A narration about avoiding looking at beardless men

21-11-2013 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salam 'alaykum...Is that narration authentic which says that Prophet Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam didn't look at those who don't have beard? mentioned by ibne Katheer in al Bidaya wan nihaya...
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

We have not come across this Hadeeth in either Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah or in any other resource books of Hadeeth.

It might be that you are referring to what Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him mentioned in At-Talkhees Al-Habeer, as he said: "The Hadeeth that a delegation came to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and with them was an attractive boy, so he [the Prophet] made him sit behind him and said: “I fear what happened to my brother Daawood”; Ibn As-Salah said: “This is a Dha’eef (weak) and baseless Hadeeth.” Ibn Shaaheen reported it in Al-Afraad from Mujaalid from Ash-Sha’bi who said: “A delegation from ‘Abd Al-Qays came to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and with them was an attractive, beardless boy, so he [the Prophet] made him sit behind his back and said: “The mistake of Daawood was looking (i.e. at what is forbidden).” Ibn Al-Qattaan mentioned it in the book, Ahkaam An-Nathar, and he graded it as Dha’eef. Also, Ahmad ibn Is-haaq ibn Ibraaheem ibn Nubayt ibn Shareet reported it in his Nuskhah, and from his route Abu Moosa also narrated it in At-Tarheeb and its chain of narrators is very weak. Shaykh Al-Albaani may Allaah have mercy upon him said in his book, Irwaa’ Al-Ghaleel, about this Hadeeth: “It is fabricated.”

As regards the ruling of looking at beardless men, then there are some details about it which were mentioned by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah may Allaah have mercy upon him as he said: “Looking at beardless men is of three types:

1- Looking at them with lust; this is forbidden according to the agreement of all the scholars.

2- Looking at them with absolutely no lust, like a pious man looking at an attractive son or daughter of his, or at his mother. This is not accompanied by lust unless the man is extremely sinful; so when it is accompanied with lust, it is forbidden.

3- Looking at them with no desire while fearing to incite one’s desires; there are two opinions according to the Hanbali School of jurisprudence; the most correct of which, which Ash-Shaafi’i is also cited as saying, is that it is not permissible…and this is the strongest opinion.” [End of quote]

Allaah Knows best.

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