The Usage of Seashells as Ornaments in the Light of Hanafi Jurisprudence: An Analytical Study of Contemporary Opinions

Abstract

Seashells have been in human usage and valued for their aesthetic appeal in medicine, jewelry, decoration, and have been symbolic as well in expression across various cultures and their status in Islamic law remains subject of debate at scholarly interpretation of high rank. The research at hand is the study to explore the permissibility of sea ornament in general and depicts the cultural significance of the use of seashells as ornaments within the framework of Hanafi jurisprudence. Hanafi jurists classify materials derived from the sea by assessing their purity and lawful use. Since seashells are not taken non-edible, and are not considered prohibited in connection with the consumption of marine life. This research is an investigation limited in their ornamental usage along with principles of permissibility as emphasized in the Hanafi school of Islamic Jurisprudence.  The study is inferred in the fact that the marine production, when used in moderation and within cultural norms consistent with Islamic values, are permitted as ornaments in Hanafi jurisprudence, and the contemporary cultural practices are tried to put in harmony with it.  This research is a valuable contribution for a broader discussion on materialistic culture and Islamic esthetic values. Keeping the research under the shadow of the thoughts emerged from al-Hidāyah, al-Mabsūṭ, and al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah alongside contemporary juristic opinions, the methodology of qualitative research is employed.