Suhbah Stories

Do you know your parents’ story? In Episode 5 of Suhbah Stories, Called to Serve: The Story of Mama Carmen, Hadiyah Muhammad interviews Yusuf Alwattar as he shares the extraordinary life of his mother, Dr. Carmen Botero. Yusuf begins generations before her, starting with his great-grandparents, so we can understand all the forces that shaped his mother: the lineage, the trials, the values, and the quiet strengths that formed her character and her calling.Yusuf, his brother (Al-Hasan Botero), and their mother founded El Encuentro, a community dedicated to nurturing a healthy, centered, and spiritually grounded space. Their work invites people to live Islam through traditional understandings while honoring the realities of our cultural context, inspiring a passion to love and serve others wherever they are and wherever they come from.Through Yusuf’s gentle and compassionate storytelling, you’ll see why knowing our parents’ stories matters. It deepens our understanding, expands our compassion, and opens the door to the kind of blessing God bestows for those who honor the ones who raised them.This conversation was recorded at The Dawām Seminary retreat, hosted at the Cannua Lodge, in Colombia, South America. Get in Touch!Support the showSuhbah Stories Podcast A Muhammad-Evans family production, Suhbah Stories is what happens when good friends, good vibes, and good stories come together. Suhbah (Arabic: صُحبة) means companionship or fellowship, being together on the path of life and faith. Suhbah is the kind of circle that feeds your soul and reminds you of what really matters. Around our table, stories are gifts: funny, raw, heartfelt, and always real. We talk with friends, family, teachers, and mentors about life, faith, and the moments that make us who we are. Pull up a chair, you’re in the suhbah now. Now streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Join the Suhbah! Follow @SuhbahStories on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

In this episode, Ubaydullah Evans and iman nacer boundaoui explore what it means to care for the body as an Amanah, a sacred trust, through somatic practice rooted in the Islamic tradition. Drawing from iman’s journey from law to embodied healing, the discussion reintroduces us to the body as central to healing, not separate from our spiritual or intellectual lives.Together, they examine how trauma lives in our flesh and nervous systems, how disembodiment has been normalized through colonial legacies and spiritual bypassing, and how returning to the body is both a personal and collective act of liberation. They reflect on how the prophetic tradition itself was deeply embodied, grounded in presence, movement, breath and what it means to recover that wisdom in our modern lives.This conversation invites listeners to reimagine healing as a sacred act of trust: to feel what faith asks us to feel, to bring the body back into prayer, and to treat embodied awareness as an integral part of spiritual care. It’s a dialogue for anyone longing to move from concept to connection, from knowing to feeling their way back to God.Want to dive deeper? Learn to release and move emotions safely from the inside out:iman’s Virtual Somatics Studio at Forward to Health 🔗 forwardtohealth.comNow streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.Get in Touch!Support the showSuhbah Stories Podcast A Muhammad-Evans family production, Suhbah Stories is what happens when good friends, good vibes, and good stories come together. Suhbah (Arabic: صُحبة) means companionship or fellowship, being together on the path of life and faith. Suhbah is the kind of circle that feeds your soul and reminds you of what really matters. Around our table, stories are gifts: funny, raw, heartfelt, and always real. We talk with friends, family, teachers, and mentors about life, faith, and the moments that make us who we are. Pull up a chair, you’re in the suhbah now. Now streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Join the Suhbah! Follow @SuhbahStories on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

In this episode of Suhbah Stories, Ubaydullah Evans sits down with Dr. Khalid El Hakim, Founder of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum and Professor Griff - American rapper, spoken word artist, author and lecturer, for a rich, soulful conversation on history, hip hop, and purpose.For 30 years, Dr. El-Hakim has carried the stories of our people across the country, turning classrooms and community spaces into living museums. Together, they build on the power of collecting our artifacts, telling our own stories, and following the path God sets before you — even when it’s not the easy one.It’s part history lesson, part hip hop cipher, and all heart, a reminder that preserving our past is one of the realest acts of love.Get in Touch!Support the showSuhbah Stories Podcast A Muhammad-Evans family production, Suhbah Stories is what happens when good friends, good vibes, and good stories come together. Suhbah (Arabic: صُحبة) means companionship or fellowship, being together on the path of life and faith. Suhbah is the kind of circle that feeds your soul and reminds you of what really matters. Around our table, stories are gifts: funny, raw, heartfelt, and always real. We talk with friends, family, teachers, and mentors about life, faith, and the moments that make us who we are. Pull up a chair, you’re in the suhbah now. Now streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Join the Suhbah! Follow @SuhbahStories on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Plan Not To Plan | The Path to Islamic Scholarship with Dr. Sherman Jackson, Imam Zaid Shakir, Khaykh Hamzah Abdul-Malik, and Ustadh Ubaydullah EvansIn this episode of Suhbah Stories, Ubaydullah Evans sits down with Shaykh Hamzah Abdul-Malik, Imam Zaid Shakir, and Dr. Sherman Jackson to explore their origin stories and journeys to Islamic scholarship. From early life experiences to the challenges and inspirations that shaped their paths, this conversation offers a rare, personal look into the making of contemporary Muslim scholars.Listeners will gain insights into the dedication, spiritual growth, and life lessons that guide these influential voices in the Muslim community. Through raw, heartfelt storytelling, this episode highlights faith, resilience, and the pursuit of knowledge in Islam.Get in Touch!Support the showSuhbah Stories Podcast A Muhammad-Evans family production, Suhbah Stories is what happens when good friends, good vibes, and good stories come together. Suhbah (Arabic: صُحبة) means companionship or fellowship, being together on the path of life and faith. Suhbah is the kind of circle that feeds your soul and reminds you of what really matters. Around our table, stories are gifts: funny, raw, heartfelt, and always real. We talk with friends, family, teachers, and mentors about life, faith, and the moments that make us who we are. Pull up a chair, you’re in the suhbah now. Now streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Join the Suhbah! Follow @SuhbahStories on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

In the third episode of a three-part series, Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans sits down with celebrated author Umm Zakiyyah for an intimate and powerful discussion on her latest book, But Do You Feel Safe With Him?. Recorded live at Beni Adam, a luxury consignment shop in Pilsen, IL, nestled in a growing corridor of Muslim-owned businesses, this conversation explores emotional, spiritual, and relational safety within Muslim relationships and marriage.Can men learn about manhood, respect, and accountability from a book written for women? Ubaydullah picked up Umm Zakiyyah’s book to understand women’s experiences—and discovered a mirror that challenges all readers.In a time when meaningful dialogue is often lost to labels and polarization, this live discussion breaks through the noise. It is a space for honest reflection, healing, and growth—for both men and women.Get in Touch!Support the showSuhbah Stories Podcast A Muhammad-Evans family production, Suhbah Stories is what happens when good friends, good vibes, and good stories come together. Suhbah (Arabic: صُحبة) means companionship or fellowship, being together on the path of life and faith. Suhbah is the kind of circle that feeds your soul and reminds you of what really matters. Around our table, stories are gifts: funny, raw, heartfelt, and always real. We talk with friends, family, teachers, and mentors about life, faith, and the moments that make us who we are. Pull up a chair, you’re in the suhbah now. Now streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Join the Suhbah! Follow @SuhbahStories on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.