Am I allowed to look at non mahram for a reason?

[Nightloses]

I go to a public school and Alhamdulilah, I always try my best to lower my gaze. sometimes I get shy when a person i know thats a female that greets me and i greet her back with out any discusion and Im kinda forced to look at her, and I think i try my best to not to look at her body, I think I mostly focus looking at the face, and I try my best to lower my gaze when I speak to a female and sometimes it may look awkward for that other person because Im not having eye contact with her but i try my best pleasing Allah, but sometimes i feel shy to like lower my head when I see someone and try to ignore them. but when like a teacher askes me a question, am I allowed permitted to look at her and answer and right away I lower my gaze when im done answering or speaking to her?

am I suppose to all the time lower my gaze even when someone greets me? Can I look at the female when she greet me and i return back the greeting and right away I lower my gaze?

 

[*charisma*]

Walaikum Assalaam

I go to a public school and Alhamdulilah, I always try my best to lower my gaze. sometimes I get shy when a person i know thats a female that greets me and i greet her back with out any discusion and Im kinda forced to look at her, and I think i try my best to not to look at her body, I think I mostly focus looking at the face, and I try my best to lower my gaze when I speak to a female and sometimes it may look awkward for that other person because Im not having eye contact with her but i try my best pleasing Allah, but sometimes i feel shy to like lower my head when I see someone and try to ignore them. but when like a teacher askes me a question, am I allowed permitted to look at her and answer and right away I lower my gaze when im done answering or speaking to her?

am I suppose to all the time lower my gaze even when someone greets me? Can I look at the female when she greet me and i return back the greeting and right away I lower my gaze?

It's best to try to lower your gaze as much as possible and limit communication except when necessary. Because you go to a mixed school, it maybe difficult to keep this in practice, but do your best. Lowering the gaze is meant to protect you (from lustful desires) and dignify you. As long as you remain within your boundaries, you should be fine

 

[azc]

https://islamqa.info/en/1200?_e_pi_=7,PAGE_ID10,7640667270

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/80315

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[TR][TD]EvidenceProhibiting of Mixing of Men and Women - islamqa.info
My husband and I wanted to know if it were permissable to take Arabic classes at a college where the classes are mixed men-women. We understand that there is no...[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

 

[HisServant]

I go to a public school and Alhamdulilah, I always try my best to lower my gaze. sometimes I get shy when a person i know thats a female that greets me and i greet her back with out any discusion and Im kinda forced to look at her, and I think i try my best to not to look at her body, I think I mostly focus looking at the face, and I try my best to lower my gaze when I speak to a female and sometimes it may look awkward for that other person because Im not having eye contact with her but i try my best pleasing Allah, but sometimes i feel shy to like lower my head when I see someone and try to ignore them. but when like a teacher askes me a question, am I allowed permitted to look at her and answer and right away I lower my gaze when im done answering or speaking to her?

am I suppose to all the time lower my gaze even when someone greets me? Can I look at the female when she greet me and i return back the greeting and right away I lower my gaze?

Your question was answered sufficiently above with the religious perspectives but I wanted to add something which has helped logically. Whenever, speaking to the opposite gender for valid reasons, glancing at them to ensure their facial expression provides the correct feedback, becomes needed. However, not focusing too deeply as in...beyond on that, allow your thoughts to return to the topic of discussion and think about questions/answers to gain further clarity/to provide with such. Lowering the gaze, in some instances could be perceived wrongly sometimes it helps to merely look (slightly) away whilst nodding. If you have to bring your gaze back to that person, then one can also pay attention to that person's forehead and avoid the eyes. Most likely it wouldn't be noticed if the focus is on their eyebrows or forehead but at the same time observing their general overall facial expression (confused/alert/agreeable). Also, be aware of the signals you are sending; it should be serious yet tolerant enough for learning to occur without crossing barriers.

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am I suppose to all the time lower my gaze even when someone greets me? Can I look at the female when she greet me and i return back the greeting and right away I lower my gaze?

With regards to the situation of someone (opposite gender) greeting and without having required interaction beyond this, the following answer seems helpful:

Jareer ibn ‘Abdullaah said: "I asked the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) about an accidental glance at a woman. He commanded me to turn my gaze away." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said: This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. See al-Sunan, 2700).

Commenting on this hadeeth, al-Mubaarakpoori said: " ‘Accidental’ means that his gaze fell on a non-mahram woman unintentionally. ‘He commanded me to turn my gaze away’ means that he was not to look a second time, because the first glance was not by choice and would be forgiven, but any further glances would be counted as sin, and he should heed the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)…’ [al-Noor 24:30]"

The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "O Ali, do not follow a glance with another, for you will be forgiven for the first, but not for the second." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2701; see Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7953)

In al-Tuhfah, he said: "The words ‘do not follow a glance with another’ mean do not look again after the first glance. ‘You will be forgiven for the first’ means that you will be forgiven if the first glance was unintentional, and ‘but not for the second’ means that because the second glance was by choice, it will be counted against you."

So it is clear that deliberately looking at a non-mahram woman and continuing to look after a first accidental glance is haraam. It is forbidden to look at any part of her body, whether you think she is beautiful or not, whether it provokes sexual desire or not, whether it is accompanied by evil thoughts or not, and whether it leads to immoral deeds or not.

We ask Allaah to protect you and us from all haraam deeds. Allaah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path.

https://islamqa.info/en/1774