<![CDATA[Premarital dating raises a tension between social reality as a space for getting to know a prospective spouse and the normative boundaries of Islamic law. This study aims to analyze dating as relational capital for family resilience, compare it with couples without dating experience, and examine it from the perspective of maslahah al-mursalah. This qualitative study involved thirteen informants, comprising nine who married after dating and four who married without dating. Data were collected through interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation, and analyzed using Froma Walsh’s family resilience theory and Wahbah al-Zuhaili’s concept of maslahah al-mursalah. The findings show that dating can facilitate the development of relational capital through character recognition, shared vision, household planning, and communication. Couples without dating experience also developed relational capital through different processes. The difference lies in the timing and mechanisms of its development rather than in the superiority of either form of premarital relationship. The constructive functions of premarital relationships may be considered maslahah when their benefits are real and do not contradict Islamic law. These findings may inform the development of premarital guidance that emphasizes communication, role readiness, and an understanding of Islamic legal boundaries.]]>
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