'Muslim Matchmaker' puts a new spin on the dating game

HOUSTON, Texas -- Just in time for Valentine's Day, a new reality dating series from ABC News Studios is helping Muslim American singles find love.

The eight-episode series "Muslim Matchmaker" features matchmaking duo Hoda Abrahim and Yasmin Elhady, as they put their own spin on the dating game. They help singles look beyond the "swipe right" culture and try to find their life-long partner, all while staying true to their faith. For these matchmakers, finding the perfect partner is all about sticking to the "Rule of Three" - three dates in three months, and 300 questions along the way.

"We don't want you to make a decision on somebody, whether it's, you want to move forward or you want to kind of pull away, before meeting them at least three times in person within a three-month time period," says Abrahim, a professional matchmaker from Houston. "And then the 300 questions, it's not 300 all at once. It's essentially giving you talking points so that by the time you reach this three-month mark or more, you've covered some of the big topics."

Abrahim says "Muslim Matchmaker" might even surprise you.

"I think people will be shocked to see that Muslims probably aren't what they thought we were," she explains. "I think people assume we're kind of just these like quiet, you know, really soft-spoken type of women. And I think that you'll be so surprised to see that that is not the case. We have some hilarious women on the show, and they're smart and ambitious and career-oriented, and I think it's going to shatter a lot of misconceptions."

The matchmakers help couples navigate through cultural challenges and preconceived notions of what dating should look like.

"Most of the people on the show are first-generation Muslim Americans," said Abrahim. "The casual kind of dating style you find in the west doesn't really work for us because we are looking for marriage and long-term commitments kind of right out the gate. But some of the ways our parents did this doesn't necessarily work for us living here either, so we try and find this middle ground."

But whether you're Muslim or not, the show does offer takeaways for audiences of all backgrounds.

"For everybody, I hope that it inspires hope," said Abrahim. "Just have a renewed hope for all the single people out there, that your person is out there and there are ways to find them. And, you know, for the Muslim community, I really hope that we feel seen. I think that our community is going to appreciate just feeling seen and, and having our stories told, for once, by us."

"Muslim Matchmaker" is now available to stream, only on Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu and this television station.