Muslim Matchmaker (2025) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[optimistic music playing]
I always got you
As long as you got me ♪
Mashallah you'll feel amazed
Inshallah you're gonna make it ♪
Mashallah you'll feel amazed
Inshallah you're gonna make it ♪
Mashallah you'll feel amazed
Inshallah you're gonna make it ♪
[Fulani] I really like
[exhales]
-the way these colors look.
-[Omniya] These colors.
Recently, I've been painting
the same thing over and over.
-What?
-[Fulani] This little dude.
I just paint myself.
[Omniya] Painting people
is hard.
But I'm very easy to paint.
-I got, two eyes and a mouth.
-[chuckles]
[Fulani] That's it,
that's four things.
-[chuckles]
-[Fulani] You know, and one day
How did that just come
to your head like that?
[laughs]
[Fulani] It's it's nice.
I'm enjoying it, you know,
We're definitely
We're connecting more.
I can see where the matchmaker
was doing the work,
because we have the same goals.
We have the same alignment.
So, I'm definitely feeling us,
you know, growing
in that friendship aspect,
you know, and trying to
find that chemistry.
I shoot, like,
weddings and stuff.
And I just shot, like,
some East African
And there's this ceremony.
It's usually like
all the women get together.
They put
the scarves over their head,
like their face.
And they dance.
And they do the spinning stuff.
It's to showcase to the world
that you're gonna be
taking care of this person.
-It's like, not just to you
-Yeah.
but everybody also knows.
And it just lets people know,
like, yeah, we go together, for real.
[music fades]
[Fulani] Could you be in
a long distance relationship?
I've done that.
My first relationship ever was.
-I tried it. It's not hitting.
-[tense music playing]
Look me in my face.
That's what I need,
a hundred percent.
Sometimes with long-distance
relationships,
for two adult folks
to be in that,
that means
one of y'all is playing.
If this is your person,
why you not gonna relocate?
Are you open to relocating?
-Me?
-Mm-hmm.
-No. I'm not.
-That is selfish.
It is. I'm not gonna lie.
-It is what it is.
-This is your home?
I love Atlanta.
Omniya is a wonderful woman.
But D.C. is not on my list
of places where it's like,
"I could see
myself living here."
Like, nah, not for real.
Y'all seen Independence Day?
If the aliens attack,
that's
They're hitting that first.
A long distance relationship,
that's a no.
-That's a hard no for me.
-[music fades]
[theme music playing]
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
Hey, assalamu alaikum, Omar.
Wa alaikum assalam.
How's it going?
It's been a while.
It's been a while.
There's so much to unpack today,
this great first date
in Houston.
And maybe you can
walk me through kind of
what happened in
the relationship after that
with Mariam.
Yeah.
So, things started off well.
-I'm really happy that I got to meet you.
-[Mariam chuckles]
But I'm going to have to
-Head out. Okay.
-catch my flight.
But I wanted to ask
if I could get your number.
Yes, you can get my number.
We were texting, you know,
send like a "good morning" text.
And then maybe one or two texts,
like during work.
-Yeah.
-And then,
you know, maybe I'll be
having dinner with some friends
and then like, she'll think that
because I didn't respond to her,
-I'll be upset.
-Okay.
The idea of sharing locations
was brought up.
um, but I was like,
you know, like,
obviously only been one date.
And I mentioned to her,
like, I have like,
I like have, like,
personal trauma
with sharing location too early.
And then like,
I woke up to her,
like sharing
her location with me.
So, okay, married couples.
-[Omar] Yeah.
-Married couples share locations.
Neither of them is saying,
"Hey, that's a boundary,"
or "Hey, I don't know
how to keep this up.
This feels, like,
it's overwhelming."
And then
go to bed, like, while we're
on FaceTime together,
like every night.
-Oh, wow
-And then
-That's fast.
-[Omar] Yeah.
As a matchmaker,
you're an advisor,
and that means
that you give advice.
I get anxious
about the slowdown. [chuckles]
Sure, sure. Whenever you feel
anxious about the slowdown,
I want you to just
be in total calm, if possible.
-Okay.
-Okay?
I'm comfortable if I'm calm,
But you know that it may
or may not be heated.
I don't want to dive into, like,
what she said, but, like,
it turned into her, like,
crying on the phone
every other phone call.
That felt like every FaceTime
became a little too heavy?
Yeah.
It just doesn't seem like
they're communicating correctly.
Like, you don't skip
from zero to a thousand.
I don't care how playful it is
or how cute you might
think it is.
It's not good.
It's just It's problematic.
I mean, you've kind of hit it
on the head, you've only met once.
And by the way,
even when you're married,
no one texts throughout the day,
all day, every day.
I mean, that's just
-we hate each other.
-[laughs]
I think it's a good idea
to shift towards more in-person.
With my entire methodology,
the rules of three,
I want people
to meet three times
before they say
"Yay" or "Nay" to someone.
Like meet,
if possible in person.
I want someone
to give it three months
to decide whether there's
an emotional connection or not.
And then through
those three months,
you ask a ton of questions.
And it's guided.
There's a guidance to it.
You know, my recommendation
in general is to at least
try to hang out once a month.
You know, like have a trip,
you know, where you have two
or three days that you hang out
with each other in the month.
You know what I mean?
No, yeah, I definitely think
that would be a good idea.
[Omar] I'll take your advice.
I'll try it.
Just wonder
which road to go ♪
Follow my lead
and take it slow ♪
When I speak
and match my flow ♪
You can chance me
Just know I know ♪
[Fulani] I need a big bowl
to mix stuff.
What about that right here, huh?
-Oh, no, that's a strainer.
-[Fulani] Oh, no. That's what I'm saying.
[Ta Sofi] Can we have
sriracha mayo?
[Kiesha] Avocado hot sauce
is on the door.
[Fulani] Avocado hot sauce?
That'll work.
I've never seen Fulani cook
in my life.
-[Fulani] You've never seen what?
-I've never seen Fulani cook,
like, after we moved out, like,
of the house together.
-Like, we lived together.
-Really?
[both laugh]
-I know he eat.
-[Kiesha] You want the salad dressing?
No, this is good. This is good.
It works. I just got to be
I got to be scarce.
-[laughs]
-[Fulani] Gosh, darn.
You're doing
Are you going to massage it
or whatever?
-Massage it?
-[all laugh]
-I'll be massaging it.
-Isn't that kale?
Isn't that kale?
[Ta Sofi chuckles] Are you
What are you going to do?
[laughs] "I'll be massaging it."
-[all laughing]
-[Ashanti] There you go.
[Fulani] See what I'm saying?
In an African-American family,
you know, my father
and my mother,
they had a great model
of a relationship,
you know, from what I witnessed.
-Are you gonna grab the rice?
-[Ta Sofi] Sure.
All right, bet. Grab the rice.
You take it to
-Rice to the table for me?
-Okay.
[Fulani] Solid, solid.
My mom always made sure
that we were well-rounded
in terms of cultural influences.
And my father made sure we were
well-rounded in terms
of spiritual influences.
And I respect that,
and I want that.
So yeah, things
have been going solid.
And Umi,
she met with the matchmaker.
You know, and the process
has been processing.
and actually, soon,
I'm gonna be going out to D.C.
[Ashanti] Something planned
when you get up there?
I told her, I was like,
"Yo, put together
a nice little list of things
that we need to do."
'Cause what was happening
with the matchmakers,
it's the, the three-step rule.
What that means is that you commit
to three months.
Kind of like everything is
coming to a head
-at this point. You know?
-[Ashanti] Okay, bet. That's kinda tight.
-Yeah, bro.
-Personally,
I'm not the biggest fan
of the idea of matchmaking
'cause I don't think anybody
can be brought together
by somebody else. Like,
if it worked out for you,
then good job. Then I guess
that was your fate.
Isn't anything that happens
to you fate?
-[Ta Sofi] Yeah.
-If you believe in fate?
[Ta Sofi] If you guys
were meant to be together,
then there are ways that it
could have happened organically.
I'm not gonna lie.
There's definitely
a couple of reservations,
especially when it comes to,
you know, her location,
where I'm at,
and just the responsibility
that I feel like I still have,
what I'm doing here.
-[Ashanti] Yeah.
-Yeah.
Well, it's not that
where you start
is where you have to stay.
Like, look at us.
We started in Cleveland.
-[Fulani] Yeah.
-And now we've been here
-for 20 something years.
-[Fulani] Yeah.
And how long
have y'all been married again?
Oh, my gosh.
Your brother's how old?
-[Ashanti] I'm 30.
-Thirty. So, 31 years.
[Fulani] Y'all got married
a year before Ashanti was born?
-Yeah.
-[Fulani] So, 31 years?
-Yeah.
-God.
-I know, right?
-[Ta Sofi chuckles]
-Dang. That's crazy.
-Yeah. Right?
My father's one of the best men
that ever lived of all time.
And just the life that I saw
and the smiles that I saw
on my parents' faces constantly,
it was like, man,
I gotta live like that
if I want that.
Think of it as starting like
another branch, basically.
-Another branch.
-Another branch.
I like that.
Another branch of the Jabri tribe.
-Yeah.
-A satellite. Remember,
he's always talking
about satellites.
Yes, yes. I get it.
That's true.
But, you know,
just looking at it now,
especially with somebody
that I feel like
I don't have that strong,
like, romantic connection yet,
it's hard to justify.
-[Ashanti] Yeah, you can't see it.
-You know? Yeah, I can't see it.
-I just can't see it. You know?
-[Ashanti] Yeah.
Most people don't know
how to date,
to be completely fair.
And I like, you know,
what the matchmakers offer
in terms of, like,
their process, because
they put time and effort
into what they've done,
and they have a track record
that I do not have.
So, even if there is
some points of, like,
resistance within my heart,
I got to be like, "Shut up."
"You don't know what the hell
you're talking about."
It's so wild
to think y'all been married
longer than I've been alive.
-That's normally how it works.
-[Fulani] Yeah?
-Yeah.
-[all laugh]
That's what you want.
Ideally,
that's what's
supposed to happen.
-Right, right. [laughs]
-Jeez.
I wish I was your phone ♪
Then you'd never
leave me alone ♪
Assalamu alaikum,
what's going on? [chuckles]
[Omniya] Walaikum assalam.
I like this shirt you got on.
It's got, like, the little
-little frilly things.
-Ruffles.
The little ruffles.
I mean, I'm here for a ruffle.
I appreciate you
noticing my ruffles. Thank you.
So the rule of three
is my whole philosophy.
If you have felt comfortable
with one another
and really feel like you could
build something
with this person,
vibe with them,
I then launch them
into three months
of compatibility questioning.
[upbeat music playing]
-Hi. How was your day?
-[Omar] Oh, hi.
I actually just
got home from work.
I'm like nervous about these questions,
can we do like mini ones?
Cool, cool, cool. So, what do
you wanna know?
-[laughs]
-I'm an open book.
Now this sounds like we were
-starting an interview.
-[both laugh]
These questions,
which I call the minefields,
are questions that I designed
to dig in deep.
There's 11 categories.
Your career choices,
your past relationship history,
where you see
yourself financially.
It talks about your children.
It talks about culture.
Sometimes I don't wanna pray,
but I still do it anyways.
And because I've been
doing it my whole life,
I've formed a love for it.
I am thinking that maybe I go
back to school for a few years.
Now the My worry is, like,
not having a paycheck
for two years.
-That's why you date a lawyer.
-[Fahim laughs]
Yeah, I know. I was so happy
that you were a lawyer.
So, I can float you
for a couple of years.
-Yeah, okay.
-[both laugh]
Eleven categories
of compatibility are meant
to really get you
into potential minefields
to clear those mines,
to deal with the conflict,
and see how you deal
with conflict as well.
[chuckles] No previous marriages
or engagements for me.
Just one five year relationship.
That's an engagement..
That's a marriage and a divorce.
I would prefer to, like,
work from home,
have time with my kids.
Are you thinking
about kids this early?
Like, yeah, of course.
I feel like it would be lovely
to be like, "Oh, yeah, you don't
have to worry about it."
But no, like, I'm older.
You know?
[Yasmin] But the questions are,
like, deep.
Sometimes,
they raise things for people
that make it clear
that you're not compatible.
And guess what? They are doing
their job in that case.
That's why it's a minefield.
There's going to be
some explosions.
It's one of my computer-sitting-
in-front-of-the-desk-all-day
days, you know?
[intriguing music playing]
-[Omniya] Okay.
-And I mean, it's solid.
Been a relaxing
So you've been
on the computer this whole time?
Not the whole time.
I only ask because I've been
waiting for you.
I just thought
you was out and about.
Um
I apologize.
[music fades]
So you ready
for these questions?
I I'll read the first one.
All right.
"Would you encourage your spouse
to seek further education?"
I would support my spouse
seeking further education.
"Encourage" is a, I don't know,
it's a loaded word, I think.
Well, you asked yourself
[grunts lightly]
that question?
Yep. [laughs]
I was just thinking through it,
but yes, absolutely. Would you?
I don't like to feel
like I'm in trouble.
When talking to somebody,
it's like
we're just supposed
to be hanging.
All right, [smacks lips]
"Would you consider
traveling to another country
for education or employment?"
"If so, where, when,
for how long?"
Um
-[playful music playing]
-Yeah.
If it's for my goals, if it's
to accomplish the mission,
I'll do it. I'll do anything.
I'll move
to Zanzibar or Siberia.
[smacks lips] Yeah.
And you know
let's have this conversation.
[music fades]
[Omniya] It's very interesting.
Like, last time we spoke,
you were not trying
to leave out the country.
You don't even want
to leave Atlanta for no reason.
[hesitates] I think,
I wanna live here.
I'll travel
But why does living mean,
like, permanently?
In my mind, what I think
to live somewhere,
that means permanent.
I like consistency.
I like being
a regular at restaurants.
These restaurants, in order for you
to become a regular at them,
you know, there was
a first visit for you
to become a regular at it.
So, you have to explore
in order for you
to get that comfort.
I just And this
Um
I miscommunicated, I guess,
when we first spoke about it.
I probably came off
way too strong.
I And that's my fault.
In my mind,
I've come up with these ideas.
But of course, I'm a mushy,
little, romantic, softie.
So [hesitates]
the moment I'm like
[splutters] I'm with that person,
and they're like, "Yeah, we gotta go,"
I'm like, "I gotta go, guys."
"I'm out. [chuckles]
I'm outta here."
'Cause I'll definitely relocate,
if it makes sense.
You know? Definitely.
I could just start
a corn farm in Tokyo.
Allah might have
something else for me.
So beautiful,
yet still unstable.
-So unstable.
-[both laugh]
So reckless. [laughs]
I appreciate you
for being here
and entertaining
these questions, honestly.
[chuckles]
-[electronic music playing]
-You're what I've been searching for ♪
The love that I adore ♪
You're what I've been searching for ♪
[mobile phone ringing]
[chimes]
-Hi! How are you?
-Good. How are you?
You look so great,
Ma Sha' Allah.
-[Hoda] You're in L.A., right?
-So, I'm in L.A., yes.
Going on my second date.
Gonna see Omar soon.
How are you feeling
about meeting him again?
And how are you feeling in general
about how things are going?
I think we, like, slowed down.
We're, like,
in a very healthy pace now.
-Mm-hmm.
-Um
I think that we, like,
overcame things together.
Um, and we like each other.
So I think
we're in a good spot. Yeah.
So, Mariam and Omar are going
on their second date
[sighs] and things have taken
a little bit of a turn
that I didn't expect.
I'm sensing that Omar
is starting to, like,
pull back a little bit,
and I don't think Mariam is sensing that.
[Mariam] Things that we are
thinking about right now
are timelines.
Like, something definitely
that we have to think about.
[Hoda] It really is only
the second time meeting.
I wouldn't focus too much on,
like, when are we
gonna get married?
I think that that's, like,
a premature conversation.
Right now, it's really
just establishing,
do you guys like each other?
Are you able
to build a connection?
Yasmin has an approach,
and I listen to her advice.
Hoda has an approach,
and I listen to her advice.
And then I pick
and choose as I need.
[Hoda] But really,
just enjoy yourself.
Yeah.
[sighs] I hope I got
through to her.
Mariam, generally,
when she meets somebody,
she's pretty quick to [sighs]
to say it's gonna work.
So I'm really
curious to see what happens
on their second date
and if they're able to, like,
slow the pace and get onto
a little bit
of a more even trajectory.
Okay, I will update you soon.
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
Do you remember
the time years ago you said ♪
You were calling me
calling me for a night ♪
Over and over again ♪
So could we pretend
Could we pretend ♪
I can never get enough ♪
Love will always
keep us holding on ♪
-Hi, guys.
-[both] Hi.
[barista chuckles] Welcome.
-I created the bags of beans
-[music fades]
based on, like,
Middle Eastern goddesses.
Everything is paying homage
to, like, our culture.
So I want you
to smell each of these.
These are the blends
that we have.
-She doesn't like it.
-I like it.
-No, I like it, but it's
-Oh, you like this?
This is your "I like it" face?
-[all laugh]
-Okay. Good to know.
[intriguing music playing]
Seeing Omar for the second time,
I'm not nervous.
I think, like, because we've
talked so much on the phone
and we've texted,
we have feelings
for each other now.
You know how many times
I went to the mall last week
trying to figure out
my outfit for you?
-You got some cute outfits.
-Every single day.
We were FaceTiming every day.
We were texting every day.
But Omar really wanted
to slow down.
And, when it starts fast,
then it slows down,
that's very scary for me.
But I think that the fact that,
like, me and Omar
got over something together
shows that we are good.
Like, I feel secure in
in what we're doing.
I think he feels secure
in what we're doing.
We're on a second date.
-We're chilling.
-[Omar] Yeah.
-We're vibing.
-We're vibing.
-As you like to say, we're vibing.
-You're getting the lingo? Okay.
You know. Okay.
So, how do you feel about,
like, the long distance?
I don't like it.
Like, I think we're still
getting to know each other.
We FaceTime or we text,
so it's okay.
I actually do see it
as a potential issue.
-Really?
-[music fades]
[Omar] I have the issue,
like, the long distance.
If I was, like,
out of sight, out of mind,
it slows down the process
of getting to know each other.
Yeah. But I think we can
visit each other.
You know what I asked
my mom the other day?
I was like, "Mama,
what was your life like at my age?"
She's like, "I had three kids.
What are you doing?"
-I was like
-She had three kids by 27?
-By 28.
-[Omar] Or about 30?
So, I think, like, three months,
we need to decide
if we're in a relationship
or not.
-Okay. I think that's fair.
-It's like fatiha.
You need to like, call my dad
at three months.
Oh!
And then I think,
tulba in a year.
[tense music playing]
If you're not into it
[Omar] It's hard,
like, I know, like,
you're saying like,
a three-month timeline,
but it also changes
because it's not
like three months of in-person.
-Okay.
-[Omar] You know,
it's not like three months
of seeing each other
-once a week.
-Mm-hmm.
Honestly, what I think
is gonna happen
is he's gonna say no to me.
And then I'm gonna disappear
for two days or three days.
And then he's gonna freak out.
And he'll be like,
"I'll call your dad."
'Cause that has happened
to me before.
Why don't you tell me?
-My perfect timeline?
-Yeah.
I think bare minimum
is a year of dating.
-[chuckles]
-Okay.
Preferably two.
Probably wanna be
engaged for a year.
Mm-hmm.
And then I probably
wanna get married
and spend some time
just with my wife,
-like without kids.
-Okay.
Maybe it's five years,
you know, like, it's not
So, I'm having kids at 36?
Yeah.
[intriguing music playing]
Do you foresee any differences
in anything in general?
Like, if I wear a hijab, are you
good with that?
Um, I think that's just
a you-decision.
I'm gonna accept you,
like, whatever you prefer.
So, are you comfortable walking
with someone who wears a hijab?
I'm walking with my wife.
I'd probably have her
by my side, hijab or not.
I think what'll make
or break our relationship
is whether or not Omar wants
to become a husband
or if he wants
to stay a boyfriend.
I'm not looking for a boyfriend.
If he wants to get married,
he needs to, like, understand
these traditions and follow them
and, like,
show that he can be a husband.
I don't wanna waste my time.
[Omar] For sure.
[sighs]
[music fades]
[mobile phone ringing]
[suspenseful music playing]
-[chimes]
-Yo, yo. Assalamu alaikum.
-[laughs]
-Wa alaikum assalam.
-Hey, Fulani. How are you?
-What's going on?
Alhamdulillah.
I can't complain, dude.
Struggling to show up on time,
I think that's a problem.
That's actually a red flag
for me.
And if it's repeat behavior,
bye! Boy, bye.
How do you feel
about this topic?
I didn't even read it,
to be honest.
Oh, Past experiences
and relationships. Ooh!
I like talking about it.
-[smacks lips] Juicy.
-It is juicy.
I'm super grateful to have had,
good relationships with people,
even after they've concluded.
So, like I was able
to kind of talk to them
and really get some
like decent feedback. [chuckles]
-That's good.
-[Omniya] That's good.
I also feel like
it's really important
for your partner
to be able to communicate.
I wasn't trying
to point fingers
But you were late
last two sessions,
over 45 minutes,
and you did not communicate.
[Fulani] Yeah, for sure.
Those are one of the areas
of my life where I haven't
had as much improvement
that I needed to.
There's some things that I
do that I probably shouldn't.
And there's some things that
I do that I know I shouldn't.
But I'm a good-ass listener.
Like, tell me
what you need from me
so that we can stay locked in.
At the end of the day,
I'm gonna try my best
to do the right thing to help
nurture this relationship.
We gotta do better.
I gotta do better first.
[sighs]
Oh, so you mad now?
-That's where I'm at right now.
-[chuckles] I got you.
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
-You're calling Noureen?
-To check in, you know?
Yeah. I hope
she's enjoying it, though.
She's having a good time.
-I hope they're getting along.
-I hope she's gonna get married.
[Fahim] What kind of music
do you listen to?
-[Noureen] Everything.
-Everything?
-[Noureen] Yeah. What kind of music
-Yeah, yeah. Everything. Yeah.
No [laughs] I am serious!
Seriously! [laughs]
Here we go. Are you gonna
listen in? Just listen in.
-Yeah, I'm master spier by now.
-Be super quiet.
Yeah, you are. Salam.
[Noureen] Salam, how are you?
-How's it going?
-[Noureen] It's going good.
How are you feeling about Fahim?
[Noureen] We talked about
how intentional we were
-[Yasmin] Good.
-we're for real with this.
-[Yasmin] Good.
-Like, he was like,
"I deleted all my
dating apps off."
Okay.
Yeah, and he And then he,
like, he's very sweet.
-He's like
-[Yasmin] Good.
"And then I redownloaded
Salaam, once you told me
you were Bengali 'cause I want
to see if we were
If I had swiped on you before,"
-And then he was like
-[chuckles]
"But then I remember that my age
parameters weren't that high."
-Oh!
-And I'm like, "That's mean."
He didn't
He said in a funny way.
Okay, good. I was like, 'cause
that's a snap-crackle-pop.
It's something pretty common
to see that a younger guy
and an older girl
in our communities
can't move past something
like a small age difference.
At the end of the day,
I try to encourage my clients
to go for somebody that might be
a great match for them,
even if they fall out
of their specific age bubble.
But I can't. I can't force it.
[Noureen] I'm a little,
a little apprehensive
'cause he's four years
younger than me.
Okay.
-[Noureen] That's a lot.
-Is it?
[Noureen] It's a lot.
It's a lot.
Is it? That ain't
like a generation,
that's just like high school.
[Noureen] Yeah but, like,
I have cousins his age who,
like, I remember
changing their diapers.
You can't think of it that way.
You can't think
of diapers and Fahim,
you can't do that.
Don't do that. [scoffs]
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah.
We're both a little surprised
of the age difference
-but we're both gonna go with it.
-'Kay, 'kay.
So tell me, how many times
have you guys met up so far?
-We went on a date this weekend.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
Um, and we had a great time.
-We went to dinner
-[Yasmin] Love it.
we went, like,
just meandering afterward.
How long did you guys stay out?
We went to,
like, different lounges.
-Okay.
-We hung out pretty late.
Okay.
You made a face, so I feel like,
I was kinda like, chill.
Don't hangout that
For that long.
Yeah.
I just worry about
staying out late,
especially in the early stages
of getting to know each other.
I really want them to give this
the seriousness it deserves.
This isn't some, like, fling.
This is a real thing,
and I want them
to give them that weight.
Initially, it's not a good idea.
You're doing something serious.
I want you
to be really intentional
about everything
that you're doing.
We're not like shooting the crap
with somebody, right?
You're not partying.
You know, the Quran
says [speaks Arabic]
Which means
it's a very serious covenant.
This is like someone that you're
trying to build something with,
and so I'd love to give it
a little bit of weight.
No, 100%. Like, I think
in the back of my mind,
I did have that thought too,
where I just was like,
I think there needs
to be kind of
a more of an end point earlier,
because I think that, like,
there needs to be
something to savor,
-for lack of a better term.
-[Yasmin] Yes.
And good love,
it's like good barbecue.
Here comes my southern roots.
Low and slow.
That's why we have
the rules of three,
to sort of slowly
break that ice.
[Noureen] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-[Yasmin] We'll connect soon.
-[Noureen] Thank you.
-Assalamu alaikum. Bye. Peace.
-Bye.
-[Yasmin breathes deeply]
-That was good.
-[Yasmin] I think so.
-I think she did really good.
-I think it sunk in.
-I think so.
I would not give
the same advice to
-Everybody. Everybody.
-Yeah, to everyone.
And I would not give
the same advice once we know
-that he's that into her.
-Yeah.
-Like really into her.
-That we need to find out.
Actually wanna
call him right now.
Let's do it.
I'm about to call him.
-I'm going to see where he's at.
-Okay, I'm gonna be creepy.
[laughs] You're the spy now?
Thank God it's not just me.
-It's not just you.
-[Hoda laughs] Okay,
-I'm gonna call him.
-[Yasmin] Okay.
-Let's crouch.
-Serious faces.
-[Hoda whispers] Stop.
-[Yasmin whispers] Okay.
Hey. Assalamu alaikum.
-How's it going, Fahim?
-Walaikum assalam.
How are you?
You're at work, it looks like.
[Fahim] Yes,
I'm in the office today.
So, I wanted to check in with you
and see how things are going.
I know you went in
kind of blind.
-You didn't know much about her.
-[Fahim] The only thing was
it surprised me
that she's older than me.
[Hoda] Okay.
But I was wondering,
based on our personalities,
you know, if you had
any thought around it.
The prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessing be upon him,
there's a 15-year age gap
between him and his wife,
who he was married for 25 years,
she's the love of his life.
He was 25 when he married her,
and she was 40.
So if a woman is a little
[chuckles] older than you,
what are you complaining about?
You could be missing out
on the love of your life.
My thoughts are this.
You're both oldest sibling.
That kind of
eliminates age in a way,
because you have
a lot of experience
taking care of your family
and kind of having to show up,
and I think
that matures you a lot already.
-Yeah.
-You guys having that in common
is gonna make
the age kinda irrelevant.
If it repeatedly comes up,
I actually want you to
let me know, just because
I would wanna know if you guys
kinda keep thinking about it
or if it's something that seems
to be getting in the way,
-'cause it doesn't have to be.
-[Fahim] For sure, yeah, yeah.
-So far so good.
-[Hoda] Good.
I'm just now looking forward to
slowly getting to know her more.
Okay. And I would like to know
when you've set the next date.
-[chuckles] Keep me in the loop.
-[Fahim] Definitely.
-I'll keep you in the loop.
-Yes, keep me in the loop.
-[indistinct chatter]
-Yeah, yeah, no problem.
-[Fahim] All right. Bye-bye.
-Yeah, take care. Bye.
So? They both have
mentioned it now, so that is
We're gonna keep
a pulse on it, I think.
Yeah, it's a real issue,
I think, and I love how
you dealt with that,
because you said,
"Hey, age does not matter."
-[Hoda] Yeah.
-And as you know,
that's like a serious issue
in our community.
-I know. Ageism.
-[Yasmin] Ageism.
[sighs] There's, like,
so many people,
or this camp
of people that think,
you know, once you hit 30,
you really need to be married
and have found your person,
and after that,
you need to just settle.
I see it with my clients.
They start to get a lot more
rejections from men
because they're not really
wanting to be with somebody
that they fear they won't be
able to have kids with
or whatever it could be.
I'm, like,
cautiously optimistic.
-[Yasmin] Me, too.
-Yeah.
-[Yasmin] Cautiously optimistic.
-Yes. No.
-[Yasmin] But, he
-I really hope that it works
and that they, like, just mesh.
-Nice work, Hoda. Let's go.
-Go team. [chuckles]
-Let's get some people married.
-Yes, inshallah. Inshallah.
[singing in Arabic]
-[laughs, inhales]
-[music fades]
[playful music playing]
[Fulani] Allah tells us that
there are several different reasons
why you should get married
and the totem of your marriage
doesn't always have to be love.
I think there was
a lot of love and compassion
within my parents' model.
And then I look at other models
that are more grounded
within duty and responsibility,
and then I see other models
that are about community.
Omniya is somebody that I like.
But I don't know.
You know,
Allah is the best planner.
Whatever inspiration
I find myself having,
I will lean into that.
I will never betray my feelings.
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
[Yasmin] We want Fulani
and Omniya to trust the process.
Sometimes your
first impression is bad.
But if you stop there and you
don't give it the proper time,
how is that any different
than swiping left
or swiping right on somebody?
This is about giving
each other grace
and giving yourself grace.
You guys ready to relax today?
-[Paige] We are.
-[Ginny] Yes.
Yeah, I'm just hot.
And I feel Oh, no.
[Quay] Your nerves
are all over the place.
[Omniya] Yeah.
You've witnessed my struggle
in dating.
I don't meet too
many Muslim single,
successful men.
Um
So, Fulani's actually gonna be
joining us today.
-Where's he from?
-[Omniya] He's from Atlanta.
-Okay.
-He's very interesting
in so many ways. So he
I love that he loves
his religion.
-I love that he respects women.
-[Quay] Yeah.
He sounds like a cool guy.
I'm looking forward
to meeting him.
-[Omniya] Yeah.
-Show him around D.C.
-[Quay] Yeah.
-[Omniya] Yep.
So, he makes music,
he does like instrumentals.
[Quay] Didn't you mention
he's really into lighting?
[Omniya] Yeah,
I definitely mentioned that.
So, he takes pictures of lights.
-Which I think is really cool.
-[Tay] Like street lights or
Just lights. Like lights,
like how the light reflects
in different areas.
-That's very interesting.
-[Quay] Yeah.
[doorbell rings]
[Omniya] Fulani's here.
-Oh, wow.
-[Quay] Okay.
[Paige] What?
Go get your man, girl.
[laughs]
-[Omniya] I'm so nervous.
-[Paige] I know.
Hey, hey.
[overlapping chatter]
-Fulani, this is Quay, Paige
-It's a pleasure.
[Omniya] Ginny, and Tay.
Well, it was nice
to meet you all.
[Paige] Nice to meet you.
Absolutely.
All right. We here.
We're on the mat, we're sitting.
Yeah.
[Paige] Welcome
to the hot seat.
-[laughs]
-[Fulani] Right, right. I'm here.
[Omniya] They just kidding.
They just joking.
[Fulani] No, give it to me.
If you're not putting me up
against the fire and brimstone,
then what's the point
of the friendship, right?
[music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
[music fades]