Can I View a Woman’s Picture without a Hijab before Proposing Marriage?
Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Question
Is it permissible for me to look at a picture of a woman without a hijab before I marry her?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Islam permits the suitor to look at the face and hands of the woman he intends to marry. This allowance helps in ensuring the stability of the Islamic family. It is preferable for this to take place directly and within the family environment, as evidenced by the hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) when he asked Mughira Ibn Shu‘ba after he had proposed to a woman:
“Have you looked at her?” He replied, “No.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Look at her, for it is more likely that affection will be established between you.” [Ibn Jarud; Ibn Hibban]
It is preferred that this direct meeting happens in a family setting. However, if a direct meeting is not possible and the woman feels comfortable sharing a photo with a trusted person, there is no harm in sending a photo. This is permissible, provided the photo is real, unaltered, and fulfills the purpose of the suitor seeing her. The photo should also be modest, with the woman wearing her full hijab and without showing her hair.
Fatwa
Al-Azhar’s fatwas have stated:
“The scholars have permitted a suitor to see his prospective bride and the bride is also allowed to see her suitor in the presence of a male guardian, such as her father, brother, uncle, or maternal uncle. If one viewing is not enough, it can be repeated under the same conditions. As for looking at a picture, it takes the same ruling as looking in person, which is permissible. Therefore, it is permissible for the suitor to view a photograph of the woman he intends to marry.”
We ask Allah to grant every couple a happy and blessed life in a manner that pleases Him and His Messenger. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad, born in Damascus, Syria, in 1965, pursued his Islamic studies in the mosques and institutes of Damascus. A graduate of the Islamic University of Medina in 1985, he holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.
He has extensive experience developing curricula and enhancing the teaching of various academic courses, including conducting intensive courses. Shaykh Awad has taught Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Quranic sciences, the history of legislation, inheritance laws, and more at several institutes and universities such as Al-Furqan Institute for Islamic Sciences and Majma‘ al-Fath al-Islami in Damascus.
He is a lecturer at the Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Waqf University in Istanbul, teaching various Arabic and Islamic subjects, and teaches at numerous Islamic institutes in Istanbul. Shaykh Awad is a member of the Association of Syrian Scholars, a founding member of the Zayd bin Thabit Foundation, a member of the Syrian Scholars Association, and a member of the Academic Council at the Iman Center for Teaching the Sunna and Quran.
Among his teachers from whom he received Ijazat are his father, Shaykh Muhammad Muhiyiddin Awad, Shaykh Muhiyiddin al-Kurdi, Shaykh Muhammad Karim Rajih, Shaykh Usama al-Rifai, Shaykh Ayman Suwaid, Shaykh Ahmad al-Qalash, Shaykh Muhammad Awwama, and Shaykh Mamduh Junayd.
