Around 900 AD, during the Islamic Golden Age, Arab perfumers refined the distillation process for producing attar, or natural perfumes. This advancement in distillation techniques allowed for the extraction of essential oils with greater purity and complexity. The innovation not only elevated the art of perfumery but also contributed to the cultural exchange of knowledge and luxury goods across the Islamic world and beyond.

The Islamic refinement of attar distillation around 900 enriched Sufi poetry with sensory metaphors of fragrance and spiritual union. Poets like Rumi began to explore the interplay between scent and spirituality, using olfactory imagery to convey profound mystical experiences.