“The senses are the muscles of our perceptive apparatus”
Islamic studies scholar Christian Lange examines the role of the senses in Islam

Sunday, Muslims around the world will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. “It’s a feast for the senses,” says Islamic studies scholar Christian Lange. He is Professor of Islam and Arabic and currently delves into the role of the five senses in Islam for his . “Smell, in particular, plays a surprisingly significant role – not only in religious practice but also in non-religious areas of Islamic culture.”
Balancing the senses during Ramadan
Ramadan is a time of heightened sensory experiences, Lange explains. “During the day, the community demonstrates control over its sensory desires; in the evening and at night, there is joy and togetherness. This balance of restraint and indulgence sharpens the senses. It’s similar to exercise: you train muscles by alternating effort and rest. And the senses, after all, are the muscles of our perceptive apparatus.”
Beyond holy texts and legal traditions

Lange’s research aims to broaden our understanding of Islam and Islamic culture. “As scholars of religion, we study Islamic holy texts and Sharia law, but we also explore the history of imagination, the human body, and material culture. This brings the story to life – and, in my view, makes it feel more real.”
As part of his research, in recent months Lange has been focusing specifically on the sense of smell. Historical studies of scent in Western societies are well established. As Lange notes, “scholars have, for example, examined how foul-smelling European cities of the 19th and 20th centuries transformed into relatively odour-neutral spaces, thanks to waste disposal services and sanitation systems.”
The role of scent in the Islamic world
There has also been research into how, in industrialised and colonial societies, body odour became associated with class and race, Lange adds. “But I want to approach the subject from a different perspective – through the lens of authors rooted in the Islamic world. Have scents in the Islamic world changed in the same way as in the West? Or do they hold a different meaning?”

Interest in scents from the Islamic world is nothing new, Lange explains. “From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, there was great admiration in Europe for the fragrances of the Orient. Henry VIII of England, for instance, was said to be a great lover of musk and amber. His personal perfume was so strong that people could smell him approaching from three rooms away.”
A deep affection for musk
Scent is not only significant in Islamic secular culture but also in religious traditions and accounts of the Prophet Muhammad. “According to a well-known saying of the Prophet, three things were dear to him: prayer, women, and perfume.” This, Lange argues, highlights how the Islamic tradition places great value on humanity’s ability to create and appreciate fragrances.
The Prophet had a particular fondness for musk, Lange notes. “He said he was able to smell ‘the breath of the merciful God’. Later Islamic mystics claimed to have experienced the same, sometimes using scented substances in their rituals – what we might call an ‘olfactory experience’ of the divine.”
Eau de cologne and the fragrant rose

Musk remains an important scent in the Islamic world, though European lavender and eau de cologne (‘kolonya’ in Turkish) also became popular in the late Ottoman Empire. “The scent of the rose is also closely linked to the Prophet. According to a famous legend, during his night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascent to the heavens, a drop of his sweat fell to the earth, and from it grew the first white rose.”
The fascination with scent is far from a thing of the past. “Oriental-style perfumes have made a comeback in the West, particularly since the 20th century,” Lange points out. “Musk and amber have been trendy for some time – think of Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium from 1977. In the 21st century, we’re also seeing more and more Middle Eastern perfumes entering the European market. A fascinating development.”
What is it like to see the world through someone else’s eyes?
This question lies at the core of a recent Ammodo Docs portrait of Christian Lange. The documentary explores Lange’s personal drive behind his , which examines the role of the senses in Islam. It also delves into his broader mission as a non-Muslim to foster understanding between East and West.