QUESTION:
What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: How is it for males to wear metal watches, and is it permissible for them to wear expensive platinum or palladium[1] metal watches?
[1] A rare silvery-white metal resembling platinum.
Questioner: Nifaz from London, England
ANSWER:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
It is permissible for men to wear metal watches, because a watch is worn for the purpose of telling the time, not for the purpose of adornment. However, this is a differed upon matter, thus precaution is in one wearing a watch which has a leather or plastic/rubber strap. One should avoid wearing expensive metal watches such as those of platinum, etc. (which are in fact more expensive than gold), because these metal watches are usually only worn to show off. If one actually has the intention of being boastful & arrogant, then the wearing of such watches is Harām, because even permissible matters become impermissible due to boastfulness & arrogance.
Just as ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī, upon whom be mercy, states in Radd al-Muhtār,
“أَنَّ كُلَّ مَا كَانَ عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّكَبُّرِ يُكْرَهُ وَإِنْ فُعِلَ لِحَاجَةٍ وَضَرُورَةٍ لَا وَهُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ”
“Any action which is done out of arrogance is Makrūh Tahrīmī (severely disliked in Sharī’ah), and if it is due to a certain need or requirement, then it is not Makrūh; this is the chosen stance.”
[Radd al-Muhtār, vol 6, pg pg 354]
Furthermore, he writes in another place with regards to leaning whilst eating, that there is no problem in this, but,
“وَهَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَنْ تَكَبُّرٍ وَإِلَّا فَيَحْرُمُ”
“This is only when it is not done out of arrogance, otherwise (if it is out of arrogance, then) it is Harām.”
However, if there is no intention of arrogance; rather, this metal watch is worn for some other purpose, e.g. the fact that metal doesn’t damage as quick, etc. then there is no problem in this, just as this has been mentioned.
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadiri
Translated by Haider Ali
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0723] What is the Islamic ruling on men wearing metal watches?
