Service A Modern Technological Approach to Muslim Matchmaking
By Sanaa Asif
Jul/Aug 25
In a tech-centric age when finding a matrimonial match online is increasingly common, many Muslims are torn between mainstream platforms that don’t reflect their religious values and traditional matchmaking methods that lack modern ideals. Around 2015, the emergence of Muslim matchmaking apps like Muzz (launched in the U.K. in 2015 as Muzmatch) and Salams attempted to address this gap by offering faith-based matrimony programs catering to Muslims. A recent Muslim matchmaking service founded in 2022 strives to match partners through a unique approach – by utilizing AI to promote efficiency, reduce user costs, and increase accessibility for Muslim Americans. Founded by Zachariah Elkordy, Inpairs seeks to revolutionize matchmaking in the Muslim community through the use of modern technology.
From Concept to Reality
Elkordy was first inspired to create Inpairs in 2021 when many of friends reached out to him asking if he could connect them with potential spouses. He posted a message on his Instagram story encouraging those who were looking to get married to send him a DM. “I had over 75 people DM me that night,” Elkordy told Islamic Horizons.
However, balancing his time between his studies as a medical student and setting people up through Instagram, Elkordy realized the inefficiency of this process. He created a Google Form for those looking to be matched and was surprised to see over 250 submissions within a week. “There’s clearly a huge need here,” he said. “I played around with a few ideas publicly, posting on my [Instagram] stories, and made TikToks for around six months until I narrowed in on the idea of what Inpairs is today.”
As Elkordy began building Inpairs, he realized AI could aid him. “I was trying to figure out what the issues with some of these other matchmaking services are, like why they’re really expensive,” Elkordy said. He realized the main factor driving those high costs was the number of matchmakers needed at other services. “How can I provide a high-quality, consistent service at a more affordable price point? I realized that the clear solution is AI.”
This ambitious plan came with its challenges, one being Elkordy’s difficulty in finding a business partner with a technical background. After months of searching and receiving periodic help from friends, he decided to take matters into his own hands and build the platform on his own. “That’s how I was able to overcome it, by realizing that it was taking too long and [I wasn’t] going to get anywhere unless I started doing it myself,” he said.
However, six months after launching the beta version of Inpairs, Elkordy realized he needed help. He then brought in two software engineers based in Gaza. “At Inpairs, we’re very focused on building long-term relationships… Every dollar that comes in goes back into the company,” Elkordy said. “And so, a lot of that has gone into making sure that the guys on the team are well compensated for the work they do because they’re putting in many, many, many, many hours into making [Inpairs] what it is.”
While Inpairs doesn’t offer a free plan, their subscription options are much cheaper than their competitors, ranging from $20 to $35 a month. The cheapest option offers up to three matches per month from the Exclusive Pairing pool, while the pricier options give you access to either the Masjid Partnership pool or to both the Masjid Partnership and Exclusive Pairing pool. Inpairs software is updated weekly to keep up with the data brought in from new matches.
While the beginning stage of Inpairs was, in Elkordy’s words, “genuinely horrible,” the service has come a long way. Initially, the software was set up to ask users introductory questions about themselves and their ideal spouse, but it didn’t implement their answers to give personalized matches. In other words, the matches were completely random. “Now we’re able to put out what we think is a really high-fidelity match,” Elkordy said. “We just introduced this feature where we can present a match to somebody if we think that we have a really good fit for them within a minute of them signing up. So [the service is] a lot quicker and a lot more accurate.”
Elkordy believes a major factor that sets Inpairs apart from other Muslim matchmaking services is their marketing skills. Inpairs is especially active on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram and regularly posts interviews discussing marriage with imams, Islamic scholars, or just average Muslim couples. “We’re just focused on making a solid online brand with effective marketing tactics. . . And then at the end of the day, [we] provide a really great service,” Elkordy said. Inpairs currently has over 10,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Additionally, Inpairs recently launched Inpairs Masjid, connecting Muslim communities across the U.S. through a central platform. “We’re the first of any service to link Masjids in this way at a national scale,” Elkordy said. Inspired by Elkordy’s own experience meeting his wife, the Masjid Partnership program allows users to connect with masjids around the country. “Even if you’re not from that community, you’re still able to make a reasonable assessment about somebody.”
The Matching Process
To explain Inpairs’ matching process, Elkordy used a hypothetical user named Muhammad as an example. “Muhammad finds Inpairs and he decides to sign up. He fills out a maybe 15-ish minute intake form,” Elkordy illustrated. Muhammed will answer questions about himself, his passions, his deen, and his preferences for a spouse. “We try to make it as engaging and fun as possible as he’s filling it out, too.”
If Inpairs has a good match for Muhammed, he’ll be presented with it immediately after he signs up. “After that, we’ll have our matchmakers go through, do fidelity checks, and make sure that all of the AI’s matches are good,” Elkordy said. Inpairs will then have their pair drops, which are usually twice a month. “We give Muhammad up to three potential matches. And he has 24 hours to say yes or no to the first match before moving on to the next matches.” Once both users say yes, the screen automatically pops up with their contact information which they can then use to get in touch.
User Experience
Medina Latic, a user from Chicago, first heard about Inpairs through a friend who saw Elkordy’s TikToks. “Honestly, I went into it blind. My best friend and I were working at a cafe one day when she pitched me the idea. She said she’d run it for me,” Latic recalled. She said she appreciated the intention of the platform. “The questions they asked were very deep and honest. It gave me an opportunity to really communicate who I am and what I am looking for,” she said. However, Latic saw an opportunity for Inpairs to address an inconsistency in the number of matches given. “The part I was most disappointed in was that some months you might not get matched, but you still get charged. In addition, when you do get matched, you only have 24 hours to accept the match, otherwise they disappear forever.”
The inconvenient nature of this issue was reinforced when Latic’s match period fell on Eid al-Fitr and her match didn’t respond, leading her to wonder whether it was the short time frame that didn’t give him a chance to address the match. “This might not be the case, but with the way the platform was set up at the time, I’d never know,” Latic says. When she addressed this issue in a TikTok, Elkordy reached out and assured her the company was working on a feature that would not charge users when they didn’t receive a match and another one that would allow users to connect with previous matches.
When comparing Inpairs to other matchmaking websites, Latic said other services offer more matches, but she doesn’t know whether that is a good or bad feature. “I think other apps give you a lot more matches and people to talk to, though most of these people often aren’t looking for what you are,” she said. “It’s sort of a shot in the dark and you have to do all the work to figure it out.” She was excited about Inpairs because it was an opportunity for her to have a quality connection with a person who truly satisfied her most in-depth criteria. “I think the platform has a lot of potential, they just need to continue implementing user feedback,” Latic said.
Additionally, guaranteeing data security is an important part of Inpairs’ user experience. According to its privacy policy, the platform collects personal data like profile details, match preferences, and religious affiliation, but it ensures that this sensitive data is processed only with explicit consent. Inpairs also conducts identity verifications with masjids in their Masjid Partnership program to limit potential scams on the service. The service’s AI-driven matchmaking program is regularly updated to maintain accuracy while protecting user data, and the company states they “regularly review [their] practices and systems to ensure data security.”
The Future of Inpairs
As opposed to other countries such as the U.K., the U.S. doesn’t have as much diversity in matchmaking tools, Elkordy observed. “Our goal is to become the premier way that Muslims in the U.S. find their significant other. After that, maybe we can explore moving to other countries, but we really want to make sure that we are the best in class locally before we expand,” he said.
Sanaa Asif is a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She explores the intersection of technology, business, and education, and how it transforms young generations, through her writing, studies, and volunteer efforts.
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