Shafaqna English- Questions on Muslims issues in the West and answers from the Grand Ayatollah Sistani based on the text of the book: “A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West” by ‘Abdul Hadi As-Seyyed Muhammad Taqi Al-Hakim.
Question & Answer
Question 1: A father asks the friend of his son to monitor his behaviour in order to know his son’s character. Is the friend allowed to disclose any information regerding the character of the son to the father that might include things that the son does not want to be known to anyone?
Answer: It is not allowed, except when he is involved in an evil act from which he must be stopped and that stopping him is not possible through anything other than disclosure of his behaviour (which would embarrass and hurt him).
Question 2: What is the meaning of the statement from the Hadith that “the first glance is [permissible] for you, but the second one will [be held] against you”? Is it permissible to prolong the first glance while looking at a woman on the basis, as claimed by some, that it is still “the first permissible glance”?
Answer: Apparently the meaning of the statement mentioned above is to differentiate between the two glances in the sense that the first was just an accidental and a passing one, and so it is considered guiltless since no lustful desires were involved in it, as opposed to the second glance which was naturally intentional and accompanied with an element of desire, and therefore is detrimental.
It is because of this that a statement has been quoted by Imam Sadiq (AS) in which he says: “The glance after the [first] one creates in the heart the desire and that is sufficient as a temptation for the person.”
It is, however, clear that the statement quoted in the question does not intend to define the permissible glance on the basis of numbers, in the sense that the first glance is permissible, even if it is intentional and guileful from the very beginning. Or that it becomes such, if it is prolonged and more persistent because the on-looker cannot control it by casting his glance away from the woman that he is looking at. Nor does it mean that the second glance is forbidden, even if it is for a single moment without any lust at all.
Question 3: While discussing the issue of looking at a woman, many expressions are used that are not clearly defined for most people. So, what is the meaning of “Ar-Rayba, At-Taladh-Dhudh, and Ash-Shahwa”?
Answer: At-Taladh-Dhudh and Ash-Shahwa mean lustful and sexual desire, not just any lust or any desire that is part of the human instinct that appears when one sees beautiful scenes.
Ar-Rayba means the fear of temptation or the falling into haram.
Question 4: What is the limit of forbidden lust?
Answer: Its minimum limit —if what is meant is the ranking order— i.e. it is the first stage of sexual arousal.
Question 5: In British government schools and also in other Western countries the students, male as well as females, are taught sex education which includes detailed description of sexual organs with or without model. Is it permissible for a young student to attend classes like this? Is it necessary for the parents to prevent the young child from attending such classes when the child expresses interest in by claiming that it will be useful for him in the future?
Answer: If attending such classes does not entail other Haram deeds like looking lustfully and, as a result of studying that unit, would result prevent him from deviant behaviour, then there is no problem in it.
Question 6: Is it permissible to recite erotic poems in presence of women without intending to woo them, or with such an intention, if they are unmarried and can be influenced by such recitation?
Answer: This is not allowed.
Question 7: Is it permissible to talk to women about love without lustful intention or fear of temptation or encouraging a haram act?
Answer: Based on obligatory precaution, it is not allowed.
- Religious questions in Graph
- The Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s Fatwas
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Source: sistani.org