Am I permitted to refuse to complete the engagement with my current fiancé, who does not commit to lowering his gaze, refuses the niqab and the growing of the beard, and does not encourage me to draw closer to Allah, knowing that I have not felt acceptance towards him from the beginning, and he refuses to fulfill the condition of living near my family after marriage?

The criteria for choosing a spouse are religious commitment and good character. The qualities mentioned about this suitor indicate that he does not meet these criteria, in addition to early signs of disagreement on matters such as place of residence. Therefore, it is preferable to annul the engagement, as it is merely a promise and not binding. Separation now will have a lesser impact than divorce after marriage. Parents do not have the right to compel their daughter to marry someone she does not desire. The general rule is that a woman resides where her husband resides, unless there is a valid excuse or a prior condition.