When someone thinks of Oud/Oudh his mind goes toward the fact that it is a costly Arabic fragrance with deep gulf roots. The use of this scent is noteworthy for the Muslims because Allah’s messenger, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used it in their daily life and promoted the use of Oud. It is narrated that Abdullah bin Umar (R.A) used to burn pure Oud and camphor, and he followed the Sunnah stating that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used too the Bakhoor incense. People of the Middle Eastern epicenter Dubai UAE recognize Oud as a Holy scent because of its relation to Islamic culture. The use of this Arabic fragrance is very evident in Islam, and whether there is a special event of enjoyment or despair or daily use in offices, Majlises, Party, home the importance of Oud is highly appreciated by tradition.
Here we will take a deeper look at why the use of Oud is so appreciated and where and in what way Arabs use this Oud.
IMPORTANCE OF OUD IN THE DAILY LIFE OF ARABS:
“Allah is Pleasant and loves pleasant things, Clean and loves cleanliness and Generous and loves generosity”. It is a famous hadith stating that Allah Almighty is clean and pleasant hence the use of the Oud incense is a mark of cleanliness and hygiene.
THE USE OF OUD ON HOLY DAYS AND MOSQUES IN ISLAM:
Fridays
The cultural use of Oud and the spiritual association is a never-ending tale in the history of the Middle East, especially in Dubai, UAE. This association has kept alive the significance of Oud in Islamic hubs of holy Kaaba and mosques.
Fridays carry a notable significance in the life of all Muslims as it is the time to clear the sins of the past week. Muslims of Arab countries dress neatly and smell good on this holy day of Friday. The use of Oud is not mandatory but it is advised to use scents and to smell good to spread a pleasant environment surroundings.
As stated in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 13, Number 33: Narrated Salman Al-Farsi:
Allah’s Apostle Muhammad ﷺ said, “Anyone who takes a bath on Friday and cleans himself as much as he can and puts oil (on his hair) or scents himself; and then proceeds for the prayer and does not force his way between two persons (assembled in the mosque for the Friday prayer), and prays as much as is written for him and remains quiet when the Imam delivers the Khutba, all his sins in between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven.”
Oud is used in all forms of oil and wood as well. The use of Oud oil is very common and on holy days like Friday, Arabs of the Middle East odor their homes through a dry scenting process of burning Oud or Bakhoor. Among all the various scents of rose and musk, the scent of Oud stands out as the best perfume scent naturally. Men/Women uses Oud to carry this fragrance with them on the holiday of Fridays.
Mosques:
Mosques are referred to as the home of God where angels are present and are holy places to worship. It is highly appreciated to use the natural Oud scent and keep oneself hygienic while following Islamic practices. The mosques are scented as well, as Hazrat Aisha (R.A) reported that the Prophet ﷺ ordered, “Masjid (mosques) should be built in residential neighborhoods and they are groomed and aromatized”. In another reference, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ advised to perfume Masjid (mosques) with Bakhoor, especially on the day of jummah (ibn e Majah). Cleanliness is considered the most vital part of Islamic moral values and using Oud is a part of it. The mosques in Dubai, UAE and the rest of the Gulf and Middle East use Oud as an essential part of their daily rituals and the burning of Oud in an Oud burner is greatly practiced in this regard. Scenting mosques is considered a way of purifying them. It lures the people entering the mosque and makes an attractive mark for going to the mosque more often.
Upon entering the prayer area the premium scent of Oud makes a person calm and increases prayer awareness. A person while smelling this ties himself in a religious awareness mental state raising the focus on prayer and his bonding to Allah Almighty.
USE OF OUD IN AL-HARAM:
Al-Haram Al Ka’aba is the epicenter of all the Muslims of the world located in the heart of the Gulf, Saudi Arabia. This place is considered the dreamland of all Muslims because of the location of the Kaaba here. Oud has a special relation to the Kaaba as it is used in the cleansing ritual of the Kaaba which is a part of scenting it. One of the most important ceremonies is the opening of Kaaba which is opened twice a year. The most important part of this religious ceremony is where a white towel impregnated with the scents of musk, Oud, and rose is used to clean the inner walls of the Kaaba. This is a common practice for scenting Kaaba and cleaning it.
FINAL WORDS
Oud Dubai — Oud is no doubt a premium holy scent for the Muslims that has taken over all the other scents and is a daily life part of Arabs of Dubai, UAE, Gulf and the Middle East. These references also show that using Oud is a Sunnah and has been mentioned in the history of Arabic culture, where the dots for the presence of Oud are present. It is estimated that the use of Oud is valued for more than 3000 years in the past and is considered an ancient Arabic scent. Apart from that in the Chinese dynasty and with the Japanese culture also Oud is very much linked.
