Short answer
Lowering the gaze means not looking at what Allah has made unlawful and not looking with desire. In the Hanafi school a woman may look at a non-mahram man's face and body outside the area from navel to knee, when she is sure there is no desire. If she fears desire, she must look away. The Shafi'i school is stricter.
A woman may look at a non-mahram man as a man may look at another man, that is, everything except between the navel and the knee, on condition that she is safe from desire. If she knows or strongly suspects desire, looking is haram. Looking at anyone's awrah other than a spouse's is haram in all cases.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- On the view Imam Nawawi preferred, a woman may not look at a non-mahram man's body at all, just as he may not look at her.
Explanation
Allah gives the same command to both sexes, one verse after the other: tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts, and tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. The word means to reduce, not to close the eyes. You may see people, talk to them and work with them. What you avoid is the lingering look, the look with desire, and the look at what should be covered.
The Hanafi school allows a woman to look at a man more than a man may look at a woman, because a man's awrah is smaller. Aishah watched the Abyssinians showing their skill with spears in the masjid, while the Prophet ﷺ screened her with his cloak. The Hanafi jurists took this as evidence that a woman may look at men when there is no desire.
In daily life:
- Allowed: talking to a teacher, doctor or colleague and looking at his face as normal conversation needs.
- Avoid: staring, checking someone out, or replaying an image in your mind.
- Not allowed: looking with desire, and looking at the area from the navel to the knee.
- Screens: the same rules apply to photos, films and social media. Scrolling through attractive men's pictures is not lowering the gaze.
A sudden glance you did not choose is not a sin. Look away and move on, and if you slip, make istighfar. The Quran calls lowering the gaze purer, because it protects the heart before anything else. See is free mixing haram and haya in Islam.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:31
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
The command to women to lower their gaze.
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:30
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.
The same command to men, which the verse calls purer.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5236
Sahih... يسترني بردائه وأنا أنظر إلى الحبشة ...
"Aishah said: I saw the Prophet screening me with his cloak while I watched the Abyssinians."
Shows a woman may look at men without desire.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on looking and touching. A woman may look at a man as a man looks at a man, if she is safe from desire.
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibahah, chapter on looking and touching. Sets the same rule and the condition of no desire.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Kitab al-Nikah, the section on looking. Nawawi gives the stricter view that she may not look at a non-mahram man.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.