Jarīr ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about a man suddenly and unintentionally looking at an unrelated woman. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to turn his face to the other side once he knows it, and there is no sin on him.
Lessons
The Hadīth urges to lower the gaze.
It warns against continuing to look at what is forbidden if one's sight falls on it suddenly and unintentionally.
It indicates that the prohibition of looking at women is an established matter among the Companions, as evidenced by the fact that Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): If he looked at a woman unintentionally, would his ruling be the same as the ruling of someone who looked intentionally?
It shows how Shariah cares about the interests of people, as it forbade men from looking at women due to the resultant evils in this world and the Hereafter.
The Companions used to refer to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and ask him about things unclear to them. Likewise, ordinary Muslims should refer to their scholars and ask them about what is unclear to them.
Explanation in Arabic
سَأَلَ جَريرُ بن عبد الله رضي الله عنه النبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عن نَظَرِ الرَّجُلِ للمرأةِ الأجنبيةِ عنه بَغْتَةً مِن غير قَصْدٍ؟ فأمرَه صلى الله عليه وسلم يَجِبُ عليه أن يَفْتِلَ وجهَه إلى الشِّقِّ الآخَرِ والناحيةِ الأخرى فَوْرَ عِلْمِهِ، وليس عليه إثم.
الحضُّ على غضِّ البَصَر.
التحذير من إدَامَةِ النظرِ لِمَا يَحْرُمُ النظرُ إليه إذا وَقَعَ عليه البَصَرُ بَغْتةً ومن غير قصد.
فيه أنَّ تحريم النظرِ إلى النساء أمرٌ مُستقرٌّ عند الصحابة بدليل أن جرير رضي الله عنه سأل النبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عمّا لو وقع نظرُه على امرأة من غير قصد، فهل حكمه حكم من قصد النظر؟
فيه عناية الشرع بمصالح العباد، فإنه حرَّم عليهم النظر إلى النساء لما يترتب عليه من مفاسد دنيوية وأخروية.
رجوع الصحابة إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وسؤاله عما يُشكل عليهم، وهكذا ينبغي للعامة الرجوع إلى علمائهم وسؤالهم عما أَشكَلَ عليهم.
Scholars’ grades
Grade taken from the status of the collection (Sahih Muslim).
