The Layers of Grief

​Layers of Grief: Healing Through an Islamic Lens
A talk with Dr. Farha Motiwala, Board-Certified Psychiatrist

​Grief isn't only what we feel when someone we love passes away. It shows up quietly, in many forms, and often goes unnamed: the end of a marriage or friendship, a pregnancy or fertility journey that didn't unfold as hoped, a diagnosis that changed your body or your plans, a career that ended or never began, the move away from home and family, aging parents who are still here but no longer the same, or the version of yourself you thought you'd be by now.

​These losses are real, and they deserve space too.

​Join Dr. Farha Motiwala, board-certified psychiatrist, for an evening that brings together clinical insight and Islamic wisdom. Dr. Motiwala will explore how grief affects the mind and body, how to recognize when grief has become something heavier, and how our faith offers a compassionate framework for carrying sorrow.

​The Prophet ﷺ wept openly at the death of his son Ibrahim, saying that the eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, yet we say only what pleases our Lord. The year he lost Khadijah and Abu Talib is remembered as the Year of Sorrow. Prophet Ya'qub (AS) grieved so deeply for Yusuf that his eyes turned white, and still he said, "I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah" (12:86). Our tradition does not ask us to hide our pain. It teaches us how to carry it.

​Dr. Motiwala will discuss:

• ​The many layers of grief, including the losses we rarely give ourselves permission to mourn

• ​What happens in the mind and body when we grieve, and the difference between grief and depression

• ​What the Qur'an and Sunnah teach about sorrow, sabr (patience), and sabr jameel (beautiful patience)

• ​Why grief and faith are not opposites, and how tears can coexist with trust in Allah

• ​Practical, faith-rooted and evidence-based ways to care for yourself while grieving, and when to seek professional support

​This is a warm, judgment-free space for women at any stage of their faith or their grief. You don't need to have a "big" loss to belong here. If something in your life has shifted and left an ache behind, this talk is for you. Time for questions and reflection will follow.

​📅 11/7/26
📍 4-6pm

​Space is intentionally limited to keep the circle intimate. Please RSVP to save your spot.