'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr' or 'Othr' (Alcohol-Free Perfume)

The word 'attar', 'ittar' or 'othr' is basically an Arabic word which means 'scent'; this in turn is believed to have been derived from the Persian word Atr, meaning 'fragrance'.

Attars/Ittars are alcohol-free and are used by many Muslim men and women. Ittar has long been considered one of the most treasured of material possessions and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has been compared to Ittar as one of the most beloved of gifts given to mankind.

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'

Attar is a natural perfume oil derived from botanical sources. Most commonly these oils are taken from the botanical material through hydro or steam distillation. Oils can also be expressed by chemical means but generally natural perfumes which qualify as Ittar/Attars are distilled naturally. The oils obtained from the herbs flowers and wood are generally distilled into a wood base such as sandalwood and then aged. The aging period can last from one to ten years depending on the botanicals used and the results desired.

These all-natural perfumes are highly concentrated and therefore are usually offered for sale in small quantities and have traditionally been offered in decorated crystal cut type bottles or small jeweled decanters. Attars/Ittars are popular throughout the Middle East, the Far East and India as well as Pakistan. Attars/Ittars have been used in the entire Eastern world for thousands of years. These 100% pure and natural perfumes are free of alcohol and chemicals and so the problems faced in the West by perfume lovers are irrelevant to most Eastern perfume lovers. Natural perfumes are affordable because they are so concentrated that a small bottle will last the user several weeks, if not months. Due to the purity and the nature of oils, there is very little chance of spoilage unless a food based carrier oil is used to cut the concentrated pure oil.

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'

Some of the first lovers of Attars/Ittars were the Mughal nobles of India. Jasmine ittar was the favorite perfume of the Nizams of the Hyderabad state. Traditionally in the Eastern world it was a customary practice of nobility to offer ittar to their guests at the time of their departure. The Attars/Ittars are traditionally given in ornate tiny crystal cut bottles called as itardans. This tradition of giving a scent to one's guests continues to this day in many parts of the Eastern world. Among Sufi worshipers the use of Attars/Ittars during meditation circles and dances is quite common.

Famous Attars/Ittars List

• Rose Attar/Ittar (Rosa damascena - Flower)
• Motia/Jasmin Attar/Ittar (Jasmine sambac - Flower)
• Mitti Attar/Ittar (Baked earth - Earth from river)
• Kewda Attar/Ittar (Pandanus odoritissimus - Flower)
• Saffron Attar/Ittar (Crocus sativa - Stigma)
• Agarwood/Oud Attar/Ittar (Aquilaria agallocha - Various parts)
• Gul Hina Attar/Ittar (Lawsonia alba - Flower)
• Genda/Merigold Attar/Ittar (Tagetes minuta - Flower)
• Champa Attar/Ittar (Michelia champaca - Flower)
• Bakul Attar/Ittar (Mimusops elengi - Flower)
• Blue Lotus Attar/Ittar (Nymphaea caerulea - Flower)
• Pink Lotus Attar/Ittar (Nelumbo nucifera - Flower)
• White Lotus Attar/Ittar (Nelumbo nucifera - Flower)
• Tuberose/Rajniganda Attar/Ittar (Polianthes tuberosa - Flower)
• White Water Lily Attar/Ittar (Nymphaea ampla - Flower)
• Zafari Attar/Ittar (Tagetes sp - Flower)
• Shamana Attar/Ittar (compound of fragrant spices, herbs, woods - Various parts)
• Amber Attar/Ittar (Pinus Succinifera - ----)
• Chameli Attar/Ittar (Jasminum Grandiflorum - Flower)
• Gulmohar Attar/Ittar (Painciana Regia - Flower)
• Juhi Attar/Ittar (Jasmine Auriculatum - Flower)
• Islamic Bakhur Attar/Ittar (Melaleuca Alternifolia - ----)
• Frangipani Attar/Ittar (Plumeria Ruera - ----)
• Khus Attar/Ittar (Vetiveria Zizanoides - Roots)
• Mogra Attar/Ittar (Abelmoschus Moschus - Flower)
• Loban Attar/Ittar (Styrax Benzoin - Various parts)
• Nakh Choya Attar/Ittar (Citrus Bigardia - Flower)
• Davana Attar/Ittar (Artemesia Pallens - Leaves)

 Types of Attars/IttarsAttars/Ittars may be broadly categorized into following types of flavour or ingredients used.

 Floral Attars/Ittars

Attars/Ittars manufactured from single species of flower are coming under this category. These are :-

• Gulab ex Rosa damascena or Rosa Edword
• Kewra ex Pandanus odoratissimus
• Motia ex Jasminum sambac
• Gulhina ex lawsonia inermis
• Chameli ex Jasminum grandiflorum
• Kadam ex Anthoephalus cadamba

Herbal Attars/Ittars

Attars/Ittars manufactured from combination of floral, herbal & spices come under this category.

Hina and its various forms viz., Shamama, Shamam –tul – Amber, Musk Amber and Musk Hina.

Attars/Ittars which are neither floral nor herbal also come under this category. Ittar Mitti falls under this category and is produced by distillation of baked earth over base material.

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'

Attars/Ittars can also be classified based on their effect on human body such as

Warm Attars/Ittars'

Attars/Ittars such as Musk, Amber, Kesar (Saffron), Oud, are used in winters, they increase the body

temperature.

Cool Attars/Ittars'

like Rose, Jasmine, Khus, Kewda, Mogra, are used in summers and are cooling for the body.

A major difference between synthetic perfumes and ittar is that the oil-based ittar is worn directly on your body. The inside of the wrist, behind the ears, the inside of elbow joints, back of the neck and a few other parts of your anatomy are directly dabbed with ittar. A small drop is enough to be used as a fragrance on the body. A few drops can be added to water and used with aromatic vapour lamps. A few drops of some Attars/Ittars are used with cold drinks, such as milk, to give fragrance.

Ittar has a permanent shelf life and some Attars/Ittars become stronger and smell better when they are older.

'Attar', 'Ittar', 'Iter', 'Itr'

Sunnah-Way-of-Cutting-Nails

Sunnah-Way-of-Cutting-Nails



Sunnah-Way-of-Cutting-Nails



Ahadees a Nabwi SAWW on Maswak (Miswaak, Maskwaak)

Ahadees a Nabwi SAWW on Maswak (Miswaak, Maskwaak)

Maswaak - Maswak kernay kay fawaid - Benifits of Maswak - Miswaak

Maswak - Maswaak in the light of Sunat a Nabwi SAWW

Maswak - Maswaak in the light of Sunnat a Nabwi SAWW

Miswak Ke Sunnaten

Miswak (Mswak, Miswak, Misiwak, Masiwak, Muswak, Maswak, Swak, Siwak, Sewak, Chewing Stick)

Miswak The Natural Way of Brushing Teeth:

Nature has provided us with a wonderful solution to effectively and safely maintain oral hygiene. Miswak is Thè root of Thè Peelu tree (Salvadora Persica) known in Arabic as Arak Research indicates that Miswak suppresses decay causing bacteria, gingivitis and plaque formation among many other benefits.

Misiwak - Old Man Selling and Doing Maskwak - Miswak

Being Thè Pioneer in Miswak preservation technology in Pakistan,  has strategically located collection points and a comprehensive supply chain solution for this indigenously growing root in Thè Southern Parts of Pakistan. Quality is ensured from Thè procurement of raw material, up to its sophisticated processing, vacuum packing and export unit in Karachi.

Miswak is a natural chewing stick taken from Thè roots of Slavadora Persica (also known as Arak Tree). Thè simple name of “Arak Tree” in Urdu is Peelu. Our  Miswaak is used as a teeth whitener and besides teeth whitening and brushing; it also has many antibacterial benefits. In short, it provides TOTAL ORAL CARE SOLUTION.

Miswak (Mswak, Miswak, Misiwak)

But first of all, why would anyone think of using a tree twig to clean their teeth? Thè fact is ancient man did not have Thè facility of a toothbrush and many cultures have used Miswak for oral hygiene. Thè use of Miswak is well spread in Thè Muslim population of Thè world, and is a common entity in Muslim countries. Thè reason for common use of Miswak by Muslims can be attributed to religious beliefs. Thè last messenger of Islam used it frequently and also instructed his followers to do Thè same and hence Thè practice continues widely in Muslim countries. There are 70 benefits of Miswak as suggested by Islamic Literature and many of these have been scientifically proven and Thè rest haven’t been studied yet.

Miswak - Maswak Tree / Plant / Darakhat - Misiwak

You might be wondering what exactly a Miswak is in Thè first place. Thè Miswak is obtained from Thè twigs of Thè Arak tree (Peelu tree) although a few other trees can also be used to obtain it such as walnut and olive.

Why use Miswak (Swak, Siwak, Sewak) instead of a normal toothbrush

Scientifically as well, it has been proven that Miswak is very good for gums maintenance and it kills bad odour, overall, it improves your taste buds and makes your teeth whiter. Research also indicates that Miswak suppresses decay-causing bacteria, gingivitis and plaque formation among many other benefits.

Woman / Women Doing Miswak  Miswaak Mswak

Misiwak The Natural way of brushing teeth.

It is an organic product.

Keep you safe against all teeth diseases.

Kills bad odour.

Requires no toothpaste.

Easy to carry around.

It has no harmful side-effects.

Men / Man Doing Miswaak - Miswak

Benefits of Miswak (Masiwak, Muswak, Maswak, Chewing Stick)

A Miswak or Siwak is probably an alien thing to Thè western world. But, it’s a twig which a majority of people from Muslim countries use daily to brush their teeth. Although it might sound outdated to use twigs from trees for cleaning your teeth, studies conducted on Thè Miswak prove otherwise. Studies have inferred that Miswak is better than toothpaste for preventing gum disease. It is being known as chewing stick in Thè western world and is being looked upon as a form of alternative medicine. So, let’s analyze this “wonder twig” keeping documented scientific studies as proofs.

A few important benefits of Miswak (Swak, Siwak, Sewak)

Kills Gum disease causing bacteria.

Fights plaque effectively.

Fights against caries.

Removes Bad breath and odor from mouth.

Creates a fragrance in Thè mouth.

Effectively clean between teeth due to its parallel bristles.

Increases salivation and hence inhibits dry mouth (Xerostomia)

Doing Miswak - Miswaak - Maswak - kerna

Scientific Studies on Miswak

Although Thè 70 supposed benefits of Miswak range widely, Thè main one we are examining is its effect on oral health. So, let’s throw some light on scientific studies conducted on Miswak.

The Wrigley Company made a study on Miswak which was published in Thè Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Thè study found that mints laced with Miswak extract were 20 times more effective in killing bacteria than ordinary mints. A small testimony to this fact is that after half an hour, Thè mints laced with Miswak extract killed about 60% of Thè bacteria where as Thè ordinary mints managed only 3.6%

In Thè August issue of Journal of Periodontology (2008) appeared a study conducted by Swedish researchers on Miswak. Thè study apparently found that suspended Miswak pieces in a petridish (medium for culturing bacteria) were able to kill bacteria that cause periodontal disease with out being in physical contact with Thè bacteria. Thè researchers suggested that Miswak might be giving antibiotics as gases trying to explain this phenomenon.

Misiwak-Masiwak

A study which compares toothbrushing and using Miswak (Miswak ing!) can be seen on Pubmed (U.S National Library for Medicine Service). Thè study concluded that Miswak was more effective than toothbrushing in reducing plaque and gingivitis provided it was used correctly. Similar studies found on Thè same website and elsewhere vouch for Thè effectiveness of Miswak over toothbrush.

A study conducted by a group of dentists at King Saud University concluded that using Miswak was at least as good as tooth brushing, if not better. There have been plenty of published studies on Miswak and infact entire books published which study its oral and systemic benefits.

Miswaak - Miswak Types Shapes

Now, with all those studies chucked at you, you couldn’t help but wonder why it is so effective. This can be attributed to its strong antibacterial properties. Another important aspect to consider is that its bristles are parallel to Thè handle rather than perpendicular which means effective cleaning between Thè teeth. Now, that’s one natural toothbrush cum toothpaste cum floss.

Miswaak is also spelled as Miswak. In Arabic, it’s also known as sewak. Some people prefer spelling it as sewak, siwak, siwaak and with such small variations.

Old-Man-Selling-Miswak-Outside-Masjid