Assalam u alaikum, In one fatwa,a person asked from u:Is it jayaz for man to meet his wife before marriage or a man and woman can meet each other before marriage and select each other only after seeing each other? U replied :A man and woman, before nikah, are like strangers; they can not see and meet each other. It is not right to see the girl you want to marry by appointing a meeting; it is allowable only if you see her by chance. It is better to get a proposed girl seen by ones relative women. In another fatwa a person asked:Assalamalaikum I have come to know that it is not permissible to even look at ‘ghair-mahram’, i.e., someone who you are eligible to marry with. If this is true, then how can a person – male or female – decide his/her future spouse? U replied:It is prohibited to look at ghar-mahram, (strange opposite sex) but if you intend to marry a girl then you can see her once, rather it has been declared allowed in a hadith. Please clarify this can we see a girl which we intend to marry.After seeing her if we doesn’t like to marry her so it will be ok to regect and see another girl?
Answer:
(Fatwa: 1095/808=H)
It is allowable to see her only as much as permissible by Shariah. If you do not intend to marry then you can excuse with wisdom and politeness.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband