http://quran-m.com/firas/en1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=357:your-eyes-and-lowering-the-gaze&catid=55:quran-exegesis&Itemid=109
Your eyes…. and lowering the gaze
Specialist and Master's degree holder of Ophthalmology
Member of the Egyptian Association of Ophthalmology
Allah says in the Quran {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} (Surat Al Noor <24:30-31>)
And He also says:{Have We not given him two eyes, And a tongue and two
lips, And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways?} (Surat Al
Balad <90:8-10>)
Eyes are the precious pearls that no price can afford. Allah has
called them "The beloved things", or "the dear things", as came in the
Hadith narrated by Al Bukhari, Al Tarmizi, and Ibn Habaan, that the
prophet sala Allah alyh w salam said:"Allah said, 'If I deprive my
servant of his two beloved things (i.e., his eyes) and he remains
patient, I will vouchsafe him the Paradise in compensation for
them.'''
The creation of the eye is one of the greatest secrets of God's
powers, and an evidence thereto. Despite their small size in
comparison with the whole organs around them, their scope of vision
encompasses the whole wide universe including the sky, the earth, the
sea, and all creatures.
The sense of sight comes in second in importance after the sense of
hearing, as God says in the Quran in this concern what means :{Verily
We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So
We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight} (Surat Al Insan
<076.002 >).
The sight is the mirror or a reflection of the body and its tool of
distinction. It is the window though which we have see the surrounding
world, and by which we can probe shapes, sizes and colors. The sight
is man's means of identifying God's creatures and contemplating them.
Allah says <<Say: "Travel through the earth and see how Allah did
originate creation; so will Allah produce a later creation: for Allah
has power over all things>> (Surat Al Ankabout <29:20>>).
And, as we have already said, because the eyes are the most precious
things that we have, we should take good care of them and protect them
against any potential and possible harm.
And among the many things that should help us protect our eyes and
preserve their health and strength, is refraining from using them in
what Allah forbids, because they are one of Allah's several bounties
upon us. One of the acts that tire the eyes is watching pornographic
films. Allah says in His Holy Book in this concern what means {surely
the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be
questioned about that} (Surat Al Israa < 17:36>). Therefore, a Muslim
should divert his/her senses from what displeases Allah, and should
not consume them in what is not useful. Letting the gaze roam freely
at what arouses the desire and causes fitah (temptation) contradicts
completely with the healthy fitrah (innate nature of human) that Allah
has given us.
Al Tabarany and Hakim reported from Abdu Allah Ibn Masoad, May Allah
be pleased with him that he said: The prophet of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) reported from Allah Almighty that He
said: "The glance is a poisoned arrow of shaytaan (Satan). Whoever
lowers his gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing
sweetness, which he will find in his heart on the day he meets Him."
Lowering the gaze and its health benefits
The question is: Does lowering the gaze have any benefits to the human
health? Scientific research and studies proved that repeated desirous
looking at the opposite sex, and the ensuing need to fulfill the
suppressed and unfulfilled desires, lead to many problems as serious
as productive system diseases, such as the cognition of prostate, the
sexual inability, or total infertility.
Some social studies have also proved that, in western societies, not
lowering the gaze leads to depression and other psychological
disorders. Such studies also indicate that moral disintegration and
sexual promiscuity in those societies are some of the results of the
inexistence of a religious doctrine or ethical and moral restrictions
that regulate such a noble sense and channel it into what conforms to
the human physical and psychological health.
The sense of sight is absolutely the strongest of the senses as far as
responding to sexual excitement is concerned. Using this sense
unconsciously and indiscriminately in looking at what arouses the
desires simply means that its owner is wasting it unknowingly, and
consequently is wasting his/her own psychological balance in vain and
in no return except for an illusion of enjoyment and pleasure. The
best remedy for the desirous looking at the opposite sex is to
remember that Allah is always there seeing us all the time, and is
watching over our deeds.Remind yourself that Allah sees you but you
can't see Him, so where on earth could you be able to commit a sin
without being caught? Where would such a place be?. Also remind
yourself of Allah's (thawab) forgiveness and reward for those who
lower their gaze in fear and obedience of Him, as the prophet (peace
and blessing of Allah be upon him) said, as narrated by Ahmad and Al
Tabarany, <<Whoever( Muslim) looks at the beauties of a woman, then
lowers his gaze, Allah will reward him with an act of worship that he
feels its sweetness in his heart>>.
An anonymous from one of the coastal cities says "When I was young, my
only pastime was to hang out with my friends in the streets and on the
beach to look at beautiful women and girls and harass them. It used
to give me great pleasure at first, then, over time, it turned to be
something like addiction. I started to fall back in my studies, and
the pictures of the girls and women I looked at, would stick to my
mind and never left me when I was awake nor when I was asleep".
"And they came to me in my dreams. I started to live a strange life; a
mixture of reality and dreams. Unlike all my peers , I failed to form
any successful relation with any of my female colleagues.. My spirits
were so low, and I started to go to psychiatrists, and to take
sedatives, until someone advised me to get married, Which I did. I
thought, like everyone did, that, with marriage, my problem would come
to an end, and that my suppressed desires would be vented out
naturally. Easier said! I realized that I suffered from sexual
frigidity to a degree that I couldn’t imagine. Life turned dark in
my eyes and I cried every night like a child".
"Day after day, and as I started to pray and read Quran regularly,
peace returned to my soul. One day, I read that verse from surat Al
Noor, in which God says what means (Say to the believing men that
they should lower their gaze), and it was such a great day in my life.
I became sure that this Book (The Quran) can not be the words of
anyone but the Creator of this universe. I have loved Allah so much
since that day, and loved His Book too. That Book ,whose letters and
words touches every part of the human soul, and guide it to the light,
purity and righteousness. And after obeying Allah, I recovered and
came back to my previous normal state ".
References:
The Encyclopedia of healing with acts of worships and herbs – by a
group of specialists.
Picture taken from www.wikipedia.com The free encyclopedia
--
Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/
* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.
