Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- Organizing match-making gatherings is a good initiative and you will have a great reward for it.
2- In these match-making gatherings, there should be no intoxicating drinks or unlawful food served. There should be no dancing or singing or the like of what Islam prohibited.
Focusing on the question in point, the eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Abdul-Fattah `Ashoor, Professor of Exegesis of the Qur’an at Al-Azhar University, states:
Allah will reward those who spending efforts for the interests of people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Whoever is spending effort for satisfying his brother’s need, Allah will be satisfying his need …” (Al-Bukhari)
Having stated this, Allah will reward you for the act you are going to do if your intention is for the sake of Allah and it is in accordance with the ethics and morals of Islam.
Marriage is based on the free choice of both the man and woman, with due consent and approval of their parents. Nevertheless, it is ultimately up to them to decide whom to marry so long as they are religiously compatible.
Organizing Match-Making Gatherings
Organizing match-making gatherings is a good initiative and you will have a great reward for it. This initiative is highly appreciated in the light of the prevailing conditions and environments in the Western countries. Now immorality and lewdness are so rampant that the relationship between a man and a woman is a personal relation. Everyone chooses what he or she likes without any restrictions.
So, you are commended for the act you are going to do, as it is in the interest of those Muslims living in that country.
Conditions of Match-Making Gatherings in Islam
The gathering you are going to arrange should be based on the teachings of Islam. Of course, there should be no intoxicating drinks or unlawful food served.
There should be no dancing or singing or the like of what Islam prohibited.
Families, including sons and daughters, can attend this gathering while abiding by the Islamic dress without uncovering their awrah or being exposed to any corruption.
They can be invited for lunch or dinner, and in this way those attendees can talk to each other in a good atmosphere away from disgraceful mixing and the prohibited acts that do not comply with the ethics and morals of Islam.
Such a gathering would open the door to mutual acquaintance and approach. Thus, the door of the lawful marriage would be easy for those people.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.