Why Wearing the Mangalsutra is Not Haram for a Muslim Woman
C.J Ahmed-23.04.2023
Mangalsutra is a superstitious thread or a neckless worn by especially Hindu women when they get married to protect a husband from ills and long life for a husband. The bride is expected to wear the mangalsutra and is discouraged from removing it. Now the question, is is wearing the mangasutra haram for Muslim woman and the answer is that it is not haaram because nowadays the mangalsutra is more a jewellery than a superstitious Hindu custom.
Women during the time of the prophet (sal) used to wear Jewellery.
1) Ibn ‘Abbas was asked whether he had been present at the festival prayer along with God’s Messenger and replied, “Yes, God’s Messenger came out and prayed, then preached a sermon (no mention being made of adhan or iqama). He then went to the women, gave them an exhortation and admonition and ordered them to give alms. I then saw them putting their hands to their ears and necks and giving [some of their jewellery] to Bilal, after which Bilal and he went off to his house.’’(Bukhari and Muslim)
2) Wearing a Mangalsutra is Not Imitating Hindus
There are some who view everything with a “haram” lens will find fault with women wearing Mangalsutra and ill argue that it is haram because you are imitating the Hindu women. The Mangalsutra is won for various reasons suh as for beautification and cultural reasons. The below hadith has nothing to do with wearing Mangalsutra.
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
As long it is with good intentions and not to imitate disbeievers, it is not haram.
Umar bin al-Khattab (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said,
"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for." (Bukhari and Muslim)
3) Cannot Judge a Muslims Based on the Jewellery TheyWear
We cannot tear open a man’s chest and see his intentions.
Usamah ibn Zayd reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent us on an expedition. In the morning we attacked Al-Huraqat of Juhaynah. I caught hold of a man and he said, “There is no God but Allah!” I stabbed him anyway. Then, it occurred to me that I should mention that to the Prophet. The Prophet said, “Did he say ‘there is no God but Allah’ but you killed him?” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, he only said it because he feared the weapon!” The Prophet said, “Did you tear open his heart to know if he meant it or not?” The Prophet continued repeating it to me until I had wished I had not embraced Islam until that day. (Sahih Muslim)
Wering a Mangalsutra is like doing Yoga. Doing Yoga is haram if you are doing it for religiou reasons signifying Hinduism such as the “Surya Namaskara” which is worshipping the sun and accounts to Kufr. Instead, you can do Yoga for the purpose of health and wellbeing. There are vaous forms of Yoga such as Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga etc. Similarly a Muslim can wear the Mangalsutra for beautification without believing in it’s Shirk and Kufr concets.There is nothing haram in a Muslim woman wearing a Mangalsutraa.
Mangalsutra is a superstitious thread or a neckless worn by especially Hindu women when they get married to protect a husband from ills and long life for a husband. The bride is expected to wear the mangalsutra and is discouraged from removing it. Now the question, is is wearing the mangasutra haram for Muslim woman and the answer is that it is not haaram because nowadays the mangalsutra is more a jewellery than a superstitious Hindu custom.
Women during the time of the prophet (sal) used to wear Jewellery.
1) Ibn ‘Abbas was asked whether he had been present at the festival prayer along with God’s Messenger and replied, “Yes, God’s Messenger came out and prayed, then preached a sermon (no mention being made of adhan or iqama). He then went to the women, gave them an exhortation and admonition and ordered them to give alms. I then saw them putting their hands to their ears and necks and giving [some of their jewellery] to Bilal, after which Bilal and he went off to his house.’’(Bukhari and Muslim)
2) Wearing a Mangalsutra is Not Imitating Hindus
There are some who view everything with a “haram” lens will find fault with women wearing Mangalsutra and ill argue that it is haram because you are imitating the Hindu women. The Mangalsutra is won for various reasons suh as for beautification and cultural reasons. The below hadith has nothing to do with wearing Mangalsutra.
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
As long it is with good intentions and not to imitate disbeievers, it is not haram.
Umar bin al-Khattab (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said,
"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for." (Bukhari and Muslim)
3) Cannot Judge a Muslims Based on the Jewellery TheyWear
We cannot tear open a man’s chest and see his intentions.
Usamah ibn Zayd reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent us on an expedition. In the morning we attacked Al-Huraqat of Juhaynah. I caught hold of a man and he said, “There is no God but Allah!” I stabbed him anyway. Then, it occurred to me that I should mention that to the Prophet. The Prophet said, “Did he say ‘there is no God but Allah’ but you killed him?” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, he only said it because he feared the weapon!” The Prophet said, “Did you tear open his heart to know if he meant it or not?” The Prophet continued repeating it to me until I had wished I had not embraced Islam until that day. (Sahih Muslim)
Wering a Mangalsutra is like doing Yoga. Doing Yoga is haram if you are doing it for religiou reasons signifying Hinduism such as the “Surya Namaskara” which is worshipping the sun and accounts to Kufr. Instead, you can do Yoga for the purpose of health and wellbeing. There are vaous forms of Yoga such as Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga etc. Similarly a Muslim can wear the Mangalsutra for beautification without believing in it’s Shirk and Kufr concets.There is nothing haram in a Muslim woman wearing a Mangalsutraa.