السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته In sha Allah, I will soon meet a potential wife. Many say one should observe the mother. Is it permissible to look at the mother for this purpose, provided it is done in a purely respectful and modest way? بارك الله فيكم وجزاكم الله خيرا

Ustadh AbdulAziz al-Haqqan

No, the permission to look is for the woman you intend to marry, and her mother is a non-mahram to you like any other woman. If you want to know the family, ask about them from those who know them.