Looking at the prospective bride before the marriage contract
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
This is a woman asking: What is the ruling on the permissible look before the marriage contract, and what is the view regarding it? What is the ruling on the permissible look before the marriage contract, and what is the view regarding it, specifically for the suitor?
The Shaykh:
It is permitted for a man who proposes to a woman to look at her. It is permitted for him as a dispensation, because the default ruling is prohibition; it is not permissible to look at a woman’s face. However, it is permitted for the suitor to look at her face, her hands, her hair, and whatever incites his desire for her, for the sake of the predominant benefit. The fact that a dispensation is granted indicates that the original state was one of prohibition. This is one of the proofs for the obligation of a woman covering her face. It is permitted for him to look at her face, her hands, her hair, and whatever incites his desire for her. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
In the presence of her guardian. He looks at her; he does not seclude himself with her. It is not permissible for him to seclude himself with her before the contract, nor to travel with her, as is the case with the West or with those who imitate the West, where he travels with her, gets to know her, and then proposes to her. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
This is a woman asking: What is the ruling on the permissible look before the marriage contract, and what is the view regarding it? What is the ruling on the permissible look before the marriage contract, and what is the view regarding it, specifically for the suitor?
The Shaykh:
It is permitted for a man who proposes to a woman to look at her. It is permitted for him as a dispensation, because the default ruling is prohibition; it is not permissible to look at a woman’s face. However, it is permitted for the suitor to look at her face, her hands, her hair, and whatever incites his desire for her, for the sake of the predominant benefit. The fact that a dispensation is granted indicates that the original state was one of prohibition. This is one of the proofs for the obligation of a woman covering her face. It is permitted for him to look at her face, her hands, her hair, and whatever incites his desire for her. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
In the presence of her guardian. He looks at her; he does not seclude himself with her. It is not permissible for him to seclude himself with her before the contract, nor to travel with her, as is the case with the West or with those who imitate the West, where he travels with her, gets to know her, and then proposes to her. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
شرح كتاب الصيام من كتاب هداية الراغب، شرح كتاب الصيام من هداية الراغب [5] — alfawzan.live (1:02:23)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.