What is the Ruling of Interacting with a Beardless Young Male Child?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Is it true that looking at a young boy who is beautiful and beardless is impermissible without lust? What about a father with a grown-up son who looks beautiful and like his mother?  The father loves him dearly and is always happy and excited when spending time with him, playing lawful games, teaching, joking, going on vacation, etc.

The father is pleased and grateful for his son; the father is old, and when Allah gave him a son, he is overjoyed about the love that the father gave to his son, and what he feels about his son is without any kind of lust or perverted feeling. It is pure love between parent and child. What is the ruling on this? Should the son cover his face?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question. It is good to know your love and joy for your son.

There is nothing to worry about, as he is your son. You are probably just sharing your thoughts after learning that one must be cautious around young, beardless males. You seem to be raising him with joy and good companionship, al hamdulillah. Continue to do so in this way.

Wisdom Behind the Caution of Looking at Pre-Pubescent Boys

One can look at young pre-pubescent boys as long one does not develop any desire around them. Otherwise, it will be impermissible. This is because some men tend to be inclined towards young men.

[Maydani, Al-Lubab Fi Sharh al-Kitab]

Young Beardless Boys

Uthman ibn Salih reported Hasan ibn Dhakwan (Allah have mercy on him) said, “Do not sit with young boy singers, for their appearance is like that of women. They are an even greater temptation than young virgin girls.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Dham al-Malahi]

It is forbidden for a man to look at a beardless young boy with a handsome appearance, whether he looks with passion or not, whether he is safe from temptation or fears it. This is the correct and preferred opinion of credible scholars, as transmitted from Shafi’i.” [Nawawi, Sharh Ala Sahih al-Muslim]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.

Related

• What Is From the Awra (Nakedness) of a Young Child? – SeekersGuidance
• The Path of Muhammad: Birgivi’s Manual of Taqwa Explained – YouTube

Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)?

I pray this helps with your question.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.

He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.

He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.

He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.