Back to search
The question

How can complete repentance from the "zina of the gaze" be achieved, especially when dealing with unveiled women in the West, considering the difficulty of completely lowering one's gaze while speaking to them or in daily situations, and will repentance be accepted if there is a possibility of returning to this sin in the future?

Share this answer

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

You must lower your gaze from anything that incites fitna. If your gaze falls upon a non- woman, immediately avert it. Strive in this and seek Allah's help. Repentance from unlawful looking involves ceasing the act, feeling remorse, and resolving never to return to it. A sound repentance is not invalidated by falling into the sin again; rather, you repent from the second transgression. Do not let your fear of being accused of extremism prevent you from lowering your gaze. If you find it difficult to lower your gaze from the faces of some female relatives and you are secure from fitna, some scholars have permitted it. Indeed, some scholars believe that looking at the face of a non-mahram woman is not forbidden if fitna is not feared, and this is the view of the Shafi'i school. Lowering the gaze is among the most beneficial actions for safeguarding one's chastity and rectifying the heart.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

Read the full answer on Ftawy
Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
166504
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
Read the full ruling
Read the full answer on Ftawy