What is the ruling on gold-plated dishes? حكم الأواني المموهة بالذهب

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.

As to what follows:

 In response to your question, we say, and with Allah Almighty lies all success:

Dishes that are gold-plated or silver-plated are coated to give colour to the dishes and are not affected if melted or touched by fire. The scholars have two opinions regarding them:

One opinion is that it is permissible to use them, as they are not made of gold or silver, so they are not included in the dishes whose use is prohibited. This is the opinion of some Malikis, and it is the madh'hab of the Shafi`is and Hanbalis.

Another group of scholars are of the opinion that their use is forbidden because of the apparent forbidden aspect. This is the opinion of some Malikis, and it is the correct view in their madh'hab.

 The correct answer is that of permissibility, because it is not gold or silver, and appearance (resemblance) is not enough to confirm a ruling.

And Allah knows best.

Your brother,

Dr. Khalid al-Muslih

3 / 4 / 1425 AH