Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not ask for a woman in marriage when another muslim has already done so."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَخْطُبُ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ  

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not ask for a woman in marriage when another muslim has already done so." Malik said, "The explanation of the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ according to what we think - and Allah knows best - is that 'Do not ask for a woman in marriage when another muslim has already done so' means that when a man has asked for a woman in marriage, and she has inclined to him and they have agreed on a bride-price, which she has suggested and with which they are mutually satisfied, it is forbidden for another man to ask for that woman in marriage. It does not mean that when a man has asked for a woman in marriage, and his suit does not agree with her and she does not incline to him that no one else can ask for her in marriage. That is a door to misery for people."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَخْطُبُ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ۔ قَالَ مَالِكٌ : وَتَفْسِيرُ قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِيمَا نُرَى - وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ - «لَا يَخْطُبُ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ»: أَنْ يَخْطُبَ الرَّجُلُ الْمَرْأَةَ، فَتَرْكَنَ إِلَيْهِ، وَيَتَّفِقَانِ عَلَى صَدَاقٍ وَاحِدٍ مَعْلُومٍ، وَقَدْ تَرَاضَيَا، فَهِيَ تَشْتَرِطُ عَلَيْهِ لِنَفْسِهَا، فَتِلْكَ الَّتِي نُهِيَ أَنْ يَخْطُبَهَا الرَّجُلُ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ. وَلَمْ يَعْنِ بِذلِكَ، إِذَا خَطَبَ الرَّجُلُ الْمَرْأَةَ، فَلَمْ يُوَافِقْهَا أَمْرُهُ، وَلَمْ تَرْكَنْ إِلَيْهِ، أَنْ لَا يَخْطُبَهَا أَحَدٌ، فَهذَا بَابُ فَسَادٍ يَدْخُلُ عَلَى النَّاسِ.