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Is it obligatory for a woman to perform ghusl if she wears perfume and passes by men who perceive her scent?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a woman wishes to go out having applied perfume, she should perform ghusl (ritual bath) to remove the perfume, as an act of recommendation. This ghusl should be like the ghusl for janabah (major ritual impurity) to ensure the perfume is completely removed. Some scholars have gone further, stating that she must perform ghusl upon returning to her home, as a strict deterrent and rebuke to her. This act is likened to zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) due to its incitement of desires and opening the door to temptation, thus she is treated like one who has committed zina in the obligation of ghusl. It is obligatory for a woman to avoid applying perfume when going out.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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