India, Muslims and Internet Dating

The two main religions practiced in India today are Islam and Hinduism. While different in many ways, there are also certain similarities, in particular with respect to marriage and pre-marital behavior.

Hindu, as well as Muslim matrimonial, are viewed as sacred unions between man and woman, established with mutual consent and with God as their witness.

Dating, a concept generally accepted in Western societies as something young adults do often for the sheer fun of it, is basically forbidden by both religions, as it is regarded as both immoral and irreligious. In fact, any close mingling of genders outside of family relationships or marriages is regarded as such.

While many marriages are arranged, most of them are entered into with the couple's consent. It can, of course, be difficult for any young man or a young woman to find a suitable spouse or to get properly acquainted with a person before a marriage.

This is due to the common fact that, in order to keep the risk of physical temptation at a minimum, even once they do get to meet, they are never given the opportunity to be alone and courtships are kept very short.

Many Indian Muslims have therefore taken to using Internet dating facilities to locate suitable spouses. Alnaddy, for example, provides a safe environment for young Muslims to meet and and interact for as long a period of time as they wish before actually ever meeting in reality.

Because this avoids the danger of immoral behavior being indulged in, this practice is widely accepted by families as an alternative way to select a spouse and precursor to Muslim weddings.

Potential partners are naturally still checked out very carefully by both families involved, and family members are likely to be watching at least some, if not all of the conversations taking place.

This, however, is a small price to pay for the ability to really find out another person's likes and dislikes, views on different subjects and general attitudes. Finding mutual interests and being able to discuss things that are not necessarily agreed upon before being married can make a huge difference to a couple.

Alnaddy allows couples-to-be to do just that and thereby enhances the lives of millions of young Muslims not only in India, but around the world. Knowing that they have the blessing of their families to interact in this way enables them to make their choice without fear of breaking traditional rules, while taking all the time they need to be sure about compatibility.