Fatwa ID: 04751

Answered by: Mufti Muhammad Afzal Hussain

Question:

Is it haram to look at shirtless men pictures for a man?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Allah has said: ” O children of Adam! We have bestowed clothing upon you to cover your private parts and as an adornment and the clothing of Taqwa, that is better. Such are among the signs of Allah, that they may remember. O children of Adam! Let not shaitan deceive you, as he got your parents out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiments.” [Sura Al-Araf: 26, 27] He also said: “Allah has made for you garments to protect you …….” [Sura: An-Nahl: 81]

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Amr that the Prophet of Allah said: “Whatever is under the navel to the knees is private parts.” [See: Nasbur Rayah by Zailayi] Therefore, the limits of organs to be covered for man is from the navel to the end of knees. Knees are organs to be hidden, unlike the navel which is not an organ to be hidden.

On the other hands, Islam is against pride and arrogance. Imam Haythami mentioned with a good chain in his ‘Majmauj-Zawaaid‘ that: “Damurah bin Sa’labah came to the Messenger of Allah wearing two-piece of Yamani cloths, He asked, O Damurah! Do you think that your cloth will enter you in Paradise? Damurah said, O Messenger of Allah! Seek forgiveness for me. I would change my clothes before you sit. He then quickly left and change his garment.” [See: Dress, Hijab, and tidiness in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah authored by Dr Khandaker Abdullah Jahangir, page: 19, Publisher: As-Sunnah Publications Bangladesh]

Taking a shirtless photograph, showing one’s body or six-packs is a sign of pride and arrogance and cannot be justified in Islam.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “No one who has the weight of a seed of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” Someone said, “But a man loves to have beautiful clothes and shoes.” The Prophet said, “Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.” [See: Muslim: 147/91]

The conclusion we can come to is that it is best not to look due to the statement of the Prophet “Part of the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.” [Tirmizi: 2317, Ibn Majah: 3976]

As for looking at it with sexual desire or any evil intention would be Haram. Umar bin Khattab reported: Prophet said: “All actions will be judged based on intention.” [See: Bukhari: 01]

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Mufti Muhammad Afzal Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham