In her first question, she asks: Is it permissible for the suitor to repeat his visits to the family of the woman he intends to marry, and is it permissible for her to sit with him behind a hijab, excluding the face and hands, in the presence of a mahram (a relative one may not marry) with both of them?
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The questioner : In her first question, she asks: Is it permissible for the suitor to repeat his visits to the family of the woman he intends to marry, and is it permissible for her to sit with him behind a hijab, excluding the face and hands, in the presence of a mahram (a relative one may not marry) with both of them? Or is the suitor limited to only one visit, in which he looks at the woman in the presence of her family?
The Shaykh : Yes, the suitor should not repeat going to the family of the woman and talking to her. However, he should look at her until the matter becomes clear to him. If the matter does not become clear to him the first time and he wants to return, there is no blame on him, and he may repeat this until the matter becomes clear to him. As for after the matter becomes clear to him and he proceeds or intends to propose, there is no need for him to visit them.
And as for the sayingThe questioner : Veiled except for the face and hands. So we say to him and to others: The hijab is the covering of the face, because the face is what the woman must cover, as it is the place of temptation and the place where a man’s attachment to a woman lies. If a person sees that a woman’s face is beautiful and the rest of her body is less so, and he is one who seeks beauty, he would proceed to propose to her. But if he sees that her face is not beautiful, even if her body is among the most upright and well-proportioned, and he is one who seeks beauty, he would not proceed to her. So the place of desire and fear is the face, and it is what the woman must cover, because it is the place of temptation. The fact that some scholars permit this is among the opinions that may be wrong and may be right. But the correct position, indicated by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face from other than her husband and her mahrams (relatives one may not marry).
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes, the suitor should not repeat going to the family of the woman and talking to her. However, he should look at her until the matter becomes clear to him. If the matter does not become clear to him the first time and he wants to return, there is no blame on him, and he may repeat this until the matter becomes clear to him. As for after the matter becomes clear to him and he proceeds or intends to propose, there is no need for him to visit them.
And as for the sayingThe questioner : Veiled except for the face and hands. So we say to him and to others: The hijab is the covering of the face, because the face is what the woman must cover, as it is the place of temptation and the place where a man’s attachment to a woman lies. If a person sees that a woman’s face is beautiful and the rest of her body is less so, and he is one who seeks beauty, he would proceed to propose to her. But if he sees that her face is not beautiful, even if her body is among the most upright and well-proportioned, and he is one who seeks beauty, he would not proceed to her. So the place of desire and fear is the face, and it is what the woman must cover, because it is the place of temptation. The fact that some scholars permit this is among the opinions that may be wrong and may be right. But the correct position, indicated by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face from other than her husband and her mahrams (relatives one may not marry).
The questioner : May Allah bless you.