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 ...

  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...