1. How does one reconcile the injunction in the Qur’an which tells the believing men & women to lower their gaze with the narration that A’isha Radiallahu Anha was permitted to watch some Abyssinians performing a show with her chin resting on his shoulder?
2. Can this latter narration mentioned above be used to prove that females are permitted to look at male scholars, either on video or in person for the purpose of learning Deen?
3. Are there any narrations which mention that women learnt Deen in this way, i.e. by looking at Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam or the Sahabah?
4. People mention the incident of Hadhrat A’isha Radiallahu Anha & watching the Abyssinians performing a show as a means of justifying females watching scholars online & learning from them provided there is no attraction.
Is this justified? Once someone becomes attracted, is it not too late?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
1) Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran,
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts” (from illegal sexual acts, etc.)(An Noor 31)[1]
Also consider the following Hadith,
Umm Salamah narrated to him, that she and Maimunah were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), she said: “So when we were with him, Ibn Umm Maktum came, and he entered upon him, and that was after veiling had been ordered for us. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Veil yourselves from him.’ So I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is he not blind such that he can not see us or recognize us?’ So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Are you two blind such that you can not see him?'(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2778)
The above verse and Hadith has been preferred over the incident of Aisha (Radhiallahu Anha)[2] due to the following reasons,
The verse of the Quran and the narration of Umme Salmah (Radhiallahu Anha) are principle based, (قولي) while the incident of Aisha (Radhiallahu Anha) is an isolated practice (فعلي), which could be interpreted in various ways due to the context[3]. In principle, a (قولي) Hadith is preferred over a (فعلي) Hadith. Furthermore it is supported by the verse of the Quran.
In this era of Fitna, the Ulama have issued such rulings that close doors to shamelessness and immorality. [4].
Ulama that deal with immorality related problems will testify to the evils emanating from females looking at men either directly or in picture of digital forms.[5]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Arshad Ali
Student Darul Iftaa
Trinidad
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
.
[1] تفسير ابن كثير ت سلامة (6/ 44)
وَلِهَذَا ذَهَبَ [كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ] (8) إِلَى أَنَّهُ: لَا يَجُوزُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إِلَى الْأَجَانِبِ بِشَهْوَةٍ وَلَا بِغَيْرِ شَهْوَةٍ أَصْلًا. وَاحْتَجَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ بِمَا رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ، مِنْ حَدِيثِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ نَبْهَانَ -مَوْلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ -أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ: أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ حَدَّثته: أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَيْمُونَةُ، قَالَتْ: فَبَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَهُ أَقْبَلَ ابنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ، وَذَلِكَ بَعْدَمَا أُمِرْنا بِالْحِجَابِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “احْتَجِبَا مِنْهُ” فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَلَيْسَ هُوَ أَعْمَى لَا يُبْصِرُنَا ولا يعرفنا؟فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “أَوَ عَمْيَاوَانِ (1) أَنْتُمَا؟ أَلَسْتُمَا تُبْصِرَانِهِ” (2) .
ثُمَّ قَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.
وَذَهَبَ آخَرُونَ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ إِلَى جَوَازِ نَظَرِهِنَّ إِلَى الْأَجَانِبِ بِغَيْرِ شَهْوَةٍ، كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحِ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَعَلَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْحَبَشَةِ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ بِحِرَابِهِمْ يَوْمَ الْعِيدِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَعَائِشَةُ أُمُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ تَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ، وَهُوَ يَسْتُرُهَا مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى مَلَّت وَرَجَعَتْ
[2] Aisha (Radhiallahu Anha) narrated, Once I saw Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) at the door of my house while some Ethiopians were playing in the mosque (displaying their skill with spears). Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was screening me with his Rida'(shawl) so as to enable me to see their display.(Bukhari 454)
شرح النووي على مسلم (6/ 184)
وَفِيهِ جَوَازُ نَظَرِ النِّسَاءِ إِلَى لَعِبِ الرِّجَالِ مِنْ غَيْرِ نَظَرٍ إِلَى نَفْسِ الْبَدَنِ وَأَمَّا نَظَرُ الْمَرْأَةِ إِلَى وَجْهِ الرَّجُلِ الْأَجْنَبِيِّ فَإِنْ كَانَ بِشَهْوَةٍ فَحَرَامٌ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ وَإِنْ كَانَ بِغَيْرِ شَهْوَةٍ وَلَا مَخَافَةَ فِتْنَةٍ فَفِي جَوَازِهِ وَجْهَانِ لِأَصْحَابِنَا أَصَحُّهُمَا تَحْرِيمُهُ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَقُلْ للمؤمنات يغضضن من أبصارهن وَلِقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأُمِّ سَلَمَةَ وأم حبيبة احتجبا عنه أي عن بن أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ فَقَالَتَا إِنَّهُ أَعْمَى لَا يُبْصِرُنَا فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم العمياوان أَنْتُمَا أَلَيْسَ تُبْصِرَانِهِ وَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ وَقَالَ هُوَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ وَعَلَى هَذَا أَجَابُوا عَنْ حَدِيثِ عَائِشَةَ بِجَوَابَيْنِ وَأَقْوَاهُمَا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِيهِ أَنَّهَا نَظَرَتْ إِلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ وَأَبْدَانِهِمْ وَإِنَّمَا نَظَرَتْ لَعِبَهُمْ وَحِرَابَهُمْ وَلَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ تَعَمُّدُ النَّظَرِ إِلَى الْبَدَنِ وَإِنْ وَقَعَ النَّظَرُ بِلَا قَصْدٍ صَرَفَتْهُ فِي الْحَالِ وَالثَّانِي لَعَلَّ هَذَا كَانَ قَبْلَ نُزُولِ الْآيَةِ فِي تَحْرِيمِ النَّظَرِ وَأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ صَغِيرَةً قَبْلَ بُلُوغِهَا فَلَمْ تَكُنْ مُكَلَّفَةً عَلَى قَوْلِ مَنْ يَقُولُ إِنَّ لِلصَّغِيرِ الْمُرَاهِقِ النَّظَرَ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ
[4] المبسوط للسرخسي (10/ 153)
وَكَذَلِكَ لَا يُبَاحُ لَهَا أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إلَيْهِ إذَا كَانَتْ تَشْتَهِي أَوْ كَانَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ أَكْبَرُ رَأْيِهَا
[5] نفع المفتي والسائل بجمع متفرقات المسائل (ص: 381)
(الاسْتِفْسَارُ: لو تعلَّمَتِ النِّساءُ قرآناً من الأعمى، هل فيه ضرر؟
الاسْتِبْشَارُ: نعم؛ يُكْرَهُ ذلك. كما في ((القُنْيَة)) ناقلاً عن القاضي عبدِ الجبَّار؛ لأَنَّ تعلُّمَ النِّساءِ من الرَّجلِ وإن كان أعمى، واجتماعهنَّ معه مقامُ الفتنة.
على أنَّ نظرَ النِّساء على الرِّجال، وإن كانوا عمياناً أيضاً يُكْرَه