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The question

What is the ruling on browsing internet sites that contain images of women, while lowering the gaze, and is it considered a first glance?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Lowering the gaze from forbidden things is obligatory, based on Allah’s Almighty saying: "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do." Browsing websites that display forbidden things and pictures of unveiled women is forbidden. The internet is a double-edged sword, so a Muslim should use it for beneficial purposes. If one is browsing useful websites and pictures of women appear, it is obligatory to lower the gaze from these pictures. The first glance that is excused is the sudden glance, which occurs when one's gaze unintentionally falls upon something forbidden. In this case, one must immediately avert their gaze. Therefore, whoever intentionally accesses websites that display pictures of unveiled women incurs sin from the very first glance. However, whoever accesses useful websites and averts their gaze when pictures appear incurs no sin.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

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Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
126002
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
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