Fatwa ID: 08503

 

 

Answered by Alimah Humairah Badshah

 

Question:

 

If I am engaging with Islamic material (such as watching a lecture, reading an article, or listening to a recitation), but inappropriate or haram content appears nearby—whether in YouTube recommendations, email advertisements, website sidebars, or social media feeds—does this affect the respect and sanctity of the Islamic material? Am I accountable for its proximity, and should I take extra steps to prevent such occurrences, even if I do not engage with the inappropriate content?

 

 

 

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

 

Answer:

 

It is necessary for one to lower one’s gaze from inappropriate content when it comes into one’s view. One is not liable for the first incidental glance, however after that one should look away and not follow that glance with a second look. Even when the content is not inappropriate, it is still forbidden to look desirously at someone who is not one’s spouse.

 

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Ali [ra]: “Do not give a second look, Ali, (because) while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second.” [Sunan Abi Dawud 2149]

 

To ‘lower one’s gaze’ online, one can delete emails, scroll away from content, or resize the viewing port or window to remove certain things from view. However, it would be even better for one to avoid seeing such things in the first place. One should explore installing ad blocking software on their devices and web browsers. There are also various clients and front-end pieces of software for certain platforms, such as Youtube, which allow one to customise their experience and remove things like advertisements and recommendations. Many social media apps have alternatives which allow this sort of customisation and control over one’s social media feed. These pieces of software are usually free and easy to install on most devices.

 

 

 

 

References:

 

https://www.wikihow.com/Block-Ads

 

https://alternativeto.net/software/youtube/?feature=youtube-client

 

فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – وَقَالَ يَا أَسْمَاءُ إنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ إذَا بَلَغَتْ الْمَحِيضَ لَمْ يَصْلُحْ أَنْ يُرَى مِنْهَا إلَّا هَذَا وَهَذَا، وَأَشَارَ إلَى وَجْهِهِ وَكَفَّيْهِ»…

… لِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «مَنْ نَظَرَ إلَى مَحَاسِنِ امْرَأَةٍ أَجْنَبِيَّةٍ عَنْ شَهْوَةٍ صُبَّ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ الْآنُكُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ» … لِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «مَنْ تَأَمَّلَ خَلْفَ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ثِيَابِهَا حَتَّى تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ حَجْمُ عِظَامِهَا لَمْ يَرِحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ

Kitab Al-Bahr Al-Raa’iq (Daar Al-Kutub Al-Islaamiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.8 p.218

 

(قَوْلُهُ مُقَيَّدٌ بِعَدَمِ الشَّهْوَةِ) قَالَ فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة، وَفِي شَرْحِ الْكَرْخِيِّ النَّظَرُ إلَى وَجْهِ الْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ الْحُرَّةِ لَيْسَ بِحَرَامٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ لِغَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ اهـ وَظَاهِرُهُ الْكَرَاهَةُ وَلَوْ بِلَا شَهْوَةٍ (قَوْلُهُ وَإِلَّا فَحَرَامٌ) أَيْ إنْ كَانَ عَنْ شَهْوَةٍ حَرُمَ

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.6 p.370

 

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ نَظْرَةِ الْفَجْأَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ اصْرِفْ بَصَرَكَ ‏”

Sunan Abu Dawud (https://sunnah.com) b.12 no.103 (2148)

 

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُوسَى الْفَزَارِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ الإِيَادِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَلِيٍّ ‏

يَا عَلِيُّ لاَ تُتْبِعِ النَّظْرَةَ النَّظْرَةَ فَإِنَّ لَكَ الأُولَى وَلَيْسَتْ لَكَ الآخِرَةُ ‏”‏ ‏”

Sunan Abu Dawud (https://sunnah.com) b.12 no.104 (2149)

 

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham