روي أن عائشة أم المؤمنين رضي الله عنها قالت: كنا نخرج مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى مكة فنضمد جباهنا بالسك المطيب عند الإحرام. فإذا عرقت إحدانا سال على وجهها. فيراه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فلا ينهانا.
It is narrated that Ayesha (ra) – Mother of the Believers – said: We would depart with the Prophet (pbuh) towards Mekkah [for Hajj or Umrah], and would put a perfumed swathe on our forehead1 at the time of wearing the Ihraam2. Then [on the way], when one of us would perspire, it [that is, the fragrance] would trickle down her face [with her perspiration]. The Prophet (pbuh) saw this, but did not stop us3.
General Notes
1. As a Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), it is prohibited to put any perfume on oneself after having worn the Ihraam.
2. The prohibition of applying any fragrance starts after one has worn the Ihraam.
Notes on the Text of the Narrative:
This narrative has been reported in Abu Dawood, narrative no. 1830. It has also been reported, with some variations, in Bayhaqiy (narrative no. 8834), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (narrative no. 24546, 25106) and Abu Ya`laa (narrative no. 4886).
In some narratives, as for instance in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 24546, the words “كنا نخرج مع النبي“ (i.e., ‘We would depart with the Prophet’) have been reported in third person as “إنهن كن يخرجن مع رسول الله“ (i.e., ‘they would depart with the Messenger of God’); while in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 25106, these words have alternatively been reported as “كن أزواج النبي يخرجن معه“ (i.e., ‘the wives of the Prophet used to depart with him’).
In some narratives, as for instance in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 24546, the words “فنضمد جباهنا بالسك المطيب عند الإحرام“ (i.e., ‘we would put a perfumed swathe on our forehead’) have been reported as “عليهن الضماد قد أضمدن قبل أن يحرمن“ (while there would be a swathe upon them that they would put on before wearing the Ihraam‘).
In some narratives, as for instance in Abu Ya`laa’s narrative no. 4886, the words “سال على وجهها“ (i.e., ‘it would trickle down her face’) have been reported as “فيسيل على وجوهنا“ (i.e., ‘then it would trickle down our faces’).
The words “ينهانا“ (i.e., ‘stop us’) have been reported in Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 8834. In Abu Dawood’s narrative no. 1830, these words have been rendered as “ينهاها“ (i.e., ‘stop her’). While in some narratives, as for instance in Abu Ya`laa’s narrative no. 4886, the words “فلا ينهانا“ (i.e., ‘he did not stop us’) have been replaced with “فلا يعيب ذلك علينا“ (i.e., ‘he did not object about it to us’); while in some narratives, as for instance in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 25106, these words have been replaced with “لا ينهاهن عنه محلات ولا محرمات“ (i.e., ‘he would not stop them from it, neither before wearing the Ihraam nor after it’).
In some narratives, as for instance in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 24546, the mother of the believers is reported to have said:
إنهن كن يخرجن مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عليهن الضماد قد أضمدن قبل أن يحرمن ثم يغتسلن وهو عليهن يعرقن ويغتسلن لا ينهاهن عنه.
They used to depart with the Prophet (pbuh) [for Makkah], while having a scented swathe on them that they would put on before wearing the Ihraam, and they would bathe while it was on them; They would perspire and wash [it]. The Prophet (pbuh) did not stop them from it.
In some narratives, as for instance in Abu Ya`laa’s narrative no. 4886, the saying of Ayesha (ra) has been reported slightly differently as:
كنا نخرج مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد تضمخنا بالزعفران والورس وقد أحرمنا فنعرق فيسيل على وجوهنا فيراه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فلا يعيب ذلك علينا.
We used to depart with the Prophet (pbuh) [towards Makkah], and we would apply a lot of saffron and another kind of perfumed grass, while we had worn the Ihraam. Later, we would perspire and it would drip down our faces. The Prophet (pbuh) saw it and did not object about it to us.
In the light of the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), according to which no one should apply any fragrance after wearing the Ihraam, and in the light of the other narratives referenced above, it is clear that the narrators of this narrative have erred in reporting this narrative, according to which the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) are reported to have applied fragrance while they were wearing the Ihraam.
This write-up is prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi