The World Of Oud
Agarwood, or commonly known as Oud in the Middle Eastern world, has gained considerable interest and popularity in the West in recent times, with famous designer brands launching their own Oud fragrance, such as Giorgio Armani's Oud Royal and Tom Ford's Oud Wood. Arabian Oud, the mass producing house of Arabian fragrances recently swept majority of awards at FiFi 2012, a ceremony akin to the Oscars of the fragrance world. The aroma of Agarwood will just permeate the nostrils and leave you intrigued by its exquisite and complex scent, making you yearn for more.
History of this Time-Honored Fragrance
Its interest is of no wonder, considering that Agarwood or Oud (not to be mistaken for Bakhoor) has been around for centuries since the ancient times of the Sanskrit, Torah, Gospel and the Muslim scriptures.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him) held the tradition of fumigation with agarwood which continues in the Muslim world up to this day. The Holy Prophet made known that agarwood is a distinct item of Paradise in his saying, "The first group of people who will enter Paradise, will be glittering like the full moon and those who will follow them, will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. They will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions. Their combs will be of gold, and their sweat will smell like musk. The aloes-wood will be used in their centers..". The Messenger of God also revealed the numerous healing properties of agarwood, which in the particular saying, referred to Hindi Oud and its effectiveness in treating pleurisy.
The Song of Songs describes King Solomon (peace be upon him) as "coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense" and there are numerous references throughout this book of the Old Testament to "every kind of incense tree" which popular belief denotes to Oud. The bible mentioned several citations of Oud, including a text in which Jesus (peace be upon him) is said to have been perfumed with aloes (Oud).
The extremely wealthy ancient Chinese used to make their coffins out of this aloeswood while in Buddhism, the most precious Buddhist string of beads numbering to 108 is made of agarwood. One story tells of a monk's sacrificing spirit in which he grinds one of his agarwood beads into powder whenever he met the sick in order to cure them with it, which resulted with even the seriously stricken person getting well.
Stories tells us of the extreme habits of luxury of King Louis XIV of France, who had the practice of washing his clothes in Oud. Agarwood also has been associated with the Chinese tradition of Fengshui, a discipline of governing the flow of energy in a particular place, and the Oud wood has been associated with producing good luck and positive energy wherever it is placed.
Numerous Benefits of Agarwood
Oud wood can be use for plenty of therapeutic uses and medicinal benefits
Agarwood oil essence or the pure Oud Oil is often associated with its ability to bring about calmness in the nervous system, its ability to cultivate focus and alertness when used and, as some say, the positive effect it gives to one's libido system when applied regularly. Oud Essential Oil is indeed an aromatherapy, is not gender-specific and can be enjoyed by both sexes, though some females may prefer a blended version of the Oud Oil due to the strong potent smell of the pure Oud essence. In the Middle East, men and women burn Oud wood chips to fragrance their houses and also their clothes so that the lasting scent will permeate the whole garment.
The benefits that are involved with Oud are vast, ranging from psychoactive and spiritual, to therapeutic and medicinal. Keep in mind that the information we share below is only for your general information and is not to be relied for diagnostic and treatment purposes.
- Agarwood calms the body, removes destructive and negative energies, provides enhanced awareness, reduces fear, invokes a feeling of vigor and harmony, and enhances mental functionality
- Oud eases neurotic and obsessive behavior and helps create harmony and balance in your home
- Agarwood is highly psychoactive
- Oud is highly effective for meditation, enlightenment, bringing deep tranquility and relaxation
- Agarwood is suggested by proficient masters for giving inspiration and the imperative affection for meditation
- Oud is said to bring connection with the transcendent, stimulating the psyche, human body and consciousness. It is said that prayers rise with the scented smoke of agarwood incense and carry the prayer to the Creator. The angels are attracted to the scent and Oud smoke. That is why Muslims love to burn Oud wood and fumigate their houses on Thursday nights, the holiest of the weeknights to them.
- Buddhists deploy agarwood for transmutation of ignorance. Tibetan monks utilize it to convey energy to wind down the mind and spirit. The Sufis and Japanese shamans use agarwood oil in their esoteric rites.
- Oud helps to improve mental clarity, opens the third eye and all of the upper chakras while calming the whole entire spiritual system.
- Medically, agarwood is a tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, relieves epilepsy, antimicrobial, carminative, anti-asthmatic.
- Oud is used in nervous disorders, digestive, bronchial complaints, smallpox, rheumatism, illness during and after childbirth, spasms in the digestive and respiratory systems, fevers, abdominal pain, asthma, cancer, colic, diarrhea, nausea, regurgitation, weakness in the elderly, shortness of breath, chills, general pains and cirrhosis of the liver. It also acts as a director or focuser for other medicines. It has been used as a treatment for lung and stomach tumors.
