Short answer
No, anklets are allowed for women as jewellery, in gold, silver or other materials. They should not have bells, and they should not be shown or jingled in front of non-mahram men, since the Quran forbids women from striking their feet to draw attention to hidden adornment. Men may not wear them.
Women may wear anklets (mubah). Anklets with bells are makruh, and showing them or making them heard before non-mahram men is not allowed. For men they are imitation of women and haram.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Women in the Prophet's ﷺ time wore anklets, which is why the Quran mentions them: it tells believing women not to strike their feet to make known the adornment they conceal. So the anklet itself is allowed, but it belongs to the hidden adornment that is shown only to a husband, mahrams and other women.
Bells. The Prophet ﷺ said the bell is the flute of Satan, and the scholars therefore dislike bells on jewellery, clothes and animals. Many South Asian payal anklets have small bells; choose a style without them, or remove the bells.
- At home or among women: wear any anklet you like.
- Outside: the ankle and lower leg are covered in front of non-mahram men, so the anklet is covered too, and should not make a sound.
- In salah: an anklet does not affect your prayer.
- Black thread anklets worn against the evil eye are a different issue; see the evil eye and nazar.
Men. Anklets are women's jewellery, and the Prophet ﷺ cursed men who imitate women; see can Muslim men wear jewellery. For other jewellery questions, see gold, silver and silk for women.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:31
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
Women may wear anklets but must not draw attention to them before non-mahram men.
Sahih Muslim 2114
Sahih... الجرس مزامير الشيطان ...
"The bell is the flute of Satan."
The reason bells on jewellery are disliked.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5885
Sahih... المتشبهين من الرجال بالنساء والمتشبهات من النساء بالرجال ...
"The Messenger of Allah cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men."
Ibn Abbas's report that imitating the other sex in dress and grooming is a major sin.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar with Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha, section on clothing and jewellery. Women's jewellery and the dislike of bells.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on clothing and adornment. What jewellery women may wear.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.