Most of us use deodorants frequently. However, have you ever wondered what your deodorant is made up of? And whether it is halal or not? It might not have occurred to you but your deodorant can also contain haram ingredients.
Prophet Muhammad loved fragrances and used them frequently. When he was presented with a fragrance, to use or as a gift, he never refused it. He once said that perfume was one of the things that had been made dear to him. His wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported, “I used to perfume Allah’s Messenger with the best scent available till I saw the shine of the scent on his head and beard.”
Our Prophet Muhammad used the finest scents like Musk, Amber, and Oud. He especially loved Musk and said, “It is the best of your perfumes.” Moreover, he also guided us about the different kinds of fragrances that should be used by men and women. He said, “The perfume for men is that whose scent is apparent while its colour is hidden, and the perfume for women is that whose colour is apparent, while its scent is hidden.”
He encouraged Muslims to keep themselves clean, healthy and groomed. The teachings of Islam ensure that Muslims are tidy and presentable. One of the personal care products that help us in this regard is the deodorant or body spray. Deodorant is a kind of fragrance that is used widely today. It designed for everyday use; it is cheaper compared to perfume, is light and helps conquer any bad smell from sweating. It was first introduced in the United States in the 1950s and has now become a staple item on bathroom shelves across the world.
Being Muslims we have to keep ourselves free from impurities, as cleanliness is a prerequisite for our obligatory daily prayers. If we get into a state of impurity (najasah) or there is something impure on our bodies or clothes, our prayer will not accept. Many scholars consider alcohol as an impure substance. Nonetheless, it is the most common ingredient used in most perfumes. So, if we are wearing a normal deodorant with alcohol in it that would mean that our clothes and body will have traces of alcohol on it too. Therefore, we should completely avoid the deodorants and scents that have alcohol. They consider as impermissible.
Halal is a lifestyle. A Muslim eats halal, acts halal and uses perfumes and deodorants that are halal. At first, we did not have many alternatives to the normal deodorants manufactured by non-muslims. However, there are many halal certified brands in the market now, which have produced excellent quality alternatives. Instead of alcohol which dries the skin and causes irritation they use natural beauty ingredients like aloe vera, tea tree oil, and vetiver. These organic ingredients act as moisturizers and have been known for their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Aloe vera has a soothing and healing effect on the skin. The vetiver helps the skin to stay fresh and moisturized, and the tea tree helps reduce inflammation and scars. Instead of a harmful and irritant substance like alcohol, our preference should be to use products that contain natural beauty ingredients that do not pose a danger to our health and skin.
Because not only Allah instructs us to consume halal, he also instructs us to consume things that are tayyab. The Quran states: “And eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers.” Tayyab means good, unharmful and clean; something that is known to be excellent because of its properties and nature.
Halal and tayyab are the hallmarks of a Muslim. The next time we buy a deodorant let’s make sure that we are choosing one that is permissible and pure (halal and tayyab).
Lafz is a brand of beauty products featuring halal deodorant and halal perfumes, which are Halal Certified Brand.
