Keep Away From the Trespasses of the Eye

The second condition also refers to a third kind of evil, which is the trespasses of the eye. Avoiding it is known as ghadd-e-basar1.

Hazrat Abu Raihanah(ra) narrates that he was with the Holy Prophet(sa) in an expedition and one night heard the Holy Prophet(sa) say, ‘Fire is forbidden to touch the eye that remains awake for the sake of Allah, and fire is forbidden on the eye that sheds tears for the fear of Allah.’

Hazrat Abu Shuraih(ra) narrates that he heard one narrator say that the Holy Prophet(sa) also said that, ‘Fire is forbidden on that eye which, instead of watching, is cast down when confronted with something that Allah has forbidden to see, and fire is also forbidden to touch the eye that has been taken out in the way of Allah the Glorious.’ (Sunanud-Darimiyyi, Kitab-ul-Jihadi, Babu filladhi yas-haru fi sabilillahi Harisan)

Then there is another hadith.

‘Ubadah Bin As-Samit(ra) narrates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) said, ‘Assure me of six things concerning you, and I will assure your entry into Paradise:

• When you speak, say the truth.

• When you make a promise, fulfil it.

• When you are given a trust, convey it when demanded. [There should be no excuses.]

• Safeguard your private parts.

• Keep your eyes cast down.

• Hold your hands from cruelty.’

(Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol. 5, p. 323, printed in Beirut)

Hazrat Abu Sa‘ id Khudri(ra) relates that the Holy Prophet(sa) directed, ‘Refrain from sitting in the streets.’ It was said to him, ‘Messenger of Allah, we cannot help sitting in the streets.’ He said, ‘In that case fulfil the obligations due to the street.’ He was asked, ‘What is due to the street?’ He replied, ‘Reciprocation of greetings, restraining of looks, guiding those who ask for directions, enjoining good and forbidding evil.’ (Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol. 3. p. 61, printed in Beirut)

The Promised Messiah(as) writes that:

The Holy Qur’an, which lays down appropriate directions with reference to the natural desires and weaknesses of man, has adopted an excellent course in this regard2:

Direct the believing men to restrain their looks and to guard their furuj. That is the act through which they will attain purification.

Furuj does not refer merely to the private parts. It refers to all parts of the entry in the body including the ears. It has been prohibited to hear the song of an unrelated woman. Remember, it is proven by hundreds of experiments, that if God prohibits something, man has to leave it sooner or later. (Malfuzat, vol. 7, p. 135)

The Promised Messiah(as) also says:

Islam has enjoined men and women equally on the observations of these conditions. As women are prescribed to wear the veil, so too are men commanded to keep their eyes down. Salat [obligatory Prayer], fasting, Zakat [obligatory alms], Hajj [Pilgrimage to the House of God in Mecca], the distinction between halal [lawful] and haram [unlawful], avoiding unIslamic customs to honour God’s commandment, are all injunctions that make the door of Islam very narrow and that is why everyone cannot enter this door. (Malfuzat, new edition, vol. 5. p. 614)

This should make it clear for men that they should keep their eyes down. Modesty is not just for women, it is also for men.

Then the Promised Messiah(as) says:

God Almighty has not only set forth excellent teachings for acquiring the quality of chastity, but has furnished man with five remedies against unchaste behaviour. These are [1] to restrain one’s eyes from gazing upon women who are outside the prohibited degrees, [2] to safeguard the ears from listening to their voices, [3] to refrain from listening to the stories about them, [4] to avoid occasions that might furnish incitement towards this vice, and [5] to control oneself during the period of celibacy through fasting, dieting, etc…

We can confidently claim that this excellent teaching with all its devices that is set forth in the Holy Qur’an is peculiar to Islam. It should be kept in mind that as the natural condition of man, which is the source of his passions, is such that he cannot depart from it without a complete change in himself; his passions are bound to be roused when they are confronted with the occasion and opportunity for indulging in this vice; therefore, God Almighty has not instructed us that we might freely gaze at women outside the prohibited degrees and might contemplate their beauty and observe all their movements in dancing, etc., but that we should do so with pure looks. Nor have we been instructed to listen to the singing of these women and to lend an ear to the tales of their beauty, but that we should do so with a pure intent. We have been positively commanded not to look at their beauty whether with pure intent or otherwise, nor to listen to their musical voices or to descriptions of their good looks, whether with pure intent or otherwise. We have been directed to eschew all this as we eschew carrion, so that we should not stumble. It is almost certain that our free glances would cause us to stumble some time or another.

As God Almighty desires that our eyes and our hearts and all our limbs and organs should continue to be in a state of purity, He has furnished us with this excellent teaching. There can be no doubt that unrestrained looks become a source of danger. If we place soft bread before a hungry dog, it would be vain to hope that the dog should pay no attention to it. Thus, God Almighty desired that human faculties not be provided with any occasion for secret functioning and not be confronted with anything that might incite dangerous tendencies. (Islami Usul ki Philosophy, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 10, pp. 343–344)