Back to search

Is it permissible for a woman to look at her suitor, and is the Prophet’s command to look at the betrothed exclusive to men?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is desirable for a woman to look at the man who intends to propose to her, because the wisdom for which a man's looking was legislated is also fulfilled by a woman's looking. This looking should occur before the engagement due to the desire for marriage, and it can be done without the permission of the other party. She may repeat the gaze until she discerns his appearance, and if she is not pleased with him, she should remain silent and not say, "I do not want him."

Similarly, it is desirable for one who wishes to marry off his daughter to look for a young man of good appearance for her, and not to marry her off to an ugly one.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy