Can you name an online Muslim matrimonial service that manages to be all that?
I'm not mocking, I'm asking a genuine question.
:salamext:
Getting married to someone from online does not necessarily have to be via marriage sites. Personally, I find those sites to be very dodgy, and wouldn't go on them. A lot of lies and deception is involved. Pictures, chatting etc. Not seen as very respectable.
When I said that u can get married to someone from online and also keep it strictly Islamic, I didn't have matrimonial sites in mind. I was looking at it from a different angle and aspect. I was thinking about people from online (Islamic) universities, online forums (e.g. LI), online Islamic institutions where students of knowledge come to learn etc. Many people that come on sites such as these are genuine people. Many of the sisters I know and am friends with from LI (online) and from an online Islamic Institute which I'm a member of, are genuine people who have come from good and religious families. I know this because I've met many of them in person.
Even though we are not friends with and don't chat to certain members, we can get to know them just by reading their posts. To a certain extent, we can tell what kind of a person they are, their character, knowledge, piety, nature, mentality etc. Therefore, the situation is different from that on matrimonial sites where strangers are putting up their profiles and advertising themselves for marriage.
Having said that, I'm not posting in this thread to encourage people to marry someone from online or on this forum for that matter. Nor am I stating what I personally prefer. I'm just making this post to clarify to many of us, that not all situations are dangerous, deceptive, blind and haram.
Like for example, lets take this situation: Ismail is Zainabs elder brother and they both are students of an online Islamic Institute. They have their own students forum where they can discuss matters concerning Islam and their course. There are also many other dedicated students of knowledge like them on these forums. Ismail has made friends with many of these brothers who he's met on these forums, and Zainab has made friends with many sisters. Now every 4 or 5 months, the students have to attend weekend courses with their Sheikh as part of there syllabus and to sit exams. These are conducted at a school/university building over a number of various cities (segregated environment). During these courses, Ismail gets to meet his friends in person, and Zainab gets to meet hers. Ismail likes one particular brother whom he met on this online Institute, and thinks him a good match for his sister. This brother really respects Ismail too, and would feel honoured to be his brother in law.
Now this brother is someone who Ismail and Zainab initially know from online, yet see the situation? Her brother found her a good husband via these forums and it was done in a totally Islamic, honorable and respectable way.