What is the ruling on looking at a beautiful image without taking pleasure in it or fearing a trial?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... looking for the sake of pleasure.
The Shaykh : What does taking pleasure mean? Taking pleasure and desire are the same thing. Taking pleasure does not mean that he looks at it with the intention of marital desire, but rather he takes pleasure in it; he likes it and it pleases him, and he takes pleasure in looking at it.
The questioner : It is possible ... .
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : ... looking at the face and the hands.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : After he looks at the woman's face.
The Shaykh : No, by Allah, it is not permissible in any case. The person for whom it is not obligatory ... it does not concern him, but note that the one who takes pleasure in it is like the one who eats an apple; he keeps looking, yes? There is a difference between a person who says, "By Allah, if I see a beautiful face, I do not fear it, for example, I do not shudder from it or the like," but he does not take pleasure in looking at it. Taking pleasure means he keeps looking at it and enjoying that thing. We say: be patient until you get married, if you are not married, and take pleasure in looking at your wife.
The questioner : The intended meaning of fear is fear for the self?
The Shaykh : Yes, fear for the self. Also, it is not permissible for you to take pleasure in it; it is not a place of enjoyment for you, it is not a place of enjoyment. But some of the Sufis say, "I do not look at it for its own sake, but I look at it and say, 'Subhan Allahi alladhi khalaqa hadha al-wajh'."
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How would he know? He does not look at the second one, the ugly one, and say, "Subhan Allahi alladhi khalaqa hadha al-wajh."
The questioner : Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : What does taking pleasure mean? Taking pleasure and desire are the same thing. Taking pleasure does not mean that he looks at it with the intention of marital desire, but rather he takes pleasure in it; he likes it and it pleases him, and he takes pleasure in looking at it.
The questioner : It is possible ... .
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : ... looking at the face and the hands.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : After he looks at the woman's face.
The Shaykh : No, by Allah, it is not permissible in any case. The person for whom it is not obligatory ... it does not concern him, but note that the one who takes pleasure in it is like the one who eats an apple; he keeps looking, yes? There is a difference between a person who says, "By Allah, if I see a beautiful face, I do not fear it, for example, I do not shudder from it or the like," but he does not take pleasure in looking at it. Taking pleasure means he keeps looking at it and enjoying that thing. We say: be patient until you get married, if you are not married, and take pleasure in looking at your wife.
The questioner : The intended meaning of fear is fear for the self?
The Shaykh : Yes, fear for the self. Also, it is not permissible for you to take pleasure in it; it is not a place of enjoyment for you, it is not a place of enjoyment. But some of the Sufis say, "I do not look at it for its own sake, but I look at it and say, 'Subhan Allahi alladhi khalaqa hadha al-wajh'
The audience laughed
ضحك الحضورThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How would he know? He does not look at the second one, the ugly one, and say, "Subhan Allahi alladhi khalaqa hadha al-wajh."
The questioner : Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.