Lowering one’s gaze

To look steadily or intentionally at the opposite gender is a sinful act. It makes one’s Iman weak and takes him further from Allah (SWT). It then leads him to committing major sins. The Shariah admonishes Muslims from committing such acts.

Some advantages of lowering one’s gaze:

1. When one carries out the command of Allah, he will feel the enjoyment in it. There is nothing more beneficial to a person in this world and in the next than obeying the commands of his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and those who are happy in this world and the next can only attain that happiness by obeying His commands, and those who are doomed in this world and in the next are only doomed because they ignore His commands.

2. One will give preference to the commandments of Allah over his desires which is a cause of the pleasure of Allah.

3. One will be pleased with Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (SAW) and will be ready to undergo any hardship upon him to please Allah at all time.

4. One will be always happy with the decisions of Allah, at the time of happiness and joy, at the time of difficulty and calamity.

5. One will be saved from indulging in adultery.

6. A married person will be content with their spouses.

It strengthens the heart and brings it peace, just as letting the gaze wander weakens it and makes it sad. It brings light to the heart, just as letting the gaze wander brings darkness to it. Hence Allaah mentioned the verse of light immediately after the command to lower the gaze, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts…”

[al-Noor 24:30]

Then straight after that He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp”

[Al-Noor 24:35]

It generates true insight which can distinguish between truth and falsehood, sincerity and lies. Allaah rewards His slave for his good deeds with something similar and if he gives up something for the sake of Allaah, He will compensate him with something better than it.

It creates a heart that is steadfast, brave and strong. Allaah will give him both insight and power and strength, as it says in the report:

“The one who goes against his whims and desires, the Shaytaan flees from his shadow.”

It distracts one from thinking of what is in one’s best interests, and he follows his whims and desires and neglects to remember his Lord. Allah says: “and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair (deeds) has been lost”

[Al-Kahf 18:28]

Between the eyes and the heart there is a connection which means that the one is affected by the other, and if one of them becomes good, the other will also become well, and if one becomes corrupt the other will become corrupt. If the heart becomes corrupt the gaze will become corrupt, and if the gaze become corrupt the heart will become corrupt, and similarly if one is sound the other will also be sound.