Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
2442. It is haraam for man to look at the body or hair of the
Non-Mahram women, regardless of whether it is with the intention of pleasure or
not, and whether there is a fear of falling into sinful act or not. It is also
haraam to look at the faces and the arms, upto the wrists, of such women with
the intention of pleasure, or if there is fear of falling into sinful act, and
the recommended precaution is that one should not look at their faces or arms
even without such an intention.
Similarly, it is haraam for a woman to
look at the body of Non-Mahram man, except places which are customarily not
covered, like, his face, hands, head, neck and feet. She can look at these parts
of a man without the intention of deriving any pleasure, or if there is no fear
of being entrapped in any sinful act.
2443. To look at the body of a woman who would not care for Hijab,
even if she were advised, is not haraam, provided that it does not lead to
sinful act or sexual pleasure, and excitement, nor is it with that intention;
and in this rule, there is no distinction between a Muslim and a non-Muslim
woman; and also between those parts, like their faces, their hands which they
normally do not cover, and other parts of their bodies.
2444. Woman should conceal her body and hair from a man who is
non-Mahram, and as an obligatory precaution, she should conceal herself even
from a Na-baligh boy who is able to discern between good and evil, and could
probably be sexually excited. But she can leave her face and hands upto wrists
uncovered in the presence of Na-Mahram, as long as it does not lead him to
casting a sinful, evil glance or her to doing something forbidden; for in both
these cases, she must cover them.
2445. It is haraam to look at the private parts of a baligh Muslim,
even if it is seen behind the glass or reflected in the mirror, or clean water
etc. As an obligatory precaution, it is also haraam to look at the genitals of a
non-Muslim, and of a discerning Na-baligh child. However, wife and her husband
can look at the entire body of each other.
2446. If a man and woman who are Mahram of each other, do not have the
intention of sexual pleasure, they can see the entire body of each other
excepting the private parts.
2447. A man should not look at the body of another man with the
intention of sexual excitement, and also, it is haraam for a woman to look at
the body of another woman with the intention of sexual excitement.
2448. A man who is acquainted with a Na-Mahram woman, should not, as a
precaution, look at her photograph etc., provided that the woman is not a
heedless, commonplace person.
2449. If a woman wants to give an enema to another woman, or to a man
other than her husband, or to clean her/his private parts with water, she should
cover her hand with such a thing that her hand would not touch the private parts
of the other woman or man. And the same applies to a man who wants to give an
enema to another man or a woman other than his wife, or to clean his/her private
parts with water.
2450. If a woman is rendered helpless by her disease, and if the only
helpful treatment to her can be given by a male doctor, she can refer to him.
And if that male doctor must look at her to be able to treat her, or to touch
her for that matter, there is no objection. However, if he can treat her by
looking at her, he should not touch her body, and if he can treat her by
touching her body, he should not look at her.
2451. If a person is obliged to look at the private parts of a patient
for his/her medical treatment, he should, on the basis of obligatory precaution,
place a mirror opposite him/her and look into it.
However, if there is no
alternative but to look directly at his/her private parts, there is no
objection. Similarly, if the duration of regarding the genitals in the mirror
would be longer than looking at them directly, the latter method be adopted.