What is the ruling concerning smelling plants and flowers for a pilgrim in 'Iḥrām'?
Chapter on What the Muhrim Must Avoid and What is Permissible for Him
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
Plants whose fragrance is sought fall into three categories. The first category includes plants not grown for fragrance, such as desert vegetation like Artemisia (shīḥ), costus (qayṣūm), lavender (khuzāmā), all fruits (like citron, apple, quince), and plants cultivated without the intention of fragrance, like henna or safflower. Smelling these is permissible with no Fidyah. This ruling is generally accepted without dispute, despite a reported dislike from Ibn ʿUmar regarding smelling any plant from the earth. The second category includes plants cultivated for fragrance but not processed into perfume, such as Persian basil, marjoram, narcissus, and barm. There are differing views on this. The third category includes plants grown for and processed into perfume, such as roses, violets, jasmine, and gillyflowers. Using or smelling these incurs the Fidyah because the expiation is obligatory for the source material from which perfume is made.
Supporting text
For plants of the second category, one view is that smelling is permissible without Fidyah (held by ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, Ibn ʿAbbās, Al-Ḥasan, Mujāhid, and Isḥāq). The opposing view is that smelling is prohibited, and if done, incurs Fidyah (held by Jābir, Ibn ʿUmar, Al-Shāfiʿī, and Abū Thawr). Mālik and the Ḥanafīs disliked it but did not mandate a penalty. Regarding the third category, there is another narration from Aḥmad stating that smelling roses does not incur Fidyah because it is the scent of a flower, similar to other tree blossoms.