How to reconcile the permissibility of a woman looking at a man for a need without desire with the command to lower the gaze?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
I am confused by your statement that it is permissible for a woman to look at a man for a need without desire, given the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:31]
The Shaykh:
That means they lower their gaze from desire; they do not look with desire. Since the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), women have been speaking with men and looking at them for a need. There is no evidence for prohibition. As for looking with desire, it is forbidden. Yes. Even if she is veiled, she should not look at him with desire. Yes.
The questioner:
He says: Is the reference in the verse partial?
The Shaykh:
Yes, that is right. It is not obligatory for you to close your eyes completely. The command is to lower the gaze. It did not say to close them or to bind their eyes, but to lower them. Yes.
I am confused by your statement that it is permissible for a woman to look at a man for a need without desire, given the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّThe Shaykh:
That means they lower their gaze from desire; they do not look with desire. Since the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), women have been speaking with men and looking at them for a need. There is no evidence for prohibition. As for looking with desire, it is forbidden. Yes. Even if she is veiled, she should not look at him with desire. Yes.
The questioner:
He says: Is the reference in the verse partial?
The Shaykh:
Yes, that is right. It is not obligatory for you to close your eyes completely. The command is to lower the gaze. It did not say to close them or to bind their eyes, but to lower them. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، كيف الجمع بين جواز نظر المرأة للرجل للحاجة دون شهوة وبين الأمر بغض البصر؟ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.