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Fatwa CenterWearing too much perfume in congregational prayer
Question
Assalalam alaykum, noble Brother. As a muslim leader, kindly help to bring the issue of the blatant use of sprays and perfumes in the Muslims among men during the prayers to the plight of asthmatic Muslims. We know that perfumes are allowed in the Sunah for men, but some men ignorantly do use sprays and perfumes and jump into the prayers oblivious of the discomfort to other Muslims. Some sprays are too sharp and breathtaking and causes allergies to the nostrils, which is even worse for asthmatics. Could the Muslims be guided on the excessive use of perfumes which harm other Muslims? Others pour the sprays or perfumes on the carpets of the masjid. Do excessive smells not fall into the hadith that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, warned about refraining from going to the prayer after eating garlic? Kindly advise and help.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Wearing perfume is recommended without a doubt; the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, loved perfume. The person should not be blamed for doing what the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, loved. The fact that some people have health conditions that make them develop an aversion to perfume is not a valid reason for others to give up wearing perfume because the number of the people with health conditions is relatively small compared to the healthy ones.
Moreover, if someone finds a sharp smell of perfume that harms him, he should find another place to stand in. If he does not find such a place, then he has a concession to miss the congregational prayer if attending it harms him. In any case, perfume, which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, loved, can never be compared to garlic and onion, which he described as foul plants (meaning foul-smelling).
Allah knows best.
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