Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam o alaikum, can women use Perfume or Scent (It`r)? If YES then what are the conditions, if NO then why?

Wassalam 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can women use perfume

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: can women use Perfume or Scent (It`r)?

The applying of perfume was an act absolutely loved by the Messenger of Allah (saws); and he highly recommended and encouraged its use to the believers.

Hadrat Anas (r.a.) reported the Messenger of Allah (saws) as saying, "Among the things of this world, I love women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is prayer."

Related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i.

Abu Hurairah (r.a.) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "If someone offers perfume, do not reject it, for it is light to carry and has a sweet scent."

Related by Muslim, an-Nasa'i and Abu Dawud.

Thus the applying of perfume is highly recommended for the believers; men and women.

Your Question: If YES then what are the conditions, if NO then why?

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4443 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "The perfume for men is that whose odour is apparent but whose colour is hidden, and the perfume for women is that whose colour is apparent but whose odour is hidden.

A believing woman may apply as much perfume as she wills when in the company of women, or her husband, or her male mehram relatives. But if she plans to go out in the presence of or pass by non-mehram men, she should not apply perfume whose odour may attract the attention of the other men towards her.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1065 Narrated by Abu Musa

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘Every eye is lustful, and when a woman applies perfume and then goes about in an assembly, she is like such and such, i.e. an adulteress.’

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4161 Narrated by Abu Musa

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘If a woman uses perfume and passes the people so that they may get its odour, she is so-and-so…., (meaning severe remarks).’

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Noor verse 31:

31 And (O Prophet (saws)) say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands their fathers their husbands' fathers their sons their husbands' sons their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss.

Beloved brother, the All-Knowing All-Wise Lord has so willed to protect the modesty and honor of the believing woman from being abused, that He and His Messenger (saws) have commanded and guided the believing woman who happens to pass by non-mehram men to not only lower her gaze, guard her modesty, hide her adornments and ornaments of beauty, but to make sure that she does not even strike her feet to draw attention to her hidden ornaments, nor that her applied perfume attracts the unwanted attention of non-mehram men! That is how sacred, and hallow, and sacrosanct the honor of the believing woman is held in the Sight of the Majestic Lord.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan