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How much of our privacy and our ability to think are we willing to trade for convenience? Former Microsoft and Amazon technical program manager Sara Khan joins us to discuss the AI race, mass surveillance, and her concerns about children growing up with ChatGPT. Sara recounts her work on AWS data center expansion, describing redacted information, code names, and the questions that made her reconsider what she was helping build. She shares her concerns about Amazon’s ties to Israel and describes the layoffs and shifting priorities she witnessed as the company turned its attention toward AI. The conversation moves from government contracts and the physical cost of data centers to something much closer to home: trusting chatbots with our relationships, relying on them to think for us, and introducing them to our children. Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ Connect with Sara: https://www.instagram.com/saracangrow/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:54 Meet Sara: identity & being Punjabi 06:56 From healthcare to Microsoft and Amazon 12:12 Golden handcuffs and motherhood in tech 17:59 Inside AWS: redacted projects and code names 23:25 Speaking up about Palestine and leaving Amazon 26:39 Big Tech, government contracts and the Middle East 30:06 Data centers and their cost to communities 37:30 Surveillance, privacy and your data 41:58 Amazon’s AI shift and layoffs 46:49 AI warnings: genuine concern or marketing? 52:00 Who is accountable for AI? 56:26 Her NDA expired 58:58 ChatGPT as a therapist and the risks for children 1:01:50 Are we outsourcing our ability to think? 1:09:27 Building Go Grow and bringing families together 1:14:01 Building a workplace that supports mothers 1:19:32 Amazon, convenience and the value of your data 1:25:41 Can we build technology that protects privacy? 1:29:18 What role should AI play in our lives?

Former professional boxer Brian “The Lion” Mihtar joins me for a conversation about drug addiction, men’s mental health, and the pressure to look strong when your life is falling apart. From growing up Yemeni in Detroit and training with Emanuel Steward at Kronk Gym to becoming a single father and losing a young boxer who looked up to him, Brian shares the parts of his story people never saw. We talk about identity after boxing, the guilt he carried, his lowest moment, and what it took to ask for help and rebuild. In this episode: - Childhood trauma, bullying, and growing up Yemeni American in Detroit - School violence, guns, and the dangerous pressure to defend your honor - Detroit’s Kronk Gym, Emanuel Steward, and Brian’s professional boxing career - Prince Naseem Hamed’s influence and becoming a national boxing champion - Losing your identity after sports and falling into prescription drug addiction - Single fatherhood, raising two children, and hiding your struggles - Hamzah’s story: boxing, mentorship, grief, and the burden of guilt - Surviving an overdose, reaching rock bottom, and facing a suicidal crisis - Addiction recovery, rehab, therapy, and the role of faith and daily discipline - Men’s mental health, the pressure to provide, and learning to ask for help - Rebuilding his life and the story behind his memoir, Life After Death Preorder Brian’s book, Life After Death: A Memoir of the Fight Within: brianmihtar.com This episode includes discussions of addiction, overdose, violence, and suicide. Sponsors: 🏢 J&J Insurance Managers: https://insurancebyjj.com/ 🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Brian: https://www.instagram.com/brian.mihtar/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/ 00:00 Intro 01:49 Meet Brian Mihtar 05:31 Growing Up Yemeni in Detroit 13:20 Ad Break 14:58 Guns, Bullying & Violence at School 22:38 Fear, Toughness & His Father’s Lessons 29:31 The Incident That Made Him Leave School 34:15 Finding Kronk Gym & Emanuel Steward 45:51 Ad Break 47:22 A National Title & Boxing’s Biggest Moments 52:21 Losing Emanuel Steward 56:50 Why His Boxing Career Stalled 59:35 A Relationship Ends & Single Fatherhood 1:05:02 Leaving Boxing & Prescription Drug Addiction 1:11:53 Fatherhood & Hiding His Struggles 1:16:33 Can You Help Someone Who Isn’t Ready? 1:17:56 Rock Bottom & His Lowest Moment 1:20:57 Hamzah: The Young Boxer Who Looked Up to Him 1:27:01 Surviving an Overdose 1:28:07 Breaking the Silence & Entering Rehab 1:32:36 Recovery, Faith & Starting Over 1:36:10 Hamzah’s Death & Living With Guilt 1:39:19 Life After Death: Reinventing Himself 1:40:29 Men’s Mental Health & the Pressure to Provide 1:46:01 His Father’s Final Years 1:50:53 What He Needed to Hear at His Lowest 1:54:21 Brian’s Book & Closing Thoughts

Can you love being a mother and still feel like you’ve lost yourself? And why can wanting something for yourself feel so selfish? In this episode of Not From Here, Jaafar Issa sits down with marathon runner and mother of three Rahaf Khatib to explore finding purpose beyond motherhood, making room for your own ambitions, and the expectations placed on Muslim women. For Rahaf, it started with needing time for herself and finding a gym that offered childcare. That small beginning grew into a passion that connected her to a community, gave her a platform to help others, and became part of how she lived her faith. Her experience opens up a bigger conversation: how do you build a life that has room for your family, your beliefs, and the person you want to become? In this episode, we discuss: • Finding identity and purpose beyond motherhood • Making time for yourself while caring for your family • Hijab, ambition, and whether being visibly Muslim limits what’s possible • Running as an outlet for stress and a source of belonging • Staying true to your values when opportunities come your way • Turning a personal interest into a way to contribute to your community What’s something you’ve put aside since becoming a parent that you’d like to find your way back to? Sponsors: 🏢J&J Insurance Managers: https://insurancebyjj.com/ 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 00:00 Episode preview & intro 02:29 Finding purpose through running 07:42 Why running is a mental sport 14:03 Hitting the wall in her first marathon 22:41 Does hijab limit Muslim women? 28:31 The runner’s high and mental health 30:04 Refusing to compromise for a magazine cover 38:29 Trusting God’s timing & the Boston Marathon 42:10 When women weren’t allowed to run 46:51 Bringing Muslim women into sports campaigns 49:59 What makes a good running hijab? 52:45 Do sports brands care about inclusion? 55:12 The cost of speaking up for Palestine 59:07 Motherhood, postpartum struggles and purpose 1:03:57 Returning to Syria for the Damascus Marathon 1:07:21 Seventeen years away from home 1:20:06 Her advice for breaking through the wall

In this episode of Not From Here, Jaafar challenges what our weddings have become and who we’re really trying to impress. When does celebrating your marriage turn into performing for everyone else? And what happens when keeping the wedding plans on track becomes more important than addressing the problems underneath them? This conversation gets into: - Extravagant weddings, high mahr expectations, and the pressure to afford a celebration before you’ve even started building a life. - The conversations couples avoid about money, family boundaries, children, and what they actually expect from each other - Why finding the right person also means asking an uncomfortable question: “Is it easy to live with somebody like me?”  For our Muslim listeners, there’s another question: why do we spend years asking God for a spouse and the means to get married, only to treat the wedding as an exception to our beliefs? This is a conversation about pressure, priorities, faith, and the life that continues after the celebration ends.  Sponsors: 🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:01 Expensive Weddings, High Mahr & the Pressure to Get Married 02:49 Who Is This Wedding Really For? 03:57 Are We Choosing a Partner for the Wrong Reasons? 05:33 Ads 07:20 Would You Want to Be Married to You? 08:23 Family, Children & the Expectations We Never Discuss 10:37 What Does “Financially Stable” Actually Mean? 13:09 Can You Raise a Concern Without Being Dismissed? 16:52 What Being Ready for Marriage Actually Looks Like 18:24 You Asked God for This Marriage. How Will You Celebrate It?

Three years after her first appearance, Yasmeen Hamed returns to Not From Here for an honest conversation about raising her son Ibrahim, who has special needs, and learning to let go of what “normal” was supposed to look like. She shares why accepting a different parenting journey doesn’t mean giving up on your child—and why moving from denial to advocacy matters. Behind the videos people love are challenges Yasmeen doesn’t always share online. We talk about the demands of lifelong caregiving, the importance of real support, and the question weighing on her most: What will happen to Ibrahim when she’s gone? In this episode: * Accepting the parenting journey you didn’t expect. * When parents need compassion and when they need tough love. * What social media doesn’t show about caregiving. * How friends, family, and community can offer meaningful support. * Yasmeen’s journey with faith, hijab, and Hajj. * Loving your child completely while being honest about how hard the journey can be. A conversation for parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants to better understand and support the families around them. Sponsors: 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ Connect with Yasmeen: https://www.instagram.com/ibrahimo_hamed/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:35 Yasmeen Returns After Three Years 03:36 Choosing to Wear Hijab Later in Life 15:54 Ad Break 17:33 Family Support and Special Needs Children Connection to Faith 21:29 Getting to Know Ibrahim 23:41 Facing the Diagnosis and Moving Past Denial 32:08 What Social Media Doesn’t Show About Caregiving 34:47 Why Parents Sometimes Need Tough Love 36:52 ABA Therapy 42:58 Why Ibrahim Saying “No” Is a Win 47:55 Who Will Care for Ibrahim When She’s Gone? 49:56 Ad Break 50:44 Preparing His Family for the Future 1:02:10 Why Every Child’s Progress Looks Different 1:05:15 Safety, Emergencies and the Fear of Wandering 1:13:30 Awareness, Stigma and Blaming Parents 1:16:28 Caregiver Stress, Isolation and Finding Your People 1:21:32 Imagining the Life Ibrahim Might Have Had 1:23:41 How Ibrahim Has Shaped His Siblings 1:27:54 Accepting the Journey Doesn’t Make It Easy 1:32:14 Learning to Be Proud of How Far You’ve Come

Was leaving home actually worth it or are we comparing everyday life in one country to a vacation in another? In this solo episode of Not From Here, we challenge how we romanticize our home countries and the West, exploring what moving abroad gives us and what even success can’t replace. We discuss: Why a vacation back home isn’t the same as building a life there. The assumptions we make about community, religion, and whom we can trust. Finding opportunity abroad while feeling guilty about leaving. Watching parents grow older from a distance. Whether we miss home or a chapter of life that moving back cannot recreate. Whether you left home or grew up abroad dreaming of moving back, this conversation is about comparing real lives not idealized versions of either place. 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/  Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Was Leaving Home Actually Worth It? 01:09 The Life You’re Imagining vs. Reality 03:53 Visiting Lebanon Isn’t the Same as Living There 06:11 Living in Lebanon on an American Salary 07:44 Ad Break 09:26 Can You Trust “Your Own People”? 11:41 Religious Appearances vs. Actual Character 13:15 What Moving Abroad Can Actually Improve 15:39 Less Money, but More Hope 17:30 Watching Your Parents Age From Far Away 20:02 Survivor’s Guilt While Living Abroad 21:44 Do You Miss Home—or Your Old Life? 23:24 Loving Lebanon Without Moving Back 25:30 Would I Leave Again? 26:16 Why Moving to America Was Harder Than I Expected

Khalil Abu Rayyan was 21 when he was arrested following an FBI investigation into his alleged support for ISIS. He was never charged with terrorism, but received a five-year prison sentence for firearms offenses. In this episode of Not From Here, Khalil joins Jaafar Issa to share his account of the undercover relationship, the investigation, and what happened after his arrest. We also get into the loneliness that preceded it, what his family went through, and the parts of his life he is still trying to rebuild. In this conversation, we discuss: * His search for belonging as a young Arab American Muslim, and the online activity that attracted the FBI’s attention. * The woman he wanted to marry, their messages, and how he discovered she was undercover. * A year in solitary confinement and the prisoner he credits with saving his life. * Finding faith and Muslim brotherhood inside an American prison. * His father’s prison visits and what it meant to see him cry. * Learning to trust people after release, returning to school, and why he still struggles to forgive himself. Sponsors: 🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Khalil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khalil-abu-rayyan-97965a33a/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 02:01 Identity, Drugs & the Search for Belonging 08:53 ISIS Propaganda & His Online Persona 12:48 The First Woman Who Messaged Him 15:27 The Undercover Woman He Wanted to Marry 20:35 The Day the FBI Arrested Him 26:38 The Charges & His Five-Year Sentence 30:49 A Year in Solitary Confinement 34:08 The Prisoner Who Helped Him Survive 37:15 Finding Faith in a Prison Cell 46:17 His Father’s Visits & the Impact on His Family 54:19 Life After Prison & an Alleged FBI Offer 01:01:14 Learning to Trust People Again 01:04:59 Confronting His ISIS Messages 01:09:16 Loneliness & Wanting to Be Loved 01:11:36 Rebuilding His Life Through TikTok & Education 01:20:09 Still Having Nightmares About Prison 01:24:44 The Terrorism Allegations vs. His Conviction 01:30:36 Regret, Shame & Taking Responsibility 01:34:43 Does He Feel His Family Has Forgiven Him? 01:37:04 Why He Still Can’t Forgive Himself 01:48:44 Advice for Young Men Feeling Lost

What does it actually take to be a Muslim? In this solo episode, I reflect on discipline, desire, struggle, forgiveness, and what it means to keep trying, even when you fall short. Because maybe being Muslim was never supposed to be effortless. Referenced Lectures/Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59-rA7ZoBzQ&t=2671s https://youtu.be/v5kElYw-Oiw?si=LP_f4_xUERc1z1Mc https://youtu.be/xxGA89us2tU?si=VNaWXspkk0n99v5n Sponsors:  🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/  Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 00:00 Intro 01:55 Trying to Stay Muslim 06:00 Hard Work, just not for Faith 12:54 How Being Muslim is Hard 22:56 God Knew We Would Fail

What happens when you build a $10 million company with people you trust, then watch them start walking away one by one? Dewnya is an attorney, entrepreneur, founder of ATLAW, and author of The Visionary Builder. But behind the success was a period that forced her to question the business she built, the way she led, the people around her, and ultimately herself. In this episode, we discuss: * How Dewnya built a law firm doing roughly $10M in business and what happened when her partners and attorneys began leaving * The leadership mistakes she had to confront instead of simply blaming the people who walked away * How the collapse affected her financially, including the moment her family had to seriously consider selling their home * Why she believes our community struggles to celebrate other people's success * The pressure immigrant communities place on entrepreneurship and being your own boss * Why success never seemed to feel like enough * Forgiveness, rebuilding trust, and what the entire experience taught her about people Sponsors: 🏢J&J Insurance Managers: https://insurancebyjj.com/ 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Dewnya: https://www.instagram.com/dewnyabazzi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dewnya-bazzi/ The Visionary Builder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H8B1PR71?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:29 Dewnya Returns to Not From Here 03:05 From “No Home” to “Daughter of South Lebanon” 08:32 Moment Zero: The $10M Firm’s Thin Foundation 14:33 Her Partners Leave the Firm 22:20 Why Everyone Wants to Go Out on Their Own 31:37 The Moment After They Walked Out 37:02 What She Learned From Everyone Leaving 43:20 Rumors & Reputation 50:04 “We Have to Sell the House” 58:13 The $100,000 Check 1:07:45 The Ahmed Framework: A Leadership Lesson From Her Son 1:11:07 Why Success Never Feels Like Enough 1:16:02 The Empty Theater Exercise 1:22:11 Forgiveness, Resentment & Finding Hope Again

On October 11, 1985, Alex Odeh kissed his wife goodbye, went to his office in Santa Ana, California, and opened the door. A bomb went off. He was the West Coast director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and more than 40 years later, no one has ever been arrested. The president at the time never said a word on camera. William Youmans is a professor at George Washington University, raised in Dearborn, and the co-director of a new documentary investigating the assassination. He has spent his career researching how America watches, uses, and erases its Arab American community. In this episode: - The suspects who were under surveillance before the bomb, then disappeared - The pro-Israel group that had Alex on a list and cops on their payroll - Why Reagan stayed silent about a bombing in his home county - The CIA recruitment tent at the Arab festival on Warren Avenue - How Dearborn was used to sell the war on terror - Al Jazeera's $2 billion failure to enter America Sponsors: 🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with William: https://www.instagram.com/willlafi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-youmans-39541150/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:49 Who Is William Youmans? 04:10 The Curse of Not Belonging Anywhere 08:04 Wiretaps, Informants, and Provocateurs 12:21 The CIA Tent at the Arab Festival 15:36 Ad Break 16:46 How Dearborn Was Used to Sell the War on Terror 25:41 The Assassination of Alex Odeh 32:50 Why a Bomb? 35:39 Netanyahu, Giuliani, and the Silence 38:10 Why Al Jazeera Wasn't Welcome in America 40:18 Ad Break 41:23 The $2 Billion Failure of Al Jazeera America 55:07 Is There Hope? 59:16 The Only Statue of an Arab American 1:02:32 The Lost Arab American TV Archive 1:07:14 The Muhammad Ali and Malcolm Kerr Tapes 1:10:53 What the First Generation Built

You hate your job but you're scared to leave. Or you want to start a business but you don't know if you're built for it. This episode is how you actually decide. Nora Farhat built a corporate career from Michigan to Abu Dhabi, left it all at 35, and went on to build, buy, and sell multiple businesses. Now she runs several companies and leads the Arab American Women's Business Council. In this episode: ▸ Employee or business owner: how to know which one you are
▸ The 2 questions to answer before you start any business
▸ Why your side hustle isn't a business
▸ Why a business only fails when you decide it failed
▸ Building a business as a mom: guilt, sacrifice, and what your kids actually need to see
▸ Raising kids with grit when they have everything you didn't Sponsors: 🏢J&J Insurance Managers: https://insurancebyjj.com/ 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Nora: https://www.instagram.com/nora.farhat/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-farhat-4b4504b5/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:46 Who Is Nora When She Looks in the Mirror? 03:48 Lucky People Aren't Lucky: The Power of Awareness 10:33 Employee or Business Owner: The Truth About Both Paths 20:33 How to Know If a Business Idea Is Worth Pursuing 25:13 Boring Businesses, Ego & Seven-Figure Exits 29:39 Why Your Side Hustle Isn't a Business 34:07 Leaving Corporate as a Mother 38:27 Starting a Business Without Sacrificing Your Kids 44:32 Millionaires Have 6 Income Streams 46:21 Mom Guilt Is a Lie 55:08 A Business Only Fails When You Decide It Failed 1:00:08 When to Sell & the Firing Mistake That Changed Everything 1:13:15 Raising Kids With Grit When They Have Everything 1:16:59 The Only Woman in the Room 1:28:07 The Career Test That Said She'd Only Be a Secretary

What do people say when they know they're dying? Dr. Naveed Baig was the first hospital imam in Denmark's history. He spent 15 years at the bedsides of the dying and served as a prison chaplain to men society gave up on. He has watched hundreds of people take their final breath. We flew to Copenhagen to find out what they told him. Most of us live like death is far away. We stay harsh on ourselves, fear God instead of loving Him, hold grudges we plan to fix later, and chase things the dying say never mattered. This episode is about fixing that before it's your turn. In this episode: * What the dying actually regret, and why it's never their sins * Why we grew up fearing an angry God, and the image that replaced it * The final words of a terminally ill woman that changed his faith * What happened when a two-year-old's life support was turned off * Can a murderer be forgiven, and can he forgive himself? * Why "have sabr" can hurt someone who is grieving * Why prisoners turn to Islam behind bars * Sunni or Shia? Why nobody asks at the end Sponsors: 🔑 Ali Rida Team: https://soldbyrida.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Naveed: https://www.instagram.com/naveed.baig.1975/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/naveed-baig-392a9731/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 
00:00 Intro
01:19 Who do you see in the mirror?
04:31 Be gentle with yourself: the harshness we inherited
11:57 Becoming Denmark's first hospital imam
16:38 What hospital staff never understood about Muslim patients
23:38 The room where a child's machine was turned off
27:43 What the dying confess
33:53 Why we learned to fear God instead of love Him
39:04 The mother who was tired of hearing "have sabr"
42:47 Families who scream at the imam
47:33 "I'm going to meet my Beloved"
49:13 Inside the prison: first prayers and unforgivable sins
53:15 Can a murderer forgive himself?
1:00:13 How deathbeds changed his view on Islam
1:02:52 "Our boat is sinking": the divide killing us
1:05:02 What actually matters at the end

Dr. Sameera Ahmed is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of The Family & Youth Institute, one of the leading research organizations on Muslim mental health in America. For 25 years, she's been in the room with Muslim couples, seeing what actually happens in our marriages behind closed doors. In this episode, she reveals why the fights are never about what we think they're about, and shares what she's witnessed with her own eyes when abused wives went to religious leaders for help. In this conversation, we talk about: * The one question behind almost every fight in a marriage * In-laws, financial abuse, and the real top 5 causes of conflict in Muslim marriages * The intimacy disconnect between husband and wife * What she witnessed sheikhs tell emotionally abused wives * The premarital step that dramatically lowers divorce rates * The point where a marriage is truly beyond saving Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Dr. Sameera: https://www.instagram.com/drsameeraahmed/ https://www.instagram.com/thefyi_org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefyi-sameera-ahmed/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-family-youth-institute/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 - Intro 01:34 - Who is Dr. Sameera Ahmed? 04:19 - The perfect families you see are struggling 08:23 - It’s not about the dishes 13:18 - Ads 14:33 - The cycle that pushes couples apart 18:30 - Why love doesn't conquer all 26:38 - The telepathy expectation ruining marriages 29:25 - The #1 cause of conflict: In-laws 39:51 - What financial abuse looks like 47:13 - The intimacy disconnect between husbands and wives 49:53 - Red flags she catches before the wedding 52:40 - Ads 53:29 - The real work starts after the wedding 57:55 - What sheikhs told abused wives in front of her 01:06:32 - The hardest year of every marriage 01:10:32 - The point where a marriage can't be saved 01:16:12 - The questions our community needs to stop asking 01:21:36 - Why educated women can't find husbands 01:25:20 - Is she scared for Muslim marriages?

Danielle Elzayat is the Director of Health, Safety and Security at Dearborn Public Schools, the third largest district in Michigan. Keeping 20,000 students safe is her job. But she'll tell you the work that actually protects kids doesn't happen in a school building. It happens at home. And as a mother of three, she's lived every word of it. This conversation is about : * Why parents have become the biggest risk to their own kids * The vaping epidemic in schools and who's actually buying the vapes * Why kids lie and why parents choose to believe them * Losing authority at home: how kids play parents against each other * The anxiety generation and why we stopped teaching kids to push through * Making your kids work, spoiling them, and the culture of entitlement Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Danielle: https://www.instagram.com/danielle_elzayat/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 0:00 Intro 1:47 Who Do You See in the Mirror? 5:00 What Keeping 20,000 Kids Safe Really Means 10:41 The Biggest Risk to Our Kids Is the Parents 12:34 Phones, Social Media & Tracking Your Kids 22:48 Losing Authority at Home & in the Classroom 33:14 The Vaping Epidemic in Our Schools 40:48 Marijuana, Denial & the Police Officer's Warning 45:29 Of Course Your Kids Lie to You 53:20 Anxiety & Refusing to Quit 1:06:30 Schools Educate, Parents Raise 1:11:35 Making Good Humans 1:15:47 A Generation That Can't Take Care of Us

Zahraa Berro is the founder of Zahraa The Label, one of the biggest modest fashion brands in America. She went from making $12 an hour to selling millions in hijabs and modest clothing, becoming one of the most recognized hijabi entrepreneurs and content creators in the Muslim community. Then, at the peak of her success, she stepped away from influencing completely. In this episode, Zahraa opens up about the marriage she knew was over from day one, rebuilding her confidence after divorce as a single mom of two, meeting her husband and marrying someone from outside of her culture within three weeks. We also discuss: * The truth about modest fashion and why most of it isn't actually modest * Life after divorce and rebuilding confidence from zero * Marrying outside her culture and breaking taboos around cross-cultural marriage * Hiring a feminine energy coach and manifesting her husband Sponsors: 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Zahraa: https://www.instagram.com/zahraa_hberro/ https://www.youtube.com/@ZahraaBerro Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 - Intro 01:43 - Who is Zahraa Berro? 05:26 - Growing up with high expectations 10:28 - How a Karbala trip changed everything 16:55 - Ads 18:07 - The burdens Allah gives you 21:10 - The viral video that started it all 24:45 - Divorce feels like death 28:52 - Romanticizing life after divorce 39:25 - Why kids don't fix a marriage 45:43 - How Zahraa met her Husband 52:45 - Ads 53:31 - The feminine energy coach 01:07:27 - Why she quit influencing 01:13:06 - What modest fashion gets wrong