“When getting to know someone, it can be difficult to know what steps to take, and more importantly, when.”

“Finding a compatible partner isn’t a science, the short answer to the above: Allah swt has already decreed when each person will get married and whom they will marry- it’s something that goes beyond tick boxes and filtering-by-distance.”

“In Islam, marriage is described as a “firm commitment” made between the husband and wife, so that they may find comfort in each other. It is important to set the right intentions when starting to think about marriage: to raise a good family, protecting oneself from haram [Bukhari and Muslim], and providing mutual support and protection.”

When I asked my husband what positivity in a relationship, and particularly our relationship, means to him, he shrugged and said, "we're just happy, aren't we?"

“We’ve all been there. We check our phones multiple times a day, for a number of reasons. Some are more important than others. Sometimes, we’re blowing off steam from a heated argument. Other times, we’re simply bored.”

“How many times have we heard that this magical word is the key to any successful relationship? From YouTube couples to Islamic scholars, I can’t even count how many times this has been mentioned as a fundamental building block for marriage and relationships in general.”

“It’s an hour before Fajr and you gently nudge your spouse awake. It’s time for Tahajjud, you whisper. You spring out of bed, there's no time to scroll through Instagram first, you have to start your morning off just right.”