Every flower has a distinct color and fragrance. Both color and scent have an effect. Beyond evoking delicate and pure emotions like love and affection, fragrance also impacts various organs of the body.
Everything created by nature on this earth has a certain color and scent. Just hearing the word “fragrance” brings a sense of freshness. Fragrance alleviates dullness and creates freshness and delight in one’s mood. It relieves mental fatigue and lessens the discomforts of the weather. Muslim scientists prepared countless essential oils from fragrant flowers, which were used according to the season. In our past culture, specific perfumes were designated for summers, winters, monsoons, and spring. In traditional medicine, these are still used in various medicines and syrups prepared for different ailments.
Syrups and distillates of sandalwood, rose, cardamom, etc., are still in use today. Kewra and Bidmeshk (willow) distillates are effective treatments for summer fevers. Hakeem Ajmal Khan also prescribed massaging the heart area with high-quality rose oil for angina patients. The method of treating with fragrance and flowers is very ancient. In medicine, in addition to syrups and distillates, various floral preserves (gulkand) are also used for different diseases, such as gulkand amaltas, gulkand bakain, gulkand banafsha, gulkand gurhal, gulkand gulab, etc., are noteworthy. Our traditional physicians were experts in treating with fragrances. It is famous that when a sick prince in Lucknow insisted on being treated only with fragrant medicines, the highly skilled royal physician cured the prince using only fragrant medicines with specific effects. Shaheed Pakistan Hakeem Muhammad Saeed (RA) also used to say that he treated his heart ailment solely with rest and rose water. He would often chew rose petals separated during floral coverings.
Unlike all other treatment methods, fragrance therapy proves to be the most pleasant, delightful, refreshing, and health-giving. Besides the internal use of fragrant syrups, gulkand, and distillates, their external use for various ailments is also very beneficial. Various types of fragrant oils are also used for this purpose. Applying them to the head, forehead, or body helps the patient recover due to their specific healing properties.
Fragrance holds special importance in different religions. It has always been used in temples, shrines, and places of worship. Ancient Greeks considered fragrant herbs to be divine gifts. The Babylonians added fragrance to the mortar when building tombs and temples. In India, sandalwood is considered highly sacred.
The systematic use of fragrances as a form of treatment began with Muslim physicians. Among them, the first name that comes to mind is Abu Bakar Muhammad Zakariya Al-Razi, who wrote more than 200 books and treatises on medical science. It is said that Hippocrates started medicine, Galen revived medicine, Razi compiled scattered medical traditions, and Ibn Sina brought it to completion. Hakeem Ibn Sina also presented many treatments using fragrances, their distillates, and steam. During the height of the British Empire, when a plague epidemic broke out in London, people started using a fragrant paste of oranges and cloves to protect themselves from the plague’s stench and infection. During this time, it was observed that people working in perfume factories were also protected from the epidemic. After these observations, experts began to seriously consider treating with fragrance.
Currently, work is being done on aromatherapy in various countries around the world. Through this, relief has been observed in joint pain, chest diseases, common cold, cough, flu, restlessness, fatigue, indigestion, asthma, tension, irritation, itching, eczema, throat problems, dryness, swelling, abdominal pain, allergies, head and body aches, toothaches, liver diseases, kidney stones, insomnia, and more.
This text beautifully highlights the historical and traditional significance of fragrance in healing and its evolution into modern aromatherapy. It emphasizes how various cultures and particularly Muslim physicians recognized and utilized the therapeutic properties of scents.
Some perfumes are also prepared following specific spiritual practices and intentions—such as our Ittar-e-Hubb for Love, Ittar-e-Taskheer, and Ittar-e-Rizq, etc., have been considered especially popular.