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Is it permissible to have a legal viewing (ru'yah shar'iyyah) for another suitor while the first engagement is still valid?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The fundamental rule is that it is forbidden for a man to look at a non-mahram woman, and looking is only permissible for a woman he intends to propose to. Once a woman is engaged, the justification for looking at her ceases. It is forbidden for a man to propose to a woman who is already engaged to another, after the parties have agreed and are content, unless the engagement is dissolved. In that case, it is permissible for him to look at her if he wishes to propose to her, bearing in mind that dissolving an engagement is disliked unless there is a necessity for it. However, if the woman is hesitant and has not agreed to the first proposal, there is no harm in another man proposing to her, and he is allowed to have the permissible sighting. Nevertheless, she must decide whether to accept or reject the first suitor.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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