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Insights, Reflections & Case Studies
Finding Mr. / Mrs. ‘Right’ – on Awaz FM Glasgow
Alas, February 14th is upon us once again and for many there will be the smell of fresh roses and chocolates filling the air.
While the concept of a single day dedicated to love and romance seems nice to some, it’s more befitting for us to discuss love and relationships at a deeper level, beyond the celebrations of a single day.
Recently I was invited on to Awaz FM – a radio station in Glasgow, Scotland – to do just that. While on the show, the host (Amjid Bashir) asked me a range of questions regarding love, marriage, and finding the right partner.
The full show can be viewed above.
Some of the discussion points include:
- A bit about myself and my work in the marriage and family law field
- Enhancing parental involvement and guidance in the marriage process
- Why are people struggling to find a good match?
- Delaying marriage
- Does the ‘perfect’ person exist?
- And a variety of other marriage-related issues
To receive more of my insights on marriage...
Delaying Marriage: Does it Really Matter? (Surprising Answer)
Delaying marriage into the late 20’s and early 30’s has become a growing trend. Many young people or their parents will only actively start looking for potential spouses after formal education or a few years of being in the workplace. Attendance at marriage events or a cursory glance at matrimonial sites shows the average age of people looking has increased.
There are a wide variety of reasons as to why some Muslims do not marry until much later on in life. From these, the most common include being occupied with studies, parental obstacles, a feeling of not being “ready” or mature enough (whether that’s held by the person or their parents) or financial difficulties. In some cases, individuals do make a great effort to get married but just can’t seem to find “the one” and for others marriage just isn’t an attractive concept at all.
But is delaying marriage an issue and something to be concerned about? Is there really a...
The Dangers of Making Marriage Harder for Our Youth
Many years ago, I read a short book by a scholar [1] called “Have Mercy on Our Youth”. The scholar was calling for society to make marriage easier for young people, citing how hard it had become to get married at a time when the doors to unlawful behaviour like fornication had become so open and multifold. Written many years ago, I sometimes wonder what he would write if he were alive today.
Marriage is such a massive part of our lives and weddings are big social occasions for families and friends.The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Marriage is part of my way (sunnah), and whoever does not follow my way (sunnah) has nothing to do with me.” (Ibn Majah)
Marriage at the time of the Prophet ﷺ was simple and made easy. The Prophet ﷺ called for dowry (mahr) to be light [2] and pushed young people to marry.
“O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, and whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for that will be a shield for...
The Hidden Crisis Destroying the Muslim Community from Within
Every time we watch or read the news, there seems to be another crisis developing in the Muslim world. Whether it’s Africa, Asia or the Middle-East Muslims seem to be in turmoil. Some of us living in the West are moved by what we see and try to help in different ways, like organising and attending charity dinners. More often than not, a lot of awareness is created and generous donations are made. However, unlike war, earthquakes or famine, when a crisis does not make the headlines, our reaction is much more subdued. As time has gone on, more and more of us are beginning to realise that there is a silent crisis unfolding across Muslim communities in the West. Yet many of us are oblivious to how serious and grave the situation currently is and will continue to be in the future. This silent crisis is the erosion of the very fabric of our communities: the family.
In my capacity as a family support consultant for a Muslim charity that works to strengthen the Muslim family, I see...
