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:

AsSalaamWaleikum Brother

Firt i would like to thank u brother for doing such a great and noble job for all our muslim brothers and sisters. My question, is it ok to wear perfume with alcohol content, can i pray namaz in it, please guide

Zakir

(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:

Perfume alcohol

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.24

Anas 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 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.

Not only is the applying of perfume permissible for the believing men and women in Islam, it is a highly encouraged act and a preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Allah Subhanah has absolutely forbidden the consumption of all types of intoxicants for the believers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 90:

O you who have believed! ‘Khamr’ (all types of intoxicants), gambling, (ungodly) shrines, and divining devices are all abominable works of Shaitaan; therefore, refrain from these so that you may attain true success!

The thing that invalidates prayer is the presence of impurities on one’s body or clothes. But not all haraam (forbidden) things in Islam are impure… for example: gold and silk are declared haraam for the believing men, but gold and silk in their essence are not impure substances. Similarly, the majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that although alcohol is haraam and absolutely forbidden for the believers to consume, alcohol by itself is not an impure substance. Thus there is no harm if one uses perfumes and the alcohol used in making these perfume touches the clothes or some parts of the body; as long as it is not consumed and entered into the body. The prayer of such a person, if Allah Wills and Pleases, would be acceptable to Him.

The absolute safest and purest and closest to piety would be if the believers change their alcohol based perfumes with the many available ‘ittr’ or perfumes which do not contain any alcohol; and thus absolutely remove any doubts which may exist.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan