Ruling On A Woman Smiling At Muslim Men From Other Countries To Make Them Feel Welcome
Islamic Rulings - Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
What is the ruling on women
smiling to the newly converted Muslim men in order to
make them feel that we all are one, as they might be
mistreated by some? What is the ruling on women
smiling to men and the opposite generally?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Women should cover their faces in front of non-mahram
men, because of a great deal of evidence that has been
quoted in the answer to question no. 11774. Based on
this, she should not be smiling in this manner in the
first place.
Secondly:
A great deal of shar'i evidence indicates that it is
not allowed to do that which may cause men to be
tempted by women and vice versa, such as shaking
hands, being alone with a member of the opposite sex,
speaking in a soft voice, a woman going out wearing
perfume so that its fragrance may be smelt, a man
looking at women and a woman looking at men if that is
with desire.
See the answer to question no. 84089 for more
information on the evidence concerning that.
For a woman to smile at a man to be kind to them for
the purpose referred to in the question implies that
each of them is looking at the other, and that is
forbidden because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from
looking at forbidden things), and protect their
private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is
purer for them. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what
they do.
31. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze
(from looking at forbidden things), and protect their
private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to
show off their adornment except only that which is
apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way,
or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil,
gloves, headcover, apron), and to draw their veils all
over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and
bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to
their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's
fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or
their brothers or their brother's sons, or their
sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their
sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their
right hands possess, or old male servants who lack
vigour, or small children who have no sense of
feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as
to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all
of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers,
that you may be successful"
[al-Noor 24:30-31]
This smiling may have an effect on the heart that is
not less than the effect of soft speech, and it may
lead to the fitnah (temptation) that Allaah has warned
against when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other
women. If you keep your duty (to Allaah), then be not
soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease
(of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be
moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner"
[al-Ahzaab 33:32]
The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked:
What is the ruling on a woman who smiles in front of a
non-mahram man, but without showing her teeth and
without making any sound?
They replied:
It is haraam for a woman to uncover her face or to
smile at a non-mahram man, because of the evil to
which that leads. And Allaah is the Source of
strength. May Allaah send blessing and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End
quote.
The Standing Committee for Academic Research and
Issuing Fatwas.
‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, ‘Abd al-Razzaaq
‘Afeefi, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (17/25).
With regard to the Muslims from other countries whom
you mention, the Muslims should honour them, make them
feel welcome and take care of them, without doing
anything that is haraam. Men should take care of men
and women should take care of women. You will find
many Muslim women who need your care and kind
treatment.
May Allaah increase us and you in guidance.
And Allaah knows best.
Lowering the
gaze
What is meant by lowering
the gaze?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Lowering the gaze (ghadd al-basr) means restraining
the gaze and not allowing it to wander or dwell upon
anything.
Ibn Faaris said in Mu'jam Maqaayees al-Lughah (4/307):
Ghayn and daad indicate restraining, as in the phrase
ghadd al-basr (lowering the gaze)… End quote.
Ibn al-Manzoor said in Lisaan al-‘Arab (7/196):
Lowering the gaze (ghadd al-basr) means restraining
it. End quote.
Secondly:
In Islamic terminology it refers to a number of
things:
1 – Refraining from looking at people's ‘awrahs, which
includes the beauty of a non-mahram woman.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (15/414):
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined
us in His Book to lower the gaze, which is of two
types: refraining from looking at ‘awrahs and
refraining from looking at the site of desire.
The former refers to a man refraining from looking at
the ‘awrah of another person.
The second refers to looking at uncovered parts of a
non-mahram woman. This is more serious than the
former, just as alcohol is more serious than dead meat
and blood and pork, and the hadd punishment should be
carried out on the one who drinks it, because these
haraam things are not as desirable as alcohol may be.
End quote.
2 – Refraining from looking into people's houses and
things that are behind closed doors
Ibn Taymiyah says in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (15/379):
Just as lowering the gaze includes not looking at the
‘awrahs of other people and other haraam things, it
also includes refraining from looking into people's
houses. A man's house conceals his body just as his
garments conceal him. Allaah has mentioned lowering
the gaze and guarding one's private parts after the
verse about asking for permission to enter, because
the house covers a person just as the clothes on his
body do. End quote.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Madaarij al-Saalikeen (1/117):
Haraam kinds of looking include looking at ‘awrahs,
which is of two types: the ‘awrah behind a garment and
the ‘awrah behind doors. End quote.
3 – Refraining from looking at what people have of
wealth, wives, children, worldly goods and so on.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Look not with your eyes ambitiously at what We have
bestowed on certain classes of them (the
disbelievers), nor grieve over them. And lower your
wings for the believers (be courteous to the
fellow-believers)"
[al-Hijr 15:88]
Ibn Sa'di said in his Tafseer (434):
i.e., do not admire them in such a way that you will
distracted with desire for the worldly pleasures
enjoyed by those who live in luxury and by which the
ignorant are deceived. You should be content with that
which Allaah has given you of the seven oft-repeated
verses and the Holy Qur'aan (cf. al-Hijr 15:87). End
quote.
He also said (p. 516):
i.e., do not be impressed and do not look repeatedly
admiring worldly pleasures and those who are enjoying
them, such as delicious food and drink, fine clothing,
beautiful houses and adorned women, for all of that is
the adornment of this world in which those who are
deceived rejoice. And those who do wrong enjoy it by
ignoring the Hereafter. But it will all soon end and
cease to be, and those who love it will die, then they
will regret when regret will be to no avail, and they
will realize the state they are in when the
Resurrection begins. Allaah has made it a test and a
trial, so that it may be known who will be deceived by
it and who will be better in deeds. End quote.
Thirdly:
The scholars have mentioned many benefits of lowering
the gaze, including the following:
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (125):
There are a number of benefits in lowering the gaze:
1 – It is obedience to the command of Allaah, which
brings happiness to man in this world and in the next.
There is nothing more beneficial to a person in this
world and in the next than obeying the commands of his
Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and those who are
happy in this world and the next can only attain that
happiness by obeying His commands, and those who are
doomed in this world and in the next are only doomed
because they ignore His commands.
2 – It prevents the poisoned arrows (of the shaytaan),
which may lead to his doom, from reaching his heart.
3 – It creates a heart that is devoted to and focused
on Allaah. Letting the gaze wander distracts the heart
and keeps it far from Allaah. There is nothing more
harmful to a person than letting his gaze wander, as
it creates alienation between a person and his Lord.
4 – It strengthens the heart and brings it peace, just
as letting the gaze wander weakens it and makes it
sad.
5 – It brings light to the heart, just as letting the
gaze wander brings darkness to it. Hence Allaah
mentioned the verse of light immediately after the
command to lower the gaze, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from
looking at forbidden things), and protect their
private parts…"
[al-Noor 24:30]
Then straight after that He says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Allaah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The
parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and
within it a lamp"
[al-Noor 24:35]
i.e., the likeness of His light in the heart of His
believing slave who obeys His commands and heeds His
prohibitions. If the heart is enlightened blessings
will come to it from all sides, but if it is darkened,
calamity and evil will come to it from all places.
Whatever exists of innovation, misguidance, following
whims and desires, avoiding true guidance and turning
away from the means of happiness and focusing on the
means that lead to doom, that will be recognizable by
means of the light that is in the heart. If that light
is lost then one will left like a blind man stumbling
in the darkness.
6 – It generates true insight which can distinguish
between truth and falsehood, sincerity and lies.
Allaah rewards His slave for his good deeds with
something similar and if he gives up something for the
sake of Allaah, He will compensate him with something
better than it. So if he lowers his gaze and refrains
from looking at things that Allaah has forbidden,
Allaah will compensate him with enlightenment; he will
compensate him for restraining his gaze for the sake
of Allaah, and will open to him the doors of
knowledge, faith and true insight which he only
attained by means of the light in his heart. The
opposite of that is the blindness which Allaah
attributed to the homosexuals, which is the opposite
of insight. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, by your life (O Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), in their wild intoxication,
they were wandering blindly"
[al-Hijr 15:72]
7 – It creates a heart that is steadfast, brave and
strong. Allaah will give him both insight and power
and strength, as it says in the report: "The one who
goes against his whims and desires, the shaytaan flees
from his shadow."
On the other hand, the one who follows his whims and
desires will feel a sense of humiliation, indignity,
worthlessness and insignificance, which is the
punishment which Allaah has decreed for those who
disobey Him as al-Hasan said: "Even if they ride the
finest of mounts, the effect of sin will never depart
from them. Allaah insists that the one who disobeys
Him will be humiliated."
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has connected
strength to obedience to Him, and humiliation to
disobedience to Him. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"But honour, power and glory belong to Allaah, and to
His Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), and to the believers"
[al-Munaafiqoon 63:8]
"So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be
sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are
indeed (true) believers"
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:139].
Faith is both words and deeds, inward and outward.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to
Allaah belong all honour, power and glory [and one can
get honour, power and glory only by obeying and
worshipping Allaah (Alone)]. To Him ascend (all) the
goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e.
the goodly words are not accepted by Allaah unless and
until they are followed by good deeds)"
[Faatir 35:10]
i.e., whoever desires power, let him seek it by means
of obedience to Allaah and remembrance of Him, by
speaking good words and doing good deeds. In Du'aa'
al-Qunoot it says: "he is not humiliated whom You have
befriended, nor is he honoured who You take as an
enemy". Whoever obeys Allaah is His friend in as much
as he obeys Him, and he will have support and honour
from Him commensurate with his obedience towards Him.
Whoever disobeys Him is His enemy in as much as he
disobeys Him, and he will have humiliation from Him
commensurate with his disobedience towards Him.
8 – It blocks the shaytaan from a means of entering
his heart, for he may enter with looking, and
penetrate the heart faster than the wind blowing
through an empty space, and he may present to him the
image that he looked at and make it attractive, like
an idol to which his heart becomes devoted, then he
encourages him and gives him hopes, and fans the
flames of desire in his heart, adding the fuel of sin
which could not have reached his heart without looking
at that image. So his heart becomes inflamed and
surrounded with fire on all sides, resulting in
infatuation and frustration, and he is in the midst of
it like a lamb in the oven. Hence the punishment for
those whose desires were fuelled by haraam looking is
that in al-Barzakh they are placed in an oven of fire.
9 – It distracts one from thinking of what is in one's
best interests, so his affairs become neglected and he
follows his whims and desires and neglects to remember
his Lord. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the
pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey
not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our
remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose
affair (deeds) has been lost"
[al-Kahf 18:28]
10 – Between the eyes and the heart there is a
connection which means that the one is affected by the
other, and if one of them becomes good, the other will
also become good, and if one becomes corrupt the other
will become corrupt. If the heart becomes corrupt the
gaze will become corrupt, and if the gaze become
corrupt the heart will become corrupt, and similarly
if one is sound the other will also be sound. End
quote.
And Allaah knows best.
See also question no. 1774, 20229.
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