What is the decree for a person who is in ihram for hajj to apply perfume or perfumed soap on his/her body due to an obligation?

- What is the decree for a person who is in ihram for hajj to apply perfume or perfumed soap on his/her body due to an obligation? Is it permissible for a person who is in ihram to apply cream that is like medicine on his/her body – say sun-cream for a person who is affected from the sun very easily?

- One of the prohibitions of ihram in hajj or umrah is perfume. I read somewhere that using perfumed soap is like applying perfume. What is meant by perfumed soap? All of the soaps and shampoos that we use contain perfume. Is it permissible for a person who is in ihram to apply cream that is like medicine on his/her body – say sun-cream for a person who is affected from the sun very easily?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Perfume is added to soaps and shampoos; therefore, it is forbidden to use them in ihram. However, it is permissible to use pure soaps into which perfume is not added.

Kaffarah is necessary even if a person applies perfume due to an obligation, unknowingly or by forgetting.

PENALTY FOR APPLYING PERFUME, NICE SCENT AND OIL IN IHRAM:

Everything that people benefit from and that has nice scent in it is called "Tiyb". The things that are applied on the body are generally of three kinds:

The first: Things that are scent in essence like musk, ambrette, camphor, etc.
The second: The substances that are not scent in essence but that are used in the production of perfume and that are used as medicine like olive oil. If they are used in order to oil the body, they are regarded as scent. If they are added to food, they are not regarded as scent.
The third: The substances that are not scent in essence, that are not used as the main substance of a scent and that are not used for this purpose like tallow.

Kaffarah becomes necessary for a person in ihram who applies perfume or nice scent on his body. If he applies perfume on the whole of an organ or more, he has to sacrifice an animal. However, if he applies perfume on less than an organ, he has to give kaffarah of half a sa’ (about 1,667 kg.)  of wheat. More than half of an organ is regarded as the whole organ. The following decree exists in Fatawa al-Hindiyya: "There is no difference between forgetting or doing deliberately in terms of the infliction of penalty for applying perfume. The decree is the same for both men and women. It is written like that in Badai. Even if a person applies perfume on all of his body, one animal is sacrificed because the body is regarded as a whole. It is written like that in Tabyin."

Acting upon the statement of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), "Henna is a nice scent", Hanafi scholars agree on the following decree: "A person who dyes his/her hair with henna in ihram has to sacrifice an animal."

If a person applies perfume, shaves or has a haircut, wears a seamy garment based on a legitimate excuse in ihram he has to do one of the following three things as a penalty: to sacrifice a sheep, to fast for three days or to give six poor people three sa's of wheat (about 10 kg.). The following is stated in the Quran regarding the issue:

"... And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp, (Necessitating shaving), (He should) in compensation either fast, or feed the poor, or offer sacrifice..." (al-Baqara, 2/196)

Hanafi scholars decree that the word "aw" (or) used between penalties in the verse gives the person the right to choose one of them. It should not be forgotten that if an animal is to be sacrificed as a penalty, it has to be sacrificed within the boundaries of Haram. The following decree is written in Durr al-Mukhtar: "If a person sacrifices an animal but does not eliminate the scent, another sacrifice becomes necessary for leaving the scent there." When Ibn Abidin explains this text, he states the following: "Another sacrifice is necessary since he leaves that scent there. For, it was haram to apply perfume at the beginning. The decree of beginning is given for the continuation too."

If a person oils his body with olive oil or sesame oil, a sacrifice is necessary even if it is pure. For, they are the main substances for the scent. Besides, it is unanimously agreed that a sacrifice becomes necessary when violet oil or similar aromatic oils are used. However, if something that is not a scent and that is not used as a substance to produce scents (tallow, etc.) is applied, no penalty is necessary. It is permissible to eat the types of oil that is not a scent in essence but that is a main substance in producing scents. For, they are not regarded as scent/perfume if they are not used as scent/perfume. The trace of the scent applied before entering ihram does not necessitate a penalty.

Questions on Islam