Mariyam Mohamed

There is something telling about the first thing a person chooses to notice when they meet you after a long time. When the focus immediately goes to your appearance—your skin, your weight, your features, it rarely says anything meaningful about you. It speaks volumes about them. In everyday interactions, people reveal their inner world far more than they realize. Social psychology reminds us that what we notice, what we comment on, and what we criticize in others is often a projection of our own insecurities. This is known as projection,  a defense mechanism where individuals displace uncomfortable feelings about themselves onto others. When someone fixates on external traits, it often reflects an internal preoccupation with image, comparison, or inadequacy. This is one of the reasons I have become very intentional about who I sit down with—even for something as simple as coffee. Not out of arrogance, but out of awareness. Energy, conversation, and presence matter. When interacti...

Recently, I shared a verse from the Quran about marriage, one that carries clarity, guidance, and no room for argument. My intention was not to debate, but to create awareness. Through my coaching work, I sit with individuals and couples who are trying to navigate the complexities of marriage. I see the emotional weight both men and women carry. I see the silent struggles, the misunderstandings, the pain that is often left unspoken. In the Maldives, where divorce rates are among the highest in the world, this is not just a personal issue, it is a social one. When a marriage breaks, it does not end with two individuals. It impacts mental health, families, children, and the wider community. There is always a ripple effect. So my intention in sharing that verse was simple: To encourage reflection before reaction. To invite people to pause before making irreversible decisions. To remind that guidance exists. But something interesting happened. The responses were not always open. Some we...

I sit here today wondering, how was this world really formed? How long did it take for human beings to even begin to understand the concept of the Earth, the universe, and everything beyond what we can see? For centuries, humanity has questioned, explored, and theorized. Science has evolved, perspectives have shifted, and our understanding continues to grow. Yet, as I reflect, I realize something profound—these questions are not new. They were already addressed in a way that invites not just belief, but thinking. The Quran is described as a book for those who seek knowledge. And so, I looked deeper. One of the most detailed descriptions of creation appears in Surah Fussilat (41:9–12). It does not present creation as random or chaotic. Instead, it describes a process: structured, measured, and intentional. It begins with the formation of the Earth: “He created the earth in two days…” Then, the Earth is not left as it is. It is developed: “He placed firm mountains upon it, blessed it...

Friendship is not a luxury in childhood; it is a psychological and social necessity. When children spend time with friends, they are not simply passing the time; they are learning how to exist in the world. Through play, conversation, and even small conflicts, children begin to understand emotions, boundaries, trust, and connection. These everyday interactions quietly build emotional intelligence, shaping how a child will communicate, lead, and relate to others later in life. A child who regularly engages with friends is constantly practicing real-life skills such as sharing, listening, expressing disagreement, and repairing relationships after conflict. As children grow, friendships also play a key role in shaping identity. There comes a point where a child slowly moves beyond parental definition and begins to ask, “Who am I outside my home?” Friends become mirrors in this process. They reflect behaviors, values, and social roles, helping children understand where they belong. This tr...

  As I was walking on the road the other day, I saw an individual speaking to himself. He was thin, fragile, and lost in a world that did not seem real. His words were scattered, his emotions unstable, as if his mind and reality were no longer aligned. I stood there for a moment, not judging, but observing. There was something deeply unsettling, not just about him, but about what he represented. And it led me to a deeper question: how many individuals in the Maldives are silently suffering like this? Today is voting day, and as I walked yesterday, the roads were filled with colours, yellow, turquoise, faces of candidates placed on walls, banners stretched across streets, voices of campaigns echoing through the air. Everywhere I looked, there were images of leadership, promises of change, and people asking for trust. Yet, in the middle of all this noise, I saw him. Sitting there, disconnected from it all, as if he did not belong to the same society that was so actively deciding its ...