The Sufficient (Vol 5) · Hadith 1393 (#Ḥadīth #3)
Chapter 39 | Looking at a Woman with Intention to Marry
3- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ السَّرِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ الرَّجُلُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الْمَرْأَةَ يَتَأَمَّلُهَا وَيَنْظُرُ إِلَى خَلْفِهَا وَإِلَى وَجْهِهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ لا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يَنْظُرَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا يَنْظُرَ إِلَى خَلْفِهَا وَإِلَى وَجْهِهَا.
3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from ibn Muskan from al-Hassan ibn al-Sariy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah , about the case of a man who wants to marry a woman; if he can think about her, look behind her and to her face. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is lawful for a man to look at the woman, if he wants to marry, behind her and to her face/”
Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).