“Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) intended to enter into ihrām, he would perfume himself with the best fragrance he could find, consequently, I would see the glistening of the oil in his hair and his beard afterwards.”

Narrated by Muslim (no. 1190) from ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
In a narration by al-Bukhārī (no. 5918) and Muslim (no. 1190), ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “It is as if I see the whiteness of the perfume in the partings of the Prophet’s (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) hair while he was in ihrām.”

Brief Explanation of the Hadith

In this ḥadīth, the Mother of the Believers, ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), reports an aspect of the Prophet’s (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) guidance when intending to enter ihrām: the use of perfume before commencing the ritual (nusuk), and his care to prepare for it in the best manner. He would perfume himself with the finest fragrance he could find before ihrām, and then the traces of oil and perfume could be seen on his head and beard after commencing the rite.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) affirmed this meaning, saying—as reported in al-Ṣaḥīḥayn—"It is as if I see the whiteness of the perfume in the partings of the Prophet’s (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) hair while he was in ihrām,” and in some narrations, “while he was performing the ḥajj talbīyah” or “after three days.” By this, she intended to convey the certainty and continuity of his use of perfume, so much so that she seemed to see its trace with her own eyes in his hair while he was in ihrām. This reflects her meticulous care in transmitting and preserving the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
In her statement, “he would perfume himself with the best fragrance he could find,” there is an indication of the Prophet’s (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) love for perfume, which is among the permissible pleasures of this world that were beloved to him. As he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “From this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and the coolness (solace) of my eyes has been placed in prayer.” Narrated by Aḥmad and al-Nasā’ī.
The ḥadīth indicates the permissibility of using perfume before entering ihrām, and that the lingering effect of it afterward does no harm. It also highlights the virtue of the Mother of the Believers, ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and her precision in transmitting the conditions and actions of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

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