“There are numerous benefits to lowering one’s gaze:
1) Relief from the pain of longing and regret.
When a person lets his eyes wander freely, his heart is never at rest. The gaze shows him what he passionately desires, but cannot reach or be patient without—and this constant yearning becomes the cause of his deepest pain and torment.
2) It fills the heart with light and radiance
This light becomes visible upon one’s eyes, face, and entire being. Just as the one who restrains his gaze is blessed with inner illumination, the one who indulges his eyes is marked by darkness that manifests upon his face and limbs.
3) It grants true spiritual insight (firāsah) Insight is born of light and clarity. When the heart shines with divine light, one’s perception becomes keen—like a mirror that reflects reality as it is.
But when a person’s gaze is unrestrained, it clouds this mirror, dimming the heart’s brightness.
Allah rewards people in kind: whoever lowers his gaze from the unlawful, Allah grants him penetrating vision and the light of discernment. When he restrains his sight for Allah’s sake, Allah opens for him the eyes of his heart; and whoever lets his eyes wander toward the forbidden, Allah blinds his inner vision.
4) It opens the doors of knowledge and understanding
A heart filled with light perceives truths quickly and deeply. Lowering the gaze clears the mind, allowing knowledge to flow easily.
But when the eyes are left unchecked, the heart becomes disturbed and dark, and the doors of understanding are shut tight.
5) It strengthens the heart with courage and firmness
Lowering the gaze empowers the soul, granting both the strength of spiritual insight and the authority of reasoned proof.
In contrast, those who follow their desires live in humiliation and weakness—disgraced and debased, for such is the fate of those who prefer their whims over the pleasure of Allah.
6) It brings joy and delight to the heart.
This happiness is far greater than the fleeting pleasure of a sinful look.
Why? Because the believer defeats his enemy—his own self and its desires. When he restrains his lust for the sake of Allah, Allah replaces it with a purer, deeper joy.
One of the righteous said:
“By Allah, the pleasure of chastity is greater than the pleasure of sin.”
Indeed, when the soul opposes its base desires, it experiences a lasting joy far surpassing the brief sweetness of indulgence.
Here is where intellect distinguishes itself from desire.
7) It frees the heart from the captivity of lust.
The true prisoner is the one enslaved by his passions. When lust and desire capture the heart, the enemy gains full control over it, tormenting it endlessly.
Like a small bird in a child’s hand,…. tossed about playfully toward death while the child laughs and plays.
It closes one of the gates of Hell.
The gaze is the gateway to desire, which leads to sinful action.
Allah’s divine prohibition acts as a protective veil—once that veil is torn, the soul rushes headlong into the forbidden and never stops.
The lustful soul is never satisfied; its pleasure lies only in what is new. Thus, lowering the gaze shuts a door that even kings have been unable to close completely.
9) It strengthens and sharpens the intellect Unrestrained looking is born of a light and foolish mind that ignores consequences. But the essence of reason is to consider outcomes before acting.
The poet said:
The wisest of men is he who never embarks upon a deed…. until he reflects on what its consequences will bring.
10) It sobers the heart from the intoxication of lust and awakens it from heedlessness.
Letting the gaze roam freely leads to heedlessness of Allah and the Hereafter. It intoxicates the soul with passion, as Allah said about the lovers of worldly beauty:
لعمرك إنهم لفي سكرتهم يعمهون
“By your life, they were in their drunkenness, wandering blindly.” [Al-Hijr 15:72]
A single glance is like a sip of wine, and infatuation is its intoxication.
But the intoxication of passion is far worse than that of wine,
The drunkard of wine may awaken — But the drunkard of desire rarely wakes except among the dead.
The benefits of lowering the gaze—and the harms of letting it go—are far greater than can be counted. We have only hinted at some of them here.
Especially dangerous is looking at those whom Allah has not permitted one to desire, such as handsome youths—for gazing at them is a deadly poison and a destructive disease.
[Rāwdat al-Muḥibbīn — by Imam Ibn ul-Qayyim.]
This is my first time of commenting on a Muslim post on nairaland. Simply because of many restrictions to avoid criticism. They will always ask If you're a Muslim and if you believe in their prophet Mohammed, which I don't and can never receive myself that I do. Out of all the lies I can lie I will never lie try that I am a Muslim even In the face of death
Winterhaven: Even if by hook or crook we replaced dr congo in the playoffs, the super chickens will still get kicked out on the football pitch. So what's the point...
By that time we will petition the winner for over age players
DrMB: Stop scrolling! We've the definitive list of countries supposedly housing the world's most strikingly handsome men. Did your favorite nation make the cut? Is this ranking accurate in your opinion? Which country is massively overrated? Who did BScholarly miss? Drop the unforgettable country that should be crushing this list! If you had to pick one country's men to be the undisputed #1, who would it be and why? Let the debate begin! See the top 50 countries below and TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS in the comments! 👇
Elzazzi: Nigeria politics. I think in recent times he has been having issues with his boss. The state house of assembly almost impeached him for not defecting to the APC. He sued them to court and the court halted the process. If not he would have been impeached. It’s well.
What are you saying? Are telling us that his death is related to his unwillingness to defect to APC
Quest7777: 🤔 Still can't justify the rationale behind this very expensive Coastal Highway, when we can use a little fraction of the money to maintain the already existing roads linking Lagos to Calabar.
nepapole: All because SA took israel to court over genocide and also because they are a member of BRICS
Well, AIPAC don blow millions of dollars ontop u.s politicians, so nothing do them.
That's not the reason, it was simply because of the genocide of white south Africa by the black south Africans. We all know what this south Africans are capable of
You spoke well until you brought elrufai into the matter. The appearance of elrufai in this conversation rubbish everything you said, because elrufai cannot tell me he is not a terrorist and strong sympathizer of terrorist. Elrufai cannot tell me he didn't champion the killing of Christians and he cannot tell me he never paid terrorist.
Immatex: Knowledge is free but you won’t do any research before you come up here to disgrace your village people.
Read below for your detailed enlightenment:
How Much Does China Owe the US? China’s direct sovereign debt owed to the US (i.e., US holdings of Chinese government bonds or debt securities) is relatively small and not a major component of bilateral financial ties. Based on the most recent available data, US holdings of Chinese bonds on a nationality basis were approximately $27 billion as of 2022. This figure likely remains similar in 2025, as there has been no significant reported increase in US purchases of Chinese government debt amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and diversification efforts by US investors. Note that this excludes US holdings of Chinese corporate or local government bonds, which are larger (total US holdings of all Chinese debt and equity securities were around $240 billion in earlier years but have grown modestly). Overall, China’s central government debt is low (about 20-25% of GDP), and foreign ownership is limited due to capital controls and market access restrictions. How Much Does the US Owe China? The US “owes” China primarily through China’s holdings of US Treasury securities, which finance part of the US federal deficit. As of July 2025 (the latest monthly data from the US Treasury), China held $730.7 billion in US Treasuries. This marks a decline from earlier in the year (e.g., $756.4 billion in June 2025 and $784.3 billion in February 2025), continuing a multi-year trend of China reducing its exposure to US debt for diversification reasons, such as increasing gold reserves and investing in other assets. China remains the second-largest foreign holder after Japan, but its share of total foreign-held US debt has fallen to about 9-10%. Comparison and Contrast with Africa’s Debt to China Africa’s debt to China refers to outstanding loans from Chinese development finance institutions (e.g., China Exim Bank, China Development Bank) to African governments, often under the Belt and Road Initiative for infrastructure projects like ports, roads, and power plants. As of 2022 (the latest detailed estimate from the China Africa Research Initiative at Boston University), the total outstanding debt was $170 billion across 49 countries. This figure has likely grown modestly by 2025 due to new disbursements (e.g., $13.3 billion in 2024 for Sub-Saharan Africa alone), but repayments and restructurings (e.g., in Zambia and Ethiopia) may keep it around $170-180 billion. Cumulative loan commitments since 2000 total $182 billion, but outstanding amounts are lower due to amortization. Key Similarities: • Scale and Significance: All represent substantial bilateral financial flows. US debt to China ($731B) is the largest, roughly 4x Africa’s debt to China ($170B), while China to US ($27B) is negligible by comparison. These debts underscore China’s role as a major global creditor, holding about 2-3% of total US public debt but up to 15-18% of some African countries’ external debt (e.g., Angola at $46B cumulative). • Geopolitical Leverage: Holdings can influence relations—China’s US Treasury stake gives it indirect sway over US interest rates, while African debt has sparked “debt trap” debates, with restructurings often tied to resource access or political concessions. • Economic Interdependence: These debts support trade imbalances; China’s US holdings stem from its trade surplus (recycling dollars into Treasuries), while African loans fund exports of commodities to China. Key Differences: • Nature and Terms: US-China debt is symmetric but asymmetric in size—market-driven purchases of liquid, low-risk Treasuries (yielding ~4-5% currently) vs. China’s minimal sovereign exposure to the US. Africa-China debt is directional (loans from China, no reciprocal African holdings of Chinese bonds), often concessional (low-interest, long-maturity) but project-tied, opaque, and less liquid, with risks of default leading to restructurings (e.g., 20+ African countries restructured since 2020). • Purpose and Risks: US-China ties stabilize global finance and currency (China manages yuan via dollar reserves), with low default risk. African loans target development (infrastructure in 70% of deals), but carry higher risks—15.3% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s external debt in 2023 was to China, contributing to crises in Zambia and Ghana. Repayments strain budgets (Africa faces $22B in 2025 payments to China alone). • Trends and Implications: China has reduced US holdings by ~40% since 2015 peaks ($1.3T) amid de-dollarization, but increased African lending post-2023 slowdown. This shifts focus: US-China debt is a “safe asset” story, while Africa-China evokes sustainability concerns, with calls for transparency and multilateral relief. In summary, US-China debt flows are mature, reciprocal (though lopsided), and integral to global reserves, while Africa-China is more predatory in perception, focused on resource-backed development with vulnerability to shocks. For the most current figures, check US Treasury TIC data or Boston University’s CLA database, as these evolve monthly.
Copy and paste. Without crediting the source is a fraud
Goldrosewine: As seen on facebook...🥺 Although we have to be realistic, people heal differently, everyone's anatomy varies from individual to individual and no two surgeries are 'the same'
Anyway, guys, this is what we bring to the table🥶🥶 appreciate the woman in your life today by showing her love. Happy new week.
helinues: Meaning the Us army will operate in South East. All terrorists within the country must be flushed out
Nigeria government dealt with IPoB ruthlessly but they pamper Fulani herdsmen. Kanu is being incarcerated but myatti Allah are collecting tax. Either double standard or something is fishy.
MadPolitician: Yeah, I learnt that a black Nigerian man believes that a white presudent is of a higher class than a black president of the biggest black nation on earth. What next Mr Lecturer? Should Tinubu also roll on the floor to greet Mr Trump the day he eventually sees him since "class matters"
Mr trump is the number one president in the world not because he's white but because he's the president of the best country and most powerful country in the world. Well the truth is US don't need Nigeria the way we need them. And they have helped us in many ways and are still helping us till tomorrow. USAID, WHO, TUCANO etc. And if they decide to destroy your terrorist brothers heaven will not fall. Even if they drop atomic bomb in your village
MadPolitician: What has being mates got to do with this? You guys always bring your village age rankings to every topic. Trump welcomed Maphosa after quarrelling with him the other day. Are they age mates? Heck, Tinubu might even be older to Trump. So what is Tinubu doing by going to bow to Vance? Vance might be his sons age mate?
Mate or class is not define by age. At least you learn something today
Sonnobax15: In the Nigerian setting,ask every good mathematician around you,he/she will tell you the answer is 4,even without thinking twice about it or pressing any calculator
Pastor Ade..like soyinka..like adeboye..like bakare..like protest..like ojota..
..this "prayers" was replaced with protest in the West during gej's time..
..use that same energy you had during gej's time also for your kinsman tilumbu...
..prayers while terrorists are running Amok with ak rifles & grenade launchers..& you have been so quiet in all of this..
Pastor adeboye never protest against Jonathan stop being ignorant. If you have a proof send it. The only thing he did was a prayer walk for Nigeria. Adeboye will never do that to Jonathan his friend
Crime › Re: Manhunt Underway In South Africa After 9 People Are Killed In Mass Shooting by dapadawee(m): 7:08am On Dec 21, 2025
It closes one of the gates of Hell.
; 