What is the ruling on looking at a foreign female colleague at work, and is my aversion to her and not looking at her while she is speaking to me considered arrogance?
Allah Almighty commanded lowering the gaze from women and guarding one's chastity in Surat An-Nur, verse 30. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, considered lowering the gaze as part of the rights of the road. It is not a sign of arrogance for a man to avoid looking at a non-mahram woman if his intention is to obey the religious command. Scholars have explicitly stated that looking at anything other than the face and hands is unanimously forbidden, and looking at them with lust or fear of temptation is also forbidden. Many of them also held the view that repeatedly looking at a young non-mahram woman without necessity is forbidden, as is a woman looking at a man from above his clothes with lust.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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