The Ruling on Looking, Touching, and Listening to Songs

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is it understood from the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that looking at women is among the minor sins, as is listening to singing? And what does “and the hand is the claw” mean? Yes, this is from the desert. What does it mean that he touches a woman who is not lawful for him with desire?

Answer:
This is among the sins, but it is not among the major sins, or like zina. This is a sin, but it does not reach the level of zina. Calling it zina means a type of zina, a light type of zina, not the zina for which the hadd is obligatory. Yes, looking at what is haram is zina; looking at what is haram is considered zina, but it is not the zina that obligates the hadd. It is a major sin among the major sins, considered among the hidden sins. The look, the touch, and listening to songs, these are all minor sins. These are major sins, unlike drinking alcohol, theft, consuming riba (usury or interest), and zina. These are major sins, may Allah protect us from them, and therefore the huddud were established for them, unlike the look, the touch, and the hearing. No huddud were established for these. These are sins, but no huddud were established for them, so they are among the minor sins. Yes.