Rafiq & Fatema

Seven years away from home

Rafiq Ahmed had been living in London for seven years when he finally decided to take the step he'd been putting off. A senior software engineer at a tech firm in Canary Wharf, he had built a comfortable life — but something was missing. He knew exactly what it was.

“I'd tried other platforms,” Rafiq says. “But they either felt too casual, too Indian-focused, or the profiles weren't real. I'd match with someone and never hear from them again. It felt pointless.” A colleague at work mentioned Walima — specifically, that it was made for Bangladeshi Muslims. Rafiq downloaded it that evening.

The match that changed everything

Within 72 hours of creating his profile, Walima's algorithm had generated his first set of matches. Fatema's profile appeared at the top. She was a secondary school teacher in Mirpur, Dhaka — quietly religious, close to her family, with a warmth that came through even in her profile text.

“Her profile said she made dua every day for a husband with strong deen and a kind heart,” Rafiq recalls. “I thought: I want to be that person.”

“I wasn't just swiping. I was reading about someone's life, their values, their family. Walima made me feel like I was being introduced — not just browsing.”— Rafiq, London

When the families entered the conversation

Rafiq sent an expression of interest. Fatema's profile showed it to her father — using Walima's wali feature, which allows a guardian to be included in all communication. Her father reviewed Rafiq's profile, his ID verification status, and his family background before allowing the conversation to proceed.

“It was completely halal from the first message,” Fatema says. “My father was with me at every step. That made my mother feel safe. That made me feel safe.”

Rafiq's uncle in Dhaka was added to the family messaging thread. Within two weeks, four people — Rafiq, Fatema, her father, and his uncle — were having a conversation that felt less like an app exchange and more like a traditional family introduction.

From first match to nikah — in 4 months

What Fatema says about Walima

For Fatema, the most important thing about Walima wasn't the technology. It was the respect.

“Every other platform I heard about — you're just scrolling through strangers. There's no context, no family, no proper process. Walima felt like someone had thought about what Islamic marriage actually means and built the platform around that.”

“We didn't just find each other. We found the right way to find each other. Walima respected our values at every single step.”— Fatema, Dhaka → London

Her parents — initially sceptical of any online platform — became Walima's biggest advocates. “My father told his friends about it,” Fatema laughs. “He said: ‘This is not like those dating apps. This is proper.’”

A message for other Walima members

When asked what they would tell someone hesitating to join Walima, Rafiq and Fatema answered together, almost in unison: “Just make your profile honest, make dua, and trust the process.”

Rafiq adds: “Don't rush it. The platform is serious. The people on it are serious. Give it time and give it trust.”

Fatema's last word: “Walima gave us a halal beginning. And in sha Allah, a beautiful ending.”