The Lawgiver has made an exception: once she has become pure from menstruation, there is no harm in her using incense, following the traces of menstruation with some qust or aẓfār (1). These are two types of perfume used as incense, milder in scent than the well-known aloeswood, in order to remove any unpleasant odor remaining after menstruation.

The third matter is his statement, “beautification,” meaning beautifying herself with henna, rose, rouge, kohl, or anything else. She is forbidden from everything that beautifies her body. The sign of this is that, upon seeing her, one would say, “This woman has adorned herself.” This applies even to beautifying her nails, such as what they call manicure; she must not beautify herself with it.

His statement, “henna,” falls under beautification.

His statement, “garments dyed for adornment,” falls under adornment; that is, garments dyed for the purpose of adornment. The author excluded, by his words “dyed for adornment,” what is dyed to prevent dirt from showing, such as navy blue, red, yellow, and the like. There is no harm in that, which is why the author qualified it as “what is dyed for adornment.”

The fourth matter is his statement, “jewelry,” which is coordinated with his statement, “adornment”; that is, she must also avoid jewelry, whether worn in the ears, on the head, around the neck, on the hand, on the foot, or on the chest. Thus, for example, she is forbidden from wearing a watch, because a woman adorns herself with it. Accordingly, if she needs a watch, she should keep it in her pocket. Likewise, if it is worn on the teeth, she may not wear it. Thus, if she wishes to beautify herself by fitting a gold tooth, that is not permissible.