Lowering the Gaze

According to Quran and Sunnah

The Order

The Noble Qur'an - An-Nur 24:30

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do.

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.

Hadith - Sahih Bukhari 8.248, Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri Similar narration in Sahih Muslim]

The Prophet said, "Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads." They (the people) said, "O Allah's Apostle! We can't help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) where we have talks." The Prophet said, "If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right." They said, "What is the right of the road, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil."

Hadith - Sahih Muslim 5372, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah
I asked Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes.

Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood, #4007, Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman.

Marriage helps to Lower the Gaze

Hadith - Sahih Bukhari 7.4, Narrated Abdullah, r.a.

We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Apostle said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

Show thanks to Allah
by refraining from the forbidden use of sight

The Noble Qur'an Al-Balad 90:8

Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?

The Noble Qur'an Al-Mulk 67:23

Say it is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and hearts. Little thanks you give.

The Noble Qur'an Ghaafir 40:19

Allâh knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.

Action Items for the uttaqun:

• Thank Allah for you sight. For surely just as he gave it, He can take it away. Expressing thankfulness does not include disobedience in the expression.
• Lower your gaze (i.e. look downward and avoid direct eye contact) with anyone who is non-mahram (of the opposite gender and not related as specified in Islamic Law).
• Do not look at pornography
• Turn your eyes away to lewdness on t.v.; teach your children to do so, also.
• Don't take public showers (even american Muslim prisoners can fight for the right for curtains).
• Know that we are being disrespected when a non-mahram gazes upon us, and likewise we are disrespectful when doing so to others.

Remember... Allah, subhana watala, sees everything we do!

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