Four young couples tied the knot today, on 1 Muharram, the Islamic New Year, to symbolise the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

The marriage of the couples, aged between 20 and 29, was solemnised by a Gombak marriage official, Zainal Sulaiman, at the Al-Khairiyah Mosque in Taman Sri Gombak near here, in the 'Nikah Perdana Sempena Maal Hijrah' programme organised by the mosque.

Soldier, Md Fauzi Md Arsad, 28, said he and bride, Azili Awang Kechik, 25, a nurse, chose this date to take in the blessings of the Islamic New Year.

"1 Muharam is an honourable day and gives meaning to my wife and I as we start our journey as husband and wife, towards a more Islamic direction," he said.

Newlyweds Amir Amirul Asyraf Noor Azman, 21, and Fatin Farhanah Ahmad Jamili, 22, were excited to get married, together with the three other couples and regarded the initiative as cost efficient.

"We have friends who had taken part in mass weddings like this, so I too, want to know what it's like. It costs less and is not burdensome to us, having just started working," said Amir Amirul Asyraf.

Meanwhile, the nazir of the Al-Khairiyah Mosque, Mohd Rozi Salleh said the programme was organised to help young couples get married without spending lavishly, as encouraged in Islam.

"This is our fourth time organising the programme after receiving positive feedback from various quarters. We want to help couples reduce wedding expenditure, as well as solve social ills through legal marriages," he added.

More than 500 guests, including family members of the couples witnessed the joyous occassion at the Al-Khairiyah Mosque which began at 11.30am.