The death of a loved one can be a life-altering experience. Every person who experiences the loss of a loved has their own unique pain or set of circumstances to contend with. It can be a time of great difficulty, and in the same breath, great solace, as we often gain Khalwa (seclusion) with Allah SWT.
In the Islamic tradition, Muslims are encouraged to ponder on our death and the death of those we love each day. As prepared as some of us may be however, it can still be a very challenging time as we grapple with the reality of no longer being with those who are dear to us.
Islam is rich on the subject of death. There are many deeply compassionate teachings on how we are supposed to understand and treat death – at the root of every teaching is the understanding that we are returning to our maker.
Muslims believe that when a human being dies, their soul returns to their creator, awaiting the Day Of Judgement. In Islam, we can take solace in knowing that we will be united with those we love, and that death is just the beginning of the journey to our permanent home in the afterlife.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) experienced countless moments of grief throughout his lifetime, losing those dearest to him at nearly every phase of his life. Allah’s (SWT) prophets all have their moments of grief documented in the Qur’an and Hadith, showing us that in this very real human experience, we are not alone.
It is important to remember that grief is a natural reaction to the loss of a loved one and can feel different at different times to everyone – grieving is not a linear process. There is often no end date, only different ways of coping. Allah (SWT) has blessed us with many ways to understand death and our grief that may bring us peace during our times of difficulty.
