A man who wishes to marry a woman: those who said there is no harm in looking at her

Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I sent a proposal of marriage to a woman, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "Have you seen her?" I said: No. He said: "Look at her, for this will make your bond more lasting."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna 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 proposal of marriage to a woman, then if he is able to look at what would draw him to marry her, let him do so." So I sent a proposal of marriage for a girl of Banu Salimah, and hiding beneath the palm-frond stumps I looked at what drew me to marry her, and then I married her.

Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I sent a proposal of marriage to a woman, and then I used to hide among her palm trees to look at her. It was said to me: Do you do this while you are a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When Allah Almighty puts into the heart of one of you the intention to propose marriage to a woman, there is no harm in his looking at her."

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

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no harm in looking, before the marriage, at a woman whom one intends to marry.

Al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no harm in looking, before the marriage, at a woman whom one intends to marry, because Allah Almighty says: "even if their beauty pleases you" [Al-Ahzab: 52].

Sulayman bin Abi Hathmah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I saw Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) following Nubaytah bint al-Dahhak with his gaze while she was on one of the rooftops of Madinah. I said: Are you doing this? He said: Yes, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When Allah Almighty puts into your heart the intention to propose marriage to a woman, there is no harm in looking at her."