Humanity’s Magnificent Perception of Scent

A carnation always smells the same to you. The second time you smell a perfume, you recognize it immediately, because even if you only smell something once in your life, that smell always retains its place in your memory.

The human nose has around 1,000 different scent receptors. Human beings can perceive more than 10,000 different smells through combinations of these different receptors. When you smell a carnation, the molecules that allow you to perceive its fragrance combine with scent receptors and establish the carnation’s code. This code, which has long existed in your memory, reminds you that you are smelling a carnation.

What would happen if this system did not exist? Since the perception of taste is closely linked to the sense of smell, it is generally smell that causes you to realize that a piece of food has spoiled and should be spat out. If this sense ceased functioning, you would be unable to perceive the item’s full taste and thus would be unaware of this danger. You would not realize a fire had broken out in your home until you saw the smoke, for you would be unable to perceive the smell of burning things all around you.

The information stored in your memory consists solely of molecules. Nobody has the power and knowledge needed to install thousands of smells in your memory or to endow molecules with smells and make them compatible with the relevant parts of the brain. Only Allah, the Lord of all life, can do all of this; only He can create smells, the olfactory system, and the memory with its perfect characteristics:

He laid out Earth for all living creatures. In it are fruits and date-palms with covered spathes, and grains on leafy stems and fragrant herbs. So which of your Lord’s blessings do you both then deny? (Surat al-Rahman, 10-13)