What is the ruling on a woman whose husband has passed away smelling basil and "barak," and drinking mint and anise?
First: It is not permissible for a woman observing ' (waiting period) after her husband's death to use perfume (طيب) on her body or clothes. There is no dispute regarding the prohibition of touching perfume. Scholars differed concerning smelling perfume; some permitted it, while others said that smelling it is treated like touching it. The correct view is that it is not permissible for a woman observing 'iddah or a pilgrim (مُحْرِم) to intentionally smell perfume, whether by smelling it directly or by approaching a perfumed place.
Second: If perfume is mixed with food or drink, and its effect is apparent in terms of smell and taste, then it is not permissible to consume them. If its effect is not apparent, then there is no harm in consuming them.
Third: Mint and anise are not perfumes (طيب), and there is no harm for a woman observing 'iddah or a pilgrim in using or drinking them, because the prohibited perfume is that whose primary purpose is adornment.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/7748
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 7748
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy