Where Muslims meet

“Muslims don’t date, we marry.” It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard a dozen times when referencing Muslims finding a spouse, but often the phrase is misunderstood. The reality isn’t that Muslims skip getting to know someone; it’s that they do it with a clear intention from the start, which is marriage.

That intention changes everything! Instead of casual, undefined dating, the focus is on finding your realistic life partner. You’re not “seeing where it goes”; you’re seeing if you’re aligned. This is often what people mean by “halal dating”: getting to know someone in a way that’s intentional, respectful, and with a clear set goal in mind.

Conversations usually happen in comfortable, public settings, with clear boundaries. Family may be involved early, never to pressure, but to signal seriousness. It removes ambiguity and makes intentions clear from the start. Instead of vague questions like “what are we?”, people ask what actually matters: where do you see yourself in five years, how many kids do you want, what does modesty mean to you? These aren’t intense, but they’re necessary. The goal at the forefront is always marriage and completing half your deen.

This approach also cuts out something many people are tired of: wasted time. There’s no months of confusion or emotional limbo. If you’re aligned, you move forward. If you’re not, you move on. So when people say “Muslims don’t date, we marry,” what they really mean is this: they get to know someone with intention and clarity, because the end goal has always been to find your life partner.

As Muzz closes its 2026 Ramadan campaign, where the goal was to raise $500,000 to rebuild and equip a hospital in Sudan, Shahzad Younas, CEO and Founder of Muzz, wanted to share some interesting stats on how donations came in, along with some of the trends and patterns seen this year.

As always, transparency and providing updates to the community remain a key part of how Muzz runs its campaigns.

The campaign began a little slowly, with a subdued effort at the start, which caused some concern internally. By around mid-Ramadan (6th March), things became noticeably quieter. This coincided with patterns often seen at mosques, where attendance for night prayers typically tails off midway through Ramadan, resulting in smaller congregations.

By the midpoint, only around 15% ($75K) of the total campaign goal ($500K) had been reached. Other charities also mentioned experiencing quieter Ramadans this year, raising questions around whether people were experiencing donation fatigue or had already given earlier in the year due to the large number of ongoing global crises, including Gaza.

Momentum shifted on 9th March as the campaign approached the last ten nights of Ramadan. At this stage, Muzz began matching donations. Each year, the company commits to matching and donating whatever it takes to ensure the gap is filled and the $500K campaign goal is achieved. This is when donations began to increase rapidly.

The 27th night of Ramadan, known as the Night of Power (though it falls within the last ten nights), saw the biggest spike, with over $45K donated on that night alone.

A breakdown of donation sources showed that the largest portion ($100K) came directly from the app itself. A custom in-app screen was built so that as users used the app, they were reminded about the campaign and encouraged to donate. Each year, the Muzz community continues to contribute meaningful amounts through this feature.

The next largest portion came from donations made via a personal fundraising link shared during the campaign, followed by internal communications, push notifications, emails, and website traffic.

Muzz also hosted several iftars globally, with all ticket sales going directly toward the campaign.

This became one of the most thorough campaigns delivered from both a technology and communications perspective, with engineering, product, and marketing teams working together to ensure every effort was made to reach the target.

At present, $283K of the $500K target has been raised, with over 5,000 people donating. Alhamdulillah.

Muzz will now contribute $217K of its own funds to match donations made during the last ten nights and ensure the campaign reaches its goal.

From everyone at Muzz, alongside charity partner Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA), and from the people in Sudan who, Insha’Allah, will benefit from this campaign, a huge thank you.

By Shahzad Younas, CEO of Muzz

Founder of Muzz reveals changing user numbers during the holy month as subscribers raise £175,000 for hospital in Sudan.

The founder of a Muslim dating app with millions of users is hoping Eid will result in an “explosive” return to normal activity levels on the platform, following a 20% dip at the beginning of Ramadan.

UK-based Muzz saw its traffic plummet during the first days of the holy month as users — especially in Europe and North America — took a break from searching for love.

“Ramadan is a month of different priorities,” said its founder and chief executive, Shahzad Younas.

“We see this every year: users pausing or deactivating their accounts or premium subscription at the beginning of the fast.”

Though the paused subscriptions translate to a loss of revenue and a “brutal month” for the company, Younas said users had begun to trickle back to the app once Ramadan reached the halfway mark.

“It’s sort of similar to what happens at my local mosque: it’s packed for prayers for the first few days, then the attendance slowly peters out,” he said.

The Ramadan dip in activity is also far less pronounced in Muslim-majority countries, Younas said.

Opinions on whether the use of match-making apps such as Muzz during Ramadan are divided. Younas said he believed that talking to a prospective spouse online was permissible, but that he would advise against meeting in person.

Muzz was launched by Younas, a former investment banker, in 2015. It boasted eight million active users worldwide by 2023 and had a turnover of £25 million in 2024. The app presents itself as a halal alternative to conventional dating apps, focusing on marriage rather than more casual relationships and offering perks such as a digital chaperone. 

“Muslims don’t date, they marry,” has been Younas’ catchphrase since the launch of the business. The company claims to have introduced more than half a million people to their spouses worldwide.

During Ramadan, the app shifts its focus to fundraising, with users seeing a link to donate to a charitable cause as they swipe. So far this Ramadan, app users have raised more than £175,000 to rebuild a hospital in North Darfur in partnership with the Sudanese American Physicians Association.

Muzz matches all donations made during the last 10 days of Ramadan. 

Younas believes that the app’s religious orientation and “focus on success” insulates it from the downward slump in revenue and users experienced by other mainstream dating apps including Tinder and Bumble over the last few years.

“We always say, if you are serious and want to get married, we are the place for you. If you want to keep it casual and mess around, go somewhere else.”

Article by Weronika Strzyżyńska, Reporter at Hyphen