This is the opinion of the majority of scholars. It has been narrated from Mu'awiyah ibn Qurrah that he said: "There is no harm in drinking from a silver cup." A statement has also been narrated from Al-Shafi'i that it is makruh (reprehensible) but not haram (prohibited), because the prohibition stems from the resemblance to the non-Arabs (A'ajim), and thus does not necessarily imply prohibition. Our position is based on the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "He who drinks from a silver vessel only gulps the fire of Hell into his stomach." He also said: "Do not drink from gold and silver vessels, and do not eat from their plates, for they are for them in this world and for you in the Hereafter." Both were reported by Al-Bukhari (1). The implication of his prohibition is absolute prohibition (tahrim), and he threatened the perpetrator with the fire of Hell; for the meaning of his statement, "he gulps the fire of Hell into his stomach," means this is a cause for the fire of Hell, similar to the statement (2) of Allah the Exalted: {Indeed, those who consume the wealth of orphans unjustly only consume into their bellies fire} (3). Therefore, there remains no ambiguity regarding its prohibition. It has been narrated that Hudhayfah requested a drink, and a dihqan (4) brought him a silver vessel, so he threw it at him. Had it struck him, he would have broken a piece of it, and then he said: "I only threw it at him because I forbade him from it (5)," and he mentioned this report. This indicates that he understood the prohibition from the forbidding of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
(1) In: The Chapter of Silver Vessels, from the Book of Drinks. Sahih al-Bukhari 7/146. It was also reported by Muslim, in: The Chapter of Prohibition of Using Gold and Silver Vessels..., from the Book of Clothing. Sahih Muslim 3/1634. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of Drinking from Silver Vessels, from the Book of Drinks. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1130. Al-Darimi, in: The Chapter of Drinking from a Vessel Containing Silver, from the Book of Drinks. Sunan al-Darimi 2/121. Imam Malik, in: The Chapter of Prohibition of Drinking from Silver Vessels..., from the Book of the Description of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Al-Muwatta 2/924, 925. The second [report], in: The Chapter of Eating from a Silver-Mounted Vessel, from the Book of Food. Sahih al-Bukhari 7/99. It was also reported by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter of Drinking in Gold and Silver Vessels, from the Book of Drinks. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/303. Al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter of What Has Been Said Concerning the Reprehensibility of Drinking from Gold and Silver Vessels, from the Chapters of Drinks. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 8/69 - 71. Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter of Mentioning the Prohibition of Wearing Silk, from the Book of Adornment. Al-Mujtaba 8/175. Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/385, 396, 398, 400, 404. (2) In the original and M: "Li-qawli" (To the statement). (3) Surah An-Nisa 10. (4) Al-Dihqan; with the damma and kasra: the head of a region and leader of the non-Arab farmers. (5) Reported by Al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of Eating from a Silver-Mounted Vessel, from the Book of Food, and in: The Chapter of Drinking in Gold Vessels, from the Book of Drinks. Sahih al-Bukhari 7/99, 146. Muslim, in: The Chapter of Prohibition of Using Gold and Silver Vessels..., from the Book of Clothing. Sahih Muslim 3/1637, 1638. Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/396, 397, 408.
