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Fatwa CenterFragrant smell on shoes worn in Ihraam
Question
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. Shaykhs, should I wash my shoes before assuming Ihraam (state of ritual consecration) in order to remove any fragrance from them if there is any? If yes, then what about those shoes that get damaged by washing them? I suffer from feet pain, so I bought a pair of shoes to wear inside Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, but I checked for a fragrance and could smell a fragrance from them. Most probably, it was the rose fragrance which the workers sprinkle inside Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, and they are for the masjid only. Hence, I bought a new, similar pair to wear inside Al-Masjid Al-Haraam in the state of Ihraam, and I have kept them separately. Can I use them in the future in the state of Ihraam inside Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, or if I can smell a fragrance from them also, then should I not do so? (They seem to get damabed by wash them, and Allah knows best.) As for the outdoor shoes, I did not smell them before wearing them. Did I do wrong? If yes, do I need to do anything for all the previous ‘Umrah in my life? Please advise regarding both pairs of shoes. May Allah reward you, Shaykhs.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we warn you against immoderation in matters of the religion, as this is dispraised in Islam and it leads to Waswaas (obsessive whisperings), which you seem to be suffering from. You are not required to smell the shoes before wearing them to make sure that they are not fragrant. Rather, smelling them is an indication of the dispraised immoderation that we warned you against. Moreover, what is sprinkled in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam of soap and the like is often not used as a perfume; rather, they are only nice scents, and the one who touches them is not considered to be wearing perfume. So you are not required to do anything regarding their traces that you find on your shoes, and there is no harm on you in wearing either pair that you wish to wear. You are not required to do anything regarding the past or future incidents in this regard. Finally, disregard and repel Waswaas; verily, getting carried away with it leads to immense evil.
Allah knows best.
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