Ahkam al-Khawatim
- Author died
- 795 AH
- Editions
- Al-Fārūq al-Ḥadīthah lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr
Ahkam al-Khawatim (Arabic: أحكام الخواتيم, lit. 'The Legal Rulings of Rings'), also referred to as Ahkam al-Khawatim wa-ma Yata'allaqu Biha and Kitab al-Khawatim, is a legal and hadith treatise by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (736–795 AH / 1335–1393 CE) devoted to the jurisprudence, prophetic traditions, and etiquette regarding the wearing, manufacturing, and use of rings .
Scope and Contents
The treatise gathers legal rulings and traditions dispersed across various chapters of Islamic jurisprudence, arranging them systematically . Key subjects addressed in the work include:
- Materials and Permissibility: The ruling on men wearing silver rings; using rings as official seals and whether that is restricted to rulers; the prohibition of gold rings for men; and the legal status of rings made from iron, brass, and copper .
- Bezels and Engravings: Reports concerning gemstones such as carnelian (ʿaqiq) and ruby (yaqut); the setting of the bezel (fass); engravings and inscriptions on rings; and historical examples of inscriptions engraved on the rings of prominent figures and Companions .
- Etiquette of Wearing: Rulings on wearing a ring on the right or the left hand; wearing it on the index or middle finger; turning the bezel toward the palm; and the permissible weight of a silver ring worn for personal adornment .
- Ritual Purity and Prayer: Entering the lavatory while wearing a ring inscribed with the remembrance of God; touching an inscribed ring while in a state of ritual impurity (hadath); moving the ring during ablution (wuduʾ) or full-body ritual washing (ghusl); performing cleaning after excretion (istinjaʾ) while wearing a ring; handling impurities affecting the ring; praying while wearing an unlawful ring; and using a ring to count Quranic verses or prayer units (rakʿat) .
- Funerary Rulings and Commercial Transactions: Whether a ring should be removed from the hand of a deceased person; zakat obligations on silver rings worn by men; casting pebbles set with stones at the jamarat during pilgrimage; and commercial laws concerning the sale, purchase of rings with silver, forward sales (salam), manufacturing commissions (istisnaʿ), and legal indemnities for defects (arsh) .
Methodology and Sources
Ibn Rajab applies a critical hadith methodology throughout the work, examining the transmission chains and variants of prophetic narrations related to rings . He assesses narrators, highlights hidden defects in chains by referencing authoritative works such as the ʿIlal of al-Daraqutni, and critiques unpreserved (ghayr mahfuz) or fabricated narrations, such as specific reports concerning ring placement when entering the lavatory .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscript copies of the treatise are preserved in institutions such as Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyyah (no. 23794 B) in Cairo and the Berlin State Library (no. 9690) .
The book has been printed in several modern editions, including:
- An edition edited with notes by Abu al-Fidaʾ ʿAbd Allah al-Qadi, published by Dar al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah in Beirut (1405 AH / 1985 CE; reprinted in 1987) .
- An edition edited by Talal al-Tarabili, published by Dar al-Andalus .
- Inclusion within the second volume of Majmuʿ Rasaʾil al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali .
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