How can a person protect himself from looking at what is forbidden, and what are the effects of looking at the haram?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. Shaykh Salih asks you: How can a person protect himself from looking at what is forbidden? And what are the effects of looking at the haram?

Answer:
He can protect himself from looking at what is forbidden by staying away from places of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and from the appearance of women who do not adhere to the Shari'ah hijab. He should stay away from places of fitnah and from looking at the low-grade plays and dramas that kill modesty and decency. He should not look at these films, these series, movie theaters, or dance halls. He must stay away from these contaminated places, protecting himself and his gaze from looking at these things or visiting them. Likewise, he should stay away from markets where women display their adornment. The bottom line is that he stays away from visiting anything that contains fitnah and temptations. By doing so, he protects his gaze from what Allah the Mighty and Majestic has forbidden. What helps him in this is remembering the punishment of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) and remembering the greatness of his Lord and His anger at those who dare to violate His prohibitions. The danger of the gaze is great, and a look at the haram is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Iblis, as stated in the hadith. This is what protects one from forbidden looking. As for the effects of forbidden looking, they are many. The greatest of them is that it plants fitnah in the heart, may Allah protect us, and leads to committing lewd acts and falling into the haram, because it is a means to the haram. Among its effects is that it impacts the heart with hypocrisy and fitnah and decreases the faith within it. It affects the heart, striking it severely. We ask Allah for safety. Lowering the gaze also has benefits; it protects the heart, purifies the soul, and keeps one away from lewd acts and sins. Thus, the Exalted made clear that lowering the gaze is purification and cleansing for the hearts and deeds. Whoever wants to know more about the harms of looking at the haram and the benefits of restraining the gaze, let him refer to the book al-Jawab al-Kafi wa al-Dawa' al-Shafi by the Imam and scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him). He excelled in this book and was of great benefit.