Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī

ذِكْرُ الْإِبَاحَةِ لِلْخَاطِبِ الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا قَبْلَ الْعَقْدِ

ibnhibban:4042 – Abū Yaʿlá > Abū Khaythamah > Muḥammad b. Khāzim > Sahl b. Muḥammad b. Abū Ḥathmah from his uncle Sulaymān b. Abū Ḥathmah

[Machine] I saw Muhammad ibn Muslimah chasing the daughter of Al-Dhahak on a running horse from the outskirts of the city, observing her. So I said to him, "Are you doing this while you are the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?" He replied, "Yes, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'When Allah places a speech of desire in the heart of a person towards a woman, it is not wrong for him to look at her.'"  

ابن حبّان:٤٠٤٢ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ سُلَيْمَانِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ قَالَ

رَأَيْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ يُطَارِدُ ابْنَةَ الضَّحَّاكِ عَلَى إِنْجَارٍ مِنْ أَنَاجِيرِ الْمَدِينَةِ يُبْصِرُهَا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَتَفْعَلُ هَذَا وَأَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا أَلْقَى اللَّهُ فِي قَلْبِ امْرِئٍ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا»  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Ṭabarānī
ibnmajah:1864 – Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Ḥafṣ b. Ghiyāth > Ḥajjāj > Muḥammad b. Sulaymān from his uncle Sahl b. Abū Ḥathmah > Muḥammad b. Maslamah

Muhammad bin Salamah said: “I proposed marriage to a woman, then I hid and waited to see her until I saw her among some date palm trees that belonged to her.” It was said to him: “Do you do such a thing when you are a companion of the Messenger of Allah?” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'When Allah causes a man to propose to a woman, there is nothing wrong with him looking at her.' ”  

ابن ماجة:١٨٦٤ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ قَالَ

خَطَبْتُ امْرَأَةً فَجَعَلْتُ أَتَخَبَّأُ لَهَا حَتَّى نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهَا فِي نَخْلٍ لَهَا فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَتَفْعَلُ هَذَا وَأَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِذَا أَلْقَى اللَّهُ فِي قَلْبِ امْرِئٍ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا  

ahmad:17976 – Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar Ghundar And Yaḥyá b. Zakariyyā b. Abū Zāʾidah > al-Ḥajjāj b. Arṭāh > Muḥammad b. Sulaymān from his uncle > Ibn Abū Zāʾidah Sahl b. Abū Ḥathmah > Raʾayt Muḥammad b. Maslamah Yuṭārid Āmraʾah from al-Anṣār Yurīd > Yanẓur Ilayhā > Ibn Abū Zāʾidah Uthbaytah Āb.ah al-Ḍaḥḥāk Yurīd

Muhammad bin Salamah said: “I proposed marriage to a woman, then I hid and waited to see her until I saw her among some date palm trees that belonged to her.” It was said to him: “Do you do such a thing when you are a companion of the Messenger of Allah?” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'When Allah causes a man to propose to a woman, there is nothing wrong with him looking at her.' ” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1864)   

أحمد:١٧٩٧٦ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ غُنْدَرٌ وَيَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ يُطَارِدُ امْرَأَةً مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ ُثبَيتَة ابْنَةَ الضَّحَّاكِ يُرِيدُ

أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا فَقُلْتُ أَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَتَفْعَلُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِذَا أَلْقَى اللهُ فِي قَلْبِ امْرِئٍ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا  

hakim:5839 – Abū Bakr b. Bālawayh > ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal from my father > ʿAbdullāh b. Mūsá b. Shaybah al-Anṣārī > Ibrāhīm b. Ṣirmah > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd al-Anṣārī > Muḥammad b. Sulaymān b. Abū Ḥathmah from his uncle Sahl b. Abū Ḥathmah

[Machine] I was sitting with Muhammad ibn Muslama, when the daughter of Dahak ibn Khalifa passed by. Muhammad began to look at her intently, so I said, "Glory be to Allah! You are the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and yet you do this?!" He replied, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'If Allah places the speech of a woman in a man's heart, it is not a sin for him to look at her.'"  

الحاكم:٥٨٣٩ – حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ بَالَوَيْهِ ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ شَيْبَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ ثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ صِرْمَةَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ قَالَ

كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ فَمَرَّتِ ابْنَةُ الضَّحَّاكِ بْنِ خَلِيفَةَ فَجَعَلَ يُطَارِدُهَا بِبَصَرِهِ فَقُلْتُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَفْعَلُ هَذَا وَأَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا أَلْقَى اللَّهُ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فِي قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا»  

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ صِرْمَةَ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَرْطِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ غريب
tabarani:16611 – ʿUbayd b. Ghannām > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Ḥafṣ b. Ghiyāth > al-Ḥajjāj > Muḥammad b. Sulaymān from his uncle Sahl b. Abū Ḥathmah > Muḥammad b. Maslamah

[Machine] "I proposed to a woman and I hid from her until I looked at her. It was said to me, 'Do you do this while you are the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' I said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'If Allah puts in the heart of one of you the proposal of a woman, then there is no harm in looking at her.' This is narrated by Hafs ibn Ghayath and followed by Yazid ibn Harun.'"  

الطبراني:١٦٦١١ – حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ غَنَّامٍ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ثنا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ قَالَ

خَطَبْتُ امْرَأَةً فَجَعَلْتُ أَتَخَبَّأُ لَهَا حَتَّى نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَتَفْعَلُ هَذَا وَأَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا أَلْقَى اللهُ فِي قَلْبِ أَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا» هَكَذَا رَوَاهُ حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ وَتَابَعَهُ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ  

tabarani:16612 – al-Ḥusayn b. Isḥāq al-Tustarī > ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Yazīd b. Hārūn > al-Ḥajjāj b. Arṭāh > Muḥammad b. Sulaymān b. Abū Ḥathmah > Sahl b. Abū Ḥathamah

[Machine] "I saw Muhammad ibn Muslimah chasing after the daughter of Dhihak with his gaze, so I said, 'Glory be to Allah, you are a companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and you look at her?" He said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "When Allah casts a desire for a woman in the heart of a man, it is not wrong for him to look at her."' This was narrated by Yahya ibn Sa'id from Muhammad ibn Sulaiman ibn Abi Hathmah, from his uncle Sahl ibn Abi Hathmah, as narrated by Hafs ibn Ghayath and Yazid ibn Harun from Hajjaj."  

الطبراني:١٦٦١٢ – حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ ثنا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ثنا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ ثنا الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثَمَةَ قَالَ

رَأَيْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ يُطَارِدُ ابْنَةَ الضَّحَّاكِ بِبَصَرِهِ فَقُلْتُ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ تَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا وَأَنْتَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا أَلْقَى اللهُ فِي قَلْبِ امْرِئٍ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا» وَرَوَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ كَمَا رَوَاهُ حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ  

tabarani:16613 – ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > ʿAbdullāh b. Mūsá b. Shaybah al-Anṣārī > Ibrāhīm b. Ṣirmah > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Muḥammad b. Sulaymān b. Abū Ḥathmah al-Anṣārī from his uncle Sahl b. Abū Ḥathmah al-Anṣārī

[Machine] I was sitting with Muhammad bin Maslamah when the daughter of Dihhak passed by behind him. He started to chase her with his gaze. I said, "Glory be to Allah! You are the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and you do this?" He said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'If Allah places the speech of a woman in the heart of a man, it is not wrong for him to look at her.'"  

الطبراني:١٦٦١٣ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ شَيْبَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ صِرْمَةَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ عَمِّهِ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْلَمَةَ فَمَرَّتْ بِنْتُ الضَّحَّاكِ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ فَجَعَلَ يُطَارِدُهَا بِبَصَرِهِ فَقُلْتُ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ تَفْعَلُ هَذَا وَأَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا أَلْقَى اللهُ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فِي قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا»