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Fragrance from Jannah

What is the authenticity of the following Hadith? Kindly explain what is meant by ‘it has come from Jannah’.

Abu Uthman An-Nahdi (rahimahullah), a Tabi’i, reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“If one is given rayhan [fragrance/’itr] then he should not refuse, for the scent has come from Jannah”

Answer

Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) has recorded this Hadith in question on the authority of Abu ‘Uthman An Nahdi, [mursalan].

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2791)

Imam Tirmidhi has declared the Hadith as weak (gharib). Some editions of Tirmidhi have the words ‘gharibun hasan’.

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2999, Edition of Ar Risalah Al ‘Alamiyyah)

Commentary

1) The Hadith commentators explain that ‘rayhan’ refers to any fragrance. It does not refer to a specific fragrance.

2)The Muhaddithun have offered the following explanations of the words  ‘it has come from Jannah’:

  1. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not intend the literal meaning, he merely expressed a resemblance. This fragrance resembles the fragrance of Jannah. The difference is that the fragrance of Jannah will not terminate.
  2. The literal meaning is intended. In this case it will mean that the origin of this fragrance is from Jannah.
  3.  ‘Allamah Munawi (rahimahullah) offers a different explanation of the word Jannah. He says the word ‘Jannah’ could refer to the abundant, layered flowers from where the fragrance is extracted.Since this is readily, abundantly and easily available, there is no need not to accept this if offered, as it doesn’t cost the giver much anyway.

(Refer: Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 461, Mirqat, Hadith: 3030 and Tuhfatul Ahwadhi)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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