Muslim Matchmaker (2025) s01e01 Episode Script

1
[upbeat pop music playing,
Imperial Highness "Shake The Night"]
All the signs are shining
In a grand design ♪
This joy we're feeling ♪
Follow the signs to make it home
Our shrine aligns in a grand cloud nine ♪
And I know you feel it ♪
[Hoda] I'm so mad at you
for ordering raw fish
when I'm pregnant. [chuckles]
-[Yasmin] Oh, my God.
-Like, heartless.
-I'm so sorry.
-You know I cannot frickin' eat that.
-I forgot.
-I know, but it looks so good.
-You're, like, taunting me. [chuckles]
-Look, there's so many other good options.
We're at a Lebanese restaurant.
You know what that means.
Let's make it a working lunch.
Scope out the talent in the room.
[Hoda] Yeah, actually, I wonder
how many people here are Muslim.
[upbeat music playing]
-Okay, she's cute. I think she might be
-[Hoda] She could be.
-She might be Muslim.
-Does she have a ring?
-[Yasmin] Oh, she's taken. She's taken.
-Yeah.
-But we're happy for her.
-Very happy for her.
Okay, I mean, she's wearing a hijab.
She's definitely Muslim.
But there's somebody else sitting there,
'cause there's another drink.
-[Yasmin] Oh, oh.
-What's going on there?
-That is a flirt-to-convert situation.
-[laughs] Oh, you're so right.
They look cute.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-[Hoda chuckles] I could just
Wait a second. I'm clocking a baddie.
She looks like a Princess Jasmine.
Think she's Muslim?
I mean, she looks desi, so probably.
[Yasmin]
I just did this intake with a desi guy.
-Extremely smart.
-Show me a picture.
[Yasmin] Um, well-dressed. [gasps]
They'd be, like, the cutest little couple.
-She's single, first
-Let's see if she's Muslim,
-see if she's single.
-Right. Right, right, right. Good point.
-Hi. Assalamu alaikum.
-Wa alaikum assalam.
[Hoda]
I just have to say, you're gorgeous.
-Oh, my [chuckles] Thank you.
-And I need to know, are you Muslim,
and are you single? [chuckles]
[chuckles] I am both.
Well, it's so nice to meet you,
'cause we're matchmakers.
Did my mom send you?
[theme music playing]
[soft music playing]
[Yasmin] For Muslims,
marriage is an act of worship.
Many believe
it's actually half your faith,
because when you're in
a union with someone,
you have to learn who you really are.
[Hoda] Marriage is a blessing
and a gift from God,
but it's complicated
and it's anxiety-inducing.
-I'd rather jump out of a plane
-[laughs]
than court a girl sometimes. [laughs]
You expect a man to provide for you fully?
-Hell, yeah.
-[Yasmin] So what do you solely do?
-Exist. [chuckles]
-Oh!
-Bada-bing, bada-boom!
-[all chuckle]
We are in a swipe left,
swipe right culture.
-How many of you are on the apps?
-Which app do you want?
-[all chuckle]
-Say more.
People do not know how to date.
That's why they come to us.
-[Hoda] I'm Hoda Ibrahim.
-[Yasmin] And I'm Yasmin Elhady.
What made you wanna go
with, like, a Muslim matchmaker?
Lock me in with the Muslim shorties.
Where they at?
-Hi!
-Hi.
-Salam! I'm Yasmin.
-[client] Oh, my God. Wa alaikum assalam.
What would you say are, like,
the top things you're looking for?
How long do we have?
I've dated Muslim girls,
I've dated Hindu girls,
and I've dated Caucasian girls,
and I've dated Jewish Like, you know,
-I'm the UN when it comes to dating.
-Whoo!
Hoda is all about the technology.
The next person I wanna tell you guys
about is super cute.
I, like, can't wait to find her
somebody amazing, inshallah.
[Yasmin] She knows how to database
a high volume of individuals
to increase the chances
and the likelihood of finding
an appropriate match for somebody.
They're texting all day long,
talking constantly,
-falling asleep on FaceTime.
-Oh, no!
-[Hoda] Step in.
-They need an intervention.
[Hoda] So, I do the millennial version
of matchmaking.
I slide into people's DMs,
"Hey, random question,
are you single and ready to meet someone?"
She wasn't really,
like, my type physically, and so
pretty much just told her.
-[tires screech]
-[laughs]
Yasmin has a lot of wisdom.
She gets really real and uses that
to guide probably some of
our more difficult clients in particular
that really need guidance and help.
My questions can get a little quirky,
a little weird.
-Well, you are a weirdo.
-But I own it.
I'm a grumpy old man in a woman's body.
How long did you guys stay out?
-Pretty late.
-Okay.
[Noureen] You made a face
You're doing something serious.
You're not partying.
When we get together on our matching,
it's scary, actually.
Our brains are like, "Bing, bop, bop,
bop, bop, bing, bop, boom."
-He's tall. She's five foot.
-She's petite. She's petite.
-Yeah.
-She does a lot of self-sabotage.
-She needs to be patient.
-[Yasmin] Uh!
-I knew that would bother me. Oh!
-Yeah. I know.
There's the red flag.
-Yeah, I get you.
-That's a really, really big step.
And some women would run away from you,
and be like,
-"This is crazy."
-Uh-huh.
[Yasmin] Over the past ten years,
we've helped over 100 couples make it
to their wedding day.
As a matchmaker,
we're here to help you get your wings on.
[Yasmin] Our job is to be there as a coach
and a guide for you to understand
how do you date intentionally
for the purpose of marriage.
-[woman] That's it. Nice! [chuckles]
-[cheers, laughs]
-We're chilling.
-[Omar] Yeah.
-We're vibing.
-We're vibing.
[Yasmin] People think that
we're some kind of silver bullet.
The truth is, we're not.
We are here to use every single one
of our resources to help you
to have a successful Muslim match.
-We're seeing it.
-Let's make it happen, boo.
I just remind myself,
all it takes is for it to happen once.
That's it.
-Nice work, Hoda. Let's go.
-Go team. [chuckles]
-Let's get some people married.
-Yeah, inshallah.
-Inshallah. [chuckles]
-Ya Rab.
[upbeat pop music playing, Mel Wesson
"Everybody Wants a Little Love"]
Everybody just wants a little love ♪
Everybody just wants a little love
Everybody just wants a little love ♪
Got a lot that I can give you ♪
[Mariam] Okay, guys,
so we're painting my wall.
-Did you, like, want it to be
-And
two different colors?
-[chuckles] I'm just kidding.
-[Mariam chuckles] No, it's light
It's white.
Anyways, how's life?
[Esam]
Planning my friend's bachelor party.
I'm excited for them.
They've been together
-for, like, six years.
-[Mariam] Yeah.
-They met on Tinder.
-[Mariam] I know.
I do believe in love,
but I believe in love after marriage.
Like, personality's great,
but did you actually sign
a contract with me?
No, it's a lust.
It's not a love. It's a lust.
[upbeat music playing]
-[Sims] Morning.
-Hi, Sims. How are you?
-[Sims] Good. How are you?
-[Mariam] Good.
I feel like Muslim women are always
under this societal pressure
to get married before the age of 30.
I, however,
don't put that pressure on myself.
I just want the right person.
That's really what I think about.
I don't go on dating apps.
I think there is a component
to dating apps that's just very degrading.
I'm not a catalog of women
that some man can just flip through.
And I really hate coffee dates.
I studied software engineering.
My actual work pays me
like 200 bucks an hour.
And a man is paying me five dollars
for a cup of coffee in my town.
So, it just doesn't make sense to me.
-Here you go. Have a good day.
-Thank you.
-Thank you for supporting us.
-[Mariam] Thank you.
My friends call me "Queen Mariam"
because I'm dramatic.
And it's in every friend group.
They just call me "The Queen."
-How are you?
-[manicurist] Good.
I like to describe myself
as the Blair Waldorf of the group.
That's my
That's my scheming side. Yeah. [chuckles]
I wanted to do tips
with, like, a pink color.
I just like being treated
like the queen that I am, okay?
So, I do have something going on
in my life.
-Yeah?
-[Mariam] I have a friend.
Her name is Hoda
and she's, like, a matchmaker.
-[Rhoda] Okay.
-[Esam] When you say "matchmaker,"
do you mean, like,
old Arab aunt matchmaker?
-I don't understand.
-She's actually 28.
So, she's not, like,
gonna hook me up with a FOB.
-[Rhoda chuckles]
-[chuckles]
Even though I like FOBs, as you all know.
-Like, she's matched a lot of people?
-She has matched a lot of people.
-She's had like 50 to 100 marriages. Yeah.
-[Rhoda] Wow.
-[both] That's a lot.
-[Mariam] So, I think I saw her post
the other day that she was at
one of the couple's weddings,
and they looked normal.
-What does looking normal mean to you?
-[Rhoda chuckles]
-Not arranged marriage vibe.
-It's not like some, like,
weird Arab guy with a unibrow.
Right. Right. [chuckles]
-Always with a unibrow.
-[Mariam] I know.
Always with a unibrow, bro. I don't know.
-[chuckling]
-[Rhoda chuckling]
[upbeat music playing]
-[Mariam] Hi.
-[Hoda] Hi!
-[Mariam] Salam.
-[Hoda squeals]
-[Mariam] How are you?
-[Hoda] Aw, it is so good to see you.
[Mariam] You too.
I want to get you some tea. Let's fill it.
-I thought there was water in it. Okay.
-Oh, there's only a little bit. [chuckles]
-I think we should put more water.
-[whimsical music playing]
[kettle hisses]
[Mariam] I just wanna do a bottle
'cause it's, like, cleaner.
-Did you turn it on?
-[water pouring]
[Hoda] Are you sure you make tea often?
I go to my dad's house,
and he makes the tea.
-[chuckles] My dad has like
-So, I think top of the list,
-"Husband who can make tea." [chuckles]
-Husband that can make tea.
Egyptian tea.
You wanna go to the couch, actually?
-[Hoda] Yeah. Here, I can take it.
-[Mariam] Yeah.
So, tell me [exhales]
about dating life. Like, what's
[Mariam] That's a good question. Um
-It's the same thing over and over again.
-[Hoda] Yeah. I know.
Like, people, they just meet each other,
and then what, they ghost each other.
Okay, what I want
to help you with the most
-is your process.
-Yeah.
[Hoda] I hate your whole, like,
move quickly.
-[Mariam] I am loving the process.
-Uh No.
-[Mariam] Okay, can we talk? Let me
-We are eliminating that.
Mariam has a lot going for her.
She's beautiful.
She is really well-connected.
She's really successful
and has done super well for herself
in, like, the tech space.
But she has, like, an intense side to her.
And so, I think it's gonna be hard
to find the person that's right for her.
For me, it's not, like,
about getting engaged right away, right?
For me,
it's about that there's accountability
and that we're not
just messing around with each other.
-Yeah.
-[Mariam] And then it's, like,
-it's been ten years.
-Yeah.
Like, I'm 30 now. Like
Thirty is, like, established Mariam.
Knows her boundaries.
Knows what she wants in life.
I want like ten kids.
But now that I'm 30,
that means
I'm gonna have to be pregnant every year,
and that's not really reasonable.
Not that you're in a rush to get married,
but I think you're in a rush to know
-if this person is the one.
-I can figure it out fast.
Mariam has been engaged
at least three times
since she started looking for a partner.
I know she sees herself
as more conservative,
but I actually think she needs somebody
more open to her self-discovery process.
-You're like [chuckles]
-[chuckles]
I know I know what I like, okay?
[sighs]
[soft music playing]
You don't feel like there's, like,
a specific thing that goes wrong?
I remember, um, one time,
there was someone who proposed,
and I didn't trust him with money.
And I went home and I told my dad.
I was like, "I do not trust this man
with money at all."
There's also another one
that we got engaged.
That person was really nice, actually.
The red flag was
when it came to us planning our wedding.
He only wanted to invite his family.
He was like, "I don't have friends
that I wanted to invite."
-'Cause you knew it was shady. [chuckles]
-[Mariam] It was shady.
And I told my friends about it,
and they were like,
-"We think he was married."
-[Hoda] I know.
-And you liked him. For sure.
-Yeah.
The process you've been doing
hasn't worked so far.
I think you tend to go for guys that speak
to, like, one part of who you are.
[whimsical music playing]
[Hoda] Traditional, conservative.
-And I wanna work out of that.
-Okay.
-Okay.
-[Hoda] And
When we make a match, we want people
to be kind of in the same place.
I'm not gonna set somebody up that, like,
is comfortable drinking with somebody
that has never tasted alcohol.
That match doesn't make sense.
Halal-haram ratio is not lining up.
Halal is basically the things
that are permissible in our faith.
Haram are the things
that are not permissible in our faith.
It's really just how aligned are people
in their lifestyle.
What do you think is, like,
the best kind of guy for you?
Okay, so I'm not
[whimsical music playing]
I really want my husband to be, like,
-a leader of the home, protective.
-[Hoda] Yeah.
[Mariam] And, like, also family-oriented.
And I I would like someone
who speaks Arabic,
-'cause I want my kids to know Arabic.
-[Hoda] Mm-hmm.
[Mariam] I need someone that's social.
And I wanna do social things
with that person.
Do you still want to, like,
make decisions together
-and have discussions?
-Exactly.
He needs to be an '80s music lover.
[chuckles] Adventure.
Deal-breakers in a man.
I ha I cannot stand smoking.
Hookah? Cannot stand it.
Someone who's not good
with finances, deal-breaker.
I like very serious men.
Because in the Egyptian culture,
they joke too much.
I need someone who knows religion.
I need someone who prays.
I No, actually, no.
Prayer is not a deal-breaker.
-[Hoda] Yeah.
-And that's really it.
Like, just be a good person.
Just don't steal and don't murder
and don't F with people's emotions.
And just be a good person.
My clients that come to me
who have talked to a lot of people,
the longer their, like,
on-paper list becomes,
but also their, like, room and flexibility
to be willing to, like,
you know, bend the needle on
on certain qualities or character traits
that they're looking for.
There's just, like,
a lot less room for it.
I just wanna know, are you prepared
-I'm prepared. This
-to fight against your intuition
or your some of your instincts?
-This process, all you.
-[Hoda] Okay. Yeah.
[Mariam]
I will consult you every step of the way.
-I trust you.
-Good. Good.
-That's what I want you to be saying.
-[Mariam] Yeah.
Like I said, this process
doesn't have to suck. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
[relaxing music playing]
My name is Fulani Geronimo Shakur Jabri.
I'm 27 years old,
and I am a content developer.
[upbeat electronic music playing]
I mean, I know why I'm single.
It's 'cause I wanna get married.
That's no little thing.
I've tried, you know,
all this all the apps, really.
'Cause I just wanted
to see what was going on.
I was on Hinge, Bumble.
Uh, what's the other one? Tinder.
I was on Christian Mingle for a second.
I just wanted [laughs]
I just wanted to see.
I just wanted to see.
They got one, what's the
Uh, what's the one?
Uh, Farmers Only. That shit's gas.
I was like, how many farmers were like,
"Goddamn, there's not enough women
who know how to shuck corn?"
[Eli] What is the journey you're about
to embark on?
Whatever the experience,
it's super intentional.
-Hmm.
-[Fulani] Right?
I want to get married.
And that means you're dating
with intention, and that's the issue.
Bro, nothing
nothing kills the mood for certain folks
more than just being, like, intentional.
-Yeah.
-[Fulani] Like, I'm going on
a lot of first dates, not too many, like,
-second, third dates, 'cause
-[Eli] Mm-hmm.
Well, I'm very clear
about what I want up front.
Like, we can go to the table, date one.
It's like, "Why you wanna be married?"
-You know?
-Marriage was divinely given to us.
It was a covenant that was sent down
for us to, like,
be able to have safe relationships
with other human beings,
and create strong bonds within the family.
You feel like you're in a place
to, like, meet someone's expectations?
One common critique I've gotten
is I can be too nonchalant.
-[Eli] Hmm.
-So, I gotta be more chalant.
-I gotta turn my chalant up.
-[Eli] You gotta turn your chalant meter.
-[Fulani] I gotta turn up my chalant.
-[laughs] Your chalant meter gotta go up.
-[Fulani laughs] Exactly.
-[Eli laughs]
-Gotta turn that chalant back on.
-[Eli laughs] Chalant.
Oh, God.
It's wild, man.
This This love stuff is crazy.
Well, I'm excited for you.
It's gonna be tight.
[Fulani] Yeah.
Yeah, hopefully, we're gonna see.
-Inshallah.
-Inshallah.
[pop music playing, Wizardz of Oz
"Write a Song for Me" feat. Glenna Bree]
Write a song for me, I wanna be
The one who makes you feel that way ♪
Feel that way, feel that way ♪
The one that makes you feel ♪
-[Yasmin] Hi. My name's Yasmin.
-[Fulani] Come in.
-Thank you so much for having me over.
-Of course. Thanks for coming.
-[Yasmin] This is your apartment, man?
-[Fulani] It is. It is.
Still kind of trying to find its identity
when it comes to
I like that you like cacti.
It's like prickly,
-but also
-Low maintenance.
-Low maintenance.
-That's me.
I'm excited and I'm really
Part of me actually really wants her
[laughs] to see everything,
so that she'll be better informed
with understanding the type of person
that I am,
with picking my match, you know?
[Yasmin] Tell me a little bit
about this community.
[Fulani] There's actually quite
a few folks that I grew up with
-who are congregated here.
-[Yasmin] Oh, lovely.
-You know, my mom lives here.
-Wonderful.
My best friend, Eli, lives here.
We were roommates before.
Are you ready to really have your boo
-up in this?
-[Fulani] Uh, that's the plan.
-I wanna prepare for that season.
-Okay, I love that.
-And, uh, I'm leaving the slate
-Uh-huh.
-still pretty, like, barren
-[laughs]
so that she can come in
and do her thing.
[Yasmin] I love your art. Beautiful.
-I'd love to be shown around a little bit.
-[Fulani] I'd love to show you around.
Show me around.
I wanna know if you're really ready.
-[Fulani] I'm ready.
-[Yasmin] I wanna see the kitchen.
It should be a place of deliciousness.
-You know? So, here's where I
-Oh, it is barr
-Like barren, actually barren.
-[Yasmin] Where is
-your actual breakfast table?
-[Fulani] So, check this out.
-Do a lot of my shoots out of here, so
-Shoots.
I usually have like, you know
-Creativity.
-You know what I mean?
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
-[Fulani] I do headshots.
Uh, I can do some interviews here.
-Product photography.
-[Yasmin] For headshots.
-[Fulani] Yes. [chuckles]
-Oh, my God.
There's dust bunnies.
There's some cleanliness things.
He doesn't own a vacuum.
-Okay. What the hell is this?
-[Fulani] It's It's
-Who's gonna wash this?
-[Fulani] I'm gonna wa
This is not even a lot of dishes.
This is like
-That's one day of dishes.
-[Yasmin] What is that?
Stop being junky.
-What about if it's, like, my space?
-We Muslim, bro.
-Clean the dishes. All right?
-[chuckles]
Yasmin, she's a
she's a straight shooter.
If someone that you don't know
within like the first 30 minutes
is able to, like, call you on some shit,
I like that.
That's my
That resonates with my spirit.
So, this is the office,
the creative space.
-Oh, wow. Is this a self-portrait?
-[Fulani] Yes.
-These are all my self-portraits.
-[Yasmin] What is
-[Fulani] Uh
-Is that a brontosaurus?
Diplodocus.
Isn't it fun how you and my son
-are both going through a dinosaur phase?
-[chuckles]
-Right. It's the time.
-[Yasmin] I love that for you two.
I honestly feel like he has
a little bit of growing up to do.
In practicality, he has a couple things
that he needs to tweak.
-I really wanna see your mom.
-[Fulani] Yes.
-[Yasmin] I'd like to meet her. Yes!
-[Fulani] Then we're gonna go meet my mom.
-[Yasmin] You know.
-[Fulani] You wanna meet my mom
[upbeat music playing]
-[Yasmin] It's so nice to meet you.
-[Kiesha] Nice to meet you too.
-How are you?
-[Kiesha] I'm good. How are you?
-[Yasmin] Good.
-I don't wanna super paraphrase.
I'm not entirely sure if it's the hadith,
or if it's just a saying.
It says, you know, it's Allah.
Then it's the prophet.
And then it's your mother.
Then it's your mother,
then it's your mother, four times.
Then it's your father.
Heaven lies at the feet of the mother.
For me, that's enough.
That's why I live close to her.
-Um, this is your beautiful mom.
-Hi.
-How are you?
-I'm good. How are you?
[Yasmin] I know you're probably
very proud of Mr. Fulani.
-I am. Oh [chuckles]
-Oh, jeez.
-Aw, shucks.
-I am.
In terms of, like, lifestyle,
like, what are you looking for exactly
in, uh in a partner?
Man, someone who understands me
and my background to be
I'm a Muslim,
Muslim-born, Muslim-raised
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
-but I have a lot of,
-you know, American influences.
-Sure.
I have a lot of Christian influences.
-[Yasmin] Sure.
-And I was in a very much
religiously open household.
And we respect all faiths.
-So, someone who isn't too rigid
-Yes.
when it comes to their faith,
but ultimately always facing Allah.
Um, just be real with me for a second.
Let's do it. I'm ready.
Do you got a type? It's okay if you don't.
I'm thinking, I'm thinking.
So, we I was trying to narrow this down.
Fit. I love feminine traits,
but I've also been
-I like the tomboy types.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
Just to throw stuff out there.
They're not all in correlation
-[Yasmin] Yeah, yeah.
-but, like, short hair.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-I really do like short hair for sure.
Short hair is cute,
like Demi Moore from Ghost.
I'm not playing. I'm not playing.
Ooh. Oh, yeah.
If I If there was a hierarchy
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-Black women
-would be at the top of my preference.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-And then
-[Yasmin] Everyone else.
-[Fulani] That's all it is.
-I see you with a Black woman.
-[Fulani] Exactly. I
-I'm just saying.
I don't wanna tell you about
what I go through on a daily basis.
I wanna just say that.
And your mom, strong women?
-[whimsical music playing]
-[all chuckle]
Well, yeah, he had a
he had a picture of Oprah on his wall.
He had cut it out like
one of the little magazines or whatever.
And just had a little picture of her
on his wall.
He was like ten.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-[Kiesha] Yeah.
-[Yasmin] Inspirational.
-[Fulani] Exactly.
-And the power suits.
-Exactly.
-[Yasmin] Power questions.
-You get a car.
-You get a car. You get a car.
-[Fulani] All of that. All of that.
-Right. [chuckles]
-[Fulani] Right. Exactly.
-[squeals] Of Oprah.
-[Kiesha] That's correct.
-[Yasmin] Okay. Um
-[both] Yeah.
-The girl that I want for you
-[Fulani] Is it one?
-You have one, or is it like several?
-I have one right now.
-[Fulani] Okay, gotcha.
-I can think of other people.
-[chuckles]
-I mean, I feel like this portion
is a one-to-one.
-[Yasmin] Oh.
-I'm like, this might be a one-to-one.
-[Yasmin] Oh, Kiesha.
-There's a "this portion"?
-I think he's kicking you out.
-[Fulani] As we're getting
-I think I'm kicking you out. Inshallah.
-[both chuckle]
Sis, is that all right?
-I mean, I'll take his word for it
-Is that okay?
because I don't know
what we're about to step into.
That's it. That's a cool mom.
That's a Muslim cool mom.
That's what that is.
That's a Black mama too.
Don't forget, that's a Black mama.
-[both chuckle]
-[Yasmin] Yes, it is.
-[Kiesha] Inshallah.
-Peace.
-[Kiesha] Peace. [chuckles]
-Salam. [chuckles]
-[Fulani] All right, I'll see you later.
-[Kiesha] All right.
-[Fulani] Salam.
-Assalamu alaikum. Wa alaikum assalam.
[upbeat music playing]
[Yasmin] Now, that she's gone,
let's get into the nitty-gritty, friend.
The meat and potatoes. Here's my thing,
and when it comes to my partner,
I don't mesh well
with super professional types.
Coming from a loving household,
I don't like someone who's like,
you know,
doesn't understand my love language.
I use social media
mostly for professional reasons.
You got, like
I'm It's a one-strike policy.
-[laughs] One strike.
-One strike. If I see
If you post anything I'm not rocking with.
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
-[Fulani] I like th
And you're also, like,
artistic and flexible.
And someone who's very conscientious,
very orderly sometimes.
-We don't We don't mesh that well.
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
I don't see you with,
like, an intense type A.
-[Fulani] Right. Exactly.
-[Yasmin] I don't see that.
Exactly. So, as long as she's, like,
in that vein, you know
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
-that's I'm cool with that.
Okay, so why has it not worked
for you, Fulani?
What the hell is going on?
-Why are you single?
-I don't like this
I don't I don't even think of it
as it hasn't worked.
-Ooh.
-[Fulani] I just haven't
-Different lens.
-Yeah, I haven't achieved the goal yet.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-But it's been working.
-I've had relationships.
-[Yasmin chuckles] You're like,
-"It works."
-And I've had good relationships.
-Everything works, okay?
-[Fulani] Yeah. Come on.
I mean, I've had good relationships,
-and I've learned so much on my journey.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
And everything I've gone through
so far has been, like,
adding to that Voltron of what I think
is gonna make me a good husband.
-I love that. Transformers.
-[Fulani] You know what I'm saying?
So, uh, nothing's
-Everything's in working order.
-[Yasmin chuckles]
I mean You know what I mean?
But it's like
-It just hasn't worked out.
-Yeah, it hasn't worked out.
-I haven't found that person. You know?
-Okay. All right.
- And that's Right.
-We're gonna help you find that person.
-That's what we're gonna help you do.
-Absolutely.
Good answer, Fulani!
[both chuckle]
So, uh, yeah, the girl
that I like for you, social worker.
-Okay.
-Gorgeous.
-[Fulani] All right.
-Take care of herself.
-[Fulani] Right.
-[Yasmin] She's not African-American.
-Okay.
-I think she sees herself as Black
-and Arab, thoughts on that?
-[Fulani] There's a lot of Black Arabs.
-There's a lot of Black Arabs.
-So, are you open?
-Yeah, for sure.
-She's in, um, the East Coast.
-Um, she could do social work anywhere.
-Up or down?
-Sh She is in the Maryland area.
-Mm.
I don't know. Um, I do feel as though
I don't wanna leave where I am.
Um, but I just I don't know.
Listen, nothing's off the table
if it's my forever person.
If we locked in, I'm just like,
"Oh, damn, this is it. This is the one."
I'll move to an Alaskan cornfield.
[upbeat music playing,
EMAN8 "It's a Good Life"]
Hey, we can do this all day
Relax and ride away♪
Let that sunshine hit your face ♪
All we need is clear skies
In the summertime, hey ♪
Will you take a picture of me?
-[Abdul] Oh, yeah. Right after your run?
-Yes.
-My half run, half walk. Okay.
-All right. All right.
Oh, that's cute.
You want it like this or like this?
No, long, but here up.
-All right. [chuckles]
-[Hoda laughs]
How did we meet? So, my best friend did
a study abroad program
with Abdul in Istanbul.
Five years later, she introduced us
to each other through Facebook.
-[Abdul] Love at first talk or something.
-[Hoda chuckling]
[Abdul] It was kind of the deal, right?
Hoda moved all the way over
from North Carolina to Berlin, right?
And here we are.
So, how's it going on your side?
There's one couple that are are in Ohio,
but I think they're going to get engaged
within the next few weeks.
-Inshallah. Yeah.
-Nice, okay. Another win.
-Another win.
-Yeah, inshallah.
We took a really huge chance meeting,
and getting married,
and me moving and all of that.
And it really made me kind of hone in
on this, like,
you know, it doesn't have to be somebody
-in your city, and it doesn't have to be
-[Yasmin] Hi!
this, like, perfect situation
from the beginning.
And it still could end up
being something really beautiful.
-I'm so embarrassed to walk in here
-Come in here.
-without anything in my hand.
-Oh, you're fine.
-I just came from the airport.
-Come sit.
-I should've gotten chocolate.
-You're good, man.
-Forgive me.
-[Hoda] You're good. You're good.
[Yasmin] Don't tell my mom I did this.
Being divorced is a major trial.
So, my experience with the grief of that
has made me a lot more empathetic
to people who have lost hope in finding
the right spouse or the right match.
Trust me when I say
I am looking out for you,
and I am trying
to be your big sister here.
-So, do we have any new people?
-Oh, we do. We have a lot to discuss.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-But first, I want to tell you
about this girl, Mariam.
The interesting piece about her
-is the religion piece.
-Okay.
She tends to go for guys
that are, like, more traditional.
And I think that speaks
to one side of her,
but I kind of feel like it never works.
And I feel like
she ends up getting boxed in.
And I would love for her to have a partner
that isn't gonna put a lot of pressure
on her in faith.
-Okay. I support it. Let's do it.
-Okay, let's look.
Islam is very specific
about the courting process.
So, Yasmin and I have the philosophy
of wanting you
to have three really good
intentional meetings within three months.
And go through
the compatibility questions to see
if there's an emotional connection or not.
After that, if you wanna be exclusive,
and both of you agree,
I say go on a deeper dive with each other.
And we don't mean, like, "Yes,
let's get married tomorrow."
But we mean, like,
you know, "I see some potential here."
"And I wanna I wanna keep this going
and see where it goes."
[Yasmin] It's based on really giving
someone a real chance,
and doing so in a way
that doesn't exhaust your time
and resources
if there's really not something there.
You can control almost nothing.
You can control yourself,
and that's about it.
The rest of it is just Allah.
-Yeah. Just having trust in the process.
-[Yasmin] It just is.
Trust in Allah.
[upbeat music playing,
Electrocute "Celebrate Tonight"]
We know the chances we're taking
Let's go out when the sun is fading ♪
-Ah, this is the bird drink. Okay.
-[indistinct chatter]
-So cute.
-[Noureen] So cute. I love you, guys.
-[Patrick] I'm gonna try it.
-[Fazia] Yay.
-[Noureen] Cheers to us.
-[all] Cheers.
[Noureen] To dating in New York City.
-A little passionfruit in there?
-It's giving passion.
I like it.
So, when I was dating
this Muslim Brown guy,
and I told him when we started dating,
I was like, "Hey, I'm pretty liberal."
He just was like,
"Yeah, that's fine. It's not a problem."
And I think after the second
or third date, I was like,
"Oh, yeah, Patrick's coming over."
And he just was like,
"Oh, well, like,
you shouldn't really have
be friends with the opposite sex."
And I just was like, "What?"
-[chuckles]
-[chuckles]
My parents are from Bangladesh.
I was born in New York City.
I strongly retain my identity
as being American, Bangladeshi,
and Muslim.
-[Fazia] Comes out of insecurity, right?
-Yeah.
And that's somebody you don't want
to be with 'cause they're
That would be somebody I wouldn't be with
whether they're Muslim or not,
-or You know what I mean?
-Yeah.
I think I'm still single
because I'm not willing to
to take shit from anybody.
I have dated someone who's been like,
"Oh, well, like, you're, like,
the biggest girl I've ever dated."
And I'm just like, "Is that supposed
to, like, give you credit?"
Like, are you supposed
to get brownie points,
or like, you're doing me a favor?
So, what are some things about a partner
that you would want for me
and that you would double down on maybe?
-Yeah.
-First, how much time
-[laughs] Let's get out the list.
-do I have for this presentation?
-[Noureen] I got all day, girl.
-Because
Also, he has to have a car,
'cause Noreen doesn't walk.
-Oh, yes.
-So
-[Christina] And she doesn't drive.
-And she doesn't drive.
-[Christina] Driver right here.
-[Fazia] She's a princess,
and she's also
a passenger princess at that.
-[laughs]
-Dating in general is hard.
Dating in New York City
is on another level.
And then if you add on the, like,
cultural, religious stuff on top of it,
-the stakes get higher and
-[Noureen] A hundred percent.
Being on the dating apps, it's like,
swipe, swipe, swipe, swipe, swipe.
Um, and so, um,
I made a decision a few weeks ago,
um, that I was going to get off
the dating apps and get a matchmaker.
-[Fazia] Okay. [laughs]
-Yeah.
[Christina] Okay.
I have a lot of questions. [laughs]
-[Patrick] Like a matchmaker matchmaker?
-Yeah. Yeah.
I want to get married very badly,
and I need someone to help me
to find my person.
Is this, like,
a desi auntie your parents found?
She's not an auntie.
-Okay.
-Um, she's not anyone my parents know.
So Guys, just trust me. Trust me.
[upbeat pop music playing,
Neemz "Awake"]
Look at all the stars aligning for you
Don't you ever doubt ♪
You can go far
Despite what you been through ♪
Don't you ever stop ♪
Okay, so you came all the way from Queens.
From Queens.
[Yasmin]
You grew up your whole life there?
[Noureen] Whole life. Born and raised.
[gasps] Wow. New York girl.
-Are you tough?
-[Noureen] All the way through.
I'm, like, nice,
but, like, don't mess with me.
-I love it. Nice until you're not nice.
-Exactly.
-So, you're a lawyer.
-So, I work for mostly unions,
and unions are anywhere
from like a teacher's union
-to road builders, to plumbers.
-[Yasmin] Oh, my God.
You work for the people
that really need the representation.
-Yeah, I love it.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
Talk to me about what you're doing
right now in the dating scene.
I've done the dating apps,
-and it's just not working.
-[laughs]
It's just not working.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
-Okay. [gasps] Oh, thank you so much.
-Thank you.
That's so kind. I want to ask you,
have you had a long-term relationship?
Have you ever been engaged or married?
Uh, last relationship was my longest.
It was about, like, four years and change.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-[Noureen] But ultimately, it just
it didn't work out.
I love this person very much,
and I wanted to marry them.
It wasn't working, but I kept doing it,
because I I truly believe that this was
an answer to a prayer, right?
-I understand.
-To be real with you, I just I
I didn't believe that God
would do me like that.
And sometimes, things are the answer
to our prayer for a time.
Sometimes,
they're the answer for our prayer
so that we know
this is not what's for us.
-A hundred percent.
-Okay.
So, let me know
when you came out of the relationship,
and you went back on the dating scene.
Any things that you were like, "Ugh!"
-[laughs]
-[Yasmin] Like that?
Talk to me about
what does Noureen need?
So, for example [clicks tongue]
I don't eat halal,
-but I do try to pray five times a day.
-Yes.
Um, I also don't particularly dress
-very modestly, you know?
-Mm-hmm.
-Um, dress the way that I wanna to dress.
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
I won't be able to get along
with what I call a Misery Muslim.
[gasps]
[upbeat music playing]
-Ooh, who's an MM?
-[laughs]
I feel like, um So, a Misery Muslim
I think every major religion
has a group of individuals like this.
-[Yasmin] Oh, God, here we go.
-But they're very judgmental.
-They're holier than thou.
-Ooh. That is so good!
You're an actual genius.
-Thank you.
-Misery Muslim.
-You need to trademark that.
-I think I might.
My perception of matchmakers
was that it was old and antiquated.
It was, like, so relieving
when I met Yasmin,
and she was just, like, this big,
bubbly character,
and I felt, like, safe.
-Okay, what else?
-[Noureen] Right.
I mean, there's a lot of people out there
who say, like,
-"Music is haram."
-[Yasmin] Sure.
-"Going to concerts is haram."
-Sure.
-But, like, I love going to concerts.
-[Yasmin] Yeah.
-And I love music.
-Yeah.
Um, so that healthy balance is something
that I also am looking for in a partner.
-Absolutely.
-Someone who is open to the possibility
-of my faith growing.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
My deen is something that I work on,
and I think that I am a work in progress
as an individual, but also as a Muslim.
Love it. Love to see it. Yes.
Okay, Noureen.
I want to know your physical type.
-What are you into?
-[Noureen] Oh.
So [sighs] I mean,
I would like someone taller than me.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-[Noureen] I'm 5'10".
[Yasmin] All right. So am I.
I married two men, 5'8".
-How do you feel about that?
-[groans]
Oh.
-I could do it. I mean
-[Yasmin] Good.
That's what I That's the right answer.
-[Noureen] But
-[Yasmin] Keep going.
I do like someone
who has hair on their head.
-[Yasmin] Okay. Hair on his arms?
-[Noureen] I would
-No, I don't like hairy men.
-You don't like hairy men?
-[Noureen] No. I guess, like
-So, all Muslims are out.
-[laughs]
-[Yasmin laughs]
-What are you talking about?
-[Noureen laughs]
-Are you okay?
-Maybe we need a convert.
-[laughs]
-[Noureen laughs]
You got a flirt-to-convert.
[slurps] Okay, what else?
Uh, I really like
when people have good banter.
Well, you know,
banter could be witty and smart.
-[Noureen] Yeah.
-Or it could be super funny.
Can I have both?
[Yasmin] Of course, you can.
It's a buffet.
Thank you. [chuckles]
But I am 33.
So, I want to have kids at three
to four years after being married.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-[Noureen] And I want somebody
-who has main character energy as well.
-Okay, yeah, what does that mean?
Main character energy doesn't need
to be the loudest person in the room.
It's really about how you carry yourself.
And so, when you have two people
who carry themselves well
and can command a room,
but also understand each other,
it can work.
-Any red lines?
-Someone who is misogynistic, homophobic,
racist. Like, none of that is a
I just won't be able
-to get along with someone
-Hard pass.
Yeah. Um,
I really like when someone leads.
-Yes.
-Because I do a lot at work.
-I am the mom friend of the group.
-Hmm.
-[laughs]
-This was lovely.
-We're gonna find you this guy.
-Who's tall.
-Ish.
-[Noureen] Ish. [chuckles]
-Ish.
-[chuckles]
[cheerful music playing,
Bel Haven "Could Be Love"]
Love, yeah, love
Could what we've been dreaming of ♪
Okay, so how are you feeling?
-A little nervous.
-[Hoda] Yeah.
That's totally normal, of course.
You're meeting someone for the first time.
-Yeah.
-What made you decide
to come to an appliance store
for your first meeting?
Okay, well Okay.
Okay, if it works out, great.
If it doesn't work out,
-at least I bought a washer-dryer.
-[chuckles]
-[Mariam] Okay? [chuckles]
-I like it. Efficient.
Like, no one's gonna forget the girl
that took them to a furniture store.
[chuckles] That's true.
You're gonna leave an impression.
-Whatever, 'cause I'm a little impulsive.
-[Hoda] Are you gonna be evaluating
-his, like, choices?
-I think what I'm looking for is, like,
can we make decisions?
And if he's not like that, that's okay.
But it's, like,
-something for me to think about.
-[Hoda] Yeah.
I've been trying to buy
a washer-dryer for a year.
So, I want to know.
So, like, what is he actually going to do?
Is he going to, like,
go for the bougie stuff,
and not think about finances at all?
Or is he just cheap?
I'm really excited for you to meet Omar.
He's
-He's visiting from, um, California.
-Okay.
I really want to match Mariam with Omar
because she tends to go for guys
that are a little bit more conservative.
Just not really sure that that's actually
what she really needs.
And I think Omar is actually
really open-minded,
and he's gonna give her space to explore
who she is and where she wants to go.
-Um, he is Egyptian, and
-[Mariam] Okay.
-He speaks Arabic?
-[Hoda] He does speak Arabic.
-Okay.
-Yeah. I haven't told him too much
-about you.
-[Mariam] Okay.
Um, so you guys are coming in,
like, equal.
You both don't know a lot
about each other.
-[Mariam] Each other.
-[Hoda] I would say don't get too deep.
Just enjoy getting to know each other,
and, like,
seeing what conversation comes up,
but you don't have to feel pressured
to, like,
-dig into all the super heavy stuff now.
-Got it. Okay, cool.
-Yeah. I'll be around if you
-[Mariam] Okay, yes.
need to, like, signal me, like,
-some bat signal or something. [laughs]
-[Mariam laughs] Okay.
I'll be your chaperone.
[Mariam] I'm very big on the chaperone.
Islam teaches that this is accountability
for both people,
to make sure that they
respect each other,
to make sure that they come
to the table as themselves.
Are you
Like, what are you nervous about exactly?
I think I'm nervous about,
like [chuckles]
actually shopping for appliances.
-Uh, yeah. I think your
-[Mariam] So
-[Hoda] match has just arrived.
-[Mariam] Oh. [chuckles]
[upbeat music playing,
SeZon "In Color (feat. Benj Heard)"]
The temperature's rising
Cause it's time to see the world ♪
In color, color, in color, color ♪
Open your eyes, open them wide ♪
You don't wanna miss
It's time to see the world ♪
In color, color, in color, color ♪
In color, color ♪
Just take a look around
'Cause it's a new world ♪
In color, color, in color, color ♪
In color, color ♪
[music concludes]