Is it permissible for a suitor to look at his prospective bride?

Question:
You mention the story of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf: when his brother said to him, "Look at one of my wives"; is it lawful for a suitor to look at a woman?

Answer:
Yes, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the suitor to look. He said: So there is nothing wrong with looking at the prospective bride, provided there is no seclusion.
A man came to him and mentioned to him the marriage of a woman, meaning he wanted to marry her, or contract the marriage with her. He said: He said: No. He said: Muslim narrated it in the Sahih. So there is nothing wrong with this; rather, this is one of the causes of harmony between them, meaning: bringing them together, and the stability of the marriage between them, if that is facilitated, if her family permits him to do so without seclusion, but rather in the presence of her mahram, or her mother, or the like of those whose presence precludes seclusion.
Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that he proposed to a woman, and he wanted to look at her. He said: So I used to follow the date palms, and she was among the date palms in the farms of the Ansar, one date palm behind another, hiding behind the date palms, until he saw of her what pleased him, so he proposed to her.
The point is: if it is facilitated for him to see her with permission and knowledge, there is nothing wrong with it. And if that is not facilitated, and he sees her without her knowledge, from a gap, or behind the date palms, or from such and such, or from such and such of the ways in which there is no prohibition in the Shari'ah, and there is no seclusion, there is nothing wrong with it.

Question: Do the family commit a sin if they do not enable the suitor to see her?

Answer: It appears they do not commit a sin, but it is better and more preferable that they enable him; because this is one of the causes of harmony between them, and bringing them together, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered it. He said: So when he ordered him to look; that indicates that it is recommended for them to enable him, as long as the Prophet ordered it, enabling the man whom the Prophet ordered to look is more preferable.
But some people, it is their custom not to do so, and it is difficult for them, and some of them say: I fear that if he sees her, he will not be pleased with her, then he will talk among the people, then the people will turn away from her after that. They have interpretations for this.