Why Do Some People Wear Wedding Rings On The Left Hand And In Others On The Right
There are many reasons that influence the nationals of a country to wear their wedding ring on either hand. Be it for cultural, practical, economical or personal reasons, one is at liberty to make decisions that are pleasing to them.
While the left hand has long been cited as the preferred wedding ring bearer, this continues to change as people and societies evolve.
Here are a few elaborate reasons as to why these people chose to wear the wedding ring on either hand.
How To Wear A Ring
Among Sunni Muslims, there is a disagreement as to whether the Holy Prophet wore it on his left or right hand. According to Hanafi, Malaki and Hanbali schools, it is better to wear a ring on the left hand. Multiple reasons are cited, one of which being the following hadith:
It was narrated that Anaas said: The ring of the Prophet was worn on this and his pointed to the little finger on his left hand.
Muslim
Other arguments include it being the way of the Sahaba, with many reported to have worn rings on their left hands , as well as the fact that it would have been easier to use for stamping seals when holding a paper with ones right hand.
The Shafai school of thought recommends wearing the ring on the right hand, citing the below hadith:
It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that the Messenger of Allah wore a ring of silver on his right hand, in which there was an Abyssinian stone, and he used to put the stone facing towards his palm.
Muslim
Besides other similar narrations, the argument of the school is also that the Prophet would always start with the right in daily tasks of adornment, such as putting on shoes and combing hair. Some also point out that there are also hadith that prominent Sahaba wore rings on their right hands, perhaps suggesting that wearing a ring on either hand is recommended .
Hadith suggest that the Holy Prophet wore the ring on his index finger. A narration attributed to Imam Ali says,
Muslim
What Hand Does A Wedding Ring Go On
Traditionally in the United States, during the time of the ceremony, the wedding ring goes on the left hand. While the ceremony is taking place, the engagement ring is placed on the left hand. This is so that the wedding ring can go on the right hand, closest to the heart. After the ceremony is over, the engagement ring is typically placed above the wedding band and both rings are worn on the same finger, with the wedding band still closest to the heart. While some individuals choose to build their wedding band directly into their engagement ring, others choose to stack multiple rings on their right hand. However, some individuals choose to wear their wedding ring on their right hand. There are many reasons why rings are worn on the right hand.
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Why Did The Prophet Wear A Silver Ring
Islam prohibits men to adorn themselves like women. The only thing a man can afford is a ring on his finger, however, this ring must not be made of gold. This ban was delivered to the Prophet by Allahs Angel Jibril. At first, the Messenger of Allah had a ring made for him of gold. But Gods angel appeared before him and told him that for men gold is Haram.
This is how, after the Prophets return from the miraj , the Lord started slowly revealing to His Messenger His Commandments one after another.
This is how, step by step, the code of Islamic Laws began taking shape to become the best collection of rules on earth. For pious people who wish to be acquitted on the Day of Judgement. The testament in respect of gold was not delivered to the Prophet during the Miraj. However, after its completion, the Lord saw mens tendency to use for adornment the metal. This is employed as a measure of value and which thus being a profane, worldly asset cannot lead to spiritual elevation. He sent His Angel to bring this message to the Prophet and warn people against using gold.
This is how the story is narrated in an authentic Hadith by Imam Al-Bukhari: Abdullah Ibn Umar narrates that Allahs Messenger wore a gold ring and placed its stone towards the palm of his hand and had the name Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah engraved on it.
Is Wearing Taweez Permissible
It is written on a piece of paper and is worn around the neck. We, the Ahle Sunnah believe, to wear a Taweez around the neck is permissible if the dua contained in it is written from the Quran or Ahadith. Qadi Shawkani writes, if the Qurans duas are recited and blown on the sick, they will be cured.
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Middle Eastern Jewish And South Asian Customs
In Sinhalese and Tamil culture, the groom wears the wedding ring on his right hand and bride wears it on her left hand ring finger. This can be seen in countries like Sri Lanka where there is a rich Sinhalese and Tamil cultural influence in the society.
A wedding ring is not a traditional part of the religious Muslim wedding and wedding rings are not included in most Islamic countries. However, if a wedding ring is worn in an Islamic country, it may be worn on either the left and for example . As opposed to the wedding ring, use of a ring to denote betrothal or engagement is quite prevalent in Muslim countries, especially those in West and South Asia. Muslim engagement rings are typically worn on the right finger by men, and the left finger by women.
In a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, the wedding ring is placed on the bride’s righthand index finger, but other traditions place it on the middle finger or the thumb, most commonly in recent times. Today, the ring usually is moved to the left hand ring finger after the ceremony. Some Jewish grooms have adopted wearing a wedding ring. However, in Orthodox Judaism, most men do not wear wedding rings.
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Reasons For The Wedding Ring To Be Haram
- Carving names inside the ring hoping that it will create a stronger bond between the husband and the wife. This is Haram as it doesnt fall under any Islamic teachings. There is no relation whatsoever between the act of carving and forming a strong relationship.
- Believing that the wedding ring has power. Many think that it forms a strong bond when worn but is a bad sign when taken off.
- Believing more in the symbolism of the wedding ring than facing the truth of the family. A happy and harmonious family is not built around the ring but through effort and communication.
- A Wedding ring is haram if it causes troubles to the married couple.
- It is haram if the marriage bond is not as per the religious means, for instance, a contract marriage.
wedding ring in Islam
Wedding Rings: Have Men Always Worn Them
A generation or two ago, a British prince choosing not to wear a wedding ring would have barely drawn comment. But the headlines that followed that decision by Prince William show that rings for husbands are now the norm.
William’s decision not to wear a wedding ring isn’t unique even in his own family. Prince Charles does wear one – next to a signet ring on the little finger of his left hand – but the Duke of Edinburgh does not.
Those contrasting decisions may to some extent be considered a product of the times in which William’s father and grandfather were each married.
While the wearing of wedding rings by brides has been traced back to ancient Egypt, it is only in the latter part of the last century that more than a small minority of bridegrooms began doing the same.
World War II is considered to have heralded a seismic shift, as many Western men fighting overseas chose to wear wedding rings as a comforting reminder of their wives and families back home.
“The mid-20th Century is when it becomes mainstream,” says Rachel Church, a curator in metalwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
“That’s when men started to be expected to wear wedding rings, and nowadays when you hear men don’t want to wear them you think that it’s a bit odd.”
Probably the most common explanation is the one that has been given for William’s decision – a royal aide was quoted as saying he “isn’t one for jewellery”.
For the most part, after all, it’s the bride’s day.
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Muslim Men Who Imitate Women Are Cursed
There are a number of other Ahadith or prophetic sayings in which Prophet Mohammed outrightly cursed men who dress and imitate women and visa versa and forbids them to dress so.
In the Above Hadith, Prophet Mohammed expressly invoked Allahs curses on crossdresser men and women. He even suggested that they should be thrown out of the family home.
So any form of cross-dressing is cursed in Islam. Also by inference, it is also Haram for men to imitate women in their manner, ways of behavior, speech and voice tones as is witnessed in gay society.
What Is The Symbolism Of Wearing A Wedding Ring On Your Right Hand
The symbolism of wearing a wedding ring on your right ring finger is colorful and storied. Some that believe the Romans used to wear their wedding rings on the right hand, possibly because in Roman culture, the left hand was thought of as being unreliable, untrustworthy, and even sinister by some. Meanwhile, the right hand was considered symbolic of honor and trust.
However, some also say the Romans wore their wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand because of whats known as the Vein of Love. This vein was believed to run directly from the hand to the heart. Perhaps they evolved as a culture from one to the other.
Either way, its probably wise to take both of these stories with a grain of salt. Today, though placing the wedding band on the left hand is common, there are many countries and many reasons some couples choose to wear their wedding ring on the right hand.
Some reasons that people might wear their wedding rings on the right hand versus the left hand or vice versa include:
- Cultural differences
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The Ring Of The Holy Prophet
There are numerous hadith that mention that Prophet Muhammad wore a ring.
It is said that he acquired a ring of silver with Muhammad Rasoolullah on it, saying:
I have acquired a ring of silver and engraved on it Muhammad Rasool Allaah, and no one should have an engraving like this.
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim
The Holy Prophet would specifically use this as his seal on letters. Another hadith affirming this says:
When the Prophet wanted to send a letter to the Romans, he was told that they would not read any letter unless it had a seal on it, so he took a ring of silver. It is as if I can see it shining on his hand, and engraved on it were the words Muhammad the Messenger of Allah.
Al-Bukhaari, 5537 Muslim 2092
While men are prohibited from wearing a gold ring, it is deemed mukruh according to some schools for either men or women to wear an iron, steel or brass ring . Other schools dont deem it mukruh to wear an iron ring, but state that wearing a ring of silver is better.
Fact Check: Jewelry Not Banned During Ramadan
Times-Union readers want to know:
An email I received supposedly proves that President Barack Obama is a Muslim because he did not wear his wedding ring or watch during Ramadan, and Muslims are forbidden from wearing jewelry during that month. Is this true?
A couple of things are wrong with this viral email.
The claim began in 2010 when several media outlets reported that Obama – who has maintained that he is a Christian and, therefore, wouldn’t observe Ramadan – was not wearing his wedding ring at a news conference. The White House responded to questions about it, saying that the band was being repaired. ABC News reported on Sept. 10, 2010, that White House aides would not specify what was wrong with the ring, according to the fact-finding website, Truthorfiction.com.
In 2010, the Ramadan month of fasting and prayer fell between Aug. 11 and Sept. 10, urban legend slayer Snopes.com points out, and photos during some of that period clearly show Obama with his ring and watch.
From about Sept. 10 of that year, when the White House said the ring was being fixed, through Sept. 21, photos of Obama do show him without his ring. Some photos show the president without his ring, but still wearing his watch, the fact-finding groups report.
He is also wearing the ring and watch in a CBS Boston spread of photos taken on Aug. 19 during the Obamas’ Martha’s Vineyard vacation. You can see such a photo at tinyurl.com/bqn6bcn.
Carole Fader: 359-4635
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Cross Dressers Need Psychological Help
Though it is entirely unfashionable in todays society of open values and freedom of choice to say it, the truth is that men who love wearing womens clothing, makeup, and jewelry and who take great pleasure, even sexual, mimicking the behavior are sick and need psychological help. This sickness requires both counseling and behavioral adjustment therapies and for Muslim men preferably with Muslim trained therapists.
