Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I sent a marriage proposal to a woman. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked me, “Have you seen her?” I replied, “No.” He said, “See her, for this will be a means of lasting affection between you.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you sends a marriage proposal to a woman, if he has the ability to look at her, then he should look at her." So I sent a marriage proposal for a girl from Banu Salamah, and I hid under the bark of a date-palm and looked at her, and then I married her.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I sent a marriage proposal to a woman, then I hid in her date-palm bark and watched her. I was told, "You are a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and you do such a thing?" He replied, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: When Allah puts the intention of marrying a woman into the heart of any one of you, then there is no harm in looking at her."

Hazrat Ibn Tawoos (may Allah have mercy on him) says that when I intended to marry a woman, my father said to me, "Go and look at her." I put on new clothes and got ready, then my father said to me, "Do not go."

Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said that there is no harm in looking at the woman whom one intends to marry before the marriage.

Hazrat Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) says that there is no harm in looking at the woman whom one intends to marry before marriage, because Allah Almighty says { وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَک حُسْنُہُنَّ } [الاحزاب ٥٢]

Hazrat Sulaiman bin Abi Hathmah (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I saw Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah have mercy on him) looking at Nabi'ah bint Dhahak. I said to him, "Are you doing this?" He replied, "Yes, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say that when Allah puts the intention of marrying a woman into your heart, there is no harm in looking at her."