Gold and Artificial Teeth (FATWA)

The Question

If a Muslim replaces his fallen tooth with an artificial tooth made of gold, is it permissible according to the pure sharī`ah or not? Please inform me through evidence and proof. Furthermore, is it necessary to remove the gold tooth after passing away or not? How is it if it goes along in the grave? Does this oppose anything or not? Those English (western) artificial teeth that are made from stone or bone are just for show. You cannot eat or drink with them and at the same time, stench begins to come out from them. The gold teeth are pure from these flaws.

The Answer

The madhhab of al-Imām al-A`ẓam Sayyidunā Abū Ḥanīfah V is that to apply gold teeth is impermissible. These artificial teeth that are made of stone or some bonding material are helpful. I have seen that many people eat okay with them. As for the stench, it will keep going away through cleansing. So much stench does not come from them that it does not go away even after properly cleaning them. Therefore, to use gold in this situation is without ḍarūrah, thus making it impermissible. Furthermore, it is in Radd al-Muḥtār: 

وإذ سقط سنّه فاراد ان يتخذ سناً اٰخر فعند الامام يتخذ ذلك من الفضة فقط وعند محمد من الذهب ايضاً

If his tooth falls out and he decides to make another tooth, then according to al-Imām [Abū Ḥanīfah] he should make that from silver only. According to al-Imām Muḥammad he can make it from gold as well.

Answered by:

Muftī Amjad `Alī al-A`ẓamī V