Zahra Abdullah

Zahra Abdullah by Allah's mercy was born and raised in Islam. She is a sign language interpreter, mother, and wife and currently resides in Atlanta, Ga.

Author

Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

Na’il Salahu-Din

A Husband. An Educator. A Healer. and Sociologist.  Na’il is a world traveler, having touched every continent except Antarctica.  Na’il has been a dedicated student of knowledge for the pass decade under the mentorship of various Imam and Shayukh from New York and Atlanta to Senegal and Sudan. Na’il has been a supporter and facilitator of various cultural and interfaith initiatives specifically focused on holistic health and wellness, youth leadership, communal unity, divine masculinity, and character development according to prophetic tradition. He is currently a 2nd year student at Bayan Islamic Graduate School partnered with the nationally acclaimed Chicago Theological Seminary.  Na’il is a community youth leader and an aspiring chaplain.  A loving husband and father to his wife Anaya and their two children.

Aidah Johnson

I am an interior designer that specializes in and advocates for Interior Wellness.  I reside in Atlanta, GA with my husband and three kiddos.

Christie Castor

My name is Christie Castor, I am a student at Makkah Institute in the 12th grade. Though this is my first year enrolled in the Makkah International Institute, I am honored to be part of such dedicated group of muslim people who believe in the education and empowerment of young muslims. I am graduating this year in May, Inshallah, I hope I can take what I have learned from the Makkah Institute and into college with me. 
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Janice West

Janice West is an Islamic School educator as well as a relationship coach.  She holds a degree in Anthropology from Wichita State university and is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  Janice lives with her family in Chicago, Illinois.

“Communication between Mamas and their young adult sons can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be.  Join Jaasmeen Hamed and her son Nafees Hassan, a favorite in the Mama son duo crew every Monday and Friday where good conversation takes place and tools to improve the mother-son bond are shared. If you are a mother of a young man between the ages 13-26 in search of; conversation topics that are both culturally and socially relevant, tools to break the ice on sensitive subjects, or have an interest in connecting with other mother-son duos in need of convo tips, then this podcast is for you.” 

This short blurb acts as an invitation with description for every person who asks for a brief description of our podcast, Between Us & Y’all: Conversations between a Mama & her young adult son. My son Nafees and I created this podcast earlier this year at the onset of COVID 19.  He was completing his second semester of a sophomore year in college, and had to make an abrupt change to move home, to quarantine, and figure out a way to navigate school, college life and young adulthood all at once. 

We have always been very open with each other and receive praise for our ability to communicate in such a fluid manner. However, being home together during this drastic change in our normal schedules caused our conversations to be a bit more intentional. We were trying to create a plan for survival in every way. My son began asking many questions, my answers were sometimes readily available, and sometimes I had no clue. We would sit for hours in dialogue, until he turned to me and said, “The stuff we talk about really needs to be written down somewhere or recorded for other people to hear and benefit from. I share a lot of this stuff with my friends and they always tell me it helps them a whole lot.”


And that is how this podcast was born. We wanted to help other Mamas and their young adult sons (as well as any other parent of a young adult) enhance their communication. We wanted to provide examples of not only what we talk about, but how we approach a conversation and what that really looks like from the perspective of a Mother and son. My son made a point that amongst his friend group, it was quite normal for no communication to take place at all between a young adult and a parent about anything outside of common topics like grades, work, and drugs. He made me aware that a need existed for our families to see an example of what intentional and sustainable communication strategies looked like.


The podcast has been a huge success with listeners in ten countries including the United States. We completed Season 1 with over twenty episodes, several guests to join us on those episodes, and powerful feedback from both the guests and our listening community. We are currently working on Season 2 and pray we have the same success. Check us out when you have some time on all listening platforms and on both Instagram and Facebook @betweenusandyallpodcast.

Jaasmeen Hamed

Jaasmeen Hamed is a California Bay Area native and a lover of all things African & God friendly. She has a passion for research and project development internationally in the areas of architecture, religion, and international exchange. Jaasmeen is a volunteer with several organizations throughout Metro Atlanta that offer interfaith and at-risk youth services through programming for both high school and college-level students as well as other residents within Metro Atlanta. The owner of Spirit Foods LLC, a vegan and vegetarian specialty food provider, Jaasmeen is a health advocate and loves providing her customers with wholesome foods to enrich both their bodies and soul. She also works professionally as a Business Analyst and is the mother of one young adult man. ​

Ameedah Diaab Abdullah

Ameedah has been a mental health consumer for several years and has dedicated her lifework to improving mental health outcomes for others dealing with challenges. She has experience working directly with clients connecting them to services and teaching basic activities of daily living in New Jersey prior to moving to Atlanta.
After co-authoring an article featured in Azizah, an international Muslim women's magazine in 2002, she compiled the poems she had written over the course of her illness and published "Poetic Perspectives On Faith and Healing", which narrates her experiences as a mental health consumer.
As a member of NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, she has completed several of the advocacy classes and has taught the Family to Family educational program to family members and loved ones. She is also certified in Mental Health First Aid.
Ameedah graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelors degree in Psychology in 2019. She is actively investigating alternative modalities for treating mental challenges as she endeavors to open a non-profit consumer - run facility, God-willing.

Musa and Micole Hasan

Musa and Micole Hasan operation Bread and Butter Farms located in Monroe, GA. They run the
farm with their four children with the help and support of their community. They have been operating
for about 7 yrs in their current space. They are passionate about food, education, and environmental
conservation.

Yu Kang, LAc, RD, LD, DipOM 

Yu first began healing studies with her parents, who are well-known doctors of Oriental Medicine in her hometown Zibo -a mid-sized city in northern China. At the age of 15, she was accepted by Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine as one of the youngest students in school history. After eight-year training in Western and Oriental Medicine, she graduated with a doctoral degree of oriental Medicine. Yu then went to China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine to be further trained in acupuncture and herbal medicine under the most influential doctors of Oriental Medicine in China. Prior to her arrival in the United States, Yu was a neurologist in Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing. Yu’s extensive training also includes a master’s degree in Nutrition from the Pennsylvania State University, and a one-year dietetic internship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Yu is a licensed acupuncturist, a registered dietitian, and a certified herbalist from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).