Can a Woman Describe Her Hair Loss to Due Health Conditions to a Potential Spouse?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is it permissible for a woman to describe her physical appearance, including her hair loss and body shape due to health conditions to a potential spouse before marriage?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah facilitate good health for you and give you complete healing from your ailment.

Look Before Marriage

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When one of you intends to propose marriage to a woman if he is able to look at that which will induce him to marry her, he should do so.” [Abu Dawud]

It was narrated that Mughira Ibn Shu‘ba said: “I came to the Prophet and told him of a woman to whom I had to propose marriage. He said: ‘Go and look at her, for that is more likely to create love between you.’ So I went to a woman among the Ansar and proposed marriage through her parents. I told them what the Prophet had said, and it was as if they did not like that. Then I heard that woman, behind her curtain, say: ‘If the Messenger of Allah has told you to do that, then do it; otherwise, I adjure you by Allah (not to do so).’ And it was as if she regarded that as a serious matter. So I looked at her and married her.” And he mentioned how well he got along with her. [Ibn Maja]

Many scholars have interpreted the above hadith to mean that a suitor should look at the face and hands of a potential bride, nothing more.

Description

It is not permissible to describe one’s appearance to a non-mahram man, even for marriage. Although it is permissible for a mother and sister to visit the girl and describe her to the suitor. This is common in many Eastern cultures. If the suitor has no one to visit the girl, she can just say that she is experiencing hair loss and weight gain, for example, due to her health conditions. More details are usually not needed in order for him to pray his istikhara and make a decision. Keep in mind that he should look at her face and hands, as mentioned above, and that gives him some indication of her beauty and robustness.

Please see many more details here, especially by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam:

• Looking at a Suitor and Showing Hair
• Can a Man Look at the Body of His Potential Spouse?
• Can I Look at the Hair of a Woman Before Deciding to Marry Her?
• Can I Send a Picture Of Myself Without Hijab To a Potential Suitor’s Mother?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.