Approximately a few hundred students roam the hallways at the Brighter Horizons Academy (BHA) middle and high school campus every day: between periods, coming from assembly, going to salah, and during other events where they gather in the school’s corridors. Naturally, having multitudes of preteens and teens crowding the same halls can sometimes create a strong smell of body odor, which is not necessarily the most pleasant thing in the world.
It’s impossible to have no body odor, but the situation at BHA is slowly getting worse. Even teachers have found themselves suffering from increased humidity in hallways and classrooms, and some have even begun to have talks with their classes about personal hygiene. Humid classrooms often exhibit smells of body odor, mixed in with the scent of Axe Body Spray, as if it were sprayed everywhere to try to salvage what remained of an originally nice-smelling classroom. Doing this isn’t exactly a feasible solution, and oftentimes it simply exacerbates the stench. The problem doesn’t lie in the classrooms, however; it lies in the students’ hygienic habits.
Deodorants such as Axe Body Spray aren’t supposed to be used to make an area smell better; they are supposed to be used in moderation, on a person’s body, especially where sweat is generated the most, in places such as the armpits, to help deodorize oneself (hence the name deodorant). Once someone has applied deodorant on their body, this significantly reduces the amount of body odor they can give off, though it doesn’t completely neutralize it, which is impossible. That means that a student should spray themselves if they are coming back from a class such as PE, or from playing outside during recess.
Beyond practical reasons, hygiene also holds religious importance for us Muslims. In Islam, personal cleanliness is strongly encouraged and is considered a sign of respect for oneself and the community. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, emphasized cleanliness, stating that “cleanliness is half of faith,” which highlights the seriousness with which hygiene is regarded in Islam. He also advised maintaining good hygiene when gathering with others and warned against causing discomfort through bad odors.
Finally, regarding items to help one smell nice, such as cologne and perfume, these aren’t meant to make a room smell better; instead, they end up making an enclosed area feel more stuffy. Buying nice colognes can be fun, but knowing how and when to use them is better. Cologne should usually be applied on the neck and the wrists, and sometimes on the article of clothing you’re wearing, but nowhere else is really necessary.
All in all, hygiene is more than just simply smelling good. It’s about showing respect for public spaces and the individuals around us. Now, it’s a completely natural and unavoidable function of our bodies to produce some form of smell or another. The solution is finding simple solutions to get the most out of our deodorants or colognes and consistently showering. Such simple steps can lead to a better and more comfortable environment for us all, especially within our crowded hallways and classrooms. It is everyone’s personal duty to show some regard and think about others, as we are all part of this school community.
The next time you are walking through a hall at school, think about how taking small and consistent steps with your hygiene can lead to a better space for everyone!
