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Q&A · Women in Islam

Is it permissible for a woman to wear perfume when she goes out in public?

A woman may perfume herself at home and for her husband and mahrams, but she should not go out among non-mahram men wearing a fragrance they can smell. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they smell her scent is such-and-such" — a severe rebuke, some narrations calling her sinful like an adulteress. This is a matter of blocking the means to temptation, not a claim that perfume is inherently sinful. Scholars therefore make an exception where she leaves the house unscented, and note it applies most strongly to gatherings of men, such as the mosque and marketplaces.

Evidence — the daleel
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2786Sunan Abi Dawud 4173
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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