Assalaamu alaykum.Is it alright to wear a bracelet on my left wrist while I am out in the public, and is it okay to wear a necklace that people used to wear to keep the evil eye away, which they do not do anymore? The necklace is from Jerusalem.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is nothing wrong for the woman to wear bracelets on her arms or a necklace on her neck when she goes out, but she must cover them from the view of non-mahram (marriageable) men, and it is forbidden for her to display them for non-mahram men to see because these things are from the adornments which women are forbidden from displaying to men in the saying of Allaah (which means): {…and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof…} [Quran 24:31]

Ibn Mas’ood said regarding the interpretation of the verse {…and not expose their adornment}, adornment means bracelets, anklets, earrings, and necklaces; and {except that which [necessarily] appears thereof…}, meaning the clothes and outer garments.” [Ibn Al-Munthir, Ibn Abu Haatim, At-Tabaraani, Ibn Mardawayh and Al-Haakim (who graded it saheeh (sound)]

Also, Ibn Mas'ood said, “Adornment is of two kinds: visible adornment, and hidden adornment that is only seen by the husband. The visible adornment means the clothes; the hidden adornment means kohl (make up), bracelets and rings.”[Ibn Abu Shaybah, Ibn Jareer and Ibn Al-Munthir]

Al-Khaadimy from the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, said in Bareeqah Mahmoodiyyah, “{…and not expose their adornment}; meaning their jewelry, such as bracelets and necklaces...”

Moreover, Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said, “There is no doubt that what some women do today such as displaying their hands wearing accessories on them is forbidden and leads to temptation; the same thing applies to the feet; Allaah says (what means): {And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment.} [Quran 24:31]; this is evidence that women must draw down their clothes to below their anklets…” [End of quote]

As for wearing a necklace that people used to wear for prevention from the evil eye, there is nothing wrong for the sister to wear it as long as she wears it for adornment and not for prevention from evil eye and as long as people are not wearing it for prevention from the evil eye now as they used to do in the past. The Prophet said, “Indeed, actions are judged according to the intention behind them.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The scholars made a distinction between what is worn for adornment and what is worn for the prevention of evil eye. For instance, Al-Baaji, when interpreting the saying of the Prophet said in Al-Muntaqa, “'There shall not remain any necklace of strings or any other kind of necklace round the necks of camels except that it is cut off.' [Maalik in Muwatta] Abdl-Qaasim al-Jawhari said, 'The people in Jaahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Era) used to do it for protection from evil eye, so they were prohibited from doing it; but putting it (on camels’ necks) for adornment, then there is nothing wrong in it .... It was also quoted from 'Eesa ibn Dinaar that he said, 'It is permissible for a man to hang on his horse’s neck a colored bead necklace for adornment, but the necklace with strings and anything that is used to repel evil eye is disliked.'” [End of quote]

Allaah knows best.