Can Muslims Wear Watches With Symbols From Other Faiths?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is it permissible to wear or sell a watch that features a symbol historically linked to a Christian order, if it no longer carries religious meaning today?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
It is permissible to wear or sell a watch featuring a symbol historically linked to a Christian order, provided that the symbol no longer carries religious or superstitious meaning, and there are no other problematic factors, such as associations with false beliefs or un-Islamic messaging.
Yardstick of Permissibility
Symbols can become problematic when they are strongly associated with specific religious beliefs or practices that contradict Islamic teachings. However, if the symbol is no longer widely recognized or linked to such meanings, and it is simply used as a neutral design, then there is no harm in wearing or selling the item.
Nevertheless, Muslims should be cautious in adopting foreign symbols, especially when our own rich Islamic traditions offer meaningful alternatives in both beauty and symbolism.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
