Those Avoided Topics

In this raw and deeply reflective episode, host Ibtisam Habib sits down with Mariam Thabit;a petroleum engineer with a background in Islamic psychology—to pull back the curtain on the unspoken realities of marriage. Moving past the fairy tales and societal milestones, they hold a mirror up to the things we typically avoid: from the way unhealed childhood trauma wrecks communication, to financial l...

In this candid return of Those Avoided Topics, host Ibtisam Habib steps back into the studio, This time with a newborn in tow to tackle a subject most parents feel but few dare to say out loud: Postpartum Visiting Etiquette. Fresh from her own journey into "girl mama" territory for the second time, Ibtisam dives into the social friction that often follows a new arrival. From the "Na...

In this eye-opening episode of Those Avoided Topics, host Ibtisam Habib sits with Sumayya Hassan, an Islamic finance expert and founder of Inuwah.com, to challenge one of the biggest myths in our communities — that being wealthy and being Muslim can’t coexist. They dive into what it really means to build a halal relationship with money — from saving and budgeting to investing with faith and purpos...

In this thoughtful episode of Those Avoided Topics, host Ibtisam Habib sits down with Zain from Playroom to explore a question many parents wrestle with: When is the right time to take children to school? Together, they unpack their own experiences of being taken to school at different ages, and the societal pressure parents face to hurry the process. From cultural expectations to modern parenting...

In this deeply personal episode of Those Avoided Topics, host Ibtisam Habib turns the mic on herself to share the unfiltered story of her career — the wins, the missteps, and the quiet revolutions in between. From being a top-performing university student to landing a coveted role at Unilever, Ibtisam seemed to be ticking all the right boxes. But behind the scenes was a hijabee woman navigating cu...

In this bold first episode of Those Avoided Topics,  host Ibtisam Habib sits down with Nadia Abdalla to unpack the weighty, often unspoken pressures facing women over 30. With honesty and nuance, Nadia shares how society's obsession with timelines — marriage, children, career “milestones” — has shaped her decisions, self-worth, and silence. Together, they explore what it means to age as a wom...