Understanding the Zina of the Eyes: Definition, Punishment, and How to Repent

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Zina of the Eyes ~ Hi readers! Zina is one of the major sins in Islam. I'm sure we all understand that. There are many types of Zina in Islam, and one of them is the Zina of the Eyes. In this article, I will explain eight important things about it, so I hope you read until the end.

The eight important points about the Zina of the Eyes are as follows:

The Meaning of Zina of the Eyes

In general, the Zina of the Eyes refers to looking at something that is prohibited by Islam, such as seeing something that can incite enmity, something that can lead to harm, or something that can arouse lust. Therefore, the standard for Zina of the Eyes is seeing anything that Islam has forbidden.

The real issue with the Zina of the Eyes lies in the damage caused by looking at what is prohibited. For example, Muslim men are strictly forbidden from looking at women who are not their mahram unless there is a legitimate reason, such as for educational purposes or positive social activities. If Muslim men gaze at non-mahram women without such justifications, it leads to actions that are spiritually exhausting.

The Quran on Zina of the Eyes

Now, I will explain what the Quran says about the Zina of the Eyes. To be honest, I am not exactly sure how many verses in the Quran specifically address this. However, in general, the explanation of Zina of the Eyes can be found in the following two verses:

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what they do." (An-Nur: 30)

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts, and not to display their adornment except what [normally] appears. And let them draw their veils over their chests and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, or those their right hands possess, or male attendants who have no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed." (An-Nur: 31)

Hadith about Zina of the Eyes

Now I will discuss the hadith about Zina of the Eyes. However, to be honest, I am not entirely sure how many hadiths describe it. Generally, though, we can find an explanation of this concept in the following hadith:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا : كَانَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ رَدِيْفَ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . فَجَاءَتْ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ خَثْعَم فَجَعَلَ الْفَضْلُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا وَتَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ , وَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصْرِفُ وَجْهَ الْفَضْلِ إِلَى الشِّقِّ الْآخَرِ , فَقَالَتْ : يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ , إِنَّ فَرِيْضَةَ اللهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ فِيْ الْحَجِّ , أَدْرَكْتُ أَبِيْ شَيْخًا كَبِيْرًا لَايَثْبُتُ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ : أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهُ ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ . وَذَلِكَ فِيْ حَجِّ الْوَدَاعِ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Ibn Abbas radliyallahu anhuma, "Al-Fadl bin Abbas radliyallahu anhu once rode behind the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Then a woman from Khath'am approached. Al-Fadl began to look at her, and she looked at him. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam turned Al-Fadl’s face away to the other side. The woman then said, 'O Messenger of Allah! The obligation of Hajj has been enjoined by Allah on His servants, but my father is an elderly man and unable to travel. Can I perform Hajj on his behalf?' The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam replied, 'Yes.' This occurred during the Farewell Hajj." [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Punishment of Zina of the Eyes in the Quran

Now I will explain the punishment for Zina of the Eyes in the Quran. To be honest, there is no explicit mention of a specific punishment for this in the Quran. At least, that’s what I have found. However, we can infer the punishment by understanding the Quranic verses that describe Zina of the Eyes.

If we carefully examine the two verses of the Quran that describe Zina of the Eyes, as I mentioned earlier, we can conclude several things:

1. The punishment for Zina of the Eyes is that the person who commits it incurs a sin. I think we all understand the negative consequences that come with sin, so I won't go into detail here.
2. The punishment for Zina of the Eyes is that the person who engages in it will experience inner turmoil. Their heart and mind will become restless. In fact, it’s very possible that they might develop an obsession with committing other sins after indulging in Zina of the Eyes. I come to this conclusion because one of the main objectives of prohibiting Zina of the Eyes is to keep the minds and hearts of Muslims pure and tranquil.

Punishment of Zina of the Eyes in Hadith

Now I will explain the punishment for Zina of the Eyes according to the hadith. Like the previous discussion, there is no specific punishment explicitly mentioned in the hadith either. However, we can infer the consequences from the hadith that describe Zina of the Eyes.

If we analyze the hadith that discuss Zina of the Eyes, as I mentioned earlier, we can conclude a few key points:

1. The punishment for Zina of the Eyes in the hadith aligns with that mentioned in the Quran: the person who engages in it incurs a sin.
2. The person who engages in Zina of the Eyes will feel disturbed. Their heart and mind will not be at peace. It is even possible that they will become consumed by the desire to commit further sinful acts after engaging in Zina of the Eyes. I base this conclusion on the fact that one of the goals of prohibiting Zina of the Eyes is to keep the minds and hearts of Muslims clean and at ease.

What Counts as Zina of the Eyes?

Now, I will address an important question that many Muslims often ask: What exactly counts as Zina of the Eyes? This is something you need to understand clearly!

To be honest, if we delve into Islamic literature about Zina of the Eyes, we won’t find a detailed explanation of what exactly constitutes this form of adultery. At least, that's what I have found. Instead, we find general descriptions and examples. Essentially, Zina of the Eyes refers to looking at things that are haram (forbidden) in Islam, such as pornography and other inappropriate content.

So, the standard for what constitutes Zina of the Eyes is any action where one looks at things that are considered haram in Islam. This is the general understanding of Zina of the Eyes that we must grasp.

How to Repent for Zina of the Eyes?

Now I will discuss how to repent for Zina of the Eyes, which is a question frequently asked by Muslims. This question is very relevant because Zina of the Eyes is one of the sins that some Muslims may often fall into.

Actually, there are many ways Muslims can seek forgiveness for committing Zina of the Eyes. The most common way is through performing wudu and offering prayer (salah). In my personal opinion, these are the two easiest methods. Why is that?

Wudu is a fundamental ritual in Islam. When a Muslim performs wudu, they wash their face, and the eyes are part of the face. Since Zina of the Eyes involves the eyes, washing the face during wudu can symbolically cleanse the sins committed by the eyes. That is the intended spiritual effect of wudu.

Offering salah is also a way for Muslims to submit to Allah. Therefore, if someone wants to repent for Zina of the Eyes, this is one of the best actions they can take. They should sincerely ask Allah for forgiveness for the sins they have committed.

Dua for Forgiveness of Zina of the Eyes

There are many dua for seeking forgiveness for Zina of the Eyes. One of the most well-known is Istighfar. If you wish, you can recite Sayyidul Istighfar. The text of Sayyidul Istighfar is as follows:

اَللُّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوْءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ , وَأَبُوُءْ بِذَنْبِيْ , فَاغْفِرْلِيْ , فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me, and I am Your servant. I uphold Your covenant and promise to the best of my ability. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my deeds. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I confess my sins. So, forgive me, for no one forgives sins except You.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concept of Zina of the Eyes highlights the importance of guarding one’s gaze in Islam. This sin stems from looking at prohibited things that lead to temptation or immorality, which can spiritually harm the believer. Both the Quran and Hadith emphasize the need for modesty and self-control to protect the heart and mind from sinful inclinations. Repenting for Zina of the Eyes can be achieved through sincere acts of worship, such as performing wudu and salah, as they cleanse both the body and spirit. Additionally, reciting dua like Istighfar helps seek forgiveness from Allah. Ultimately, by adhering to the teachings of Islam and maintaining purity of sight, Muslims can lead lives that are spiritually peaceful and free from inner turmoil. As we strive for spiritual growth, lowering our gaze is an essential step toward protecting our hearts from corruption and aligning our actions with Allah's guidance.

I think that's all for this article. May it be beneficial! Ameen!

See you again in the next article!