Sunan Abi Dawud — Signet-Rings (Kitab Al-Khatam)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wanted to write to some persian rulers. He was told that they would not read a letter without a seal in the form of a silver ring on which he engraved “Muhammad the Messenger of Allah.”

It remained in his hand until he died, in the hand of ‘Abu Bakr until he died, in the hand of ‘Umar until he died, and in the hand of ‘Uthman. When he was near a well, it fell down in it. He ordered to take it out, but it could not be found.

The signet-ring of the Prophet (ﷺ) was of silver with an Abyssinian stone.

The signet-ring of the Prophet (ﷺ) was all of silver as was also its stone.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a signet-ring of gold, and put the stone next the palm of his hand. He engraved on it “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah”. The people then took signet-rings of gold. When he saw that they had taken them (like his ring) he threw it away and said: I shall never wear it. He then fashioned a silver ring and engraved on it “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah”. Then Abu Bakr wore it after him, then ‘Umar wore it after Abu Bakr, and the ‘Uthman wore it after ‘Umar till it fell down in a well called Aris. Abu Dawud said: The people did not disagree on ‘Uthman till the signet-rin fell down from his hand.

He engraved on it “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.” and said: “No one must engrave anything in the manner of this signet-ring of mine. He then transmitted the rest of the tradition.

They searched for it but could not find it. ‘Uthman then fashioned a signet-ring and engraved on it “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah”. He used to wear it or stamp with it.

Ziyad b. Sa’d, Shu’aib and Ibn Musafir transmitted it from al-Zuhri. ‘Ali said in their versions: “of silver”.

The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) disliked ten things: Yellow colouring, meaning khaluq, dyeing grey hair, trailing the lower garment, wearing a gold signet-ring, a woman decking herself before people who are not within the prohibited degrees, throwing dice, using spells except with the Mu’awwidhatan, wearing amulets, withdrawing the penis before the semen is discharged, in the case of a woman who is wife or not a wife, and having intercourse with a woman who is suckling a child; but he did not declare them to be prohibited. Abu Dawud said: Only the transmitters of Basrah have transmitted this tradition.

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he was wearing a signet-ring of yellow copper. He said to him: How is it that I notice the odour of idols in you? So he threw it away, and came wearing an iron signet ring. He (the Prophet) said: What is it that I see you wearing the adornment of the inhabitants of Hell? So he threw it away. He asked: Messenger of Allah, what material I must use? He said: Make it of silver, but do not weigh it as much as a mithqal, The narrator Muhammad did not say: ” ‘Abd Allah b. Muslim,” and al-Hasan did not say: “al-Sulami al-Marwazi.”

The signet-ring of the Prophet (ﷺ) was of iron polished with silver. Sometimes it remained in my possession. Al-Mu’ayqib was in charge of the signet-ring of the Prophet (ﷺ).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: Say: O Allah, guide me, and set me right. Remember by guidance (hidayah) the showing of the straight path, and remember by setting right (sadad) the setting right of an arrow. Then pointing to the middle finger and the one next to it, he said: He forbade me to wear a signet-ring on this finger of mine or on this (Asim was doubtful). He forbade me to wear qassiyyah (qasi garments) and mitharah. Abu Burdah said: We asked ‘Ali: What is qasiyyah ? He said: These are garments imported to us from Syria or Egypt. They are stripped and marked like citrons. And mitharah was a thing made by women for their husbands.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to wear the signet-ring on his right hand.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to wear the signet-ring on his left hand, and put its stone next the palm of his hand. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Ishaq and Usamah b. Zaid transmitted from Nafi’: “On his right hand”.

Nafi’ said that Ibn ‘Umar used to wear his signet-ring on his left hand.

I saw as-Salt ibn Abdullah ibn Nawfal ibn AbdulMuttalib wearing the signet-ring on his right small finger. I asked: What is this? He replied: I saw Ibn Abbas wearing his ring in this manner. He put its stone towards the upper part of his palm. Ibn Abbas also mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to wear his signet-ring in his manner.

There is a devil along with each bell.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The angels do not enter a house in which there is a bell.

AbdurRahman ibn Tarafah said that his grandfather Arfajah ibn As’ad who had his nose cut off at the battle of al-Kilab got a silver nose, but it developed a stench, so the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered him to get a gold nose.

I asked AbulAshhab: Did AbdurRahman ibn Tarafah meet his grandfather Arfajah? He replied: Yes.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by ‘Arfajah through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

The Prophet (ﷺ) got some ornaments presented by Negus as a gift to him. They contained a gold ring with an Abyssinian stone. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turning his attention from it took it by means of a stick or his finger, then called Umamah, daughter of Abul’As and daughter of his daughter Zaynab, and said: Wear it, my dear daughter.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone wants to put a ring of fire on one he loves, let him put a gold ring on him: if anyone wants to put a necklace of fire on one he loves, let him put a gold necklace on him, and if anyone wants to put a bracelet of fire on one he loves let him put a gold bracelet on him. Keep to silver and amuse yourselves with it.

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying : You women folk, have in silver something with which you adorn yourselves. I assure you that any woman of you who adorns herself with gold which she displays will be punished for it.

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: Any woman who wears a gold necklace will have a similar one of fire put on her neck on the Day of Resurrection, and any woman who puts a gold earring in her ear will have a similar one of fire put in her ear on the Day of Resurrection.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade to ride on panther skins and to wear gold except a little. Abu Dawud said: The narrator Abu Qilabah did not meet Mu’awiyah.