In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
One of the immoral actions that are widespread nowadays is shameless and wanton display (tabarruj), whereby women hardly wear anything that covers them, and if they wear something, they have it fixed on their bodies like "sarung nangka" (in Malay), showing their figures. It is not hijaab if you wear tight clothes even if it covers from head to toe. Men too are not free from this calamity, with their tight jeans/pants, body shaper outfit, shorts and open-chested shirts.
This situation can lead to unlawful things and major sins, including mixing, touching, and zina (unlawful sexual relationships), all of which stem from looking. Women should be diligent with wearing proper hijaab in public and around their non-mahrams (and around mahrams as well, if it is not too difficult). Never think that guys are not looking at you or that they are immune to doing haram. Remember Shaytan is lying in wait to take down the son and daughters of Adam right until your soul departs your body. No one is immune.
While we may not be able to change people's behavior, but we certainly have control over our own actions and protect ourselves from falling into shaytan's tricks.
Shari'ah came to help us. It therefore forbids the ways that lead to immorality, one of which is looking at non-mahram.
1 – Allah says,
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠[Qur'an, An-Nur 24:30]
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30)
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١[Qur'an, An-Nur 24:31]
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (31)
Imaam Ibn Katheer said:
This is a command from Allah 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]
2 – Allah says,
...وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَـٰعًا فَسْـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ...[Qur'an, al-Ahzab 33:53]
..And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts...
3 – It was narrated that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about a sudden glance, and he commanded me to avert my gaze.” [Narrated by Muslim, 2159]
Al-Nawawi said:
What is meant by a “sudden glance” 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 hadith, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded him to avert his gaze, and Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision ...”. [Qur'an, An-Nur 24:30]
Men must lower their gaze and refrain from looking at them in all circumstances, unless that is for a valid shar’i reason, such as giving testimony, medical treatment, wanting to propose marriage, buying a slave woman, engaging in financial transactions such as buying and selling, etc. In all these cases it is permissible to look as much as is needed, and no more. And Allah knows best. [Sharh Muslim, 14/139]
There are means which help a person to lower his/her gaze.
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 a secretive glance of which your neighbor is unaware, but Allah knows of it. Allah says,
يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ ٱلْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى ٱلصُّدُورُ ﴿١٩[Qur'an, Ghaafir 40:19]
He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal. (19)
2 – Seeking the help of Allah, beseeching Him and calling upon Him (du’a). Allah says,
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ ﴿٦٠[Qur'an, Ghaafir 40:60]
And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. (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.
هَلْ جَزَآءُ ٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلْإِحْسَـٰنُ ﴿٦٠[Qur'an, ar-Rahmaan 55:60]
Is the reward for good [anything] but good? (60)
Allah says,
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَٔرُونَ ﴿٥٣[Qur'an, al-Nahl 16:53]
And whatever you have of favor - it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help. (53)
4 – Striving with your self and training yourself to lower your gaze and be patient in doing so, and not giving up. Allah s
ays,[Qur'an, al-‘Ankaboot 29:69]
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٦٩
And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (69)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks to be chaste, Allah will make him chaste, and whoever seeks to be independent of means, Allah will make him independent of means, and whoever strives to be patient, Allah will make him patient ...” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 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 Allah 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 offense...” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 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.
Allah says,
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًا مُّبِينًا ﴿٣٦[Qur'an, al-Ahzaab 33:36]
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error. (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 hadith qudsi, Allah says: “… 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-Bukhari, 6137]
8 – Remembering that the earth on which sin is committed will bear witness. Allah says,
إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا ﴿١﴾ وَأَخْرَجَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا ﴿٢﴾ وَقَالَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَا لَهَا ﴿٣﴾ يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا ﴿٤﴾ بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَىٰ لَهَا ﴿٥﴾ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا۟ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًۭا يَرَهُۥ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّۭا يَرَهُۥ ﴿٨[Qur'an, al-Zalzalah 99:1-8]
When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake (1) And the earth discharges its burdens (2) And man says, "What is [wrong] with it?" - (3) That Day, it will report its news (4) Because your Lord has commanded it. (5) That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. (6) So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, (7) And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (8)
9 – Remembering the angels who are recording your deeds. Allah says,
وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَـٰفِظِينَ ﴿١٠﴾ كِرَامًا كَـٰتِبِينَ ﴿١١﴾ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿١٢[Qur'an, al-Infitaar 82:10-12]
And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, (10) Noble and recording; (11) They know whatever you do. (12)
10 – Bearing in mind some of the texts which forbid letting the gaze wander freely, such as the verse in which Allah says,
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ[Qur'an, An-Nur 24:30-31]]
...
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ
...
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts...And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts...
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 Allah 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-Bukhari, 1806; Muslim, 1400).
13 – Fasting – because of the hadith quoted above.
14 – Doing obligatory acts of worship as Allah has commanded, such as prayer. Allah says,
ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٤٥[Al-‘Ankaboot 29:45]
Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do. (45)
15 – For men, remembering al-hoor al-‘ayn, which will give you a motive to be patient in avoiding that which Allah has forbidden, hoping to get al-hoor al-‘ayn. Allah says,
وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ﴿٣٣[Qur'an An-Naba’ 78:33]
And companions of equal age.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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-Bukhari, 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 colors, how they walk, speaking too softly, etc.
23 – Warding off passing thoughts and whispers from the Shaytan 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.
May Allah grant us haya' and protect us from shamelessness and disobedience. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassallam
Related Archives
New Year's Resolution: Don't Lose Yourself
Dressed and Naked
Cultivating Haya'
Women Without Hijab
If You Have No Shame, Do Whatever You Wish
Ugly Evil Zina: Lower Your Gaze and Guard Your Modesty
Adapted from islamqa.com
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