The clock keeps ticking

As people get older, most people -- those looking for a serious relationship -- no longer enjoy attending weddings and other social events with their parents. Dance clubs and bars are not an option for Muslim men and women to meet.

The most common alternatives used to meet are word of mouth and personal ads. The advantage of personal services is that they allow you to screen and search for the ideal person that best suits your interests while remaining anonymous.

Of course, the joy of anonymity has its downsides too. That hot, CPA babe you meet online could turn out to be a Frankenstein. In fact, false advertising is probably one of the biggest complaints people have when using personal ads.

The problem with personals is that they do not satisfy a very crucial requirement needed in order for two people to hit it off and see each other again: physical attraction and chemistry. Islam permits potential candidates to meet before committing for life.

In the case of personals, you don't actually meet the individual in person until later on. This requires you to invest a lot of your time with a person that you might not be attracted to. Or in the case of matchmaking by a family member, you waste time with someone you're simply not interested in, out of sheer courtesy.