At True Nikkah, we treat the information couples share with us with the same seriousness we bring to the ceremony itself. Arranging a marriage involves information that is personal in the fullest sense. It identifies you, it identifies your partner, it reveals your religious belief, and for many couples it concerns a decision their family does not yet know about. We regard the protection of that information as a core responsibility rather than an administrative formality.
This Privacy Policy explains how True Nikkah collects, uses, stores, shares, transfers and protects personal data in connection with our online nikah ceremony and Islamic marriage services. It applies to couples in the United Kingdom, the European Union and European Economic Area, the United States, Canada, Australia and worldwide.
Our data protection practices are designed to meet recognised international data protection standards, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada, the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and applicable state privacy legislation in the United States including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).
Data protection at True Nikkah operates within the governance framework set out in our Code of Practice, under the oversight of our Director, Dr Mahmoud Abdelrahman.
Effective Date: 1 July 2023
Last Reviewed: August 2026
Next Scheduled Review: August 2027
Data Protection Officer (DPO): Dr Mahmoud Abdelrahman, Director, True Nikkah
Contact: dpo@truenikkah.com
True Nikkah is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, integrity and security of the personal information entrusted to us by the couples we serve.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and safeguard personal data when arranging and conducting nikah ceremonies, providing wali and witness services, and issuing nikah certificates. It also explains the rights available to you in respect of your personal data and how those rights may be exercised.
True Nikkah processes personal data only where necessary and proportionate for the delivery of the services you have requested, and applies safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information involved. Because arranging a nikah necessarily reveals religious belief, the information we hold attracts enhanced protection under data protection law in most of the jurisdictions in which we operate, and we treat it accordingly in all of them.
This Policy applies to all users of the True Nikkah website, all couples who book or enquire about our services, and all communications with us, regardless of location.
This Policy should be read alongside our Terms of Service, Code of Practice, Cookie Policy and Disclaimer.
For the purposes of the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR, PIPEDA, the Australian Privacy Principles and other applicable privacy legislation, True Nikkah acts as the Data Controller for all personal data processed in connection with our services.
As Data Controller, True Nikkah determines the purposes for which and the means by which personal data is processed, and is accountable for compliance with applicable data protection obligations.
Data Controller: True Nikkah
Data Protection Lead: Dr Mahmoud Abdelrahman, Director
Privacy contact: dpo@truenikkah.com
General enquiries: info@truenikkah.com
Our Data Protection Lead holds overall responsibility for compliance with applicable data protection legislation, for the confidentiality obligations that attach to a service handling information revealing religious belief, and for our internal information governance standards. Data protection oversight is integrated into the wider organisational governance framework described in our Code of Practice, and is subject to scheduled review.
True Nikkah maintains organisational accountability measures designed to support demonstrable compliance with data protection obligations, including documented processing purposes, defined lawful bases, retention schedules, access controls, and periodic governance review.
True Nikkah applies the principle of data minimisation, collecting only the information necessary and proportionate to arrange and conduct your ceremony, issue your certificate, and meet our legal and record-keeping obligations.
This information is used to verify identity and age, to confirm eligibility to marry, to prepare your certificate, and to communicate with you regarding your booking.
By its nature, arranging a nikah reveals that you are Muslim. Where relevant to the conduct of your ceremony, we may also process:
Information revealing religious or philosophical belief constitutes special category personal data under Article 9 of the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, sensitive information under the Australian Privacy Principles, sensitive personal information under the CCPA as amended by the CPRA, and information attracting heightened expectations of consent under PIPEDA. It is subject to the enhanced safeguards described in section 6.
Payments are processed by our third-party payment providers, currently Stripe, PayPal and supported digital wallet services including Apple Pay and Google Pay. True Nikkah does not store or directly process full payment card details. We retain a record of the transaction, the amount paid, the services purchased and the date of payment, as required for accounting, tax and record-keeping purposes.
This information is used for security, performance monitoring, fraud prevention and operational integrity only. True Nikkah does not use technical data for advertising, behavioural profiling, cross-site tracking or the construction of marketing audiences.
Further information is set out in our Cookie Policy.
True Nikkah uses personal data only for defined and limited purposes connected to the delivery of the services you have requested. Specifically:
True Nikkah does not use personal data for:
True Nikkah processes personal data only where a valid lawful basis exists. Depending on the information concerned and the purpose of processing, we rely on the following:
For couples outside the UK and EU, we apply equivalent standards. Under PIPEDA, processing is founded on meaningful consent obtained at the point of collection. Under the Australian Privacy Principles, sensitive information including information about religious beliefs is collected only with consent and only where reasonably necessary for our functions. Under US state privacy legislation, information revealing religious belief is treated as sensitive personal information and processed only with consent.
This section is central to how True Nikkah operates, because the information we hold is inherently sensitive in a way that most service providers’ is not.
The mere fact that you have contacted True Nikkah reveals your religious belief. Under Article 9 of the UK GDPR and the EU GDPR, information revealing religious or philosophical belief is special category personal data and may not lawfully be processed unless a specific additional condition is satisfied. Equivalent heightened protections apply under the Australian Privacy Principles, PIPEDA, and US state privacy frameworks including the CCPA as amended by the CPRA.
True Nikkah relies on explicit consent under Article 9(2)(a), obtained at the point of booking through a clear, specific and separate declaration.
That consent is:
Where an interfaith ceremony is arranged, information regarding a non-Muslim spouse’s religious affiliation constitutes special category data belonging to that individual. We collect it only where necessary to assess whether the marriage may properly be conducted, we require the consent of that individual, and we apply identical safeguards.
Safeguards applied to special category data include:
True Nikkah maintains organisational controls designed to ensure that special category data is handled in a manner proportionate to its sensitivity and consistent with recognised international data protection standards.
Many couples arrange their nikah privately. Some have not told their families. Some are marrying across a family objection. We do not ask why, and we design our processes on the assumption that your booking is private.
In practice this means:
We cannot control the security of a device or email account shared with other people. If discretion is important to you, we recommend providing a contact address or number that only you can access, and telling us if there are times at which it is not appropriate to contact you. We will follow your instructions.
This commitment forms part of the ethical standards set out in our Code of Practice.
True Nikkah is established in the United Kingdom and provides services to couples worldwide. Our baseline standard is the UK and EU GDPR, which is among the most stringent data protection frameworks in the world, and we apply that standard to every couple regardless of where they live, including in jurisdictions where local law would require less.
True Nikkah complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. The supervisory authority is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and you have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk.
The EU General Data Protection Regulation applies to our processing under Article 3(2), because we offer services to individuals located in the European Union. We comply with the EU GDPR in respect of all such processing, including the lawful basis requirements, transparency obligations, data subject rights and breach notification duties it imposes.
[Where required under Article 27 of the EU GDPR, our appointed EU representative is: name and contact details.]
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in your country of residence.
There is currently no general federal privacy statute in the United States. State privacy legislation, including the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, together with comparable legislation in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and other states, applies to businesses meeting specified revenue or processing volume thresholds. True Nikkah does not presently meet those thresholds.
Notwithstanding this, True Nikkah voluntarily extends to couples in the United States the same protections and the same rights afforded to those in the United Kingdom and European Union. In particular:
True Nikkah complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in respect of personal information of individuals in Canada, including the requirements relating to meaningful consent, limiting collection, limiting use and disclosure, accuracy, safeguards, openness, individual access and accountability.
For couples resident in Quebec, we additionally observe the requirements of the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, as amended by Law 25, including in relation to consent, transparency and data portability.
The federal supervisory authority is the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and you have the right to lodge a complaint at priv.gc.ca.
True Nikkah handles the personal information of individuals in Australia in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This includes APP 3, under which sensitive information, expressly defined to include information about religious beliefs or affiliations, is collected only with consent and only where reasonably necessary for our functions, and APP 8, governing cross-border disclosure of personal information.
The supervisory authority is the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), and you have the right to lodge a complaint at oaic.gov.au.
For couples resident elsewhere, True Nikkah applies its UK and EU GDPR baseline as a minimum standard, and complies with any additional local requirements that apply to the processing concerned.
True Nikkah implements technical and organisational security measures appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the information we hold, taking account of the state of the art, the costs of implementation, and the risks to the rights and freedoms of the individuals concerned.
Our security controls include:
Our information security practices are informed by the principles set out in ISO/IEC 27001, the international standard for information security management.
True Nikkah maintains an internal incident response process for the identification, containment, assessment and reporting of personal data breaches.
Where a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, as required under the UK and EU GDPR. Where the breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you directly and without undue delay, describing the nature of the breach, its likely consequences, and the measures taken.
We apply this notification standard to all couples worldwide, not only to those resident in the United Kingdom and European Union, and irrespective of whether local law imposes an equivalent obligation.
True Nikkah shares personal data only where necessary for the delivery of your ceremony, on a need-to-know basis, and subject to appropriate contractual and confidentiality safeguards.
Personal data may be shared with:
True Nikkah does not sell personal data, and does not permit any third party to use your information for marketing, profiling, advertising or any purpose unrelated to the delivery of your ceremony.
Where processors are engaged, True Nikkah ensures that written data processing agreements are in place, that access is limited to the minimum necessary, that appropriate security standards are maintained, and that processors act only on documented instructions. True Nikkah remains accountable as Data Controller throughout.
Processor arrangements are reviewed periodically as part of our governance cycle.
Because True Nikkah serves couples worldwide and works with Imams located in more than one country, personal data may be transferred outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area.
Where such transfers occur, we ensure an appropriate transfer mechanism is in place, relying on:
For couples in Australia, cross-border disclosure is conducted in accordance with APP 8. For couples in Canada, transfers are conducted in accordance with PIPEDA, and you are informed that information may be processed outside Canada and may accordingly be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction concerned.
Transfers are limited to what is necessary for the delivery of your ceremony. True Nikkah does not transfer personal data internationally for marketing or any unrelated commercial purpose.
True Nikkah retains personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and in accordance with defined internal retention schedules.
Nikah certificates and ceremony records are retained on a long-term basis. This is a deliberate policy decision. Couples request copies of their certificate years after their ceremony, sometimes in connection with an immigration matter, sometimes because the original has been lost, and sometimes for their own records. A marriage record deleted after a short period is of little use to the people who rely on it.
Identity and age verification documentation is retained only for as long as necessary to confirm eligibility and to satisfy our verification obligations, and is then securely deleted.
Enquiry correspondence from individuals who do not proceed to book is retained for a limited period and then deleted.
Payment and transaction records are retained for the period required by applicable accounting and tax legislation.
Complaint records are retained for a defined period to support governance, quality monitoring and the defence of any claim.
When a retention period expires, data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised using methods designed to prevent recovery or reconstruction.
You may request deletion of your personal data at any time. Where a ceremony has taken place and a certificate has been issued, we will explain clearly what we are able to delete, what we must retain as a record of the ceremony, and the basis on which we retain it.
Wherever in the world you live, True Nikkah extends the following rights to you. We do not distinguish between couples on the basis of whether local law compels us to provide them.
Requests may be submitted to dpo@truenikkah.com or through our Contact page.
We respond to requests within one month, as required under the UK and EU GDPR, and apply that timeframe to all requests regardless of the requester’s location. Where a request is complex or where several requests have been received, this period may be extended by up to two further months, and we will inform you within the first month if that applies.
We will verify your identity before disclosing personal data or acting on a request. This is a protective measure and applies to all requests.
Certain rights are subject to limitation, in particular where True Nikkah is required to retain a record that a ceremony took place.
Our website uses essential cookies necessary for secure access, session integrity, load balancing and protection against fraudulent activity. These cookies are required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Where analytics cookies are used, their purpose is limited to understanding how visitors use the site so that we can improve it. True Nikkah does not use cookies for advertising, behavioural profiling, retargeting or cross-site tracking.
Non-essential cookies are set only with your consent, in accordance with the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive as implemented in applicable jurisdictions. Consent may be withdrawn at any time through the cookie settings on our website.
Full detail is set out in our Cookie Policy.
If you have a concern about how True Nikkah has handled your personal information, please contact us first at dpo@truenikkah.com so that we have the opportunity to address it. Complaints are logged securely and reviewed under the oversight of our Data Protection Lead.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint directly with a supervisory authority:
Complaints concerning the conduct of a ceremony, rather than the handling of your personal data, are dealt with under our Code of Practice and our Terms of Service.
True Nikkah does not provide services to persons under the age of eighteen, under any circumstances, and does not knowingly collect personal data relating to children.
Our Code of Practice sets an absolute minimum age of eighteen for both parties to any ceremony, verified as part of the booking process. Where we become aware that information relating to a person under eighteen has been submitted, the booking is cancelled, the payment refunded, and the information handled in accordance with our safeguarding responsibilities.
For all privacy and data protection enquiries, including the exercise of any right described in section 13:
Privacy enquiries: privacy@truenikkah.com
General enquiries: info@truenikkah.com
Contact form: Contact Us
This contact point is overseen by Dr Mahmoud Abdelrahman, Director of True Nikkah, who holds responsibility for data protection compliance and information governance across the service.
True Nikkah reviews this Privacy Policy at least once every twelve months, and sooner where legislation, our services, our processing arrangements or our supplier relationships change.
Where material updates are made, the revised policy is published on this page together with a revised effective date, and where appropriate we will take reasonable steps to notify affected individuals.
We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to ensure you remain familiar with the current version.
Last updated: August 2026