Only a few days had passed since Amira’s romantic wedding, and my mind can’t help but wonder about the sweet idea of marriage. The wedding bells that embellished the entire Moroccan hotel room reminded me of my childhood fantasies. I’ve always dreamed of designing my own wedding gown.

Being here in Morocco, however, gives a little change to my quixotic ideas of marriage. Though we’re already in the 21st century, people in Morocco still try to follow age-old tradition when it comes to their relationships. If you think arranged marriage only happen in movies, think again because here, it is very much a part of reality. Traditional families generally discourage any form of pre-marital relationships or dating in Morocco.

Good thing, my neighbor, Nadia, enlightened me about the idea of dating in Morocco. According to Nadia, her family believes that choosing a marriage partner is a very important decision. Therefore, it should be done with sincere prayer and faith in Allah, participation of family members, and heedful examination of the partner.

Nadia told me about her sister Zahrah’s love story. Zahrah made a du’a (an offering to Allah) to ask guidance in finding the right man. The family helped in selecting her possible partner until they found Raashid. The couple first went out on group dates. While Raashid and Zahrah were getting to know each other, Zahrah’s parents tried to learn more about the man by talking to Raashid’s family and Islamic elders. The two were also asked to offer salat-l-istikhara, a prayer asking Allah’s guidance in making decisions. After a long period of knowing each other, they were given freedom to choose whether they want to marry each other or not. In the end, the two realized that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

This love story surely thrilled the hopeless romantic in me. It made me realize that love and dating in Morocco aren’t that complicated. It’s actually more serious and carefully thought of. I used to think that arranged marriages curtail freedom. But now, I know better than that.

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