In March 2016, Amina’s husband of 19 years, Shiraz, passed away suddenly. She attended support groups to help her as she struggled with her own grief and the practicalities of raising four children, ages 8 to 15, who had lost their father. However, she was unable to find the comfort and support she was seeking. As a Muslim woman, her faith gave her hope and connection yet the Islamic perspective was missing.

Within a year, Amina connected with two other young Muslim widows, in the UK and Saudi Arabia. At first, she spoke with each separately; however, she quickly realized there was solace in conversations together. Though thousands of miles apart, their experiences sparked an immediate bond. They shared the pain of missing their spouses, the challenges of raising children as a solo parent, and the shifts in larger family dynamics. Finally, they all felt understood.

Amina connected with more young widows, one of whom was her childhood best friend, Sumiya. Having grown up in the same Bay Area Muslim community, they never would have imagined that being widowed in their 30’s would bring them closer. Sumiya was grieving her husband of 18 years, Ather, whom she lost in 2017. Despite living on opposite sides of the country, Amina and Sumiya were brought together in search of resources that centered Islam on their grief journey. It became increasingly clear that there was a need for bereavement support specifically for Muslim widows and their families.

Amina realized that Allah (SWT) was bringing these women together for a greater purpose. On July 19, 2020, Amina created a WhatsApp group of seven women to share their stories. By October, they began monthly video calls. In a year, the group doubled in size with members from all over the world. Soon thereafter, they formalized the group: Widowed & Muslim, a space for comfort, connection and support. Joined together, Muslim widows can navigate their loss and grief, reassured by faith and each other.