I know it is absolutely forbidden to gaze at women. If one accidentally
catches my eyes sometimes I keep looking for a second or two and then I
remember Allaah’s command and immediately look down .
My question is for that very little time that I do look at the lady do I earn
sins?
I was reading in Yusuf Qradawai’s halaal wal haraam fil Islam that the
Qur’aan says lower the gaze, and that the gaze is defined by “carressing
the eyes with her beauty or thinking lustful thoughts while looking “.
Alhamdulillaah, I have never gone to this point inshaa-Allaah . But I am
worried about those two seconds . May Allaah bless you

Praise be to Allaah.

Jareer ibn ‘Abdullaah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) about an accidental
glance at a woman. He commanded me to turn my gaze away.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi,
who said: This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. See al-Sunan, 2700).

Commenting on this hadeeth, al-Mubaarakpoori said: ” ‘Accidental’ means that his
gaze fell on a non-mahram woman unintentionally. ‘He commanded me to turn my gaze
away’ means that he was not to look a second time, because the first glance was not by
choice and would be forgiven, but any further glances would be counted as sin, and he
should heed the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Tell the believing
men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)…’ [al-Noor 24:30]”

The Messenger of Allaah
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: “O Ali, do not follow a glance with another, for you
will be forgiven for the first, but not for the second.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2701; see
Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7953)

In al-Tuhfah, he said: “The words ‘do not follow a glance with another’ mean do not
look again after the first glance. ‘You will be forgiven for the first’ means that you will
be forgiven if the first glance was unintentional, and ‘but not for the second’ means that
because the second glance was by choice, it will be counted against you.”

So it is clear that deliberately looking at a non-mahram woman and continuing to look
after a first accidental glance is haraam. It is forbidden to look at any part of her body,
whether you think she is beautiful or not, whether it provokes sexual desire or not,
whether it is accompanied by evil thoughts or not, and whether it leads to immoral
deeds or not.

We ask Allaah to protect you and us from all haraam deeds. Allaah is the One Who
guides to the Straight Path.