DEALING WITH PERSONAL GRIEF: A reflection on loss and Faith

Hadiza Bagudu
May 3
2 min read

By: Hadiza Bagudu

In the past two weeks, I lost two people very dear to me-my beloved father and brother-in-law, who had been a part of my life for over two decades. It has been devastating.

I have known grief before; I’ve seen others go through it, but this time, it felt different. It shook something deep inside me. I realized that no matter how much we hear about loss, we never truly understand the depth of it until it’s ours-until it reaches into our own home and takes someone we love.

It opened my eyes to something I hadn’t truly acknowledged: the people around me are aging. People I looked up to-strong, resilient, untouchable in my eyes-are growing older and frailer. It made me reflect on my own aging, my own mortality. It is not exactly fear, but a deep discomfort, an awareness that nothing stays the same. There’s a certain dread in the air-the feeling that things are changing in a way we can’t control.

As a Muslim, I find comfort in the knowledge that grief is not a sin. We’re allowed to grieve—but with patience, with prayer, and without questioning Allah’s decree. No matter how much we love someone, we ultimately belong to Allah, and to Him is our return.

We Pray for those we’ve lost; we ask Allah to grant them Jannah, peace and mercy; and we hold on to the hope that we’ll be reunited in a better place.

If you are going through grief too, I see you. I feel your pain. I offer you my sincere condolences and Pray for your healing.

Dealing with Grief in Islam:

· Accept Allah’s Decree: Understand that every soul has its time, and death is part of Allah’s Devine Decree.

· Express Grief Naturally: Tears and sadness are allowed; it's part of our humanity. After losing his son, prophet Yaqoob (Peace be upon him) cried and grieved for years until he went blind.

· Lean on Support: Share your pain with trusted friends, family, or your Muslim community.

· Make Du’a: Turn to Allah for strength, peace, and comfort.

· Practice Sabr (patience): Trust in the reward promised to those who are patient in hardship.

· Give Charity (Sadaqah): Do good deeds in the name of the deceased.

· Reflect and Learn: Let this be a reminder of life’s fragility and the importance of Faith.

· Grief Has no Timeline: Don’t rush healing; take the time you need.

Above all, remember: grief is not a weakness-it’s a sign of love, and love never truly dies.

By: Hadiza Bagudu

Author/Poet

www.hadizabagudu.com

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