Praise be to Allaah.

Earrings and bracelets are forms of adornment for women, and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed men who make themselves look like women and women who make themselves look like men.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5435).

Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah cursed men who wear women’s clothes and women who wear men’s clothes.” (Reported by Abu Dawood in al-Sunan, Kitaab al-Libaas, Baab fi libaas al-nisaa’). On this basis, it is not permitted for men to wear earrings or nose-rings.

The claim that this is permissible because the people of Quraysh used to do that needs to be proven, in the first place, and where is the proof?

Secondly, even if they used to do this in the Jaahiliyaah (Time of Ignorance before Islam), Islam came and forbade men to wear the adornment of women or to make themselves look like them, as is clear from the ahadeeth quoted above. What matters is the ruling of Islam, not what Quraysh or other tribes may have done.

Thirdly, the kinds of female adornment known among Quraysh and others includes earrings, bracelets, anklets and bangles worn on the upper arm. The point is that these are known as forms of women’s adornment since ancient times.

Fourthly, Islam has given men sufficient scope to adorn themselves by allowing them to wear silver rings, as Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wore a ring made of silver, and the people did likewise. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5417). Islam also allows men to wear gold and silver when necessary to replace a lost tooth or nose, and so on.

Finally, we would say that any Muslim man who wears jewellery is making himself look like the kuffaar, because this is known to be their style of adornment; the latest fashion among them is to wear earrings and the like in their ears, noses, lips, cheeks and other parts of the body (so-called “body-piercing”). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, al-Sunan, Kitaab al-libaas, Bab libaas al-shuhrah).

Whoever does this should repent to Allaah and not engage in the futile defence of falsehood. He should be distinct in both his personality and his dress from the kuffaar, as Islam has commanded us to be. Allaah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path.