The Miracle of the Beloved Prophet’s Fragrance

One Account, One Miracle

Perfumed Hand

Mawlana Rashid Ali Attari Madanī

Suhayb and Khubayb were returning from Friday prayers. As they strolled home, they could not stop smelling their hands and looking at each other with confused eyes. “What an exquisite scent our hands have,” exclaimed Suhayb, finally breaking his silence and expressing his astonishment. “I’m still wondering how this scent came onto our hands?” replied Khubayb.

Suhayb replied, “We shook hands with many people in the masjid after reciting ṣalat and salām. There must have been perfume applied to someone’s hands which rubbed off onto our hands.”

Both brothers were still guessing when Grandfather arrived from the masjid. They rushed to shake his hand. Suhayb used both of his hands when greeting him and kissed Grandfather’s hands. “Brother Khubayb! Brother Khubayb! The same scent which is coming from our hands is also coming from Grandfather’s hands,” he exclaimed.

“Really!” cried out Khubayb as he quickly shook Grandfather’s hands, kissed them and began to smell them.

Grandfather realised the reason for their surprise, so he said to them, “My children! Why are you amazed? When our respected imam and some worshippers wear perfume on their clothes and Ꜥimāmas, they also rub some onto their hands. Due to this, their hands become perfumed. And like this, the person who meets them is pleased and pleasantly surprised.”

“Grandfather, we were also thinking that this perfume rubbed onto our hands from someone else’s hands,” said both brothers as one.

“Let us leave this amazement now and listen to a miracle regarding the blessed scent of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم,” said Grandfather, sitting down on the sofa in the lounge.

“Wow! Grandfather, yes please!” exclaimed both brothers as they came and sat beside him.

“A dear Companion of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyidunā Jābir b. Samurah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states, ‘Once, after I had offered Fajr behind the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, I joined him as he returned home. On the way, some children came to him. He placed his hand on the cheek of every child and placed both his hands on my cheeks. I found such a coolness and fragrance from the beloved Prophet’s hand as though his hand had just been taken out from a perfume seller’s box.’”^[1]

 “سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه” the brothers echoed in awe. “Grandfather, everything about our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is remarkable,” said Khubayb.

“Yes, dear children! This is just one miracle. There are many miracles related to the blessed scent of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. One of his beloved Companions, Sayyidunā Jābir b. ꜤAbdullāh رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, states that whenever a person wanted to find the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, they would follow the beautiful scent which would fill the path which the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had passed. This was because whichever path he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم traversed would become perfumed by his fragrance.”^[2]

The lounge again echoed with the cry of سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه.

When Grandfather saw the happiness of the children, he could not contain himself, and he mentioned another love-inspiring account.

“Dear children! This fragrance that came from the blessed body of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was not a temporary scent, but a fragrance which emanated from him since birth. His loving mother, Sayyidatunā Āmina رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا relates, ‘When the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was born, I saw that his beauty was like the full moon, and there was a scent like the finest musk coming from his body.’”^[3]

“Brother Khubayb! I really enjoyed today. I will now apply perfume every day,” said Suhayb joyfully as he held Khubayb’s hand.

“Why not! You should apply it, because applying perfume was very dear to our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and is a beautiful Sunnah of his,” said Grandfather as he finished what he was saying and went towards his room to rest.