Can women wear perfume in Islam?

Islam allows women to wear perfume under certain conditions, such as they can do it in front of their Mahrams or women’s gatherings.

Wearing perfume is a Sunnah.

It is important to note that wearing perfume by women is a sunnah of the wives of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. They used to wear perfume for their beloved husband.

In other words, if women wear perfume to please their husbands or to look good to them, Allah will reward them for their good deeds.

Wearing perfume among Mahrams

Islam allows women to wear perfume at a gathering where all the participants are her Mahram. In other words, a woman can wear perfume at home when surrounded by her husband, children, father, brother, etc.

• List of Mahram relations in Islam.

Perfume in a women-only gathering

Islam also allows women to wear perfume in gatherings where non-Mahram cannot feel their fragrance. So, if a woman is going to a woman-only group, it is acceptable for her to wear perfume.

Perfume among Non-Mahram

However, Islam does not allow and, in fact, strictly prohibits women from wearing perfume in a way that any Non-Mahram person can smell it. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance then she is an adulteress. – Sunan an-Nasa’i 5126

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Every eye commits adultery, and when the woman uses perfume and she passes by a gathering, then she is like an adulteress. – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2786

Wearing Perfume while going to Masjid

Islam also prohibits women from wearing perfume while going to Masjid.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Any woman who puts on perfume then goes out to the mosque, no prayer will be accepted from her until she takes a bath. – Sunan Ibn Majah 4002

Perfume while mourning

Women should not wear perfume while they are mourning the death of anyone.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: A woman must not observe mourning for one who had died for more than three days except for 4 months and 10 days in the case of her husband. During this time, she must not apply collyrium or touch perfume except a bit of perfume or incense when purified after her courses. – Sahih Muslim 938c

However, it is a sunnah of the wives of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to wear perfume at the end of mourning days. – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1196