Mariyam Mohamed

  I was reading   Surrounded by Psychopaths , and at some point, I had to pause—not because the ideas were new, but because they felt uncomfortably familiar. The patterns of manipulation, the absence of guilt, the quiet way people use others and move on—it did not feel like theory. It felt like lived reality. Faces came to mind. Stories I have heard. Situations I have witnessed. And that is where the discomfort deepens, because it forces a question many of us avoid: how can such personalities exist in a society that identifies itself so strongly with Islam, a religion rooted in justice, mercy, and accountability? The answer begins when we separate identity from internalisation. Religion, on its own, does not transform a person. It offers a framework, a path, a set of principles—but whether those principles are embodied depends on the individual. What I have increasingly observed is that religion can sometimes shift from being a guide to becoming a tool. A tool to influence, to...

Over the years, taking clients from age 10 to over 70, one thing I found was this: most people did not suddenly start struggling as adults. It usually begins right after adolescence, and when you really sit with their story, you begin to see a pattern. There is often a child who was never healed, or a child who was forced to become an adult too early. That child does not disappear with time. It grows into the adult, and it continues to live within them, shaping how they think, feel, and respond to life. I have seen this again and again. Adults who look completely fine on the outside, functioning, working, carrying responsibilities, yet internally they are responding from a much younger place. Some are stuck in a loop where they keep repeating the same story that happened to them years, sometimes decades, back. The people change, the situations change, but the emotional response remains the same. This is where I began to realise something important: the mind does not always tell us the...

Yesterday, I spoke about patterns observed among some women in our Maldivian community, and today I want to reflect on something equally important: patterns observed among some men. This is not about all men, nor is it a generalization. It is based on observations and experiences shared by individuals. One pattern that is becoming more visible is men depending on women financially. We are seeing situations where some men are intentionally drawn to financially stable women, not to build together, but because they see comfort in what the woman already has. Some even say openly that she can take care of herself and even support them. This slowly shifts the natural sense of responsibility. In Islam, a man is not defined by what he takes, but by what he carries. He is entrusted with responsibility, with provision, with accountability. When that is avoided, it is not just a financial issue; it reflects something deeper. Another pattern we are noticing is men who actually have stable jobs an...

I want to speak about something uncomfortable, often hidden, and rarely addressed openly, yet it is quietly becoming more visible within parts of our community. This is not about all women, but about a concerning pattern observed among some women, and it reflects a deeper issue that goes beyond individual behavior. We are seeing situations where relationships are no longer built on commitment but on transactions; where living together outside marriage is becoming normalized; where intimacy is exchanged for financial gain; and where boundaries that were once protected by faith and culture are being gradually blurred. These are not just isolated incidents—they are signals of a shift that deserves reflection, not judgment alone. From an Islamic perspective, these behaviors are not simply “wrong actions” but are symptoms of a disconnection from purpose, identity, and accountability to Allah. Islam not only prohibits zina and exploitation; it builds a system that protects dignity, النفس (s...

  When Something Becomes Part of Us Human beings have an interesting tendency: when something becomes part of daily life, we stop consciously noticing it. The mind naturally adapts to repetition. What once required attention slowly becomes automatic. Psychologists call this habituation,  the process by which repeated exposure reduces awareness and emotional intensity. This is helpful for forming good habits such as brushing teeth, exercising, or waking up early. However, the same process can quietly affect relationships. When a relationship becomes part of everyday life, we may stop giving it the same conscious attention we once did. Without realizing it, something that once felt special becomes something assumed. The Honeymoon Phase Most relationships begin with what is commonly called the honeymoon phase . During this stage, attention is high and effort is natural. There are frequent messages, long phone calls, thoughtful gestures, and excitement about the future. Conver...

  As someone who naturally looks for the good in people, I often find myself reflecting on a question: What does the Quran say about human nature? In many conversations, when I say “people are good at heart,” some respond differently. They say that many people hide envy in their hearts. Some even claim that people use harmful practices such as black magic to achieve what they want to gain power, to harm others, to break marriages, or to control relationships. These reflections raise an important question: How does Islam view human beings? Are they inherently good, or capable of harm? The Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ provide a balanced answer. They acknowledge both the potential for goodness and the capacity for wrongdoing within human beings. Human Beings Are Created With Goodness and Honor The Quran begins by affirming the dignity of human beings. Allah states that humanity has been honored above many other creations. “And We have certainly honored the c...

Today, as I sit here reflecting on the past year, I realise how hardship can slowly transform into something productive. When we are in the middle of difficulty, it rarely feels meaningful. It feels heavy, confusing, and sometimes even unfair. Yet with time and reflection, I begin to see that hardship has a strange ability to reshape the mind. It stretches our thinking, questions our assumptions, and pushes us to discover parts of ourselves we never needed to access before. Over the past year, I found myself asking a deeper question: where does this ability to turn hardship into growth actually come from? In seeking answers, I began to look at three places: the mind, psychology, and reflection through the Quran. The Mind: The Story We Tell Ourselves One of the most powerful discoveries about the human mind is that it is constantly telling a story. Every experience we go through is interpreted, organised, and given meaning through an internal narrative. Two people can encounter the s...