Lowering the gaze

Sometimes the law and shari’ah are identical regarding some rules. Some acts are forbidden by both shari’ah and law. In such a case, do we leave these acts out of fearing Allah or fearing punishment? We can never know. However, for a great wisdom, Allah has made some acts forbidden in His shari’ah but not in law. I call this the worship of sincerity.

If someone is alone in his room looking through the window, then a woman with no decent clothes appears and he lowers his gaze, who would know what he did? No one can know that except Allah. Thus, the stronger your faith is, the more pious you are: 

“Two rak’aas from a pious man are better than a thousand rak’aas from a sinner”

[Al-Jami’ Al-Sagheer from Anas]

When one is disciplined with others and not when he is alone, this means that he is disciplined for them:

“The one who has no piety that prevents him from disobedience when alone, Allah will not care for all his deeds”

[ Musnad Ash-Shihab from Anas bin Malik]