Filling the Potholes: From the “Aluwanka” to the “Garden of Bliss”

Abstract

Since social change has impacted Muslim marriages, traditional pre-marital counselling is being influenced by the formalized one. But the establishment of a pre-marital counselling centre by a woman in the Muslim community is what aroused the interest to investigate this phenomenon. This paper discusses the practices of the Aluwanka (traditional pre-marital counsellor) and assesses the formalized type by Hajia Memuna Maliki. We argue that though Hajia Memuna Maliki has attempted to bring pre-marital counselling to the Muslim community, particularly women, she faces several challenges as with any new development and must be assisted by stakeholders to perform better.