What is the punishment for one who does not lower his gaze, and how will he be held accountable?

The issue of looking with lust is among the matters about which scholars have differed in classifying it as a major or minor sin. Some have considered it a major sin, while others have deemed it a minor sin. Some scholars have elaborated, stating that it is a major sin when there is a fear of temptation, and a minor sin when there is no such fear. This is based on prophetic hadiths that describe the eyes as committing adultery through looking. A major sin does not mean it is equivalent to actual fornication, as major sins vary in degrees of severity.