Sunan Ibn Majah Book 9, Hadith 1864

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 ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِذَا أَلْقَى اللَّهُ فِي قَلْبِ امْرِئٍ خِطْبَةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that: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.' ”