Is a woman’s face regarded as mahram? Is it permissible to look at women’s faces?

The Details of the Question

- What is the limit of haram and halal? Non-mahram women attract attention in the market and outside. Is it permissible to look at women’s faces?

The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

The entire bodies of women, including their hanging hair are regarded as mahram except for their faces and hands. As for their faces and hands, they are not regarded as mahram in prayer or outside of prayer unless there is a fear of fitnah. According to the sound view, feet are not considered as awrah either because one walks on the road with feet, and it is difficult for the poor to cover them. Again, according to sound view, free women’s arms, ears and hanging hair also need to be covered.

“…They (believing women) should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof...” (an-Nur, 24/31)

What is meant by the verse above is the places where ornaments are worn, except for the hands and face. The following is stated in a hadith:

“The woman is mahram that must be covered. When she goes out, the devil gazes at her.” (Tirmidhi, Rada, 18).

The following hadith reported from Aisha (ra) includes hair too: “Allah Almighty does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached the age of puberty without a headscarf.” (Ibn Majah, Taharah, 132; Tirmidhi, Salah, 160)

When a man looks at a woman’s hands, face and feet, which are not mahram, without lust, he is not regarded to commit a haram deed. However, if he looks with lust, he will be held responsible. The woman will not be held responsible.

“Moreover, the Quran compassionately commands women to wear the veil of modesty so that they will be treated with respect and those mines of compassion will not be trodden under the feet of low desires, nor be like worthless goods for the excitement of lust. Civilization, however, has drawn women out of their homes, rent their veils, and corrupted mankind.” 1

One of the reasons causing the deterioration of society, as it is expressed above, is women’s leaving their homes and mixing into society in an excessive way, being transformed from a being worthy of respect into an unimportant object. Consequently, women not only lost the respect for themselves, but also caused the members of society to become corrupt.

The duty of the Muslim becomes heavier and he needs to act more meticulously in order to preserve his belief in a time when obscenity prevails and when modesty and chastity are not attached any importance because in our community, there is almost no place that women have not entered today. They are abundant in the shops, markets, ships, state offices, etc. Under these circumstances, a Muslim cannot leave the community and live in seclusion. However, he has to obey some principles due to his belief.

The relationship of a man with a non-mahram woman and the relationship of a woman with a non-mahram man are limited and subject to certain criteria. Our Lord commands believing men and women as follows:

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...” 2

It is clearly stated in the verses above that believing men must not look at non-mahram women and believing women are ordered not to look at non-mahram men.

- What is the limit and scope of that forbidden look?

The phrase “lower their gaze” in the verse does not mean to shut their eyes, bend their heads and walk like that. Besides, it is not possible to walk like that. A person naturally sees a man and a woman and looks at him or her. However, what is meant here is looking at the opposite sex with lust and having sexual feelings. The criterion for the look of lust is to look continuously, several times. We find out about that criterion from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). He said the following to Hazrat Ali regarding the issue:

“O Ali! Do not turn round to look! The first look is all right but you have no right for the second look.” 3

When one sees someone from the opposite sex, he/she should not look at him/her continuously but turn his/her head. Thus, one will not approach the limit of the look of lust because the door to fornication is generally opened through looks. Then, the other doors open one another. Thus, by preventing the looks, the door to fornication can be closed.

Fakhruddin Razi quotes the following sentence from the Torah in his tafsir: “Looking at haram sows the seed of lust in the heart. And lust causes deep sorrow in man.”

Every seed of sin that endangers the spiritual life of man if it finds an appropriate ground and germinates. As Zunnun Misri, a great spiritualist (sufi) says, “To close the eyes to sins is the best way of protection.”

Our Prophet explains the state of a Muslim who tries to protect himself from haram as follows:

“If the beauty of a woman catches the eyes of a Muslim and he turns his eyes away from her, God Almighty grants that Muslim a kind of worshipping whose pleasure he will feel in his heart.” 4

As it is known, the parts of the body of a man that is haram (forbidden) to show to other men and non-mahram women are the parts between his navel and knees according to the opinion of the most of the scholars. The parts of the body of a woman that is haram to show non-mahram men are all of her body except her hands and face.

Accordingly, it is permissible for a woman to look at the parts of the body of a man except the parts between his navel and knees without lust and repetition. It is also permissible for a man to look at the hands and face of a woman without lust. However, if a man or woman looks at the above-mentioned parts with sexual pleasure, it becomes forbidden. 

A man can look at non-mahram women in business life and in some obligatory situations. Fakhruddin Razi, the writer of at-Tafsir al-Kabir, lists those obligatory situations as follows in the interpretation of the above-mentioned verse:

* A man can look at the face and hands of a woman he wants to marry. Once, a man went to the Prophet and said he wanted to marry an Ansar woman while Abu Hurayra was with the Prophet. Our Prophet asked him, “Have you looked at that woman?” The man said, “No.” Then, our Prophet said, “Go and look at her because there is something in the eyes of Ansar.5

In this regard, it is also mentioned that even a look of lust is permissible.

* In the court, it is permissible for the judge and the witnesses to look at a woman in order to identify and recognize her. Here, to do away with injustice and to realize justice is in question.6

The following sentences are present in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya: “It is permissible to look at the hands and face of a woman if a man feels free from sedition and lust.”7

In the book al-Muhadhdhab, the following is stated: “If it is obligatory, a tradesman can look at the uncovered face of a woman. If he does not have a bad intention, he will not be responsible before Allah.”8

References:

1. Sözler, p. 381.
2. an-Nur, 24/30-31.
3. Abu Dawud, Nikah: 43; Tirmidhi, Adab: 28.
4. Musnad, V/264.
5. Muslim, Nikah: 74.
6. at-Tafsirul-Kabir, XXIII/203.
7. Fatawa Hindiyya, V/329.
8. al-Muhadhdhab, II/34.

(Mehmed Paksu, Helal – Haram)

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