How It Works

Nikah4life.org is an Islamic matrimonial site connecting Muslim parents (and elders) looking for suitable matches on behalf of a close family member. Responsible adults looking to get married may also use this site. Most marriage websites for the Muslim community puts the burden of finding, contacting and vetting prospective life partners on the person ready for marriage. The process typically entails registering online, providing personal information, uploading a recent photograph, and making the required payment. Thereafter, one can browse profiles, reach out to fellow website members, or wait to be contacted. If engaging strangers online in search of one's life partner sounds a bit odd, that is true. The underlying reason is that most matrimonial sites evolved from earlier efforts focused on dating and online socializing, and grounded in norms and values of non Muslim societies. As such, they do not fully align with Islamic sensibilities. Moreover, for people lacking experience in finding a suitable life partner, the risks are higher. Finally, modesty حياء is a key Islamic value, so it can be comforting for a young adult to have his or her parents do the initial vetting and screening and narrow things down to a two or three sound choices.

The website services are intended for the sake of Allah and provided free of charge or membership fees. Due to privacy reasons, we do not ask parents to upload photographs, enter date of birth (just the age) etc. However, there are a number of profile and personality related questions to facilitate the matching process. This information is initially sent to a site moderator for review. At this point, the latter may contact the member in case of any questions. Thereafter, the initial profile data will be added to the site database and will show up in applicable search results, along with contact email addresses. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information posted by members, only do the initial screen and suggest matches based on the data. As such, diligence across all relevant areas such as age, education, domicile, marital status etc. is solely the responsibility of site members.

Islam is a holistic worldview that accommodates multiple approaches while being mindful of not promoting behavior that may risk a person’s akhirat آخرة. One example is the forty-year old Umm ul Momineen Khadija’s nikah with the final Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم following the death of her second husband. After being impressed by the conduct, manners and dignity of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم, she initiated the proposal through mutual contacts. A second approach, outlined in Surah al Qasas, pertains to the marriage of a maiden. Specifically the betrothal of the Messenger of Allah, Musa bin Imran, may Allah be pleased with him. After escaping Egypt, Syedna Musa traveled to Madian, arriving at a water-well surrounded by shepherds and their flock. Two young girls were waiting with their sheep, so Syedna Musa pushed the rabble aside to make way for them. He then returned to the shade of a tree and made a dua to Allah: ربي إنّى لما أنزلت إلىّ من خير فقير. The Almighty granted the request and one of the two girls returned walking shyly and stated that her father wanted to meet and thank Syedna Musa. At the meeting, the Messenger of Allah recounted his flight from Egypt, and the underlying circumstances (with the daughter listening too). At the end of the tale, the father assured Syedna Musa that he was now safe. Next, the Quran tells us that the daughter spoke up, suggesting to her father that he hire Syedna Musa. In this way, the subtle message of approval passed from daughter to father. The latter promptly offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to Syedna Musa in exchange for a select number of years of labor. Hazrat Musa accepted, and the marriage contract was finalized. In this way, the responsibility for this young woman passed from father to husband. For this reason, a Muslim woman is called a محصن in the Quran, derived from حصن meaning fortress. She must receive protection and security (including emotional and financial) as if in a secure fortress. A fact that was appreciated by earlier Muslims in that the risk to the honor of even a single woman, or her imprisonment or detention was grounds for pitched battle. Our faith also teaches us that a person who dies protecting the honor of his family is a شهيد . May Allal return us to that state of تقوى , Ameen. Nikah4Life.org is modeled on the examples of matrimony in the Quran and Sunnah. May Allah instill honesty and amanat in those using this website, and barakat in the lives of all those who get married, Ameen.