What is your opinion of the one who says that looking at women is permissible, and that lowering the gaze is only required when lust is present, and who says that the word "some" in the saying of Allah the Exalted,
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The questioner : A respected scholar who is followed and leads a large Islamic group says to his followers: It is permissible to look at a woman, because when Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [An-Nur 24:30], the word "some" here is partitive, meaning: lower some of your gazes and prolong your looking at the woman. If lust arises or occurs, then lower your gazes. Is such a statement permissible?
The Shaykh : This is a matter of scholarly disagreement, and the disagreement in it is well-known. The correct view is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face, and there is evidence for this mentioned in its proper place. It is good to review the books written on this, the most comprehensive of which is the book *Return to the Hijab*, which contains good and excellent research. If a believer thinks about it, he will find that the most likely cause of lust is uncovering the face, which is more intense than uncovering the feet and more intense than uncovering the hands. A person should not judge by himself; a person may not have strong lust and may not be affected by seeing a woman's face, or he may be a young man with strong lust who is affected by a woman's face even if she is not beautiful. The criterion is the more general case. As for the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:30], the word "some" came for reasons, among which are: that a sudden glance is harmful, and that it is permissible for a man to look at his fiancée, who is not lawful for him, and to look at someone he intends to testify about or deal with, whom he does not know except by her face.
Or something similar to what the scholars mentioned regarding where looking is permissible. It is sufficient for the partitive nature that one of the images be excluded. Yes.
The questioner : What is the ruling on the movement and travel of the maid?
The Shaykh : What is the ruling?
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْThe Shaykh : This is a matter of scholarly disagreement, and the disagreement in it is well-known. The correct view is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face, and there is evidence for this mentioned in its proper place. It is good to review the books written on this, the most comprehensive of which is the book *Return to the Hijab*, which contains good and excellent research. If a believer thinks about it, he will find that the most likely cause of lust is uncovering the face, which is more intense than uncovering the feet and more intense than uncovering the hands. A person should not judge by himself; a person may not have strong lust and may not be affected by seeing a woman's face, or he may be a young man with strong lust who is affected by a woman's face even if she is not beautiful. The criterion is the more general case. As for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْOr something similar to what the scholars mentioned regarding where looking is permissible. It is sufficient for the partitive nature that one of the images be excluded. Yes.
The questioner : What is the ruling on the movement and travel of the maid?
The Shaykh : What is the ruling?