Is It Permissible for Me To Use a Muslim Matchmaking Apps and Meet Alone?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I wanted to inquire whether it is permissible to use Muslim marriage apps like Muzmatch or Minder to look for a husband. I am a 32-year-old girl living alone in Canada, and my family is in Egypt. It seems like the only way now to meet people with COVID. Since I am alone in Canada, I also wanted to know whether I can meet suitors in a public place alone or do I need to have someone with me? And is there a limit on how many times I can meet before a decision?

Answer

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question. May Allah make it easy for you to approach marriage with your family being far away. Although it is permissible to use a website like this, you must be aware of the drawbacks.

Disadvantages

The profile of a prospective suitor could be deceptive or false, and you will run the risk of being disappointed and wasting your time. Picture exchange between the two may also be deceptive, and a woman must be sure not to expose the body other than face and hands. The absence of the parents makes it less ideal, and the chat could cause one to contravene the shari`ah easily. So using it would require much prudence and wisdom. Please see more details here:

https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/7860/marrying-via-the-internet-matrimonial-agencies/

Meeting in public

If you feel that you have come in touch with someone that you would like to meet, you can meet him in public, but not alone. You are taking enough risk by meeting this person from a website, and it is safer and better for your honor and integrity to have some friends or another couple with you. You may even meet in the presence of an imam or elder who will look out for you since your parents are not there. Do get your parent’s approval for the meeting as well.

Please see these links for more information:

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/marriage/meeting-with-a-potential-suitor-in-public/

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/approaching-a-potential-spouse/

Limit

There is no limit on how many times you can meet someone until you make your decision. As long as you are within the limits of the shari`ah and are taking the correct means to ask your questions and learn about the person, you may take your time. However, you should be sure that this doesn’t turn into dating and just hanging out with him for fun. Also, keep in mind that it doesn’t take long to get a know a person for marriage, and usually, your instincts and istikhara point you in the right direction.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next. 

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad  

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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