Habiba Abdul-Jabbar, who was once known as Janice Brown, captured the spotlight after she got married to the famous basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, she has developed a name for herself by extending her potential through originality and flair in the fashion industry. Besides, she holds her head high in being a devoted mother to three children. Following her spiritual journey into Islam, she accepted the name Habiba. The decision was with regard to her faith in Islam and her husband Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After her shift into Islam, she always followed a spiritual life true to her beliefs, at the same time, engaging herself in creativity – maintaining both hand-in-hand.
Habiba has built a name for herself, carving a distinct professional presence in the fashion industry. She was successful in turning her love for fashion, infusing a personal signature into her designs. Even though Habiba’s name is often clubbed with her former husband Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, she gained recognition through her works in fashion making an imprint for herself in the industry. Her success was one built on her artistic skills and the bold choices she made with her personal freedom and inner strength. Habiba preferred to live offstage, embracing her life of creativity and meaning, outside the public gaze. Her works portray her intense personal perspectives and her respect for culture, exhibiting both her self-awareness and respect for her roots. Hence, through her artistic creations it was possible to understand the creator in detail with clarity. Habiba Abdul-Jabbar’s life cannot be considered merely as a reinvention, rather should be treated and comprehended as one rooted in purpose and depth – highlighting her professional path which was built after her marriage.
Habiba’s creative journey was based on her time at Oberlin College, in 1997, where she graduated in Creating Writing. Despite the minimal available information of her educational background, it is evident that her studies cultivated a passion for creative expression, and she was able to identify a connection with arts and storytelling in all its forms. These interests later found expression in her life as a fashion designer.
Habiba met Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the Los Angeles Lakers game while she was a high school student and Kareem doing his graduation at UCLA. Habiba had visited to see the game with her friends when she first met Kareem, playing the game. Later, Kareem invited her to see another game he played, marking the beginning of a relationship that later turned into marriage. Later after both Habiba and Kareem accepted and shifted to Islam, they married on May 28, 1971. The marriage was organized as a Muslim wedding in Washington, D.C. as both the groom and the bride had become intensely attached to Islam at that time and wished to follow an Islamic spiritual life.
The marital life of Habiba and Kareem lasted seven years and had three children – Habiba, Kareem Jr., and Sultana. The couple was able to build a family centered on love, faith and creativity and their children moved in different paths of their own choice, however, remaining true to themselves and their choices.
Habiba Abdul-Jabbar - Born on May 15, 1972, she followed a path where emotional truth met real-world impact. She created a meaningful life for herself, writing for the stage and also worked as a medical social worker, offering therapeutic care.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr. – Kareem Jr., who was born on August 23, 1976, aligned with his fathers’s interests and took up basketball in his initial stages. However, later he found that acting was his point of interest, where television was not just a job role rather a platform where he expressed his voice and talent.
Sultana Abdul-Jabbar – Born in April, 1979, Sultana was not interested in the spotlight and hence chose peace over publicity, shifting towards a more private life.
Habiba led a low-key life after her separation with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, instead of choosing to be in the spotlight. She decided to live a quiet life moving away from the buzz and headlines and to lead life on her own terms. Habiba’s life after divorce was focused on her children and on her own growth, both professionally and spiritually. This enabled her to leave a mark in the fashion industry and to be famous not because of her past acquaintance with Kareem but due to her achievements as a fashion designer.
Habiba Abdul-Jabbar’s net worth remains undisclosed just as how she maintained a low profile life, away from headlines. However, people assume that she has made a fortune during her life and separation with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and through her professional achievements in the fashion industry. On the other hand, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s net worth has been estimated to be $25 million, when Habiba’s remains private. Habiba’s income was mainly from her work as a fashion designer and through the personal investments she made, though these are revealed to the public.
Habiba Abdul-Jabbar’s life is a true testimony revealing that determination, independence and creativity can make one successful. From her time as Janice Brown to Habiba, the mother of three, the transition she had evidenced this reality that creating an identity and leaving a mark for yourself in your realm of expertise has nothing to do with fame. The creative potential of Habiba still continues to influence the latest women fashion trends, being clubbed with modern trends in the fashion industry.