T

he times they are a-changin' and while matchmaking is an old profession, like many old professions it has had an uncanny ability to adapt to the present context.

Some matchmaking services have chosen to focus on high-class clients, wooing users with candlelit dinners and free dining vouchers, targeting modern and cosmopolitan ideals.

Others, however, still embrace long-standing ideals, including religious ones, but with revamped technology.

An example of this is birojodohmuslim.com, an online Islamic dating service run by a couple with a extensive experience in traditional matchmaking.

Website manager Nur Rokhmah and her husband initially opened a (non-Internet-based) matchmaking business in 1996, publishing advertisements in newspapers and meeting clients in person.

"My mother inspired me," she says. "She had long been known as the matchmaker in town, and I eventually took after her."

However, they were soon overwhelmed by the number of members and couldn't find enough time to arrange all the requested meetings and consultation sessions.

"Luckily, we migrated online four years ago. That made things a whole lot easier," Nur Rokhmah said.

The Islamic dating service is based in Surakarta, Central Java.

"However, most of our members are from Jakarta," Nur Rokhmah said, "I guess they are too busy to socialize, or find it hard to develop their relationship with those they are familiar with."

Birojodohmuslim.com currently has around 1,000 active members, 55 percent of whom are women, 43 percent have never been married, and 58 percent hold bachelor's degrees.

Data for the website shows that 1 percent of the members are married, meaning they are looking for second, third or fourth wives.

The majority (79 percent) have permanent jobs. Those who spend all day at the office could benefit from online dating services, Nur Rokhmah said.

"While working on their computers, they would open the dating service for fun and, who knows, they could find their soulmate as well!" she said.

Thus far, several couples have tied the knot via the website, Nur Rokhmah said. "They usually meet several times before discovering that they belong together, but I always advise them against a two-way meeting because that could lead to them committing sin."

In line with the Islamic theme, the website also features information on each members' prayer habits and level of ability in reading the Koran: 87 percent of members say they can read it fully and 40 percent of the women wear headscarves.

However, not all matches are successful, Nur Rokmah says. "Sometimes they cancel their weddings just months before the proposed date, because of irreconcilable differences such as career choices."