What is the ruling on a woman going out perfumed among foreign men?
Short answer
A woman may not go out perfumed if she will pass by foreign men; as for using perfume among women, returning without exposure to foreigners, it has its own ruling according to the form.
Evidence and explanation
The Shaykh distinguished between wearing perfume among women and going out with it among foreign men, because of the temptation in that.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
حكم تقديم الطيب للنساء الزائرات — فتوى ٣٦٠١- From the text of the answer
«السؤال عن حكم تقديم البخور والعطور لمن يزورك من النساء جريًا على العادة المتبعة في بلدكم؟ ج: وأفيدك: لا مانع من ذلك إذا كان النسوة اللاتي تقدمين لهن الطيب لا يخرجن إلى الأسواق بعد خروجهن من منزلك، وإنما يرجعن إلى منازلهن في سيارات، أو كانت المنازل متقاربة لا يحصل بعد خروجهن منك اختلاط بالرجال الأجانب منهن.»
English translation (unreviewed): The question is about the ruling on offering incense and perfumes to women who visit you, following the custom in your country? A: I advise you: there is no objection to that if the women to whom you offer the perfume do not go out to the markets after leaving your house, but return to their homes in cars, or if the homes are close so that after leaving you they do not mix with foreign men among them.
- Evidence as the shaykh cited it
«أما إذا كان الوضع خلاف ذلك فاعتذري إليهن، وأخبريهن بأن خروج المرأة بالطيب بين الرجال الأجانب لا يجوز؛ لأن رسول الله ﷺ نهى عن ذلك؛ لما فيه من الفتنة.»
English translation (unreviewed): But if the situation is otherwise, then excuse yourself to them and inform them that the woman's going out perfumed among foreign men is not permissible, because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade that, because of the temptation in it.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Ruling on offering perfume to women visitors
Title of the original page (Arabic): حكم تقديم الطيب للنساء الزائرات
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him