This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqash.
Viewing the Opposite Sex with Desire
Islam has also declared it forbidden for a man to cast his gaze upon a woman and for a woman to cast her gaze upon a man. This is because the eyes are the key to the heart, and the gaze is the messenger of temptation and the herald of adultery. An ancient poet has said:
كل الحوادث مبدأها من النظر ومعظم النار من مستصغر الشرر
"All calamities begin with a glance, and a small spark ignites a great fire."
نظرة فابتسامة فسلام فكلام فموعد فلقاء
"First the glance, then the smile, then the greeting, then the conversation, then the promise, and then the meeting."
For this reason, Allah Almighty has commanded all believing men and believing women not only to guard their private parts but also specifically to lower their gaze. Thus He said:
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ 30 وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is well aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts."
Reference: Surah An-Nur: 30-31
In these two verses, both men and women are instructed to lower their gaze and guard their private parts.
Regarding lowering the gaze, the words used in the Quran are __ARABIC_3, meaning the command is ARABIC_4. However, concerning guarding the private parts, the words ARABIC_5__ are not used; instead, the words يَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ are employed because guarding the private parts is required completely without any concession, but the matter of the gaze is different. For the sake of removing hardship and considering expediency, Allah Almighty has shown leniency in this. (This point is clear from the absence of the word "min.")
Therefore, غض من البصر does not mean that the eyes should be completely closed or the head kept bowed to the ground. Neither is this the intention of the verse, nor is it possible. In verse __ARABIC_8, ARABIC_9__ does not mean to keep the mouth completely shut, but to lower the voice, not to remain completely silent. Hence, غض من البصر means to lower the gaze. The eyes should not be left completely free to fall upon passersby or those coming and going. So when someone's gaze falls upon the opposite sex, do not fix your eyes on their features nor stare at them.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him:
يا على لا تتبع النظرة النظرة فإنما لك الأولى وليست لك الآخرة
"O Ali! Do not cast a second glance after the first. The first glance is forgiven, but not the second."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 5/353, Abu Dawood Kitab An-Nikah, chapter on the command to lower the gaze, hadith 2149; Tirmidhi Kitab Al-Adab, chapter on the sudden glance, hadith 2777
The Prophet, peace be upon him, described casting greedy looks at the opposite sex as adultery of the eyes:
العينان تزنيان وزناهما النظر
"The eyes commit adultery, and their adultery is the gaze."
Reference: Bukhari Kitab Al-Isti'dhan, chapter on adultery of the limbs other than the private parts, hadith 6243; Muslim Kitab Al-Qadar, chapter on the portion of adultery for the son of Adam, hadith 2657; Musnad Ahmad: 2/343, and the wording is his
It is called adultery because it involves a kind of pleasure, and through it, sexual desire is fulfilled in an unlawful manner. This is exactly in accordance with the statement of Sayyiduna Isa, peace be upon him, mentioned in the Gospel:
"It has been said to you before, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
These greedy looks of pleasure are not only dangerous for chastity but also for mental focus and peace of heart, as they cause mental distraction and a state of heart's agitation.
The Prohibition of Looking at the Head
It is necessary to guard the 'awrah (private parts). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade looking at the 'awrah, whether a man looks at another man's 'awrah or a woman looks at another woman's 'awrah, and whether the look is lustful or not. He (peace be upon him) said:
لا ينظر الرجل إلى عورة الرجل ولا تنظر المرأة إلى عورة المرأة ولا يفضي الرجل إلى الرجل فى الثوب الواحد ولا تفضي المرأة إلى المرأة فى الثوب الواحد
“No man should look at the 'awrah of another man, nor should any woman look at the 'awrah of another woman. Neither should a man be in the same garment with another man, nor should a woman be in the same garment with another woman.”
Reference: Muslim, Book of Menstruation, Chapter on the Prohibition of Looking at the 'Awrah, Hadith: 338
The 'awrah of a man, as mentioned in the hadith and which it is not permissible for any man or woman to look at, is the area between the navel and the knees.
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter on When a Boy is Ordered to Pray, Hadith: 496
And according to some scholars like Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) and some Malikis, the thigh is not included in the 'awrah.
The 'awrah of a woman for a non-mahram man is her entire body except the face and palms. What is the 'awrah of a woman for her mahram? This will be explained later in the context of displaying adornment.
The prohibition of looking at or touching the 'awrah mentioned here applies in cases where there is no compulsion or necessity. But if there is a real compulsion or necessity, for example, the need for medical aid or treatment, then the prohibition is lifted. Similarly, what we have stated regarding the permissibility of looking is also conditional on the absence of fear of temptation or lust. Otherwise, as a means of preventing sin, permissibility will be nullified.
Limits of the Permissibility of Looking at a Man or Woman
From what has been stated above, it is clear that it is permissible for a woman to look at the part of a man's body that is not covered by the 'satr' (the area between the navel and the knees), provided it is not done with lustful intent and there is no fear of temptation. Accordingly, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, allowed Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, to look at the Abyssinians while they were performing tricks with their spears in the Prophet's Mosque. Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, kept looking at them continuously until she got tired and returned.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of the Two Eids, Chapter on Spears and Shields on the Day of Eid, Hadith: 950; Muslim, Book of Eid Prayers, Chapter on Permission for Play that Does Not Involve Sin, Hadith: 892
Similarly, it is permissible for a man to look at the part of a woman's body that is not included in the 'satr', i.e., her face and palms.
اجنبي كے ليے غير محرم عورت كا چهره ديكهنا جائز نهيں سوائے خاطب اور منگيتر كے، جبكه عورت كے ساته نكاح كرنے كا اراده هو. تفصيل كے ليے شيخ عبد القادر حبيب الله سندهي كي كتاب ”حجاب المرأة المسلمة“ ملاحظه كريں. (ابوالحسن مبشر احمد رباني)
Provided it is not looked at with lust and there is no fear of temptation.
عن عائشة أن أسماء بنت أبى بكر دخلت على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى لباس رقيق يشف عن جسمها فأعرض النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عنها وقال : يا أسماء إن المرأة إذا بلغت المحيض لم يصلح أن يرى منها إلا هذا وهذا وأشار إلى وجهه وكفيه
It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that her sister Asma bint Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with her, came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, wearing thin clothes through which her body was visible. The Prophet, peace be upon him, turned his face away and said: "O Asma! When a woman reaches puberty, it is not permissible for any part of her body to be visible except this and this." He pointed to his face and palms.
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Clothing, Chapter on What a Woman May Display of Her Adornment, Hadith: 4104. Sheikh Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Al-Walid bin Muslim is 'an'an, and Saeed bin Basheer is weak (Taqreeb). He narrated from Qatadah with Munkar reports, and Qatadah is 'an'an. Khalid bin Duraik narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, with a disconnected chain (Anwar al-Sahifa fi al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah, p. 60)
Although this hadith is weak, it is supported by authentic hadiths, meaning that looking at the face and palms is permissible as long as there is no fear of temptation.
In short, a pure gaze cast by a man or woman on the part of the body that is not included in the 'satr' is permissible, provided it is not looked at repeatedly or stared at, as this often leads to pleasure and fear of temptation.
عورت كي طرف پاكيزه نظر سے ديكهنے كو جائز قرار دينا باطل هے. عورت كي طرف ديكهنا هرگز جائز نهيں هے. اگر كسي عورت پر غير محرم مرد يا بعض حالات ميں محرم مرد كي نظر پڑ جائے تو اسے چاهيے كه اپني نظر كو فورا پهير لے. قرآن مجيد نے عورتوں اور مردوں كو ايك دوسرے كي طرف تانك جهانك كرنے يا كسي بهي انداز سے ديكهنے سے منع كيا هے. پردے كا حكم جاري كرنے كا مقصد اور اس كي اوليں حكمت يهي تهي كه مردوزن ايك دوسرے كي طرف نه ديكهيں. عورت صرف اپنے خاوند اور خاوند صرف اپني بيوي كے مخصوص مقامات ستر كو بهي ديكه سكتا هے. اس كے علاوه عورت اپنے هاته، پاؤں، چهره اور سر كے بال اپنے محرم رشته داروں كے سامنے اگر نهيں بهي چهپاتي تو كوئي حرج نهيں هے. تاهم مكمل پرده بهرحال عورت كے ليے لازمي اور فرض هے. يه ايك الگ بحث هے كه علماء كے درميان مكمل چهرے كے پردے كا مسئله مختلف فيه هے، ليكن عورت كي عفت وعصمت كے تحفظ كي ضمانت پردے هي ميں مضمر هے. اور چهرے كا پرده ازحد ضروري اور واجب هے كيونكه چهرے كي كشش هي تو مردوں كو فتنه ميں مبتلا كرتي هے. اس ليے غير محرم خواتين كي طرف ديكهنا بالكل ناجائز هے. اور اس امر ميں كسي بهي قسم كي كوئي گنجائش نكالنا يا اسے جائز قرار دينا بالخصوص آج كے پرفتن دور ميں، بهرحال غلط اور باطل هے. بلكه دور كوئي بهي هو، الله تعالىٰ نے نگاهيں نيچي ركهنے كا حكم ديا هے تو هم اس حكم كي تعميل كرنے كے پابند هيں. مصنف نے پاكيزه نظر كي شرط لگائي هے جو كه باطل شرط هے، كيونكه جب نظر غير محرم خاتون پر جائے گي تو اسي لمحے ميں شيطان اس نظر كو بهكائے گا اور اس كي پاكيزگي كا تصور بهي ختم هو جائے گا. الله تعالىٰ نے يا الله كے رسول صلى الله عليه وسلم نے تو يه شرط نهيں لگائي كه اگر پاكيزه نظر هو تو عورتوں كي طرف ديكهنے ميں كوئي حرج نهيں هے. بلكه الله تعالىٰ نے تو اپنے نبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كو حكم ديا كه اهل ايمان مردوں اور اهل ايمان عورتوں سے كهه ديجيے كه اپني نظريں نيچي ركهيں اسي طرح سے ان كے ستر كي حفاظت ره سكتي هے. (مفهوم آيت مباركه سورة النور : 30-31)
One should ask the author: In the era when these verses were revealed, the people known as the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were their gazes (seeking refuge in Allah, then seeking refuge in Allah) not pure? Why did Allah Almighty not say that if your gaze is pure and your intention in your gaze is not immoral, then you may look at women, otherwise keep your gaze lowered? If even the pure people, may Allah be pleased with them, who have attained a high rank, are not exempt from this matter, then there is only one reason: the natural desires of men and women can be deceived by Satan at any time. Therefore, lowering the gaze, especially not looking at non-mahram women, is the guarantee of chastity and purity and the way to avoid temptations. And Allah knows best. (Abul Hasan Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani)
Islam has shown great leniency by excusing the sudden glance that occurs unexpectedly. Jarir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, says:
سألت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن نظر الفجاءة فأمرني أن أصرف بصري
I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, about a sudden glance, and he said: "Turn your gaze away." That is, do not look again.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 4/371; Muslim, Book of Manners, Chapter on Sudden Glance, Hadith: 2159
