Ahmad’s school. The sounder of the two—which is also reported as the explicit ruling of al-Shāfi‘ī and others—is that it is impermissible. The “second” view is that it is permissible, because the presumption is that desire will not be aroused, and mere doubt does not make it forbidden, though it may be disliked.

The first view is the stronger one. Likewise, the stronger view in the schools of al-Shāfi‘ī and Ahmad is that looking without need at the face of a woman outside the prohibited degrees of marriage is impermissible, even when desire is absent, because there is a fear that it may be aroused. For this reason, being alone with such a woman is forbidden, since it is a likely occasion for temptation. The governing principle is that anything conducive to temptation is impermissible: avenues to corruption must be blocked unless there is an overriding benefit. Thus, looking that may lead to temptation is forbidden unless there is an overriding need, as when a prospective husband, a physician, or someone in a similar position looks at a woman. Looking is permissible when needed, provided there is no desire. Looking without need at someone who may be a source of temptation, however, is impermissible.

If someone repeatedly looks at a beardless youth or the like, prolongs his gaze, and says, “I am not looking out of desire,” his claim is not to be believed. If he has no reason that makes looking necessary, then he looks only for the pleasure this brings to his heart.

An accidental glance, however, is pardoned if he turns his gaze away, as established in the authentic hadith collections:

“Jarīr said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about an accidental glance. He said, ‘Avert your gaze.’”

It is also related in the Sunan: “He said to ‘Alī, may Allah be pleased with him: