By: Djaka Suryadi, PhD*
The Best Scientific Pearls of Wisdom on the Olfactory Capability
THE olfactory capability, or olfaction, is one of the most primitive yet complex human senses, linking the physical world with emotional and spiritual dimensions.
Scientifically, based on recent reviews from reputable journals such as Frontiers in Neuroscience and Science, the olfactory system involves olfactory receptors in the nasal epithelium that detect odorant molecules, then transmit signals to the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex in the brain.
Recent research indicates that olfaction not only detects scents but also influences human well-being through emotional and cognitive pathways, such as enhancing life satisfaction and reducing stress via exposure to natural aromas like flowers or forests. study in Science emphasizes that smell is a primary pathway for human-nature interactions, where olfactory loss (anosmia) can reduce quality of life by up to 30%, as reported in a 2025 review in Chemical Senses.
In applied health contexts, contemporary olfaction is utilized in therapies like aromatherapy for treating depression and neurological disorders, supported by AI advancements in understanding olfactory receptor mechanisms.
From an Islamic perspective, the olfactory capability is a divine gift mentioned in the Quran as part of perfect creation.
In QS An-Nahl verse 78: “وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ” (And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and hearts that haply ye might give thanks). Although not explicitly mentioning smell, this verse encompasses senses generally as means of gratitude, which in interpretations by scholars like Imam Al-Qurtubi, includes olfaction as part of “al-af’idah” or hearts sensitive to goodness.
The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW emphasizes fragrances, as in the Hadith narrated by Bukhari: “أُحِبُّ مِنْ دُنْيَاكُمْ ثَلَاثًا: النِّسَاءَ وَالطِّيبَ وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ” (I have been made to love three things from your world: women, perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer). Another Hadith from Abu Musa RA: “مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَعْمَلُ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ الْأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ” (The example of a believer who recites the Quran and acts upon it is like a citron which tastes good and smells good). This illustrates that fragrance symbolizes pure faith, promoting spiritual and physical cleanliness.
Sufi studies from Al-Azhar scholars, such as Shaykh Ahmed El Azhary, view the sense of smell as a gateway to spiritual cognition, where scents become mediums for approaching Allah through remembrance and contemplation. In Sufism, as taught by Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari of Al-Azhar, spiritual olfaction opens at the “khafa” (hidden) station, where the soul perceives divine aromas, like heavenly fragrances, as signs of gnosis. Abdul Halim Mahmud, an Al-Azhar Sufi, integrates this with heart purification, where physical smell reflects spiritual sensitivity to sins that “reek foul.”
The four Imams of the madhhabs also link olfaction to jurisprudence and spirituality. Imam Abu Hanifah, founder of the Hanafi school, was known for wearing fragrances as a Sunnah, emphasizing cleanliness for worship.
Imam Malik in the Maliki school discusses fragrances in ablution, where pleasant scents support prayer concentration. Imam Shafi’i recommends perfume use to avoid offensive odors disturbing the congregation, while Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal in the Hanbali school sees it as a means to repel Satan, aligning with the Hadith that fragrance is light and easy to carry. Overall, olfaction is a divine wisdom blending science and spirituality, inviting humanity to gratitude and closeness to the Creator through this often-overlooked sense. barokalloh fiik, Aamiin YRA.
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*About the Writer:
Djaka Suryadi is an observer of sharia law and sharia finance. He got Islamic Finance PhD from one of university in Malaysia.
In Indonesia, he is an islamic banker and working for private bank for 28 years, and also to be a lecturer of Islamic law and Islamic finance for 18 years in universities.
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