Prescription for Lustful Gazes

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah alayh)

Lustful gazes have become an epidemic with consequences that
are so far-reaching, to the point of crippling ones spirituality,
weakening ones Imaan, sometimes even to the extent of losing
ones Imaan - for a pretty face or a handsome face. (May Allah
Taala protect us all).
More and more Muslim brothers and even sisters write, after
realizing or experiencing the effects of the bitter-sweetpoison of
evil glancing: They want an antidote; they want desperately to
escape their habit before they totally self-destruct; because their
habit of casting lustful gazes landed them in the gutters of
immorality and they have had to then contend with disgrace,
humiliation and sometimes a life-long stigma.
But they find themselves weak in the face of the demands of their
nafs. And the nafs, by nature, enjoys the forbidden, and is never
satisfied even on fulfilment of its demands. It is very much like the
salty water of the ocean: it increases thirst and does not quench
thirst.
So for those who find themselves weak in lowering their gazes from
Haraam, they should now use their gazes the invaluable gift of
sight - in carefully reading the following prescription, for cure.
Alhamdulillah, if followed, lowering the gaze will become second
nature and a person will reach a stage where he will not even care if
Miss Universe is passing in front of him because he would have
tasted the sweetness of Imaan, and would know the lofty
experiences that come on pleasing Allah Taala.
To cast an evil gaze will then be most indecent and shameful for
him. The person will now know better than to disgrace himself,
destroy the tranquility and Sukoon of his heart and exchange the
sweet pleasure of Allah Taalas love for what will inevitably become
dust. He says, as my Shaykh, Hadhrat Moulana Hakeem
Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Rahmatullahi alayh) said in poetry:
I will not look, I will not look, Never will I look at one, Looking
upon whom, Displeases my Rabb (Allah Taala).
Whilst beauty is an attribute that charms and captivates any heart;
if it is that which Allah Taala has declared as forbidden, it not only
destroys the peace of the heart, it lays to waste the very substance
of Imaan that resides in the heart. Therefore, Allah Taala,
addresses both the believing men and believing women:
tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at
that which is haraam) and to be modest (i.e. to protect
themselves from prohibited deeds like adultery and

fornication, etc.). that is purer for them. verily allah is aware

of what they do.
and tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from
looking at that which is forbidden) and to be modest(i.e. to
protect themselves from prohibited deeds like adultery,
fornication, etc.) and not to show off their beauty except
only that which is apparent and let them wear their headcoverings over their bosoms
[surah an-nur 24 : 30/ 31]
The absolute wisdom and beauty inherent in these injunctions of
Allah Taala, of lowering the gaze, guarding ones modesty (and
adopting the full Hijaab for women), is that a person will remain far
removed from the crime of Zina (adultery / fornication), as well as
the stepping stones to Zina.
All those actions that lead to the commission of sin are, like the sin
itself, absolutely forbidden. Like Zina is forbidden, so too are all
those actions that will inevitably lead to Zina. Therefore, Allah Taala
says:
and come not near to zina. verily it is a shameful and evil
path
[surah al- isra 17 : 32]
Evil glancing is the very inception to Zina. By lowering the gaze, we
curtail furthering our evil desires. These injunctions of Allah Taala
are a protection from sin and should be appreciated by practical
implementation.
It is not impossible to lower the gaze from Haraam, as some say.
If we have the ability to look up, we also have the ability to look
down or turn our gazes away. We open our eyes and we close our
eyes. So what is it difficult to look down or look away when we see
a pretty face, accidentally? More especially when that pretty face
will result in:
- The heart burning with restlessness,
- Darkness filling the heart,
- The Noor of the heart and the Noor of the face being lost.
- Earning the displeasure of Allah Taala
- Inviting the Curses of Allah Taala.
All that is required is a little courage. If we are bold to displease
Allah Taala in His Presence, then this proves adequately that we
can be bold enough and displease nafs and shaytaan instead. We
have courage and need to re-channel it to earn His Pleasure.
Our respected Shaykh, Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad
Akhtar Saheb (Rahmatullahi alayh) had mentioned that if a person

is a lover of sweets and he is informed that in a certain district, there

are many, many sweet shops, the person naturally feels happy
because he will be able to enjoy sweetness any time he so wishes.
...Allah Taalas promise on lowering the gaze is sweetness of
Imaan
In a Hadeeth-e-Qudsi, Allah Taala says: Verily evil glancing is
an arrow from the poisonous arrows of Shaytaan. Whosoever
fears Me (Allah) and refrains from it will receive from Me such
Imaan, the sweetness of which he will taste (feel) in his
heart.[Kanzul Ummal]
So we should consider the occasions, when we are in public areas
and other venues, where there may be many strange women
present, as an opportunity of lowering the gaze and enjoying and
savouring the sweetness of Imaan.
Of course, this should not be misconstrued to mean that we visit
those places where there is temptation. Where there is mud, even
an elephant can slip.
At such a time when the desire is strong to cast that evil gaze,
immediately strike a deal with Allah Taala. Say: O Allah, it is
solely for Your Pleasure and out of Love for You that I am
restraining myself from casting these evil gazes, even though
my nafs and heart desire to derive forbidden pleasure in this.
O Allah, I am placing Your Pleasure before my pleasure and
am hopeful of the fulfillment of Your Promise, of granting the
sweetness of Imaan to the one who lowers his gaze from
Haraam.
In another Hadeeth mentioned in Mishkaat Shareef, Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: When anyones eyes fall on
a pretty girl and he immediately casts his gaze away from her,
Allah grants him the Divine Guidance towards such Ibaadah,
the ecstasy of which he feels in himself.
Moreover, if a person is married, then keep in mind that Allah
Taala has given a wife who is Halaal. It is great ingratitude that a
person would choose to look at and fantasize over Haraam women,
when blessed with a Halaal wife. This will inevitably result in
dissatisfaction, unhappiness and even criticism of ones wife and
will open the doors of marital misery.
Lustful glancing is infidelity and a violation of the rights of ones
spouse. Would any well-balanced, sound-minded person like
that his wife casts evil gazes at other men, and fantasizes about
them? So similarly, she too will not like that her husband engages
in such disloyalty and betrayal.Of course, the same is applicable to
women. Many women, including married women, complain of their
weakness of admiring men.

Always keep in mind that casting lustful gazes means casting

those gazes at someones daughter, mother, sister, wife, etc. Would
anyone of us like that someone does the same to our wives, our
daughters, our mothers or our sisters? ...No.
If we respect strange women by lowering our gazes and keeping
our hearts free of evil passions and lust, Insha-Allah, Allah Taala
will protect our womenfolk from those who have sick hearts and
minds. Otherwise they will also be subjected to the same evil from
strange men. None of us would be happy with that.
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: Allah curses the
one who looks and the one at whom the gaze is directed (i.e.
the one who was responsible for attracting the attention of a
ghair-mahram).
The La`nah (curse) of Allah Taala is no trivial and insignificant
matter, to be taken in the light-hearted manner we do. A person
tagged with the label of the La`nah of Allah Taala is denied His
Mercy and deprived of His proximity, until he repents thereof, firmly
intending not to indulge in such Haraam pleasure again. If not, then
this evil habit of lustful gazes paves the path of disgrace. May Allah
Ta'ala save us all.
Furthermore, by developing the love and fear of Allah Taala, it
becomes extremely easy to restrain oneself from sin.Taqwa and the
conscious awareness of Allah Taalas presence are a protection,
security and barrier from sin. These beautiful qualities are easiest
acquired from the company of the Auliya Allah (Friends of Allah
Taala).
Mullah Ali Qaari (Rahmatullah alaih) had given the following
definition of Hayaa (Modesty): The Haqeeqat of Hayaa is that
your Maula (Master, Allah Taala) must not find you in that place
which He has forbidden. or indulging in that which He has
forbidden.
The conscious awareness of Allah Taala prevents us from
committing sins.
Ultimately, if we lower our gazes, we guard our hearts from evil
desires and lust, and we also guard our minds from Haraam
fantasizing and Allah Taala blesses our hearts with the sweetness
of Imaan. Just one small action of lowering the gaze or turning the
gaze in another direction and major problems are solved, and the
net result is the Supreme Bounty of Allah Taalas pleasure, the
sweetness of Imaan, peace and contentment! This is indeed a
wonderful exchange for such a small deed.
May Allah Taala grant us the Taufeeq of 100% obedience
and bless us with the sweetness of Imaan.

There are many, many Muslim brothers and sisters throughout the world who
due to various negative influences and bad elements, find themselves de-railed
from Deen. Many others sit on the fence, wanting to enjoy or benefit from both
sides of the fence engaging in sins as well as being practical on certain
teachings of Deen. However, deep in their hearts is the desire to get back on
track, and once again become good, practical Muslims; to jump off the fence and
enjoy the green pastures of Islam. So they write, e-mail, phone, fax seeking
guidance and direction.
The main weakness is indulgence in sins; sometimes many sins and excessive
indulgence in those sins. A standard prescription that I give as a reply, is as
follows. Alhamdulillah, many who followed through with the prescription have
found a whole new life of peace, happiness, blessings and mercy. On tasting
the sweetness that comes with obedience, there is no desire to return to any
form of disobedience.
The ideal is that we abstain from sins, out of love for Allah Taala. He has granted
us so much He has granted us everything and it is the nature of human beings
that we love the person that is kind and generous to us. Then what of Allah Taala
who has provided us with plentiful with everything? The sight, hearing, speech,
the organs that are functioning in such an amazing manner, the limbs - all in our
service for eating, drinking, walking, sitting, etc. The gifts of wealth : the
clothing, shelter, transport, food, drink, and so many other comforts. We use
them all, but do we keep in mind, the Generous Benefactor ? Do we give thanks
for these bounties or show any appreciation to the Giver ?
Developing the conscious awareness that Allah Taala is with us : He is
watching us, He is hearing us, He knows all and everything about us; We
cannot hide from Him; We cannot conceal our actions from Him. Then
should we not feel ashamed that in His Presence, we are disobeying Him?
Are we not showing ingratitude to the Benefactor, when engaging in sins
in His very Presence ?
Keep in mind that the angels too are witness to all our actions; that the earth is
recording our behaviour and that all of it is also noted in our books of deeds that
we are accountable to Allah Taala on the Day of Judgement. Added to this, our
actions are also presented to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), so we
should give thought to whether our actions are a source of joy or grief to him. In
this manner, we will develop that shame and modesty which will make it easy to
restrain from Haraam.
Muraqabah is meditating on the actions engaged in during the day : We should
reflect over our deeds for the day and seek forgiveness for shortcomings and
resolve not to return to those bad deeds. We should also express gratitude on
good deeds and make dua for an increase in them.
Ponder over the fact that the Angel of Death does not give respite. It must not be
that whilst obeying the nafs in sinful pleasure, the Angel of death visits; and
departure is in disgrace, and return to Allah Taala is at a time when He is angry,
and that death is an embarrassment to the person, family and community who
find out that death came in sin. May Allah Taala protect us all from death in a
state of transgression, but this is very much a reality.
Death visits more often, very unexpectedly, and no true Muslim would want
to be seized by the Angel of death when Allah Taala is displeased. I often say :
We now have instant tea, and instant coffee, and instant cereal and instant
pudding and so many other things on the market are instant we are also living
in times when death is just as instant. So any sin is too much of a risk in the face
of the reality of death. The Hadith is explicit : That we will be resurrected on
the day of Judgement as we have died and we will die as we have lived.

Would any Muslim want to rise up on the Day of Judgement in sin, for all of
mankind to witness what kind of life he led?
Ponder over the fact that Allah Taala has blessed us with the gift of sight,
hearing, health, wealth, and so much else and has also granted us the gift of
respect. However, what He gives, He can also take away. He has explicitly
stated that ingratitude for His Gifts will draw very severe punishment. So is sin
not abuse and ingratitude for the gifts of sight, of heart, of mind, of limbs ?
A little contemplation on the consequences of such behaviour and a little bit of
mujahada which entails not doing and Alhamdulillah, the sicknesses are
cured.
Together with this :
Attend the talks of the learned Scholars of Islam whenever possible, or listen to
recordings of their talks and read their books to gain benefit of pious, righteous
company. Join and participate in the Deeni activities with those who follow the
Qur`aan and Sunnah. On will, Insha-Allah, find a great improvement in ones
condition by keeping the right company.
Make the effort to read Salaah punctually. Men should make every effort to read
their Salaah in Jamaat.
Read good, Islamic literature. Abstain from magazines or books that have filthy
and indecent contents and pictures.
Give up television viewing. 90% of the content is Haraam. If a person offers a
full glass of clean and pure water, and mentions that there is just one drop of
urine, would any sensible person, drink it ?
Then when the major content of television is Haraam, what would we then
say ? When the gaze, heart and mind are consuming and digesting so much of
Haraam viewing, what else would be the end result except indulgence in the
same Haraam.
Lower the gaze from the opposite sex.
Dress as a Muslim should Wearing the pants above the ankle and keeping the
beard, one fist in length must not be considered as insignificant actions. These
are teachings of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) which he has
emphasized. Although it is permissible to wear the shirt and pants, the dressing
of the righteous (i.e. the kurta) has a speciality which benefits in different ways. A
person with this appearance will think a hundred times before engaging in an
open sin, when he is being recognized as someone who must be very pious. So
this attire and appearance will offer a protection, Insha-Allah. Women too should
dress modestly as is prescribed by Shariah.
By doing these few things, you have won more than half the battle. And it is not
as difficult as Shaytaan and nafs will whisper. A little courage, a little effort and a
little sacrifice are all that is required.
Of course, these are just basic aspects of Deen, which everyone can implement
immediately and easily. There is a need to fulfill the Obligatory Injunctions such
as Salaah, Zakaat, Fasting in the month of Ramadaan, etc. and to fulfill the rights
of family, neighbours and others. There is a need to read the Qur`aan Sharief
regularly, together with some authentic commentary a little at a time, as well as
giving time to studying some book on Islamic Jurisprudence and reading the life
and teachings of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) , etc. A reading of the
books of virtues of actions such as Salaah, Fasting, Haj, Sadaqaat, Zikr, etc. by
Shaykh Zakariyyah Saheb (Rahmatullah alayh) will create enthusiasm in the
heart for action.
May Allah Taala grant us His Love and the Love of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi
wasallam) , such that it becomes easy to give up all sins and submit to His

Obedience. May He protect us all from the mischief of nafs and Shaytaan. May
He fill our hearts with Love for this beautiful Deen and inspire us in being a
practical and good Muslims and be true role-models to our communityresident
of Jamiat e Ulama-e-Ahle Sunnah-wal-Jamaat, Srinagar), Hazrat Moulana
Adnan Nadvi Sahib (Damat Barkatuhum) (Director of Sirajul-uloom, Nawa
Bazar Srinagar) and other Ulema e Kiraam of the Valley and elsewhere.

Prescription for Lustful Gazes

Seven Pearls for Your Emaan

Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah alayh)

1. Adopt a very good Friend Circle - Those who try to abide by the
commandments of Allah and those who try to stand on the way of Beloved Nabi
Hazrat Muhammad (saw). Please give up the bad Friendship - that kind of
friendship that takes you close to the friendship of Satan.
2. Make sure to offer five times Namaz (this practice is your five times special
meeting with beloved Allah.
3. Recite Qur'an e Paak as if Allah is asking you to recite and He is there to hear
your recitation and read the meaning from the recommended translation (like
Tauzeehul Qur'an by Mufti Taqi Usmani DB.)
4. Take some time out for the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala -Disconnect yourself
from everything and start reciting La ilaha illallah slowly and steadily as if you
are recycling and emptying out your heart but giving the space of your Heart only
to Allah and then start calling Allah with your tongue and Heart by repeating in
love the name Allaah Allaah Allaah Allaah for 10 minutes (you can start with a
committed 10 minutes a day and then you can increase the time steadily.
5. Make a habit of making Istigfar or seeking forgiveness of Allah Ta'ala before
you go to bed - 100 times recite Astagfirullah (O Allah please forgive me).
Promise Allah that you are committed in your Tauba (your pledge of remaining
faithful to Allah)
6. Make sure to send your special gifts that are full of Love by reciting Darood-eSharief (300 times minimum a day) to your Beloved Nabi (saw) and start
introducing Sunnah(acts of Nabi (saw)) in every action of our living. This way
you will get connected to Nabi (saw).
7. Every day spare time for empowering your own self with the blessed
knowledge:
(a) Give time to the learning of correct recitation of Quran.
(b) Start learning Arabic if possible under some able certified Aalim or Aalimah.
(c) Start Reading the following books one by one, step by step and not in one
go:
1. What Islam is? 2. What Happens After Death 3. Behishti Zewer (for sisters)
4. Behishti samar (for Brother) 5. Islahi Nisab 6. Aadabul Muashirat 7.
Uswah e Rasool e Akram (saw) 8. Dawa e Dil 9. Haya aur Pakdamni 10.
Rooh Ki Bimariyan aur un ka Elaj and after the completion ask elders what to
read next!
Just as Thirsty person loves water
Let my love for you Oh! Allah be Greater.

AND COME NOT NEAR TO ZINA. VERILY IT IS

A SHAMEFUL AND EVIL PATH
[SURAH AL- ISRA 17 : 32]

In a Hadeeth-e-Qudsi, Allah Ta'ala says:

Verily evil glancing is an arrow from the
poisonous arrows of Shaytaan. Whosoever fears
Me (Allah) and refrains from it will receive from
Me such Imaan, the sweetness of which he will
taste (feel) in his heart.

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