Q. Is it forbidden to eat onions before prayer?
R. Erumm
A. No, it is not forbidden. A Hadith gives us the following instruction: “Whoever eats garlic or onions should not come near our mosque.” This is due to the fact that these two types of food give a bad mouth smell. In order not to give an offensive smell, irritating other worshippers, a person who has just eaten them is told by the Prophet not to go to the mosque. But he can pray at home.
Scholars say that this ruling applies to anything that gives a foul smell, such as tobacco and some chemicals. Thus, a smoker should not go to the mosque unless he makes sure that he first changes the foul smell of tobacco. Besides, tobacco smoking is ruled as forbidden in Islam.
A worker in a plant that uses foul-smelling substances should change his clothes and wear some perfume before going to the mosque. It is important to keep the mosque a welcoming place, clean and pleasant smelling.
