MARRIAGE TRENDS AMONG MUSLIM GENERATION Z: A MAQĀṢID AL-SHARĪʿAH PERSPECTIVE ON CHANGING MARRIAGE PREFERENCES

Abstract

The rapid transformation of social, economic, and digital environments has significantly influenced marriage preferences among Muslim Generation Z. This study examines contemporary marriage trends among Muslim Generation Z and analyzes changing preferences through the perspective of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah. The study employs a qualitative normative-sociological approach, combining Islamic legal analysis with contemporary literature on youth, marriage, digital culture, and family transformation. The analysis focuses on several emerging trends, including delayed marriage, greater emphasis on educational and economic readiness, changing criteria for selecting a spouse, digital-mediated partner selection, increasing concern for gender equality and emotional compatibility, and the emergence of childfree preferences among some Muslim youth. The findings indicate that these changes cannot be understood merely as a decline in religious commitment but rather as a complex transformation shaped by education, economic uncertainty, individual aspirations, digitalization, and changing perceptions of family life. From the perspective of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, several contemporary preferences may be accommodated when they contribute to maṣlaḥah and do not contradict fundamental Islamic principles. Marriage readiness, mutual consent, psychological and economic preparedness, protection of dignity, and the prevention of harm are consistent with the broader objectives of Sharīʿah. However, certain trends require critical examination when individual autonomy and lifestyle preferences conflict with the fundamental objectives of Islamic family formation. This study argues that Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah provides an adaptive analytical framework for understanding contemporary Muslim marriage trends, enabling Islamic family law to respond to generational changes while maintaining its normative foundations. The study contributes to contemporary Islamic family law by demonstrating the need for a balanced approach that recognizes Generation Z's changing social realities while preserving the ethical, spiritual, and family-oriented objectives of marriage in Islam.