Mughirah bin Shubah, who had been seen by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When one of you proposes to a woman, there is no harm in him looking at her, so long as he is looking only for the purpose of marriage, even if she is unaware of it."
- وقد رأى رسول الله ﷺ- قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: إذا خطب أحدكم امرأة فلا جناح عليه أن ينظر إليها، إذا كان إنما ينظر لخطبة، وإن كانت لا تعلم.
Ahmad (23603) narrated it from Abu Kamil, who said, Zuhayr told us, Abdullah bin Isa told us, Musa bin Abdullah bin Yazid told me, from Abu Humayd or Abu Humaydah, and he mentioned it. Tahawi in his Sharh (14/3) and Tabarani in Awsat (1/498) both narrated it through Zuhayr, and Bazzar (9/165) narrated it through Qays, both of them from Abdullah bin Isa, from Abu Humayd, without doubt, similarly. Its chain is sahih.Haythami said in Majma al-Zawaid (4/276), "Ahmad narrated it, except that Zuhayr had doubt and said, from Abu Humayd or Abu Humaydah, while Bazzar narrated it without doubt, as did Tabarani in Awsat and Kabir, and the men of Ahmad are the men of the Sahih."I say, it appears that the doubt did not come from Zuhayr, but rather it may have come from Abu Kamil, since Tahawi and Tabarani in Awsat also narrated it from Zuhayr without any doubt. This Abu Humayd is not Abu Humayd Saadi, the well known companion, even though Imam Ahmad included this hadith among the hadiths of Abu Humayd Saadi. Balazuri mentioned this man among the companions. Ibn Abdul-Barr did not mention him in al-Istiab, so Ibn Fathun added him, as noted in al-Isabah. And the text of the hadith itself indicates that he had companionship with the Prophet.