Renting out gold jewellery

A question about renting out gold jewellery, in which Jordan's General Iftaa Department answered that gold and silver jewellery may be rented out for a known sum and period, and that this is not riba because the contract concerns the use, not the substance. ¹

The questioner asked about renting out gold jewellery for a known cash sum for a known period. ¹

The Department answered that gold or silver jewellery may be rented for a known amount over a known period, and that this is not riba because the contract concerns the benefit, not the item itself. ¹ It quoted al-Imrani in al-Bayan (7/327) that gold jewellery may be hired for gold or silver and silver jewellery for silver or gold, noting that al-Saymari reported some Shafi'is hesitated over this and that the hesitation is not correct, since the object of the contract is the use of the gold, not the gold itself. ¹ It quoted al-Damiri in al-Najm al-Wahhaj (5/330) reporting al-Shafi'i's view that jewellery, gems and other things women wear may be hired, and that gold jewellery hired for gold or silver is valid without requiring possession in the session, since there is no riba between gold and the use of gold. ¹

Jordan's General Iftaa Department published this fatwa on aliftaa.jo as no. 4453, dated 26 April 2026. ¹ The museum records this text as a historical document attributed to the body or scholar that issued it; it issues no ruling of its own.