Question Summary:
my question is about glancing at the opposite sex especially during fasting….Is this counted as sin?

Question Detail:

my question is about glancing at the opposite sex especially during fasting. If a person is at school and he comes across women and he averts his glance at once  but then an evil thought enters his mind, even though he tried his best to not think such things and immediately said Auzoo billahi minash- shaitan-irrajim and the thought then goes away and he does not think of such a thing again, does that count as a lustful glance. Is this counted as sin?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
We commend you for your commitment in adhering to the Laws of Shariah and protecting your gaze from Haram. Evil glancing has become an epidemic nowadays. This form of Zina (fornication)  is the door to all wrongs that follow. When a person looks at a strange women his heart and mind is captured by the image of that woman. He would then think of ways to give vent to his evil passions by trying to lure her into sin. Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said "whoever lowers his gaze (from looking at strange women) out of the fear Allah, Allah will bless him with the sweetness of Imaan". Therefore, as far as possible lower your gaze. The gaze that falls unintentionally on a strange woman is not regarded to be a sin or a lustful glance. However, as soon as your gaze falls on her, you should turn it away. You may recite the Ta'wuuz to repel the evil thoughts of Shaytaan.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah