Why Would The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Lower His Gaze? - Portal Gems #46

Est. Read time: 2 min
Edition Number: 46
Adapted from: Treasures of Surah Kahf
Instructor: Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed

Assalamu Alaykum,

Today’s gem is from Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed’s course, Treasures of Surah Kahf. In this gem, Mufti Saab shares why the Prophet ﷺ would lower his gaze while explaining the story of the two men with the two gardens (Surah Kahf, ayah 32-45).

Hope you enjoy!

We begin in the Name of Allah ﷻ, the Most Merciful and Compassionate,
We ask that He ﷻ sends Peace and Blessings upon our noble and beloved
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

People always speak about the idea of lowering the gaze to be a sunnah because we're supposed to protect our eyes from sins. Of course that is a very important objective of lowering our gaze.

But why would the Prophet ﷺ be lowering his gaze?

Where Ali (R) explains that the Prophet ﷺ was looking down on the ground while walking rather than looking up and walking.

Why?

Was he afraid of committing sins?

Was he afraid of looking at haram?

He's ma’sum - free from sins - so what's the purpose of him doing lowering his gaze?

The Mufassirun explain that one of the primary objectives of us lowering our gaze and keeping our gaze lowered is not just protecting ourselves from sins, but also so we are not attracted to things that we do not possess. The more we look things we don’t have, the more we desire those things.

The whole world is about advertising and marketing. Show someone one thing enough times and they will desire it - that's all it's about. And show someone popular having it, they'll want it even more. So Allah ﷻ said to the Prophet ﷺ: don't look at what people have, what you have is better.

May Allah ﷻ grant us tawfiq to lower our gaze.

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم، فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرحيم

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