Lawful Instances of Looking at Women

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الذِّرَاعَيْنِ مِنَ الْمَرْأَةِ أَ هُمَا مِنَ‌ الزِّينَةِ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى- وَ لا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَ‌[1] قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ مَا دُونَ الْخِمَارِ مِنَ الزِّينَةِ وَ مَا دُونَ السِّوَارَيْنِ‌[2].

“This is concerning my question before Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), about the arms of women if they are of beautification about which Allah, most Blessed and most High, has said: "They must not expose their beauty except for their husband." (24:31) He (the Imam) replied, ’Yes, whatever must be covered with the scarf is of the

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَرَى مِنَ الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَحْرَماً قَالَ الْوَجْهُ وَ الْكَفَّانِ وَ الْقَدَمَانِ.

‘It is her face, both hands (from wrist down) and both feet (from the ankles down).”’

الزِّينَةُ الظَّاهِرَةُ الْكُحْلُ وَ الْخَاتَمُ.

‘The exposed beauty is kohl and rings.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى- وَ لا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَ‌ إِلَّا ما ظَهَرَ مِنْها قَالَ الْخَاتَمُ وَ الْمَسَكَةُ وَ هِيَ الْقُلْبُ‌[4].

‘It is the items like ring, anklet and bracelet.’”

اسْتَقْبَلَ شَابٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ امْرَأَةً بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَ كَانَ النِّسَاءُ يَتَقَنَّعْنَ خَلْفَ آذَانِهِنَّ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَ هِيَ مُقْبِلَةٌ فَلَمَّا جَازَتْ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَ دَخَلَ فِي زُقَاقٍ قَدْ سَمَّاهُ بِبَنِي فُلَانٍ فَجَعَلَ يَنْظُرُ خَلْفَهَا وَ اعْتَرَضَ وَجْهَهُ عَظْمٌ فِي الْحَائِطِ أَوْ زُجَاجَةٌ فَشَقَّ وَجْهَهُ فَلَمَّا مَضَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ نَظَرَ فَإِذَا الدِّمَاءُ تَسِيلُ عَلَى صَدْرِهِ

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Once a young man from al-Ansar (people of al-Madinah) came face to face with a woman in al-Madinah. Women would wear their scarf behind their ears. He looked at her when she was coming, and when she passed by he kept looking, and she entered in an alley that he called alley of so and so p