Muslim dating app takes 20% Ramadan hit but founder hopes for ‘explosive’ Eid
Founder of Muzz reveals changing user numbers during the holy month as subscribers raise £175,000 for hospital in Sudan
The founder of a Muslim dating app with millions of users is hoping Eid will result in an “explosive” return to normal activity levels on the platform, following a 20% dip at the beginning of Ramadan.
UK-based Muzz saw its traffic plummet during the first days of the holy month as users — especially in Europe and North America — took a break from searching for love.
“Ramadan is a month of different priorities,” said its founder and chief executive, Shahzad Younas.
“We see this every year: users pausing or deactivating their accounts or premium subscription at the beginning of the fast.”
Though the paused subscriptions translate to a loss of revenue and a “brutal month” for the company, Younas said users had begun to trickle back to the app once Ramadan reached the halfway mark.
“It’s sort of similar to what happens at my local mosque: it’s packed for prayers for the first few days, then the attendance slowly peters out,” he said.
The Ramadan dip in activity is also far less pronounced in Muslim-majority countries, Younas said.
Opinions on whether the use of match-making apps such as Muzz during Ramadan are divided. Younas said he believed that talking to a prospective spouse online was permissible, but that he would advise against meeting in person.
Muzz was launched by Younas, a former investment banker, in 2015. It boasted eight million active users worldwide by 2023 and had a turnover of £25 million in 2024. The app presents itself as a halal alternative to conventional dating apps, focusing on marriage rather than more casual relationships and offering perks such as a digital chaperone.
“Muslims don’t date, they marry,” has been Younas’ catchphrase since the launch of the business. The company claims to have introduced more than half a million people to their spouses worldwide.
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During Ramadan, the app shifts its focus to fundraising, with users seeing a link to donate to a charitable cause as they swipe. So far this Ramadan, app users have raised more than £175,000 to rebuild a hospital in North Darfur in partnership with the Sudanese American Physicians Association.
Muzz matches all donations made during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Younas believes that the app’s religious orientation and “focus on success” insulates it from the downward slump in revenue and users experienced by other mainstream dating apps including Tinder and Bumble over the last few years.
“We always say, if you are serious and want to get married, we are the place for you,” said Younas.
“If you want to keep it casual and mess around, go somewhere else.”
