Quran 24:30 – Lowering Gaze
Explanation of lowering gaze in 24:30 by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi: This directive is also given for women ahead. The words used for it are يَغُضُّوْا مِنْ اَبْصَارِهِمْ. If there is modesty in the gaze, and men and women refrain from feasting their eyes on the physical attributes of one another and ogling each other, then no doubt the purport of the directive stands fulfilled. The expression غَضِّ بَصَرْ does not mean that men and women should not look at each other or have to constantly stare at the floor while interacting with one another. It means to guard one’s gaze from taking undue liberty and to refrain from staring at one another. If this vigil on the eyes is not kept, then in the words of the Prophet (sws), this would be tantamount to adultery of the eyes. Once a person indulges in it, his sexual organ either fulfils the ultimate objective of what his eyes initiated or is unable to do so. (Al-Bukhārī, (no. 6243); Muslim, (no. 6754)) It is regarding this first accidental gaze about which the Prophet (sws) has directed the believers to turn it away. (Al-Bukhārī, (no. 1855); Muslim, (no. 5644, 3251)