Fragrance of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
By the renowned spiritual guide and leader of Ahl al-Sunnah, Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Attar al-Qadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ
Just as the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was matchless in his beauty and splendour, so too was his natural fragrance inimitable. The Prophetic servant, Sayyidunā Anas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states, “I have never smelled ambergris, musk or anything more pleasant than the Messenger of Allah’s scent.”[1]
Sayyidunā Jābir b. Samurah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ says, “The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم wiped my cheeks, and I sensed a coolness and fragrance from his hand as though he had just taken it out from a perfumer’s box.”[2]
A subtle fragrance emanated from the pure body of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم such that whichever pathway he would travel upon, people would come to know that he had just passed through it. In this regard, Sayyidunā Jābir b. ꜤAbdullāh رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا mentions, “The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not travel on a path and a person passed through it after him, except that he would come to know that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had traversed it due to his fragrance.”[3]
How beautiful are the words of the Reviver of Islam, the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه presented in the Prophetic court:
Ambar zameen, ‘abeer Hawaa mushk e tar ghubaar!
Adnaa si ye shanaakht Teri rah-guzar ki hai [4]
Ambergris earth, ‘abeer-laden air, and dust from which musk is emanating
This is the subtle sign of the path upon which You have been traversing
Anbar: Ambergris is a very expensive perfume that is obtained from whales. ‘Abeer: This is also a well-known, fragrant powder produced from the mixing of several scents with sandalwood, etc., which is sprinkled on the clothes in the manner that body sprays are today. Mushk: Musk, a very expensive perfume extracted from the glandular secretions of a deer.
The meaning of Imam Aḥmad Razā Khan’s words are: Whenever the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم traversed a place, a subtle sign of his passing through there would be that the soil and air in that area would become more fragrant than the scent of ambergris, musk and ‘abeer.
صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
(Note: This article was prepared from the content of the Madani Muzakarah (Ep: 1785) convened after Isha salah on 6 RabīꜤ al-Awwal 1442 AH. It is presented here after review and adjustments from Amir Ahl al-Sunnah.)
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