Use of Perfumes in the State of al-’Ihram

لَا تَمَسَّ شَيْئاً مِنَ الطِّيبِ وَ لَا مِنَ الدُّهْنِ فِي إِحْرَامِكَ وَ اتَّقِ الطِّيبَ فِي طَعَامِكَ وَ أَمْسِكْ عَلَى أَنْفِكَ مِنَ الرَّائِحَةِ الطَّيِّبَةِ وَ لَا تُمْسِكْ عَنْهُ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُنْتِنَةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُحْرِمِ أَنْ يَتَلَذَّذَ بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not touch any perfume or oil in the state of Ihram. Avoid perfumes in your food, hold your nose from sweet smelling things but you must not hold your nose against bad smells; it is not proper for one in the state of Ihram to enjoy sweet smelling perfumes.”’

لَا يَمَسَّ الْمُحْرِمُ شَيْئاً مِنَ الطِّيبِ وَ لَا الرَّيْحَانِ وَ لَا يَتَلَذَّذْ بِهِ وَ لَا بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ فَمَنِ ابْتُلِيَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَصَدَّقْ بِقَدْرِ مَا صَنَعَ قَدْرَ سَعَتِهِ

"The one in the state of Ihram must not touch any items of fragrance or plants, nor should he derive pleasure from it, and neither should he smell a pleasant odor. So whoever is tested with any of that should give in charity an amount equivalent to what he has done, to the best of his ability."

مَنْ أَكَلَ زَعْفَرَاناً مُتَعَمِّداً أَوْ طَعَاماً فِيهِ طِيبٌ فَعَلَيْهِ دَمٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ نَاسِياً فَلَا شَيْ‌ءَ عَلَيْهِ وَ يَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘If one in the state of Ihram eats saffron knowingly or food in which there is perfume, he must slaughter one animal as offering. If it is due to forgetfulness then there is nothing on him and he must only ask Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, to forgive him.’”

الْمُحْرِمُ يُمْسِكُ عَلَى أَنْفِهِ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الطَّيِّبَةِ وَ لَا يُمْسِكُ عَلَى أَنْفِهِ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُنْتِنَةِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One in the state of Ihram must hold his nose from sweet smelling things, but not from bad smelling ones.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِالرِّيحِ الطَّيِّبَةِ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَ الْمَرْوَةِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْعَطَّارِينَ وَ لَا يُمْسِكْ عَلَى أَنْفِهِ.

the smells of perfumes from perfume sellers between al- Safa’ and al-Marwah is not harmful and one is not required to hold his nose.’” H 7243, Ch. 92, h 6

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع كُشِفَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ طِيبٌ لِيَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ وَ هُوَ مُحْرِمٌ فَأَمْسَكَ عَلَى أَنْفِهِ بِثَوْبِهِ مِنْ رِيحِهِ‌[1].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about perfumes, if using saltwort, which has a certain perfume and I wash my hands therewith while I am in the state of Ihram, is permissible. He (the Imam) said, ‘When you are about to assume the state of Ihram, look into your luggage and keep aside what you need.’ He (the Imam) sa

قُلْتُ لَهُ الْأُشْنَانُ فِيهِ الطِّيبُ أَغْسِلُ بِهِ يَدَيَّ وَ أَنَا مُحْرِمٌ قَالَ إِذَا أَرَدْتُمُ الْإِحْرَامَ فَانْظُرُوا مَزَاوِدَكُمْ فَاعْزِلُوا الَّذِي لَا تَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَ قَالَ تَصَدَّقْ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ كَفَّارَةً لِلْأُشْنَانِ الَّذِي غَسَلْتَ بِهِ يَدَكَ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram and his cloth comes in contact with perfume. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not harmful. He can wash it clean with his own hands.”’

لَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يَغْسِلَهُ بِيَدِ نَفْسِهِ.

“I once said to abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), that while in the state of Ihram, I ate Khabis (a certain sweet mix) until I was full. He (the Imam) said, ‘When you complete all of your acts and are about to leave, buy one dirham of dates and give it as charity. It will be expiation for whatever may have happened in your Ihram

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي أَكَلْتُ خَبِيصاً[3] حَتَّى شَبِعْتُ‌ وَ أَنَا مُحْرِمٌ فَقَالَ إِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنْ مَنَاسِكِكَ وَ أَرَدْتَ الْخُرُوجَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ فَابْتَعْ بِدِرْهَمٍ تَمْراً فَتَصَدَّقْ بِهِ فَيَكُونَ كَفَّارَةً لِذَلِكَ وَ لِمَا دَخَلَ فِي إِحْرَامِكَ مِمَّا لَا تَعْلَمُ.

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram and uses a salt which is mixed with saffron. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not proper for one while in the state of Ihram to use a thing which has saffron or any other kind of perfumes.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع مَا تَقُولُ فِي الْمِلْحِ فِيهِ زَعْفَرَانٌ لِلْمُحْرِمِ قَالَ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُحْرِمِ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ شَيْئاً فِيهِ زَعْفَرَانٌ وَ لَا شَيْئاً مِنَ الطِّيبِ.

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), considered one’s sleeping on a yellow bed or yellow Mirfaqah (comforter), in the state of Ihram detestable.” (It perhaps is because of saffron dye)

كُرِهَ أَنْ يَنَامَ الْمُحْرِمُ عَلَى فِرَاشٍ أَصْفَرَ أَوْ عَلَى مِرْفَقَةٍ صَفْرَاءَ.

“It is detestable for the person in a state of Ihram to sleep on a yellow bed or yellow Mirfaqah (comforter).”

لَا تَمَسَّ رَيْحَاناً وَ أَنْتَ مُحْرِمٌ وَ لَا شَيْئاً فِيهِ زَعْفَرَانٌ وَ لَا تَطْعَمْ طَعَاماً فِيهِ زَعْفَرَانٌ.

“You must not touch any fragrance while you are in the state of Ihram, or anything in which there is saffron, and do not taste any food with saffron in it.”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمُحْرِمِ يَغْسِلُ يَدَهُ بِالْأُشْنَانِ قَالَ كَانَ أَبِي يَغْسِلُ يَدَهُ بِالْحُرُضِ الْأَبْيَضِ‌[2].

‘My father (a.s.) would wash his hands with white Hurud (saltwort).”

لَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ تَشَمَّ الْإِذْخِرَ وَ الْقَيْصُومَ وَ الْخُزَامَى وَ الشِّيحَ وَ أَشْبَاهَهُ وَ أَنْتَ مُحْرِمٌ.

“It is not harmful to smell ‘Idhkhir (a green plant with a certain fragrance), lavender cotton, tulip, wormwood and similar things, while you are in the state of Ihram.”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمُحْرِمِ يَمَسُ‌ الطِّيبَ وَ هُوَ نَائِمٌ لَا يَعْلَمُ قَالَ يَغْسِلُهُ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ عَنِ الْمُحْرِمِ يَدْهُنُهُ الْحَلَالُ بِالدُّهْنِ الطَّيِّبِ وَ الْمُحْرِمُ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَا عَلَيْهِ قَالَ يَغْسِلُهُ أَيْضاً وَ لْيَحْذَرْ.

“I once asked Ibn Abi ‘Umayr about apple, citron and lotus and things with sweet fragrance. He said, ‘Hold back from smelling while you eat them.’” (It seems like it is Ibn Abi ‘Umayr’s Fatwa)

سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ التُّفَّاحِ وَ الْأُتْرُجِّ وَ النَّبِقِ‌[1] وَ مَا طَابَ رِيحُهُ قَالَ تُمْسِكُ عَنْ شَمِّهِ وَ تَأْكُلُهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram and eats citron. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can eat.’ I then said, ‘It has nice fragrance.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Citron is food and it is not a fragrance.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمُحْرِمِ يَأْكُلُ الْأُتْرُجَّ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ لَهُ رَائِحَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ قَالَ الْأُتْرُجُّ طَعَامٌ لَيْسَ هُوَ مِنَ الطِّيبِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about henna (privet). He (the Imam) said, ‘A person in the state of Ihram can touch and treat his camel with it. It is not a perfume and it is not harmful.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْحِنَّاءِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمُحْرِمَ لَيَمَسُّهُ وَ يُدَاوِي بِهِ بَعِيرَهُ وَ مَا هُوَ بِطِيبٍ وَ مَا بِهِ بَأْسٌ‌[2].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of my clothes which are fumigated along with my clothes for Ihram and I find the smell in it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Spread it in the air so winds can dispel the smell.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي جَعَلْتُ ثَوْبَيْ إِحْرَامِي مَعَ أَثْوَابٍ قَدْ جُمِّرَتْ فَأَجِدُ مِنْ رِيحِهَا قَالَ فَانْشُرْهَا فِي الرِّيحِ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ رِيحُهَا.

18. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufiy from al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Amir from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of my clothes which are fumigated along with my clothes for Ihram and I find the smell in it. He (the Imam) sa