Lowering the Gaze: More than just lust
Jarir reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about the accidental glance. The Prophet said, “Redirect your sight.”
The hikma and tarbiya of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ always seem to stem from simple concepts yet have whole systemic benefits that affect the entire constitution of people. The concept of lowering the gaze is typically associated with the lustful gaze that can potentially drag the nafs towards temptation. By controlling and cutting off this gaze as much as possible, one is able to operate with more discipline and have less stimulation of the carnal desires. The benefits of lowering the gaze is innumerable and this guidance is an immense gift from Allah ﷻ.
With this being said, lowering the gaze in its full potential does not only apply to the lustful gaze. It is the gaze of suspicion, that which causes you to inspect into the business of people beyond what is nessecary. It is the gaze of jealousy, coveting that which Allah ﷻ has bestowed onto someone else. It is the gaze of greed, seeking and exploiting opportunity insatiably.
To lower the gaze is to avert your eyes from that which doesn’t concern you. This applies to everybody no matter the age and this concept alone can save us from much heartache. My sheikh once explained to me, “jealousy from what people have is to think or say: I am not happy with how Allah ﷻ has dispersed His rizk to His servant. This is not something that concerns you.”
May Allah ﷻ allow us to avert our eyes from what doesn’t concern us and protect our hearts from inclining to what Allah has blessed others with. May we find ourselves grateful and growing what Allah has given us. If Allah ﷻ has given us His pleasure, and we find ourselves grateful and satisfied, then what more can we ask for. Ameen wallahu wa rasoolu ﷺ aalim