Sayyidah Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: "When any of you comes to pray the ‘Isha prayer, she should not apply perfume."
Hadith Referenceمسند اسحاق بن راهويه / كتاب اللباس و الزينة / 713
Hadith Takhrij«مسلم ، كتاب الصلاة ، باب خروج النساء الي المساجد الخ ، رقم : 444 ، 443 . سنن نسائي ، كتاب الزينة ، باب النهي للمراة ان تشهد الصلاة الخ ، رقم : 5129 . مسند احمد : 363/6 . صحيح ابن خزيمه ، رقم : 1680 . صحيح الجامع الصغير ، رقم : 634 .»
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Abdush Shakoor Tirmidhi
Benefits: From the mentioned hadith, it is understood that any woman who wishes to go to the mosque to perform prayer, it is necessary for her not to wear perfume. In another hadith, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Any woman who has applied incense should not join us for the ‘Isha prayer." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Tarajjul, No. 4175)
In fact, the prayer of such a woman who goes towards the mosque wearing perfume is not even accepted. As is mentioned in the hadith: Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu encountered a woman who was going towards the mosque wearing perfume. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said: "O bondwoman of the Compeller! Where are you going?" She replied, "To the mosque." He said, "Is it for this reason that you have applied perfume?" She replied, "Yes." Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saying: 'Any woman who applies perfume and then goes to the mosque, her prayer is not accepted until she performs a ritual bath (ghusl).'" (Sunan Ibn Majah, Abwab al-Fitan, No. 4002)
When it is not permissible to wear perfume while going to the mosque, then it is even more strictly prohibited to wear perfume while going to the marketplace. In fact, those women who go out wearing perfume have been called adulteresses (zaniyah) in the hadith. As is mentioned in the hadith: ((Any woman who applies perfume and then goes out among people so that they find her scent, she is an adulteress (zaniyah).))
"Any woman who goes out of her house wearing perfume and her fragrance is perceived, then she is an adulteress (zaniyah)." (Sunan al-Nasa’i, Kitab al-Zinah, Bab Ma Yukrahu lil-Nisa’ min al-Tayyib, No. 5126)