['Aalim Network QR] Vessels Lined with Gold and Silver

[Mustafa Rawji <mrawji@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca>]

________________________________________________________________________
|                          w           w     w                          |\
|                           ||          ||   | ||                       |\
|                    o_,_7 _||  . _o_7 _|| 4_|_||  o_w_,                |\
|                   ( :   /    (_)    /           (   .                 |\
|                                                                       |\
|           ||  ||         |  ||   |T              |     | ||    |      |\
|   . _, _8 |_D_|| . _,_,_,_D_|| 4_|| q ]_o_7_o   _|_c 4_|_||   _|,_p q |\
|  (_): /         (_): . :            /        (_S           (_S      / |\
|                                                                       |\
|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
|_______________________________________________________________________|\


Salaamun alaykum,

	The reply to the following question was kindly provided by Shaykh 
Hasnain Kassamali. 

Wasalaam,

Mustafa Rawji
Moderator, 'Aalim Network

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUESTION:

As Salam Alykum

Kindly provide answers to the following question. The reply to my question
should be based on the rulings of Ayatollah Syed Ali Seestani.

Question: -- I know that it is Haram to eat out of vessel made from Gold.  Is
the same applicable if the vessel are Gold plated or have a certain amount
of decorative gold work on them.  Also when we say that eating in vessel
made of gold is haram, does this also include things such as serving bowls,
serving spoons and othe cutlery items or is it limited to just the eating
plates and eating bowls. 

	Similarly what is the ruling for vessels made from Silver.

ANSWER:

Wa-`alaykum salam.

Seven books containing masa'ils by Ayt. Sayyid Ali al-Husayni
as-Seestani which I have with me do not cover the discussion on the rules
of vessels (Ahkam al-awanee). Therefore I will respond to the question
based on the rulings of Marhum Ayt. Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khu'i (may God
sanctify his ruh). 

It is haram to use vessels/utensils/containers (al-awanee) made of
gold and silver for eating, drinking, doing wudu, ghusl and for purifying
najis things. 

It is haram to use a vessel made of brass or other matter which is
covered/dressed with either gold or silver such that if these were removed
the vessel can still be used independently. Otherwise there is no problem
is using the vessel. 

The 'vessel/utensil' include all items which are usually used as
receptacles for eating and drinking. These include serving bowls, plates
and cutleries. 

Ref:Al-`Urwatul Wuthqa, vol. 1, Qum,1412, pp. 117 - 119. 


God knows the best.

Hasnain Kassamali
Humble servant of the Ahlul Bayt (a).