Fatwa ID: 09322
Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
What is the evidence for the prohibition of looking at another woman lustfully? I read a lot of texts on the prohibition/permissibility of masturbation, but I never saw anyone use the prohibition of the gaze as proof to avoid stimulation.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allah (ﷻ) explicitly commands the believers to lower their gazes in the Quran:
“˹O Prophet!˺ Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (Surah an-Nur 24:30)
“Allah ˹even˺ knows the sly glances of the eyes and whatever the hearts conceal.” (Surah al-Ghafir 40:19)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“The adultery of the eye is the lustful look” (Sahih Muslim 2657b)
“Do not follow one glance with another; you may be allowed the first but not the second.” (Musnad Ahmad 1369)
It is Haram to intentionally look at a non-mahram woman other than your wife for sexual enjoyment or arousal. Masturbation is Haram. [1-3]
I have included Mufti Muhammad Shafi Sahab’s (D.B.) explanation of the verse from Surah An-Nur (24:30) from his Tafsīr Ma’ariful Quran.
Ma’āriful Quran (vol. 6, pg. 408-409)
The word يَغُضُّ (yaghuddu) is derived from غَضّ (ghadd), which means to bring down or to lower, (Rāghib) lowering of eyes or to keep eyes down as enjoined in the verse, means to turn the eyes from something which is prohibited to be seen by Sharī‘ah (Ibn Kathīr). Ibn Ḥibbān has given the explanation that to look at a non–Maḥram woman with intent to have (sexual) pleasure is totally prohibited, and to look without any such motive is makrūh (undesirable). To look at any woman’s or man’s private parts of the body is included in this explanation (except in case of dire necessity, such as medical examination). Peeping into anyone’s house with the intent of finding out his secrets, and all such acts where looking is prohibited by Sharī‘ah are all included in the injunction.
وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ (24:30) Protection of private parts is purported to express that all possible situations of satisfying unlawful sexual desires be guarded against. In this, adultery, sodomy, lesbian act, masturbation and all such acts that fulfill unlawful lust and passions are prohibited. The purpose of the verse is to prohibit all illicit acts for fulfilling unlawful passions. For this purpose the initial and the ultimate acts have been mentioned rather clearly, and all those actions which fall in between them are also included in the prohibition. For unlawful sexual passion the very first act is casting eye with bad motive and its ultimate result is adultery. Both these acts have been mentioned clearly and are prohibited. All other acts falling in between, such as touching hands or having conversation, are included by implication.
Ibn Kathīr has related Sayyidnā ‘Ubaidah رضي الله عنه having said: كل ما عصي الله به فهو كبيرة وقد ذكر الطرفين that is ‘Any act done in disobedience to Allah is a major sin, but the initial and ultimate acts are mentioned at the two ends of the verse’. The initial act is to cast eye, and the ultimate is adultery. Ṭabarānī has quoted Sayyidnā ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ūd رضي الله عنه that the Holy Prophet ﷺ once said:
النظر سهم من سهام إبليس مسموم من تركها مخافتي أبدلته إيماناً يجد حلاوته في قلبه (ابن كثير)
‘Casting eye is a poisonous arrow among the arrows of Satan. Whoever turns away his eye fearing from Me (despite demand of the heart), I will give him such strong faith, the delight of which he will feel in his heart’. (Ibn Kathir)
It is reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Sayyidnā Jarir Ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Bajali رضي الله عنه that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has advised what should one do if by chance one’s eye is cast on a non-Mahram woman. He has quoted the Holy Prophet ﷺ as saying “Turn away your eyes from there.” (Ibn Kathīr). Sayyidnā ‘Ali رضي الله عنه has said that first sight is forgivable, but casting eye a second time is sin. Both versions are alike, that is, if one casts his eye by chance without intention, it is forgiven being not intentional, otherwise it is prohibited to cast the eye intentionally, even the first time.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
الِاسْتِمْنَاءُ حَرَامٌ، وَفِيهِ التَّعْزِيرُ.
(قَوْلُهُ الِاسْتِمْنَاءُ حَرَامٌ) أَيْ بِالْكَفِّ إذَا كَانَ لِاسْتِجْلَابِ الشَّهْوَةِ، أَمَّا إذَا غَلَبَتْهُ الشَّهْوَةُ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ زَوْجَةٌ وَلَا أَمَةٌ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لِتَسْكِينِهَا فَالرَّجَاءُ أَنَّهُ لَا وَبَالَ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا قَالَهُ أَبُو اللَّيْثِ، وَيَجِبُ لَوْ خَافَ الزِّنَا
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 4, pg. 27, Darul Fikr Beirut)
[2]
كَسُرَّةٍ وَفَخِذٍ وَكَذَا الِاسْتِمْنَاءُ بِالْكَفِّ وَإِنْ كُرِهَ تَحْرِيمًا لِحَدِيثِ «نَاكِحُ الْيَدِ مَلْعُونٌ» وَلَوْ خَافَ الزِّنَى يُرْجَى أَنْ لَا وَبَالَ عَلَيْهِ.
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 2, pg. 399, Darul Fikr Beirut)
قُلْت: وَكَذَا فِيمَا يَظْهَرُ لَوْ كَانَ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ مَنْعُ نَفْسِهِ عَنْ النَّظَرِ الْمُحَرَّمِ أَوْ عَنْ الِاسْتِمْنَاءِ بِالْكَفِّ، فَيَجِبُ التَّزَوُّجُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَخَفْ الْوُقُوعَ فِي الزِّنَا
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 3, pg. 6, Darul Fikr Beirut)