A Comprehensive Review on the Implementation of Islamic Pre-Marital Course in Malaysia

Marriage is one of the religious requirements in Islam that purposes to fulfill one’s needs to spouse. Continuity of a marriage depends on mental, physical, emotional and spiritual preparation of the spouses. For this reason, Islam places a great deal of emphasis on the marital and familial management and system, not only for the benefit of the families but also for the interest of the national and global society as a whole. However, even with the meticulous benchmarks that Islam has provided, there are still issues that are encountered by Muslim spouses today that lead to divorce, which then as a result taint the image of Islam itself. Divorce cases in Malaysia keep increasing in number from year to year and affect not only the ties between the spouses but among the family members involved as well. Looking at this increasing rate of divorce, the author feels the need of the Pre-Marital Course currently made mandatory in Malaysia to give better exposure on marriage and family life with re`ference to current scenarios. This article will give an insight on the background of Islamic Pre-Marital Course that has been ongoing since 1996 as well as its system and form of management in chronological order. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used. Library research is required to obtain current information and clear understanding on the issues studied, and participation and observation methods are also executed to gain actual and clear picture of the occurring situation. Plus, interviews involving varying parties are also done to aid this study. It is hoped that this article will create awareness and give useful input to help in strengthening the family institution in Malaysia.