Bismillah
Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
Al-Salaamu Alaykum Wa
Rahmat-Allaahi Wa Barakaatuhu (Peace be upon you, and the mercy
of Allaah and His blessings)
Allaah has
commanded us to lower our gaze and has forbidden us to look at
women because of the great evil and mischief that result from
that. For
looking is the harbinger of zina (unlawful sexual relationships)
– Allaah forbid.
Hence it says in the hadeeth that Allaah has decreed for the son
of Adam his share of zina, which will inevitably catch up with
him, and the
zina of the eyes
is looking,
the zina
of the tongue is speaking;
the heart
wishes and hopes and the private parts confirm that or deny it.”
[Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Qadar, 6122].
So if a person
lowers his gaze and refrains from looking at that which Allaah
has forbidden, how could he be motivated to commit immoral
actions? What the Muslim must do is to keep away from everything
that may lead to immorality, whether that is looking at women, or
thinking thoughts that provoke and increase desire. Whoever does
those things will only make more worry and distress for himself,
to no avail.
As the poet said:
“If you let your gaze wander, this will cause you a lot of
heartache.
You will see
things that you will desire but you are unable to acquire them,
yet you are unable to bear that with patience.”
“How many looks
have been fatal to the heart of the one who looked, as fatal as
an arrow, but with no bow and no string.”
And it was said
that being patient in lowering one's gaze is easier than trying
to put up with the pain that comes afterwards.
Tell the believing
men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and
protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)” [Al-Noor
24:30]
“And let those who
oppose the Messenger’s (Muhammad’s) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah
legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements) (among the
sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions,
earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant) should befall them
or a painful torment be inflicted on them” [Al-Noor 24:63]
This is a command
from Allaah to His believing slaves to lower their gaze and
refrain from looking at that which is forbidden to them. So they
should not look at anything except that which they are permitted
to look at, and they should lower their gaze and refrain from
looking at forbidden things. If it so happens that a person’s
gaze accidentally falls upon something forbidden, he should
quickly avert his gaze. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/282]
Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): “And when you ask (his wives) for anything you
want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your
hearts and for their hearts” [Al-Ahzaab 33:53]
It was narrated that Jareer ibn
‘Abd-Allah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) about a sudden glance, and he
commended me to avert my gaze.” [Narrated by Muslim 2159]
Al-Nawawi said: What is meant
by a “sudden glance”? It
is when a person’s glance unintentionally falls upon a non-mahram
woman. There is no sin on him for the first glance, but he must
avert his gaze immediately. If he averts his gaze immediately
there is no sin on him, but if he continues looking, then he will
be a sinner, because of this hadeeth, for the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded him to avert his gaze,
and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Tell
the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden
things)” [Al-Noor 24:30]
There are means which help a
person to lower his gaze, and we ask Allaah to help you to do
them:
1 – Bearing in mind the fact
that Allah is watching you, that He sees you and is with you (by
His Knowledge) wherever you go. It may be secretive glance of
which your neighbors is unaware, but Allaah know of it. Allah
Says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allah knows the fraud of
the eyes, and all that the hearts conceal” [Quran – (Ghaafir
40:19)]
2 – Seeking the help of Allah,
beseeching Him and calling upon Him (du’aa) Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: Invoke Me
{i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for
anything, I will respond to your Invocation. [Quran – (Ghaafir
40:60)]
3 – You should
know that every blessing you enjoy comes from Allah, and requires
that you should give thanks, Part of the gratitude for the
blessing of sight means that you should protect it from looking
at that which Allah has forbidden. Is there any reward for good,
other than good? [cf.
Al-Rahmaan 55:60]
Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning): “And whatever of blessings and good things you
have, it is from Allah [Quran – (Al-Nahl
16:53)]
4 – Striving with your self and
training yourself to lower your gaze and be patient in doing so,
and not giving up. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely
guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic
Monotheism)” [Quran - (Al-Ankaboot 29:69)]
The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks to be chaste, Allaah
will make him chaste, and whoever seeks to be independent of
means, Allaah will make him independent of means, and whoever
strives to be patient, Allaah will make him patient…”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1400)
5 – Avoiding places where a
person feels he will be exposed to the temptation of looking, if
he can manage to avoid them, such as going to marketplaces or
malls, and sitting in the street. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Beware of sitting in the
street.” They said, “We have no alternative; that is where we sit
and talk.” He said, “If you insist on sitting there, then give
the street its rights.” They said, “What are the rights of the
street?” He said, “Lowering the gaze and refraining from causing
offence…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2333; Muslim, 2121).
6 – You should realize that you
have no choice in this matter, regardless of what the
circumstances are and no matter how great the temptation or
motive to do evil, and no matter what emotions and overwhelming
desires stir in your heart. You must lower your gaze and refrain
from looking at haraam things in all places and at all times. You
cannot use excuses such as the environment being corrupt or
justify your mistakes by saying that there is a lot of temptation
around. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is not
for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have
decreed a matter that they should have any option in their
decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has
indeed strayed into a plain error” [Al-Ahzaab 33:36]
7 – Doing a lot of naafil acts
of worship, because doing a lot of them whilst also regularly
doing obligatory acts of worship is a means of protecting one's
physical faculties. According to a hadeeth qudsi, Allaah said: “…
and My slave continues to draw close to Me with supererogatory (naafil)
works so that I shall love him. And when I love him, I am his
hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his
hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were
he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him, and
were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.”
(Al-Bukhaari, 6137)
8 – Remembering that the earth
on which sin is committed will bear witness. Allaah says: “That
Day it will declare its information (about all that happened over
it of good or evil)” [Al-Zalzalah 99:4]
9 – Remembering the angels who
are recording your deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge
of mankind) to watch you, Kiraaman (Honourable) Kaatibeen
—writing down (your deeds),They know all that you do” [Quran
- (Al-Infitaar 82:10-12)]
10 – Bearing in mind some of the
texts which forbid letting the gaze wander freely, such as the
verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at
forbidden things)” [Al-Noor 24:30]
11 – Avoiding looking
unnecessarily, so that you only look at what you need to look at,
and you do not let your gaze wander right and left so that it
falls upon something the effects and fitnah of which cannot be
got rid of quickly.
12 – Marriage, which is one of
the most effective remedies.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
can afford it, let him get married, for it is more
effective in lowering the gaze and in guarding one’s chastity.
And whoever cannot afford it, let
him fast, for it will be a shield for him.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1806; Muslim, 1400).
13 – Fasting – because of the
hadeeth quoted above.
14 – Doing obligatory acts of
worship as Allaah has commanded, such as prayer. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer)
prevents from Al‑Fahshaa’ (i.e. great sins of every kind,
unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al‑Munkar (i.e. disbelief,
polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)” [Quran -
(Al-‘Ankaboot 29:45)]
15 – Remembering al-hoor al-‘ayn,
which will give you a motive to be patient in avoiding that which
Allaah has forbidden, hoping to get al-hoor al-‘ayn. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “Companions of Equal Age” [Quran
– (Al-Naba’ 78:33]
And the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “… If a woman of the
people of Paradise were to look out over the people of this
earth, it would light up everything in between and fill it with
fragrance, and the veil of her head is better than this world and
everything in it.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2643).
16 – Bearing in mind the
shortcomings of the one who is looked at and the filth and waste
material they carry in their gut.
17 – Being ambitious and
focusing on nobler things.
18 – Checking on yourself from
time to time and striving to make yourself lower your gaze whilst
realizing that everyone makes mistakes.
19 – Thinking of the pain and
regret that will result from this looking, and the effects of
letting one’s gaze wander.
20 – Understanding the benefits
of lowering one's gaze, as mentioned above.
21 – Bringing up this topic in
meetings and gatherings, and explaining its dangers.
22 – Advising your relatives,
telling them not to wear clothes that attract attention and show
their attractions, such as how they dress, wearing bright colours,
how they walk, speaking too softly, etc.
23 – Warding off passing
thoughts and whispers from the Shaytaan before they take hold and
are acted upon. Whoever lowers his gaze after the first glance
will be saved from innumerable problems, but if he keeps looking
he cannot be certain that seeds that will be difficult to remove
will not be planted in his heart.
25 – Being afraid of a bad end,
and of feeling regret at the point of death.
26 – Keeping company with good
people, because you are naturally affected by the characteristics
of the people you mix with, and a person will follow the way of
his close friend, and a friend will pull you to follow his way.
27 – Knowing that the zina of
the eye is looking, and that should be sufficient to put you off.
Adapted from an essay entitled Ghadd al-Basr (Lowering the Gaze)
by a student of sharee’ah.
We ask Allaah to
guide us all. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
And Allaah knows best.