| You may have heard of the possibilities in Muslim matrimonial links online. A Muslim matrimonial website is a place where you and other young people seeking a spouse can post information about yourselves and seek out others who may be compatible mates. It’s a safe place, a place where you can discreetly and anonymously get to know other young Muslims, and gradually develop a relationship prior to arranging any kind of face-to-face meeting. Basically, the Internet becomes your middleman; instead of using a human matchmaker when your friends and family fail to find you a suitable spouse, you can use a computer and modem. Muslim matrimonial links are growing more common on the Internet. Two of the most widespread Western Muslim organizations, the Islamic Circle of North America and the Islamic Society of North America, host Muslim matrimonial areas on their websites. With both of these, you can browse potential spouses’ information for free, and you can post your own information at no charge as well; but if you become interested in another person and want to contact them, you will have to pay a membership fee. This way, you can browse their listings and determine whether this might be something you want to try prior to investing anything into it besides time.
When you visit a Muslim matrimonial link site and register, you’ll need to list your name, occupation, general location, educational level, interests, and a few other things. Some sites allow you to upload a picture as well, but that’s not required and few use it. Once your information is posted, other young Muslims looking for a spouse and who are registered with the Muslim matrimonial link site can send emails to a private online mailbox; you can respond to those that interest you.
Because it’s a relatively new technology, there aren’t many statistics on how successful Muslim matrimonial link pages are, but there are numerous anecdotes that suggest that at the very least, they provide opportunities to meet young men and women you would never otherwise come in contact with. Since most sites allow at least basic registration for free, it doesn’t hurt to at least try their services.
You do have one other barrier, of course: your family. Your parents and others who care about you may question the wisdom of using an online service like Muslim matrimonial links to find a spouse. You should realize that they are concerned about your safety, among other things; you can set their fears at rest by telling them that it’s no different from using a matchmaker’s services, and that you never give your own personal information until you’re ready to meet the other person – which can take quite a long time. Your first meeting with your prospective spouse needs to be chaperoned; a great way of calming your parents’ fears is to ask if they would like to be present during that meeting. When your mother and father meet the other young person and their family, it will go a long way toward easing their concerns.
Using Muslim matrimonial link sites isn’t like using a Western online dating service; your purposes are not frivolous, and you are speaking to other young Muslims online who have the same concerns, hopes, and fears you have. When your parents understand this, they’ll feel much more comfortable about you and other young Muslims seeking a spouse with a Muslim matrimonial link site.
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