no difference of opinion concerning this, because of the general meaning of the hadith and the inclusive nature of the reason for which they are forbidden.

The differentiation between men and women only applies to using these metals for jewelry, because of the purpose for which women wear jewelry, which is to adorn and beautify themselves for their husbands.” (Al-Majmu, 1:248)

Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“There is no difference of opinion among our companions concerning the fact that using vessels made of gold and silver is haram. This is the view of Abu Hanifah, Malik and Ash-Shafi`i, and I do not know of any difference of opinion concerning that.” (Al-Mughni, 1:55)

An exception to that ruling is made if a permissible vessel, made of wood or iron, is broken; it is permissible to mend the break with a small amount of silver, because of the report narrated by Al-Bukhari from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), that when the cup of the Prophet (peace be upon him) got cracked, he fixed it with a silver wire.

Ibn Qudamah said:

“Patching with silver is permissible subject to three conditions: firstly, that it be a small amount; secondly that it should be of silver, for gold is not permissible, and a small or large amount of it is haram. The third condition is that it should be done for a reason, meaning that the person makes it for a purpose, such as filling a crack in a vessel, even if some other metal could be used for the same purpose.

Among the scholars who granted a concession with regard to patching with silver were Saeed ibn Jubayr, Maysarah, Tawus, Ash-Shafi`i, Abu Thawr, Ibn Al-Mundhir, and Ishaq.” (Al-Mughni, 9:174)

There was a difference of opinion among the jurists regarding the use of vessels made of gold and silver for purposes other than eating or drinking, such as incense burners, kohl sticks, knives and so on.

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The majority of the four schools of fiqh are of the view that this is haram.

With regard to (using vessels made of gold and silver) for eating and drinking, there is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning that, and the prohibition applies equally to women and men.

There is nothing wrong with using kitchen utensils made of steel, copper, wood, glass or other materials, apart from gold and silver, based on what has been explained above.

Almighty Allah knows best.

 Source: www.islamqa.info