<QUESTION>
I wanted to know that is it permitted to wear a pendant with Allah or Muhammad (PBUH) inscribed on it? If it is then is it just permitted or is it recommended. Obviously not gold, but silver.
<ANSWER>
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
The books in the Hanafi Madhhab explicitly state that, it is impermissible for a man to wear a necklace, pendant or any other type of jewellery except for a silver ring.
The great Hanafi jurist (faqih), Imam al-Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) states:
“It is not permissible for a man to adorn himself with any type of gold and silver besides a ring….. And it is impermissible to wear a ring except that which is made from silver.” (See: Radd al-Muhtar ala al-Durr, 6/359, fasl fi al-libas)
Thus, it will be unlawful for a man to wear a pendent whether it is from gold, silver or any other substance.
As far as a woman is concerned, it would be permitted for her to wear a pendant with a Qur’anic verse or Allah’s name inscribed on it. However, two points must be taken into consideration:
a) If the pendant has a Qur’anic verse inscribed on it, then she should not wear it during her menstruation, for wearing a pendant entails direct contact with a verse of the Qur’an.
b) It must be removed before entering into the toilet/bathroom.
And Allah knows best
[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK