A message to my eye
Allah granted to this creature senses enabling him to go in the world of reality. Among the greatest of these sense organs is the eye with its delicate structure, perfect shape, beautiful appearance, and the ability of eyesight. This eye sees the signs of ability in the pages of this universe and reasons of belief exposed in the pages of the world and its corners.
- Categories: Tazkiah - Islamic Morals -
In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Man is conceited with his strength although it is Allah Who bestowed it upon him. Allah granted to this creature senses enabling him to go in the world of reality. Among the greatest of these sense organs is the eye with its delicate structure, perfect shape, beautiful appearance, and the ability of eyesight. This eye sees the signs of ability in the pages of this universe and reasons of belief exposed in the pages of the world and its corners. (In the shade of the Quran – In short)
Eye’s job:
There is a job for each limb in the human body. Allah Almighty created the eye for sublime job; it is created for seeing the path with its evils, the universe with its marvels, the family and beloved people, and the children and friends. It is created for seeing sun’s rise and setting and seeing the night followed by day and the day followed by night; it is created for scrutinizing the valleys and rivers. And all of that is just for reaching to one fact; knowing the One the Irresistible. (Minbaryyat, by Ahmed As-Sudais – in short)
Eye’s shyness:
Eye’s shyness, in the Islamic Shar’iah, is to guard itself from looking at what is made inviolable by Allah. When the eye is perfectly ashamed, it protects its owner, buries his bad qualities and propagates his good qualities.
Ibn Hibban said: “And whoever loses his shyness loses his happiness, and whoever loses his happiness becomes contemptible in the eyes of people.” (Shyness is life – in short)
Lustful look is the prelude to adultery:
Eyesight is the root of all evils that man faces. The eyesight produces notion, then the notion produces idea, then the idea produces desire, then the desire produces a volition that gets stronger and becomes a determination, then the act would surly occur as long as there is nothing to prevent it. (Ad-Daa’ wa Ad-Dawaa’)
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah Has written upon the son of Adam his share from Zina (adultery/fornication), he will inevitably experience it, thus the Zina of the eyes is looking (at what is forbidden), the Zina of the tongue is speaking (with what is forbidden), the self-wishes and desires, and the private parts accepts all that or refuses it. ” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«إن الله كتب على ابن آدم حظه من الزنا، أدرك ذلك لا محالة، فزنا العين النظر، وزنا اللسان المنطق، والنفس تتمنى وتشتهي، والفرج يصدق ذلك كله أو يكذبه» رواه البخاري
And Al-Qasimy says in his comment on the saying of Allah almighty: {Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)} [Surat An-Nur 24:30]
{قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ} سورة النور: 30
Transliteration: Qul lilmumineena yaghuddoo min absarihum wayahfathoo furoojahum
“Lowering the gaze is mentioned before protecting the private parts because gaze is the prelude to adultery and reconnoiterer to profligacy.”
Do not follow one look by another:
Gaze is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan and it is the reconnoiterer to lust. The prohibited look produces evil and bad notions in the heart, and Allah Almighty ordered His servants to lower their gaze {Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do} [Surat An-Nur 24:30]
{قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ} سورة النور: 30
Transliteration: Qul lilmumineena yaghuddoo min absarihum wayahfathoo furoojahumthalika azka lahum inna Allaha khabeerun bima yasnaAAoona
Sheikh Sayed Qutb says: “Islam aims to building pure community where lusts are not excited in every moment and the desires of flesh and blood are not agitated all the time, because the continuous excitation turns to be lustful frenzy that does not end or be satisfied.
Actually, the lustful look, the seductive movement, putting on make up to display the charms of the body, and the semi-naked bodies make nothing but irrigating this mad bestial frenzy.
Therefore, lowering the gaze is self’s good manner and effort for getting raised above the desire of looking at the charms and qualities of beauty in the faces and bodies. Moreover, it is locking for the first window of the windows of seduction and temptations; also, it is practical try for preventing the arrival of the poisoned arrow.
It is obligatory for the Muslim, if he saw what is made inviolable by Allah, to lower his gaze and not to follow the look with another one. Because of what was narrated by Jarir ibn Abdullah: “I asked the Messenger of Allah about the unexpected look, thereupon he ordered me to turn my gaze away.” [Reported by Muslim]
«سألت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن نظر الفجاءة، فأمرني أن أصرف بصري» رواه مسلم
The evil of looking at what is inviolable:
The lustful look is intoxicant cup and its drunkenness is ardent love. Actually, the intoxication of ardent love is more dangerous than the intoxication of wine, because who is drunk because of drinking wine could sober up while who is drunk because of ardent love would not sober up! (Struggle with the desires)
Therefore, looking at the inviolable is reason for the loss of the worshipper and deteriorating the determination of the ascetic. The sane person should beware of looking at what is inviolable because it is the reason of the evils, the key of the lusts, and the vehicle of destruction and struggles; however, curing it at its beginning is possible and easy. But if it is repeated, the evil would take control and it would be hard to cure. (From the sayings of Ibn Al-Jawzy – in short)
Among the evils of looking at the inviolable:
It produces sorrows, sighs and anguishes; the servant sees what he is neither able to do nor able to forebear neglecting. Among the greatest kinds of torments is to see what you neither forbear neglecting it (totally or partially) nor have the ability to have it.
Whoever looks at the inviolable is like the person who drinks from the salty water of sea; could his thirst be quenched?! No, actually his drinking produces nothing but more thirst; by this look he does nothing but increasing the excitation of his desire. (Struggle with the desires)
Benefits of not looking at the inviolable:
Ibn Al-Qayim mentioned benefits for not looking at the inviolable; they include the following:
• Obedience to the order of the Lord (the Exalted and Glorious), which is the supreme happiness in this worldly life and hereafter too.
• It is prevention from the arrival of the effect of the poisoned arrow to your heart and causing its destruction.
• It produces, in the heart, feeling at ease with Allah and enjoyment is not experienced by whoever looks at the inviolable.
• It strengthens the heart and makes it joyful, while looking at the inviolable weakens it and makes it sad.
• It produces light in the heart, while looking at the inviolable produces darkness in it.
• It grants the servant with the truthful acumen that enables him to distinguish between the true and untrue, and between the veracity and lie.
• It produces courage and persistence in the heart. Moreover, Allah grants to such person the power of acumen and logic in addition to the power of ability.
• It plugs up one of Satan’s entrances to the heart. Actually, look is the great gate to the heart.
• It makes the heart devoted to the good ideas.
• There is a vent and path between the eye and heart makes each one of them has an influence upon the other; it may make it righteous or depraved. If the looks of the servant were good, his heart would be good. On the other hand; if they were evil, his heart would be evil.
It is said about look:
In the Holy Quran:
{Allâh knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal} [Surat Ghâfir 40:19]
{يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ} سورة غافر: 19
Transliteration: YaAAlamu khainata alaAAyuni wamatukhfee alssudooru
{And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allâh)} [Surat Al-Isrâ` 17:36]
{وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَـٰئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا} الإسراء: 36
Transliteration: Wala taqfu ma laysa laka bihi AAilmun inna alssamAAa waalbasara waalfuada kullu olaika kana AAanhu masoolan
{Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do} [Surat An-Nûr 24:30]
{قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ} النور: 30
Transliteration: Qul lilmumineena yaghuddoo min absarihum wayahfathoo furoojahumthalika azka lahum inna Allaha khabeerun bima yasnaAAoona
In the Sunnah:
“Allah Has written upon the son of Adam his share from Zina (adultery/fornication), he will inevitably experience it, thus the Zina of the eyes is looking (at what is forbidden)…” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«إن الله كتب على ابن آدم حظه من الزنا، أدرك ذلك لا محالة، فزنا العين النظر...» رواه البخاري
It is narrated that Jarir ibn Abdullah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah about the unexpected look, thereupon he ordered me to turn my gaze away.” [Reported by Muslim]
«سألت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن نظر الفجاءة، فأمرني أن أصرف بصري» رواه مسلم
And among the sayings of the wise people:
• Look is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan.
• Look is the leader of lust.
• Forbearing lowering the gaze is easier than forbearing the pain of its consequences.
• Combating the moments (of evil) is better than the eternity of sorrows.
Compiled by the scientific department in Madar Al-Watan
Slightly Modified
Al-Watan House