Yet what appears to me is that one does not enter the first stage of release until after stoning and shaving. This is the second narration from Imam Ahmad, based on the hadith: “When you have stoned and shaved, then everything has become lawful for you except relations with women.” (1) However, the additional wording, “and shaved,” is questionable in terms of its authenticity, since its chain includes Hajjaj ibn Arta'ah, who was considered weak by the hadith scholars.

It is also supported by the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: “I used to perfume the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for his consecration before he entered into ihram, and for his release before he circumambulated the House.” (2) Had release been attained merely by stoning, she would have said, “for his release before he shaved.” Rather, she placed release between the tawaf and what precedes it; and what precedes it is stoning, sacrifice, and shaving—especially since the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “I have sacrificial animals with me, so I shall not exit ihram until I sacrifice them.” (3)

Thus, citing Aisha’s hadith according to its apparent meaning is sound. However, if we know that the reason for her statement was the disagreement over whether a person in ihram, after entering the first stage of release, may apply perfume before performing tawaf, then Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, intended to establish the permissibility of applying perfume before tawaf. Her limiting the matter to tawaf would therefore be because it was the point of disagreement. Perfume can stir the soul and arouse the desire for sexual relations, while sexual relations remain prohibited after the first stage of release. Some of the early Muslims therefore considered it disliked for a person to apply perfume before circumambulating the House. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, wished to clarify that this dislike has no basis, since the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would apply perfume before performing tawaf.