Imam Yassir Fazaga, the Religious Leader of the Orange County Islamic Foundation (OCIF) in Mission Viejo, California, states: “Love is a beautiful thing and it can create lots of energies in us. Islam does not forbid love; it asks to put these energies in the correct channels.
At times of such heightened emotions, it is best to keep a distance until one is married. Scholars have given permission to a man seeking marriage to look at his potential wife to verify or establish physical attraction. When done, it should not be done lustfully, and some scholars have had different opinions as to how far one can go with that.