He says: I heard that pilgrims are permitted to look at women who are not their mahram (relatives one may not marry), and the one from whom I heard this statement provided me with evidence, which is the story of al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with him)
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The questioner : From Muzayyid al-Mushaqqaq al-Ruwayqi from Riyadh. This message reached us, and its summary is: He says: I heard that pilgrims are permitted to look at women who are not their mahram (relatives one may not marry), and the one from whom I heard this statement provided me with evidence, which is the story of al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with him) with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : O Allah, send blessings and peace upon him.
The questioner : Is there any truth to this? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : There is no truth to it. Rather, it is obligatory for the pilgrim to be more careful about looking than anyone else. For this reason, it is not permissible for the pilgrim to enjoy his wife, even though she is lawful for him, because Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:197]. Even stronger than that is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade marriage during Hajj and proposing marriage during Hajj. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1409a. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the marriage contract, which may be a means to enjoying the wife, and forbade what is a means to the marriage contract, which is the proposal, then what can be said about looking and enjoying the look, especially at non-mahram women? There is no doubt about the prohibition of looking at non-mahram women during Hajj and outside of Hajj.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the story of al-Fadl, it contains evidence against the one who cited it as proof. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had al-Fadl look at the woman and she looked at him, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned al-Fadl’s face to the other side. This indicates that looking is not permissible; otherwise, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have turned his face to the other side.
The Shaykh : O Allah, send blessings and peace upon him.
The questioner : Is there any truth to this? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : There is no truth to it. Rather, it is obligatory for the pilgrim to be more careful about looking than anyone else. For this reason, it is not permissible for the pilgrim to enjoy his wife, even though she is lawful for him, because Allah the Exalted said:
so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj
فمن فرض فيهن الحج فلا رفث ولا فسوق ولا جِدال في الحجA Muhrim must neither marry himself, nor arrange the marriage of another one, nor should he make the proposal of marriage.
لا يَنكح المحرم ولا يُنكح ولا يخطبThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the story of al-Fadl, it contains evidence against the one who cited it as proof. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had al-Fadl look at the woman and she looked at him, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned al-Fadl’s face to the other side. This indicates that looking is not permissible; otherwise, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have turned his face to the other side.