salam, please I want to know the ruling on this, my husband wants me to wear perfume when we are going out together and even though other men will smell it, he says its ok if we are together, is this right? and what if I wear perfume at home and his freinds come to visit and I have to serve them and they can smell it? is that also haram? it is causing us to fight because i refuse . Thank you

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

What your husband said is not correct because a woman is prohibited from going out while having applied perfume whether or not she is in the company of her husband. Also, she is not permitted to wear perfume in a way that non-Mahram men can smell her perfume even if she is at home. The religious texts that were reported in this regard are general, so how can your husband restrict them? For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84119.

Nonetheless, it is permissible for a wife to serve the guests of her husband provided she abides by the Islamic etiquettes, like wearing Hijab and the like. When Abu Usayd As-Saa’idi got married, he invited the Prophet and his Companions . None prepared food for them and brought it to them but his wife. She soaked some dates in water in a stone pot overnight, and when the Prophet had finished his food, she provided him with that drink (of soaked dates). [Al-Bukhari]

Ibn Hajar said commenting on the Hadeeth in “Fat’h Al-Baari”: “This Hadeeth is evidence that it is permissible for a wife to serve her husband and his guests; however, it should be noted that this can only be done when there is no fear of temptation and provided that she abides by Hijab …” For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 92070.

However, it is not permissible for you to obey your husband in disobeying Allaah as the Prophet said: “Obedience is required only in what is permissible.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Besides, you should clarify to him in a soft and gentle manner that the only thing for which you refuse to do so is pleasing Allaah, and you may show him some Fataawa about this subject. For more information, refer to Fataawa 88084, 93644 and 137146.

Allaah Knows best.