Contemporary Transformation of Islamic Marriage Services Through the MyNikahNow Application in the United Kingdom

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30983/usraty.v3i2.10197

Keywords:

Digital Transformation, Islamic Law, Islamic Marriage, Marriage Application, Online Marriage

Abstract

This study addresses the contradiction between the rapid digitalization of social and administrative services and the limited modernization of Islamic marriage systems in the United Kingdom. Conventional marriage registration often lacks efficiency, accessibility, and transparency, creating challenges for couples seeking both administrative and religious validation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the contemporary transformation of Islamic marriage services through the MyNikahNow application, which integrates digital innovation with Islamic legal principles to improve service effectiveness and legitimacy. This research employs a qualitative descriptive–analytical design. The data sources include primary materials, such as interviews with users, Islamic law scholars, and certified marriage officers, as well as secondary materials derived from official documents and academic studies. Data collection techniques involve documentation, online observation, and semi-structured interviews, while data analysis is conducted through thematic interpretation to identify patterns of technological, legal, and social transformation in digital marriage practices. The findings show that MyNikahNow effectively enhances administrative efficiency, reduces errors, and strengthens compliance with Sharia law. The application also bridges traditional religious norms with contemporary digital innovation, offering a new paradigm in managing Islamic marriages within Western contexts. This novelty demonstrates that faith-based services can adapt to digital modernization while maintaining legal and moral integrity. This study contributes to the development of digital Islamic family law and religious governance models. It recommends future research to explore comparative applications in other regions to enhance the inclusivity, sustainability, and contextual relevance of digital Islamic marriage systems.

References

Ab Rashid, R., Al-Ramahi, R., Zulkffli, M. A., & Al-Smadi, O. A. (2025). Power Imbalances in Marriage: A Study of Online Support Group Discourse. Journal of Family Issues, 46(8), 1231–1250. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X251347313

Agustina, A. M., & Ismah, N. (2024). Challenging Traditional Islamic Authority: Indonesian Female Ulama and the Fatwa Against Forced Marriages. Journal of Islamic Law, 5(1), 125–146. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v5i1.2319

Ariefulloh, A., Nugroho, H., Angkasa, A., & Ardhanariswari, R. (2023). Restorative justice-based criminal case resolution in Salatiga, Indonesia: Islamic law perspective and legal objectives. Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan, 23(1), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v23i1.19-36

Bacak, V., & Kennedy, E. H. (2015). Marginal Structural Models: An Application to Incarceration and Marriage During Young Adulthood. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(1), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12159

Binarsa, B., & Nasution, K. (2021). Penerapan Kompilasi Hukum Islam Pasal 53 tentang Kawin Hamil dan Tajdid al-Nikah di Kecamatan Mlati dalam Tinjauan Maqasid Syariah. Millah, 20(2), 327–354. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol20.iss2.art6

Bukido, R., Harun, N., Gunawan, E., & Mantu, R. (2022). Harmonization of customary and Islamic law in the gama tradition of the muslim Mongondow community of North Sulawesi. Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan, 22(2), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v22i2.239-254

Cheng, Y., Zhou, X., & Li, Y. (2023). The effect of digital transformation on real economy enterprises’ total factor productivity. International Review of Economics & Finance, 85, 488–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2023.02.007

Dębicka, J., Heilpern, S., & Marciniuk, A. (2020). Application of Copulas to Modelling of Marriage Reverse Annuity Contract. Prague Economic Papers, 29(4), 445–468. https://doi.org/10.18267/j.pep.745

Djawas, M., Ridhwan, R., Yusof, W., Said, W., & Nadhiran, H. (2023). The Integration Between Syara’ and Ade’ in Marriage Tradition Bugis Bone, South Sulawesi. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 18(2), 342–364. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v18i2.10373

Elkink, J. A., & Grund, T. U. (2022). Modeling Diffusion through Statistical Network Analysis: A Simulation Study and Empirical Application to Same-Sex Marriage. International Studies Quarterly, 66(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab087

Fakhyadi, D., & Samsudin, M. A. (2024). Islamic Law Meets Minangkabau Customs: Navigating Forbidden Marriages in Tanah Datar. El-Mashlahah, 14(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.23971/el-mashlahah.v14i1.7364

Guo, X., Li, M., Wang, Y., & Mardani, A. (2023). Does digital transformation improve the firm’s performance? From the perspective of digitalization paradox and managerial myopia. Journal of Business Research, 163, 113868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113868

Hall, S. S. (2015). Working Models of Marriage: An Application of Attachment Theory. Marriage & Family Review, 51(8), 713–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2015.1068252

Harahap, B., Risfandy, T., & Futri, I. N. (2023). Islamic Law, Islamic Finance, and Sustainable Development Goals: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability, 15(8), 6626. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086626

He, Z., Huang, H., Choi, H., & Bilgihan, A. (2023). Building organizational resilience with digital transformation. Journal of Service Management, 34(1), 147–171. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-06-2021-0216

Ibad, M., Lutfiya, I., Sofiyah, Handayani, D., & Muna, K. U. N. El. (2024). Acceptance Analysis of Electronic Application Ready for Marriage and Pregnancy (Elsimil) Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (Tam) Approach. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 18(5), e05628. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n5-084

Idiatullov, A. (2022). “Russian Guy and Chechen Girl”: Analysis of Comments on Internet Publications about Interfaith Marriages. Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie Obshchestva: Istoriia i Sovremennost, (1), 173. https://doi.org/10.31857/S086919080018246-7

Kasim, N. M., & Daud, I. S. (2022). Application of The Concept of Maslahah by Judges to Issuance of Marriage Dispensation Due to Pregnancy in Religious Courts. Jambura Law Review, 4(1), 122–138. https://doi.org/10.33756/jlr.v4i1.10999

Liu, M., Li, C., Wang, S., & Li, Q. (2023). Digital transformation, risk-taking, and innovation: Evidence from data on listed enterprises in China. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 8(1), 100332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100332

Martínez-Peláez, R., Ochoa-Brust, A., Rivera, S., Félix, V. G., Ostos, R., Brito, H., … Mena, L. J. (2023). Role of Digital Transformation for Achieving Sustainability: Mediated Role of Stakeholders, Key Capabilities, and Technology. Sustainability, 15(14), 11221. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411221

Nasution, H., & Muchtar, A. R. (2024). Negotiating Islamic Law: The Practice of Inheritance Distribution in Polygamous Marriages in Indonesian Islamic Courts. Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, 125–144. https://doi.org/10.24090/mnh.v18i1.10921

Ngazizah, I. F., Ismayawati, A., Jalil, S. N. binti A., & Karim, M. B. (2025). Localizing Islamic Law: Marriage Practices and the Pak Ponjen Tradition in Kudus. El-Mashlahah, 15(1), 59–78. https://doi.org/10.23971/el-mashlahah.v15i1.8906

Nur, D. U. H., Sadik, M., Nuzha, N., Abbas, A., & Ardiansyah, A. (2025). Addressing Child Marriage in West Sulawesi: The Role of Islamic Institutions in Public Legal Awareness. De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah, 17(1), 149–174. https://doi.org/10.18860/j-fsh.v17i1.29482

Nur, I., Adam, S., & Muttaqien, M. N. (2020). Maqāṣid Al-Sharī‘at: The Main Reference and Ethical-Spiritual Foundation for the Dynamization Process of Islamic Law. AHKAM : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.15408/ajis.v20i2.18333

Pauha, T. (2023). ‘As a Sunni, I Naturally Cannot Understand Anything Like Temporary Marriage.’ Journal of Muslims in Europe, 12(1), 77–97. https://doi.org/10.1163/22117954-bja10064

Pei, X., Zhan, X.-X., & Jin, Z. (2017). Application of Pair Approximation Method to Modeling and Analysis of a Marriage Network. Applied Mathematics and Computation, 294, 280–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2016.09.010

Pelu, I. E. A., & Dakhoir, A. (2021). Marital Property within the Marriage Law: A Debate on Legal Position and Actual Applications. Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 59(2), 287–316. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2021.592.287-316

Prabowo, A. D. A. P., Chirzin, M., Nashori, F., & Widigdo, M. S. A. (2024). Marriage, Divorce in Islamic Psychological Analysis and Maqashid Sharia. PETITA: JURNAL KAJIAN ILMU HUKUM DAN SYARIAH, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.22373/petita.v9i2.321

Raj, A., Dehingia, N., Singh, A., McDougal, L., & McAuley, J. (2020). Application of Machine Learning to Understand Child Marriage in India. SSM - Population Health, 12, 100687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100687

Rivera, P. M., Armes, S., Cheon, H., & Prouty, A. (2023). A Comparison of Classroom‐Based and Online Multicultural Training Course within a Marriage and Family Therapy Training Program. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 49(2), 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12631

Shah, K. (2025). Validity of Faskh (Judicial Annulment) of Nikāḥ (Islamic Marriage) due to Shiqāq (Marital Discord) and its 21st Century Application. Australian Journal of Islamic Studies, 10(1), 41–65. https://doi.org/10.55831/ajis.v10i1.751

Shang, Y., Raza, S. A., Huo, Z., Shahzad, U., & Zhao, X. (2023). Does enterprise digital transformation contribute to the carbon emission reduction? Micro-level evidence from China. International Review of Economics & Finance, 86, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2023.02.019

Sofiana, N. E., & Sunni, M. I. (2021). The Application of Article 53 of KHI (Islamic Law Compilation) Regarding Pregnant Marriage in Lottery Marriage. Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir’ah, 19(1), 122. https://doi.org/10.30984/jis.v19i1.1453

Stoumpos, A. I., Kitsios, F., & Talias, M. A. (2023). Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Technology Acceptance and Its Applications. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3407. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043407

Supriyadi, S., & Siti Suriyati. (2022). Judges’ Legal Culture in Dealing with High Number of Applications for Child Marriage Dispensation during Covid-19 Pandemic at the Kudus Religious Court. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 17(1), 273–298. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v17i1.6060

Taufiqurohman, T., & Fauziah, N. (2023). The Evaluation of Maqāṣid Asy-Syarī’ah on Discourses of the Islamic Family Law. El-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga, 6(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.22373/ujhk.v6i1.13035

Timotheou, S., Miliou, O., Dimitriadis, Y., Sobrino, S. V., Giannoutsou, N., Cachia, R., … Ioannou, A. (2023). Impacts of digital technologies on education and factors influencing schools’ digital capacity and transformation: A literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(6), 6695–6726. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11431-8

Tolera, Lata Fekadu Sebu, A. T. (2022). Statistical Analysis of Factors Associated with Early Marriage Among Women in Ethiopia: Application of Multilevel Logistic Regression Model. Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability, 11(2), 403–419. https://doi.org/10.18576/jsap/110204

Torkian, S., Mostafavi, F., & Pirzadeh, A. (2020). Effect of a Mobile Application Intervention on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Related to Healthy Marriage among Youth in Iran. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 9(1), 312. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_444_20

Valan, M. L., & Srinivasan, M. (2021). The Application of Routine Activity Theory in Explaining Victimization of Child Marriage. International Review of Victimology, 27(2), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269758020988218

Wang, J., Liu, Y., Wang, W., & Wu, H. (2023). How does digital transformation drive green total factor productivity? Evidence from Chinese listed enterprises. Journal of Cleaner Production, 406, 136954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136954

Xu, J., Yu, Y., Zhang, M., & Zhang, J. Z. (2023). Impacts of digital transformation on eco-innovation and sustainable performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing companies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 393, 136278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136278

Zuhriah, E., Mayasari, L. D., Rahmawati, E. S., Razak, A. Q. B. A., & Sukadi, I. (2023). Dispen-ku Android-Based Application: Assisting Religious Court Judges in Deciding for Marriage Dispensation. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 18(2), 519–543. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v18i2.8773

Zulu, I. Z., Zulu, J. M., Svanemyr, J., Michelo, C., Mutale, W., & Sandøy, I. F. (2022). Application of Community Dialogue Approach to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy, Early Marriage, and School Dropout in Zambia: A Case Study. Reproductive Health, 19(1), 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01335-8

Published

2025-09-26

How to Cite

Muhammad-Lawal, A. A., Yuriska, N., Bulan Siregar, L. S., & Efendi, F. (2025). Contemporary Transformation of Islamic Marriage Services Through the MyNikahNow Application in the United Kingdom. USRATY : Journal of Islamic Family Law, 3(2), 152–162. https://doi.org/10.30983/usraty.v3i2.10197

Citation Check