Contact is not courtship.

Modern tools make opposite-gender contact easy: a reply, a late-night thread, a soft continuity that never names marriage. That contact can be polite and still leave both people unclear — Are we seeking a home together, or only company for now?

Courtship, in the sense Maktub cares about, is not volume of messages. It is a paced getting-to-know with marriage intention, room for discernment, and respect for dignity on both sides. Contact alone does not supply those conditions.

This article describes a product posture and an educational frame. It is not a ruling on every form of friendship, workplace contact, or community interaction — personal questions belong with qualified scholarly counsel.

On Maktub, interest begins with one Salaam at a time — a deliberate greeting, not a swipe and not a standing open chat with everyone. Photos stay blurred until mutual interest. Conversation opens after reciprocal Salaam, not because an inbox stayed warm.

That design refuses an infinite chat inventory. Caps and curated introductions exist so attention stays finite: one considered path at a time, rather than parallel threads that train distraction.

Mutual interest is a dignity gate. It does not certify piety or compatibility. It simply means both people chose to proceed before clearer photos and messaging — privacy and blur are never sold as upgrades.

We are building for Muslims in the Netherlands who want taʿāruf — kennismaking with marriage intention — with verification and photo privacy available to everyone.

If that pace fits you, read how Salaam works and join the founding waitlist when you are ready. Capacity is limited because curation needs care — not because urgency marketing should push you.