Is it permissible for a woman's guardian to prevent her suitor from looking at her with the permissible gaze on the grounds of custom?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
What is your Eminence's guidance if the woman's family insists on not allowing the prospective husband to see the woman, saying that custom forbids it?
Answer:
Perhaps the best for them is to allow it. If the suitor wants to look at her, the Sunnah is to allow him to do so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded this. The man said when he proposed to her, and a reply came to him asking for permission to marry, he said, "Did I propose to her?"
He said, "No." He said, "Go and look at her." So the Sunnah is for them to allow him, but he must not be alone with her. He looks at her in the presence of her father, or her mother, or her brother, or others. He must not be alone with her. This is the best, to allow him. This is the best. Yes.
What is your Eminence's guidance if the woman's family insists on not allowing the prospective husband to see the woman, saying that custom forbids it?
Answer:
Perhaps the best for them is to allow it. If the suitor wants to look at her, the Sunnah is to allow him to do so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded this. The man said when he proposed to her
...with a woman, so if he is able to look at her in a way that leads to marriage, let him do so.
بمراة فإن استطاع أن ينظر منها إلى من يدعو إلى نكاة فليفعلHe said, "No." He said, "Go and look at her." So the Sunnah is for them to allow him, but he must not be alone with her. He looks at her in the presence of her father, or her mother, or her brother, or others. He must not be alone with her. This is the best, to allow him. This is the best. Yes.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 490 هل لولي المرأة منع خاطبها من النظر إليها النظرة الشرعية بدعوى العرف؟ للإمام ابن باز — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.