This excerpt is taken from the book 500 Questions and Answers for Women, which is based on the fatwas of the scholars of Haramain. The translation was done by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
This ruling is supported by the authentic narration in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, where Aisha (رضي الله عنها) watched the Abyssinians performing a war dance, and the Prophet ﷺ facilitated her view while ensuring she remained concealed from their sight.
Additionally, it is a common occurrence that women walking in the marketplace see men, even when they themselves are observing proper hijab. This means that a woman seeing a man is not the same as a man seeing a woman.
✔ There should be no fear of temptation or corruption arising from the glance.
If lustful intent or the fear of temptation exists, then it is forbidden to look at a man—whether on television or in real life.
— (Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله)
Question:
What is the ruling on a woman watching a man’s image on television or looking at a man while walking on the street with a natural glance?Answer:
A woman's viewing of a man through television or any other medium falls under two categories:① Viewing with Desire and Pleasure:
If a woman looks at a man with lust or for the purpose of pleasure, then this is prohibited (ḥarām) because it leads to temptation and corruption.② Viewing Without Desire or Lust:
If a woman’s glance is free from any desire or pleasure, then according to the correct opinion among the views of scholars, there is no sin in it, and it is permissible.This ruling is supported by the authentic narration in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, where Aisha (رضي الله عنها) watched the Abyssinians performing a war dance, and the Prophet ﷺ facilitated her view while ensuring she remained concealed from their sight.
Additionally, it is a common occurrence that women walking in the marketplace see men, even when they themselves are observing proper hijab. This means that a woman seeing a man is not the same as a man seeing a woman.
Conditions for Permissibility:
✔ A woman must not look at a man with desire.✔ There should be no fear of temptation or corruption arising from the glance.
If lustful intent or the fear of temptation exists, then it is forbidden to look at a man—whether on television or in real life.
— (Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله)