Question: Is it necessary to keep your eyes lowered whilst talking to someone?
Answer: There are details to this issue. If a man feels aroused when talking to a beardless attractive boy (or if a man is talking to a non-Maḥram woman and vice versa with Shar’ī permission) then they must lower their eyes during conversation so that they cannot see the face, any other body part and even the clothes of the other person. If there is no Shar’ī prohibition, then there is no harm in looking at the other person’s face during a conversation. If you make a habit of speaking to every single person with your eyes lowered, then this is very good because experience has shown that these days one who does not have a habit of lowering his gaze during conversations finds it extremely difficult to lower his gaze when talking to a beardless attractive boy or non-Maḥram woman.
Question: Please tell us about our Beloved Prophet’s looking habits?
Answer: Sayyidunā Muhammad Bin ‘Īsā Tirmiżī عَـلَيْهِ رَحْـمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ الۡـقَـوِی said: When the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم paid attention to someone he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would pay complete attention. His blessed eyes remained lowered. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم looked more towards the earth than the sky. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم mostly glanced from the corners of his eyes.[1]
In this blessed Ḥadīš, the words ‘he would pay complete attention’ mean that he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰى عَـلَيْـهِ وَاٰلـِهٖ وَسَـلَّم did not steal a furtive glance at anyone. ‘His blessed eyes remained lowered’ means that whenever