Fathwa, - Looking at lingerie catalogues to buy lingerie for one's wife...

Question:
A "respectable" scholar once said that it is permissible for men to
look at pictures of almost naked women wearing underwear in lingerie
catalogues for the sole purpose of buying lingerie for their wives. Is
this true? If yes, would this still be the case if the lingerie models
were posing in sexual and suggestive ways?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
It is not permissible to view almost naked women wearing underwear in
lingerie catalogues even for the sole purpose of buying lingerie for
one's wife. The ill and detrimental effects of this are far too great
for it to be permissible.
One of the duas of the Messenger (upon him be peace) was, "O Allah,
save us from immorality, the apparent and the hidden."
He says:"Come not nigh to shameful deeds. Whether open or
secret"(al-Qur'an 6:151)
He also says:"Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed)
and an evil, opening the road (to other evils)"(al-Qur'an 17:32).
There may be a number of other sources for purchasing such gifts for
one's wife. For instance, certain catalogues or websites featuring
only the garments minus the models. However, rather than an all out
search for such, it may be simple to give the wife a gift card to a
department store and let her take care of it for him.
And Allah knows best.