The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

T H E D E V I L ' S
D E C E P T I O N S
frequent. However, when someone insists on continuously looking
at them, indicates conduct such as the arousing of passion involves.
Sa'Id lbn al-Musayyab said: If you see someone looking at beardless
men persistently, suspect him.
iv. The fourth category: Those who say: we do not stare out of
lust (al-shahwa), but only to contemplate, so the gazing does
not harm us.
This is impossible, because human nature is the same for all people.
Whoever claims to have a different nature is claiming that which
is impossible.
We have discussed this when we began talking about listening to
music (al-samdj.
Khayr al-Nassaj said: I was with Muarib lbn Iassan al-Sufi in
Masjid al-Khif. We were in the state of i!Jrdm. A handsome boy sat
next to us, and Muarib began to stare at him. When the boy left I
told Muarib: You are in a sacred month, in a sacred city and performing
a sacred ritual. I saw you gazing at that boy like you were
lustful. He responded: "You are saying this because you have lustful
eyes and heart (al-qalb). Don't you know that three things prevented
me from falling into the traps of Iblis?! I said: What are they? He
said: The essence of belief (imdn), chastity of Islam, and my shyness
(al-!Jt!Jd} that Allah would see me committing something forbidden.
Then he fainted and people gathered around us."
Look at the ignorance of this foolish person! He thought that committing
(sexual intercourse) is the only sin. He did not realize that
lustful gazing is a sin in itself. He claimed that he is unaffected by
something, but his lustful gazing proved him wrong.
382