Can a Muslim Woman Propose to a Muslim Man?

Question: Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum. Can a Muslim woman propose to a Muslim man?

Mufti: `Ali Jum`ah

Answer:
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.
There is nothing wrong as far as Islam is concerned if a Muslim woman proposes to a Muslim man. It is reported that Khadijah, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her), proposed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
In this context, we’d like to cite the following Fatwa issued by the eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Ali Jum`ah, Professor of the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar Univ., states,
There is nothing in the Shari`ah to prevent a Muslim woman from proposing to a righteous Muslim man. However, a Muslim woman should be careful not to be deceived by the appearance of a certain person and wrongly judge him as a righteous man.
Having stated this, there are several points that a proposing woman should keep in mind. She should select a righteous matchmaker, whether a man or a woman, whom she may use as a “middle-man” in the affair of seeking a pious spouse. Also, she should only choose a virtuous man who is committed to Islam and is financially able to maintain her and cater for her needs.
Here, we would like to shed light on the issue of privacy. She is not allowed to sit in privacy (khalwah) with a non-mahram male under the pretext of proposing, etc. This also shows the importance of matchmakers.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Source: OnIslam