Women wearing deodorant

6-5-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

My wife uses deodorant and go as to the university. I told her not to use it as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) prohibited women from using perfumes and go out. She said it is not considered as perfume, only deodorant and she is allowed to use it. Is she right and is she allowed to use the deodorant and go out to her university or is it considered as perfume and she shouldn't use it?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Going out to work, market, mosque or anywhere else while wearing perfumes, incense or smelling sweet is not permissible for a woman. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "If a woman uses perfume and passes the people so that they may get its odour, she is a Zaniyah (fornicator/adulteress)" . Some other narrations read: "If a woman uses perfume and passes a gathering of men, she is so - and - so, meaning Zaniyah" [ Abu Dawood , al-Tirmizi and al-Nasa'i ].
There is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Any woman who uses some scent should not be present with us during the night prayer" .
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) also said: "Do not prevent woman from praying at the mosques of Allah. And they are to go out unperfumed" . [ Ahmad and Abu Dawood ].
The reason for preventing from going out applying perfume is that it causes Fitnah (temptation).
However, if any perfume is limited only to remove odors and does not smell attractive for others, then it seems that there is no harm in applying it. Using water to remove perspiration odor and changing one's dress is better and safer.
Allah knows best.