EXCLUSIVE: "HOW TO",TRADITION & HISTORY OF THE USE PERFUME AND BAKHOOR IN AL-KHALEEJ/العطور والبخور في الخليج

Khaleejia said: Today we will enter local house to witness & share the secret of making boukhoor at home, but in the beginning, lets remember the history of perfume and boukhoor in the Khaleej. For that we did some research and even asked a grandmother (Ask Allah, make her life long and easy) who told us a long story of how it was here in the Khaleej in fact before.. 

History and types of the Bakhoor* (Incense)

If the pearl diving was one of the most important aspects of life in the old time, and disappeared with the passage of days due to the development of the society, there is still some semblance of life at the time, yet exist in some homes, and there are still some families who are keen to hold on to them, such as Bakhoor* incense. The incense is still used so popular today. in some homes its is used daily and and other  burn incense only on special occasions.

In ancient times the incense was a manifestation of everyday life. There were many types of the incense and their use was also significant.  There were  incense for  women and another for men, incense was different  for every occasion.

The interest in incense and the way to use it goes to the Musilm doctrine, It is saying that when Prophet Mohammad ,peace be upon  him, while entering city, he was greeted with aromas of burning ladan &incense as an expression of joy & happiness from  welcoming Mohammad, peace be upon him.  

Therefore, the use of the incense associated in people's minds with  the remembrance of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Incense for men is usually limited in choice to burning oud alone, by using burners which are made of pottery, and still this kind of bakhoor burners used so far on some occasions, though it is common to use incense burners made of copper..

AL-OUD

Usually Oud was imported from India, men were keen to apply perfume in the holidays and before going out to pray and while gatherings. Women used the kind of incense named Al-dkhoun. Most women were knowledgeable in the way of making All-Dkhoun and know well components and proportions of each  one.  The home made paste composed of Saja oud and misk, amber, absorbent and after kneading it was formed in the shapes of tablets or balls.which were placed in a wicker  bags attached to dresses and the remain odor stayed for always, even after washing .But this did not prevent  women from burning incense at home every evening as well.

Al-Bakhoor

Bakhoor and smoke are considered as basic and necessary things in the Arabic houses. There are many kinds of them like Al-Hassat, Al Amber, Al-Misk and Al-Haboob.

Dakhoon al Oud -  made by adding to powder of the oud tree misk , rose oil, mix of oil perfume, amber. Then all getting kneaded and small ball are shaped. They can be used after some time when all ingredients are filled each other and get a little dry. Then it is put on the coal to welcome the guest or for other occasions or reasons:

Bakhoor for ill people.

One of the most common habits to use bakhoor as cure for ill people and also against demons, envy and jealousy. It is known that rooms where medicine are used have specific smell, and than more ill people lay in the bed, than more it effects the smell of the room. So bakhoor is the best way to change this smell.

Bakhoor for Weddings

It is a must on the weddings. Not earlier than one hour before the wedding starts a bakhoor carrier starts going around the halls and guests smoking the atmosphere with bakhoor and splitting perfume and saying salawat* (Greetings) to the Prophet , peace be upon Him : "Allahumma solli w sallem Aleik ya habib Allah Mohammad!"As a reason to avoid jelousy or envy from people by mentioning the Prophet. Saying Salawat to the Prophet on the big occasions considered to be beautiful and good.

Bakhoor for Guests.

"Smoking the guests out" one of the funniest stories that mentioning tradition of using bakhoor for the guests when a host want his guests to leave the house after long seating and getting bored from the conversation he start burning the bakhoor walking around the guests and saying " Khitam misk" which means "Beautiful ending like the smell of bakhoor" and the guests used to reply by saying " Ma baad el oud- gouod" which means "No sitting after the oud (bakhoor)".

The Weight & Price

All best khaleeji perfumes are weighted by units called - Tola. The price varies from the quality of the ingredients. There for the same kind of perfume can be different in the price. For bakhoor the rose oil and oud  are one of the most expensive among the ingredients. 

Kinds of Dahn el Oud:

Best Oud in Khaleej considered to be from Asam (India) will cost for tola = 11.5 gr about AED 2300 and for 1 kg = AED 25000.

  

العطور والبخور

أنواع البخور

إذا كان الغوص من أهم مظاهر الحياة في الزمن القديم، واختفى مع مرور الأيام بفضل تطور المجتمع ، فما زالت بعض مظاهر الحياة في ذلك الوقت، موجودة حتى الآن في بعض البيوت ، وما زالت هناك بعض الأسر تحرص على التمسك بها، ومن ذلك مثلاً البخور. والبخور ما زال استعماله شائعاً حتى اليوم في بعض البيوت وقد يحرص البعض على استعماله كل يوم ويكتفي آخرون بحرقه في المناسبات . وفي الزمن القديم كان البخور أحد مظاهر الحياة اليومية، بل أكثر من هذا، فإن للبخور أنواع عديدة، ومنها ما يستعمل بحالته الطبيعية ، كما هو كنابت ، بل أكثر من هذا أن هناك بخوراً خاصة للنساء وآخر للرجال، وبخوراً لكل مناسبة يختلف عن غيرها. واهتمامهم بالبخور وحرصهم على استعماله يرجعونه إلى عقيدة إسلامية ، فهو يقولون أن الأنصار لدى خروجهم لاستقبال الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم عندما وصل المدينة مهاجراً وهم ينشدون طلع البدر علينا من ثنيات الوداع، كانوا يطلقون البخور ، كتعبير عن فرحتهم وترحيبهم به، ومن ظاهر هذا الترحيب أن يستقبلونه برائحة عطرة. ولهذا فإن استخدام البخور يرتبط في الأذهان بذكر الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام. والبخور للرجال يقتصر عادة على حرق العود وحده، وتستخدم له المباخر المصنوعة من الفخار ، ومازال هذا النوع من المباخر يستعمل حتى الآن في بعض المناسبات، وإن كان الشائع استعمال المباخر المصنوعة من النحاس. والعود عادة يستورد من الهند، ويحرص الرجال على التطيب به في الأعياد وقبل الخروج للصلاة وعند الزيارة. أما النساء فيستخدمن نوعاً من البخور اسمه الدخون. ومعظم النساء يتفنن في صناعة الدخون ويعرفن جيداً مكوناتها ونسب كل منها، فالدخون تصنعه النساء من عجينة مكونة من سجا العود والمسك والعنبر ، تخلط ماص وتعجن، وتشكل على شكل أقراص مستدرة، توضع في الخوص وتعلق عليها الثياب لتظل الرائحة عالقة بها دائماً ، حتى بعد غسلها. وهذا لا يمنع أن تحرص المرأة على حرق البخور في البيت كل مساء.

البخور للمريض

من العادات الشائعة لاستعمال البخور ، حرقه في حالة المرض، وترجع هذه العادة إلى اعتقاد آخر بأن رائحة البخور الذكية تطرد الشياطين ، وتذهب الحسد فيشفى المريض، ولكن هناك اعتقاداً آخر لإطلاق البخور في غرفة المريض، وربما أكثر موضوعية، يرجع إلى أن طول رقاد المريض على فراش المرض يؤثر على رائحة الغرفة، والبخور أفضل وسيلة لتغيير هذه الرائحة. ويستعمل البخور أيضاً في حفلات العرس، فلا تكاد تمضي ساعة حتى يطوف حملة المباخر، بالمدعويين ينشرون بينهم الدخان العطر وهم يرددون الصالة على النبي .

البخور للضيوف

ومن أطرف ما يروى عن تقاليد استعمال البخور، أنه إذا ضاق صاحب البيت بزواره بعد أن طالت فترة زيارتهم أو مل حديثهم، فإنه يهرع إلى المبخرة، ويشتعل فيها المسك ويطوف عليهم متمتماً » ختام مسك « فينهض الضيوف للانصراف ، فالقول الشائع بينهم هو » ما بعود العود قعود « .

البخور

يعتبر البخور والدخان أشياء أساسية وضرورية في البيت العربي، وهي أنواع كثيرة منها الحست والعنبر والمسك والحبوب ، ودخون العود على سبيل المثال تصنع بطحن العود ثم إضافة المسك ودهن الورد إليه ، ثم يعجن مع مجموعة من العطور ويضاف إليها العنبر، وتشكل على هيئة أقراص وتستخدم بعد أن تجف، أما البخور فعادة ما يكون من العود ويوضع مع الفحم المشتعل لتحية الضيوف .

وزن البخور

توزن معظم العطور الخليجية الجيدة بوحدة زينة تسمى التولة، ويختلف سعرها من عطر لآخر حتى النوع الواحد يختلف ثمنه حسب النوعية، ودهن العود ودهن الورد من أغلى الأنواع.

THE TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE BAKHOOR AT HOME:

1.Prepare all ingredients

2.Take 

T سحال* Sahal powder oud

(by  two fanjan(arabic coffe cups

then add

3/4

parts of the sugar powder

add 3/4 parts of MISK powder 

mix sahal misk and sugar powder well together 

 Add AMBER

three spoons

each spoon in its own place

mix all well together

Add attar/perfume 6 spoons

tree by two times.

add pure rose oil

Add SKAP سكاب*

two spoons

mix well and form the balls

one ball- about 12 gramm

 once all done, store in the room temperature for about 3 days. After that put  them in box or cover  with alluminium folia and  place in fridge .

. now you can burn it on the coal or electric mabkhora.The best will be special coal that has no any own smell and can give reach of bakhoor scent smoke

Some little quantity of bakhoor placed over the coal itself

. Presentation of making Bakhoor is done by A.Al Shamsi and her own private company Daaj, Dubai.exclusively for Khaleejia.Blogspot.com 
: For orders of Bakhoor and perfume please order through WatsApp or BBM

Some Advice on Buying Perfumes in the Emirates

Khaleejia said: Arabic perfumes and bukhoor can be a good present from the GCC countries.


In UAE you can buy bukhoor or perfumes from many different shops.

You can visit these most BEAUTIFUL websites: Rasasi, Ajmal -best Emirati companies. Abdul Samad al Qurashi - is a famous manufacturer from KSA (I just love them!).

Products of the following companies are widely presented on the UAE market: Amalia, Al Haramain, Swiss Arabian, Arabian Oud

The price on Arabic oil perfumes varies greatly. You can buy a pleasant scent for AED 35 or AED 45. And there are luxurious oils in beautiful bottles and boxes for AED 500, AED 1,000, AED 3,000 and more.
Some stores have huge glass bottles with oil from which they pour perfume into small bottles and sell to the customers. The perfume stores usually sell beautiful bottles of different capacity and shape. You can also bring your own bottle to the shop.

Oud (agarwood) is expensive and can cost anything from AED1,000 to AED40,000 depending on the quantity and quality.
Bukhoor can cost you between AED 50 and AED500

The Bukhoor burner costs from AED50 to AED500, but you can also buy very expensive ones which are made of gold or silver.
The coal is relatively cheap. The "magic coals" which are the best quality and last for longer cost about AED50 for a box.

Welcome to The World of Arabian Perfumes!

Khaleejia said: Authentic Arabian perfumes are made only from natural ecologically clean ingredients and don’t contain alcohol. It’s not a secret that natural oils have therapeutic effect and may soothe or revitalize human feelings and emotions.

Beautiful bottle design of Arabic perfumes is a masterpiece! It’s a unique Arabian style where gold, wood, crystals, gems etc are used depending on a class of the perfumes.

Traditionally Arabs use aromatic oils as a base for perfumes. It’s called attar from the Arabic word “itr” “عطر” which means aroma. Essential oils are extracted from natural ingredients by distillation method. Master perfumers from Oman, UAE and Egypt keep many secret blends of attars. These are distinguished by very intensive highly concentrated fragrances.

Arabic perfumes have woody, oriental, flowery, fruity bases with sensual notes of musk, ambergris, cedar, spices, frankincense, citrus, sandal and cashmere wood.

A small drop of Arabic perfume is enough to make aroma last for about 10 hours. When it comes in contact with water it responses with a renewed scent strength. Concentrated oil perfumes have a peculiarity- they “sleep” till the person starts to move. With a changing body temperature aroma reveals itself more intensively.

Bukhoor is tiny pieces of wood soaked in fragrant oils. Bukhoor is burnt to make a house and clothes smell nice from it’s smoke.

Gulf Arabs burn bukhoor before visitors come as it will make the house smell pleasantly. And as their guests are about to leave the host brings in a bukhoor burner and passes it to the guests so that the aroma lingered on their abayas and kanduras. Some burn bukhoor every other day because they enjoy the good smell and there does not have to be a special occasion for that :) In the GCC you can also see small electric Bukhoor burners which are used in the cars.

To burn bukhoor you need to lit a piece of coal and put it into a special incense burner. And on top of a coal place some bukhoor.


There’s also oud- pieces of agarwood tree which are not scented by any oils as the wood emanates fragrance itself when burnt. Oud is very costly.

ISLAMIC marriage relationship

Khaleejia said:

Islamic marriage relationship we could say the best relationtip between man and woman. It is true. One my friend that entered Islam several years ago, then got married said:"If european woman just would know what is behaviour of a man according to his woman it can become a reason of her converting to Islam". I'm sorry if my translation of her words is not perfect but i pray Allah (s.w.t.) give every reader the right understanding. This post i send to muslims married women as reminding to unmarried yet as advice and non muslim as intruduction of islamic family. I didnt write anything about children or other family members but sure that our attitude to them should be with great carefullness and love. Also i want thank you my sister that her post and that picture encouraged me to write this post.
Author said:
Qur'an:30-21 marriage relationship is described as one with "tranquility", "love" and "mercy". Else where in
the Qur'an, husband and wife are described as "garments" for each other (2:187). Garments offer protection, comfort, modesty and warmth. Above all, the Qur'an (7:26) describes that the best garment is the "garment of God" - consciousness. In an atmosphere of love and respect, duties provide a framework for the balance of family life and fulfillment of both partners.
While these are the Islamic ideals, we all need
help achieving them. sometimes, our marriage life need supporting as communication, forgiveness, and understanding between spouses.
Beauty and overtures of allurement to win your husband's heart. When husband comes home- greet him with wonderful greetings and a nice smelling.
Clean your house, smoke bukhur(incense sticks) prepare yourself, children, prepare bed, meal.
Review the characteristics of the Hoor al-Ayn (women in Paradise) and try to imitate them. Qur'an describes them with large dark eyes,
silk they wear, singing to their husbands, etc. Try it all, also play with your husband laugh with him Man's secret - they seek for light hearted woman.
Thank your husband constantly for the nice things he does. Then thank him again. fire in the house extinguish it with a simple "i'm sorry"
Even if its not your fault. When you fight back you just adding wood to the fire. Look how sweetly an argument will end when you just say sincerely.
"Look I'm sorry, lets be friends"
always seek to please your husband, he is your key to jannah. listen and obey. its fard. he is ameer(the king) of the household. Give him that right and respect.
Make dua to Allah to make your marriage and relationship successful, ask for blessing of having successful marriage.
That begins in this Dunya and continues on-by Mercy of Allah -into Jannah.
Qur'an describes relation between husband and wife as relationship of love, compassion, mercy and harmony between two human beings who have entered
into a mutual contract(30:21,7:189)male you or female, you are members of each other(3:195) and that men and woman are protectors, one of another.(9;71
- هن لباس لكم و انتم لباس لهن they are garments onto you as you are like garments onto them). Within the bonds of this intimacy; shared feelings, honest and open communication, genuine understanding, mutual responsibility and caring needs to flourish. The intimacy must provide a haven that offers a sense of WARMTH, SAFETY, SECURITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE.
After all of these, the relationship is funded on LOVE مودة & AFFECTION AND TENDERNESS رحمه AND COMPASSION. Intended to result of tranquility and harmony.
Are you together?
Many couples are together yet NOT "together", for though they live under one roof, they live separate lives. Togetherness means much more than sitting at the table for dinner and sleeping in the same room.
There must exist..
- an emotional togetherness that emanates from being attuned to each other's feelings
- an intellectual togetherness that allows the sharing of thoughts, ideas and opinions
- a work togetherness where there is involvement in performing chores and everyday tasks
- a recreational togetherness when you have fun and excitement together
- a crisis togetherness when you can lean on each other and support one another in times of difficulty and tragedy
-aesthetic togetherness through you share the beauty of the artistry of life and living.
- a spiritual togetherness by means of which you inspire the best in one another and grow closer to the Creator
The best of blessings for a both spouses is to have...a faithful partner who does not betray either in personality or in wealth.