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Marriage, the halal way

Honest, short reads on choosing a spouse, the wali, the nikah and everything in between. Every hadith is quoted with who narrated it and where it is recorded.

Hands holding an open Qur’an with a string of prayer beads, resting on a patterned cloth. Choosing a spouse

Choosing a spouse for their deen and character

Islam names the four reasons people marry and tells you which one to put first. What that looks like in a real person, and how to look for it.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read
A father in a green jumper reading the Qur’an with his young daughter, who wears a colourful hijab. Family and the wali

What is a wali, and what does he actually do?

Who her wali is, why Islam gives him a role, what the schools of law say, and the one thing he can never do: marry her to someone she has not agreed to.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read A young woman in a grey hijab resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought. Before you say yes

Questions to ask before you agree to marry

Fifteen questions worth asking before the nikah, on faith, family, money, everyday life and the marriage itself, and what to listen for in the answers.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read A smiling young woman in a pink hijab reading a message on her phone. Before you say yes

Talking before the nikah: how to keep it halal

Getting to know someone for marriage is allowed, and it has boundaries. How to talk with purpose and modesty, and end kindly if it is not right.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read A man sitting alone on the carpet of a large mosque prayer hall as morning sunlight streams through the windows. Before you say yes

Istikharah: how to pray for guidance about a marriage

What istikharah is, how to pray it step by step, what to expect afterwards, and why it goes hand in hand with asking people you trust.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read A newly married couple, the bride in a hijab, standing together on a path lined with palm trees. Choosing a spouse

Compatibility in Islam: why personality matters

Shared deen is the foundation, and personality is what you live with every day. What compatibility really means, and why it is not the same as being alike.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read A man in a dark coat sitting on the floor of an ornate tiled mosque, facing a window full of light. Choosing a spouse

Asking about a suitor: character references in Islam

Islam encourages families to ask about someone before a marriage. Who to ask, what to ask, and what a check can and cannot tell you.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read A bride’s hand painted with henna resting in the groom’s hand at their wedding. The nikah

The mahr: what it is, who it is for, and keeping it easy

The mahr is the wife’s right and hers alone. What it can be, how much it should be, prompt and deferred mahr, and why the Sunnah leans towards ease.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read A bride with henna on her hands signing her nikah contract, the pages laid open in front of her. The nikah

Your nikah, step by step: what happens on the day

What makes a nikah valid, what happens in the ceremony, the walimah afterwards, and the legal step couples in England and Wales often miss.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read A woman in a dark hijab standing on a beach, looking out at the sun setting over the sea. Marrying again

Marrying again after divorce or the loss of a spouse

Remarriage is honourable in Islam and was normal among the companions. On grief, the waiting period, children, and starting again with hope.

27 October 2026 · 2 min read

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