What is the ruling on one who is infatuated with boys (12-13 years old or younger) by looking at their pictures or videos without accosting them?
Looking at boys with lust is forbidden. The sin intensifies with persistence and continuity, and it increases further if other desires, such as touching, are added. Ibn al-Hajj mentioned three levels of sodomy: enjoying a forbidden gaze, which is unanimously prohibited if it is with lust; playful interaction, intimacy, and embracing; and committing the great indecency (fahisha kubra). Scholars believe that persistence in minor sins elevates them to major sins. Scholars have agreed on the prohibition of looking at an un-bearded young man (amrad) with lust; some even explicitly stated that looking at him with lust is a greater sin than looking at a woman with lust.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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