One of the greatest gifts from Allah is the gift of sight. We must use this great blessing in the path towards perfection and to improve ourselves and others around us, and must prevent ourselves from looking at those people whom we are not allowed to look at, although looking at the natural or ap­parent parts of the bodies, as long as it is does not intrude on the rights of others is not a problem. Protecting others from looking at others and pro­tecting ones self from looking at others whom one is a Non-Mahram to has specifics, of which some will be explained in this chapter.

ISSUE 435: A Mahram is that person who one is able to look at - to a cer­tain extent more than others, and with whom marriage is haram.

ISSUE 436: The following people are Mahram to a boy and to a man:

                       ·           Mother and Grandmother

                       ·           Daughter and the daughter of his child

                       ·           Sister

                       ·           Niece - Daughter of his sister

                       ·           Niece - Daugher of his brother

                       ·           Aunt (Father's sister) - His own aunt, and his mother's and fa­ther's aunt

                       ·           Aunt (Mother's sister) - His own aunt, and his mother's and father's aunt

This group of people, by their own blood relations are Mahram, and        an­other group are also Mahram by marriage on the son or man. These     in­clude:

                       ·           Wife

                       ·           Momer-in-Law and Grandmother

                       ·           Wife of the father (Stepmother)

                       ·           Wife of the son

The brother's wife and the sister of the wife are Non-Mahrams.

ISSUE 437: These people are Mahram to the girl and woman:

                       ·           Father and Grandfather

                       ·           Son and the son of her child

                       ·           Brother

                       ·           Nephew - Son of her sister

                       ·           Nephew - Son other brother

                       ·           Uncle (Father's brother) - Her own uncle, and her mother's and father's uncle

                       ·           Uncle (Mother's brother) - Her own uncle, and her mother's and father's uncle

This group of people, by their own blood relations are Mahram, and an­other group are also Mahram by marriage on the girl or woman. These in­clude:

                       ·           Husband

                       ·           Father-in-Law and the husband's Grandfather

                       ·           Husband of the daughter

The husband of her sister and the brother of her husband are Non-Mahrams. With the exception of those who have been listed, it is possible that others, by way of marriage, and with certain conditions may become Mahram of each other - these exceptions are mentioned in the detailed books ofFiqh.

ISSUE 438: If a woman breast feeds a child by the specific conditions men­tioned in the books of Fiqh, that child will become a Mahram of that woman and others. For a better understanding of this rule, please refer to the "Islamic Laws" rule number 2473.

ISSUE 439: With the exception of the husband and wife, it is haram to look at any other person with the intention of deriving pleasure, even if it is of the same sex, for example a man looking at another man, or of the opposite sex, for example, a man looking at a woman, even if he/she is a Mahram or an Non-Mahram, and this rule holds the same for looking at any part of the body.

ISSUE 440: The boy and the man may look at the complete body of a woman who is their Mahram with the exception of the private parts, and without the intention of deriving pleasure.

ISSUE 441: The boy and the man are not allowed to look at the body and hair of a Non-Mahram woman, but to look at the hands, upto the wrist and the face, in that amount that must be washed in wudhu - without the inten­tion pleasure is no problem.

ISSUE 442: The girl and woman are allowed to look at the head, face, hands and feet of Non-Mahram men, as long as it is done without the in­tention of deriving pleasure, and as long as it is in the area not usually cov­ered.

Marriage

ISSUE 443: If someone fears he will fall into sin because of not being mar­ried; for example he/she will look at a Non-Mahram, it is wajib to get mar­ried.

ISSUE 444: In marriage, the specific formula must be recited and it is not sufficient for the boy and girl to be content with each other. Because of this, undl the formula (for marriage) has not been recited, neither are Mah-ram to each other, and to other women there is no relation to be considered as a Mahram (to them).

ISSUE 445: If even one letter is pronounced incorrecdy in the marriage formula so that it changes its meaning, the marriage formula (and marriage) are void.