The Before the Nikah Marriage Preparation Course is a proprietary course developed by Dr. Aneesah Nadir as a result of over 20 years of work in the field of social work, marriage counseling and marriage education

Proven Principles for Singles and Newlyweds to Build Strong Marriages

Registration for fall 2025 is now closed. Registration is now open for the Before the Nikah: Marriage Preparation Course Spring 2026 Intensive.

Normally held over 13 weeks, The Before the Nikah: Marriage Preparation Course Spring 2026 Intensive is 7 weeks. Dive into this course for a great foundation before Ramadan. Sessions are held live on Sunday mornings from 10 am to 12 pm (AZ) and Monday evenings from 6 pm to 8 pm (AZ) from January 5 to February 15, 2026.

This course is a proven system, developed by Dr. Aneesah Nadir over two decades, that gives students the knowledge and foundational skills to prepare them for a healthy marriage and family life. A healthy marriage is one of the most important jobs we can have, yet most people spend more time planning for the wedding than they spend preparing for this lifelong commitment. That's where this course comes in! Students will be introduced to the definition of marriage from an Islamic perspective and develop the skills to recognize and avoid toxic and unhealthy relationship patterns, as well as ways to address the hard questions around sex and intimacy, finances, in-laws, and much more. This will enable them to begin and sustain their marriage and family life with the best opportunity for a happy, tranquil, loving, long lasting, and healthy marriage.

This course is for men and women who are single, never married, open to remarriage, engaged, newlyweds, converts, and born and raised Muslims. It is also for those not interested in getting married, but just want to learn.

The Before the Nikah Course topics include:

Marriage in Islam and the Prophetic Tradition
Self-Assessment. Who am I and What do I bring to the table?
What are you looking for in your future spouse?
The Proprietary Vetting Process.
Legally Savvy Conversations before marriage.
Red Flags and Green Flags: What does a healthy relationship look like
Intimacy, Sex, Romance and Family Planning.
Budgeting, Financial Management and Marriage Preparation
Preparing to raise the next generation, step parenting, blending families
Cross Cultural Marriage, In-Laws and Extended Family.

Typically, Before the Nikah is a 13 week live virtual course offered once per week for two hours each week. The student cohort develops into an ongoing Before the Nikah community.

Faculty include a PhD social worker, a licensed attorney, a licensed professional counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a financial advisor, a sexual health expert, a matchmaker and a school psychologist who are committed to healthy harmonious marriages and families.

Secure your spot in the next class.

What People Are Saying

This is one of the best classes I have ever taken. I learned soooo much! There are so many things I did not know about myself, about marriage as a whole and how I can protect myself that this class has taught me. And it opened the door for me to feel confident in my ability to choose who I want without feeling like I am being vain, or my standards are too high.

— Spring 2025 Alum

I really enjoyed Dr. Aneesah's Before the Nikah marriage prep class. I have taken marriage courses in the past and this course was different. I learned more in-depth about the getting-to-know-you process such as the importance of discussing health in detail, considering the legal laws of the state, and doing pre-marital counseling. I would highly recommend this course. A lot of the things I learned are not common in our Muslim culture, but super important in ensuring a strong foundation for your marriage relationship.

— Woman, Single, 28

This course is so valuable that it will either make or break your relationship if you haven’t taken this course prior to getting married.

— Man, Divorced, 40

I liked that it gave me a path to start to get to know myself and what I am looking for when it comes to a partner. Usually, the advice is to get to know yourself before you get married, but no one guides you on how and what questions to ask yourself.