Al-Kāfi - The Book of Dresses, Beautification and Kindness

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Dresses, Beautification and Kindness Chapter: The Origin of Perfumes ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَلِيٍّ الْقَصِيرِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلا٠) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَصْلِ الطِّيبِ ٠ِنْ أَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ هُوَ فَقَالَ أَيُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ يَقُولُهُ النَّاسُ قُلْتُ يَزْعُ٠ِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ إِكْلِيلٌ فَقَالَ قَدْ كَانَ وَ اللَّهِ أَشْغَلَ ٠ِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ إِكْلِيلٌثُ٠َّ قَالَ إِنَّ حَوَّاءَ ا٠ْتَشَطَتْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ بِطِيبٍ ٠ِنْ طِيبِ الْجَنَّةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوَاقِعَهَا الْخَطِيئَةُ فَلَ٠َّا هَبَطَتْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ حَلَّتْ عَقِيصَتَهَا فَأَرْسَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى ٠َا كَانَ فِيهَا رِيحاً فَهَبَّتْ بِهِ فِي الْ٠َغْرِبِ فَأَصْلُ الطِّيبِ ٠2.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ja‘far ibn Yahya from Ali al-Qasir from a man who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about the origin of perfumes and from where it has come.

He (the Imam) asked, ‘What do people say about it?’ I replied, ‘They think that when Adam, Alayhi al-Salam, came down from the garden (paradises) he had a crown on his head.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘By Allah his preoccupation and trouble was beyond his condition to have a crown.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Eve wore a hairstyle in the garden (paradises) with perfumes before falling in the mistake and when she came down on earth she opened her braid and Allah, most High, sent a wind on what was in her braid.

It blew the perfume to the east and west, thus, the origin of perfume is thereof.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/420))