Looking at non-mahrams

Question

Zayd constantly kept staring at unrelated beautiful women and kept describing the details to his friends. Will this too be called a major sin (kabira), and will it be persistence in a major sin (israr ‘ala al-kabira)?

Answer

Looking at an unrelated woman with desire without a Shar‘i necessity is haram, because it is the zina of the eye. It is necessary to repent of one’s deed; if he does not repent, then this is persistence (israr).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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