Lowering your Gaze

Allah swt says in Quran(24:30-31)

"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that is purer for them. Indeed Allah is acquainted with what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty..."

at another place in Quran(40:19)

"Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breast conceals"

The above ayahs of the Quran clearly orders the momineen to safeguard their gaze from haram that is glancing lustful looks on the opposite gender that is Non-Mahram (someone who you can marry). This is because casting such glances leads the a person outside the circle of modesty and Haya. On the Day of Resurrection our eyes will be questioned by Allah swt as said in the Quran(17:36)

"Verily, the hearing, the sight and the heart, of each of those ones will be questioned(by Allah)"

What answer we will give to Allah swt as how did we use His gifts in haram and evil.
Imam Rabbani (R.A) said
"Whenever a person glances at non-mehram, he actually moves away from Allah swt"

Unfortunately, today people have developed strange excuses to justify their gaze at opposite gender. A misconception is that one glance is allowed towards non-mehram women. The following hadith will negate this.
Jarir bin Abdullah said " I asked Prophet(pbuh) about (islamic ruling) of accidental glance(at a woman one is not allowed to look at) and he ordered me to turn my eyes away" {Muslim}

Another excuse men give when asked to lower their gaze is, they say that its the women who make themselves so attractive and fashionable that the eyes cannot resist watching them. They totally blame it on women however here I will present another Hadith that will simply clear their misconceptions and excuses.

Al-Fadl bin Abbas rode behind the Prophet(pbuh) as his companion on the back potion of his she camel on the day of Sacrifice(10 Zilhaj) and Al-Fadl was a handsome man. The Prophet(pbuh) stopped to give people verdicts. In the mean time, a beautiful woman from tribe of Khath'am came asking for the verdict of Allah's Apostle. Al-Fadl started looking at her as her beauty attracted him. The Prophet(pbuh) looked behind while Al-Fadl was looking at her; so Prophet(pbuh) held out his hand backwards and turned the chin 

of Al-Fadl away such that he could not stare at her.

Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Volume 8, book 74, Number 247 Sahih Bukhari)

Above incident strictly instructs men to lower their gaze first rather blurting out at the women. One should have a look at their own faults rather than others. The eyes and the ears are windows to the soul. If they are not used in the right way, they may lead to the loss of spirituality from a person. May Allah swt give us the Taufeeq to guard our gaze and Modesty(Ameen) 

Posted by Jahanzaib Jamshed