Where Muslims meet

A Muzz Couple Story — Atlanta ↔ Chicago

Everybody’s got a take on the apps. “They don’t work.” “Nobody’s serious.” “I’d never.”Amira Thomas had that take too. For five years.Here’s the thing though – she didn’t even download Muzz herself. Her students stole her phone and put it on there as a prank. (Never underestimate a MIST team.)A singer-songwriter and producer from Atlanta, Amira wasn’t exactly lacking. She coached her high school’s MIST team, led sister halaqahs, and came from a tight, creative, deeply involved family in the Atlanta Muslim community. Her life was full — mashallah full.

For five years, Amira downloaded Muzz, deleted it, and downloaded it again. “The other times, it was more just confirming my bias,” she admits. Brothers weren’t putting effort into their profiles. The ones who did couldn’t hold a conversation past salams. She’d get frustrated, then land back at peace: she had friendship, family, community — and faith that the rest was in Allah’s timing.But two things shifted. A real conversation with her mom — about self-esteem, about not actually putting herself out there. And her career: she didn’t want to be on the road as a singer and still not have found her person. “I’ve got everything I want, and no one to share it with.”So she made a list. Emotionally available. Serious but goofy. Passionate. Wealthy didn’t make the list.Then one night, watching Mad About You, she thought: I want to be in love. And downloaded Muzz one more time.

Suleiman Thomas’s road to that same moment was longer — and rougher.Born and raised in Chicago in a first-generation Muslim family, Suleiman was a D1 soccer player headed pro. Recruited to a boarding school at fourteen. Lived away from home through high school and college. Trained across the country and in Europe. “You never think you’re not going to make it. You’ve always been in the small percentages.”Then he broke his foot — right before the flight to join a professional team.The years after forced a reckoning. Who was he without soccer? He’d spent his whole life in the grind, no time for internships, no plan B. A marriage ended in the same stretch. “Both the divorce and the end of my career happened over a short period of time. I really had to do some soul searching.”His dad gave him exactly one month to mope. His boys tried to cheer him up — “not helpful at all.” But one friend did something that actually was: he put Suleiman on Muzz.Because here’s the reality for a lot of first-gen Muslim families: there’s no auntie network. No long list of rishtas waiting. “Muzz is critical for people who don’t have traditional Muslim communities in their families,” Suleiman says. “How else would we have connected?”He gave it six months. Then went quiet — app still installed, just untouched.

A month into his hiatus: Amira liked your profile.He could see her face and her city, and that was it. He reactivated, set his filters to Atlanta, and — instead of paying to unlock the match — swiped for a full hour until he found her again. (Respect the hustle.)Then he sent the first message: “Salams — I’ve been off the app for a while and saw your notification via email and had to reach out.”Amira was on the treadmill when it came through. She lowered her incline to reply, then moved to the weight room so she could keep typing. Why had she swiped on him in the first place? His profile had an intro video — and his smile, plus a slightly awkward laugh, caught her. His was the last profile she saw before getting off the app for good. “I knew immediately it was him.”Plot twist: her age filter should’ve hidden him completely. Qadr is not playing about the details.Their first phone call lasted five hours. They haven’t stopped talking since.

The similarities got almost eerie. Birthdays one day apart. Same favorite donut flavors. Same approach to disagreements. Both had voice-noted friends breaking down Love Is Blind.Two weeks in, they were talking marriage. At one month, Amira said “I love you” first — technically. On the morning of her mom’s birthday, mid-Mean Girls discussion, she slid in: “make fetch happen for sure — ily.” He caught it immediately. He’d been circling it too — “I have a HUGE crush on you” texts and paragraph-long messages that said everything except the actual words.But talking is one thing. Doing it right is another.Amira’s dad is the gatekeeper, and she was terrified to tell him. Her mom spent a month strategizing — then one day, when he happened to start talking about the value of family, she seized it: “NOW. NOW.”

His questions came fast — Where did he come from? How long has this been going on? — but under all of it was one thing: making sure Amira ended up with someone who valued her as much as he did.

From there, both families did it properly, adapted for distance. Her mom spoke with his mom. Her dad with his dad. And since Atlanta and Chicago are 700 miles apart, their chaperoned dates happened online — parents in the room. “They wanted to give us our space. They just wanted to be around.”The families clicked instantly. Even coming from different traditions — he’s from a Sufi background, she’s Sunni — there was zero conflict. The hardest part came after: Amira leaving Atlanta. “Everyone was sad. My dad was heartbroken.” She’s been back five times already — and Suleiman, deeply emotionally intuitive, has helped carry the weight of that transition.

Mornings in Chicago: Suleiman heads out early to drive a school bus for special-needs kids. Amira makes breakfast. They watch something light and hyper-analyze it together — she calls him her anchor. Fridays are for the mosque; weekends he plays soccer while she works on her music. Sometimes he makes up songs about her and just starts dancing. There’s a lot of play, a standing arm-wrestling rivalry, and a genuine competition over who can out-nice the other.“We both have a lot going on,” Suleiman says. “So we’re intentional about making space for each other.”Watch our instagram feature here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ0KAeHygef/ 

Amira: “There are billions of people — you only need one. Allah is still preparing them for you. Maybe your person is going through a transition period right now. Say Alhamdulillah, and know your person is out there.”Suleiman: “There’s no fast-forward to marriage. The only lose condition is marrying the wrong person — and everything we’ve been prescribed as Muslims is designed to avoid that. Do what you can in your control, and leave the rest to Allah.”

Amira and Suleiman met on Muzz. Your person might be one notification away.

After defeating Argentina in the final 1-0, Spain lifted the trophy for the second time in their history. While the result will be remembered for the skill, discipline and determination shown throughout the tournament, Spain’s victory also carried a bigger significance for many Muslim supporters; it became connected to conversations around solidarity and hope.

Throughout the tournament, Spain became a team that a lot of Muslims felt connected to. This connection was influenced by Spain’s broader public position on Palestine, including its decision in 2024 to formally recognise the State of Palestine alongside Ireland and Norway. The move was described by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as part of a push towards supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Moments of solidarity also resonated with Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal drawing global attention after waving a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s La Liga title celebrations, an act that was praised by many Palestinian supporters, football fans and activists online.

Yamal’s background also reflected the multicultural identity of modern Spain. Born in Catalonia to a Moroccan father and Equatorial Guinean mother, the 19 year old has previously spoken about his Muslim identity and experiences with Islamophobia in football.

Football brings people together in this unique sense, creating a space where people can find connection in unexpected places.

In Islam, the concept of sabr represents patience and trusting in Allah’s plan. The journey towards any achievement is rarely immediate, whether it is a football team working towards a championship or an individual searching for their life partner, progress requires patience and faith.

Spain’s World Cup campaign was built on the same principles. Behind the celebrations were years of preparation and resilience, and motivation shaped by commitment and belief in a shared goal. And with millions of Muslims across the world searching for marriage, the journey feels a little similar.

Finding the right person is not just about timing, it’s about taking the right steps, having the correct intentions and trusting that what is written for you will arrive at the right moment.

Behind every Muslim marriage is a story of someone making du’a, taking the first step and actively choosing to believe that the person they are looking for is out there. Just as football brings together people from different cultures, countries and communities, marriage creates connections that extend beyond two individuals.

Every journey starts with intention, and every great story starts with someone choosing to take that first step – for you, that could be on Muzz.

The goal has never changed: it’s always been to find your naseeb, build a family, and create a life filled with barakah. The only thing that has changed is how we go about finding that person.

Over the generations, the process has evolved, and you could argue it’s become even more challenging. You’re no longer relying solely on your community or relatives to introduce someone. Today, you’re at the centre of your own search, making decisions that previous generations may not have had to make.

So what does finding your naseeb in your 20s actually look like today?

The expectations can sometimes feel overwhelming. You’re expected to have your career sorted, be financially stable, have your life together, and at the same time strive to be the best Muslim you can be. Add social media into the mix, where everyone seems to be moving at a different pace, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. But how much of that pressure are you actually putting on yourself? You’re seeing your friends getting married and being invited to their weddings. It can often feel like everyone has got their life together while you’re still trying to figure yours out. But one thing to remember, as hard as it can be sometimes, is that everyone’s journey is different and Allah’s timing is always right.

Finding your husband or wife doesn’t always happen on the timeline you imagined, and that’s okay. One thing we’ve learnt from speaking to success couples is that they all made the decision to put themselves out there. Whether that was creating a profile on a random Tuesday, finally updating their bio, or being more open about what they were looking for, they took that first step and that they were intentional. Understanding what you’re looking for is key. It’s not just about appearance. Knowing your dealbreakers, your boundaries, and what really matters to you will help you navigate the process and make the best decisions along the way. Questions you should be thinking about are things like, What kind of marriage do you want? What values matter to you most? What are the things you won’t compromise on? The clearer you are with yourself, the easier it becomes to recognise what will not be a good fit for you.

But while you’re looking for the right person, it’s just as important to work on yourself too. It’s easy to focus on finding the best person, but are you doing your part to make sure you’re ready for marriage as well? That doesn’t mean you need to have everything sorted or have your whole life figured out. It simply means understanding yourself a little better. Is there something you need to work on? Maybe it’s your patience, your temperament, your communication, or how you deal with challenges. We all have things we can improve on. The clearer you are on the areas you want to develop, the easier it’ll be to navigate the process and, when the time comes, build a strong marriage.

The reality is, finding your naseeb starts with taking that first step. Updating your profile, adding more about yourself, or being clear about the qualities you’re looking for can make all the difference in finding someone who’s genuinely compatible with you. The goal has always been the same. The journey to getting there just doesn’t look as linear anymore, and that’s okay.

If you’ve been thinking about creating a profile, let this be your sign to take that first step. Watch the video below as we explore what it really means to navigate finding your naseeb in the modern world.