Is an item extensively mended (Tadbib) with gold or silver permissible?
Chapter on Utensils
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
An item extensively mended with gold or silver is prohibited in all cases, whether the metal is gold or silver, and regardless of whether the mending was due to necessity or not. This view is held by Al-Shafi'i. The evidence against permissibility, even when the mending is secondary, is that it involves extravagance and vanity (*saraf* and *khuyala*), resembling pure precious metal. This is analogous to using doors or shelves made of silver or gold, which are prohibited even as secondary elements.
Supporting text
Abu Hanifa permitted an item mended extensively with precious metal, even if the quantity was large, arguing that the metal becomes secondary to the permissible item, similar to a minor mending. However, this is refuted by analogy to prohibited items like gold/silver doors.