Experiencing Loss: A Muslim Widow's Bereavement Narrative

Abstract

In this article, we explore how Islam, minority status and refugee experiences intersect in shaping meaning-making processes following bereavement. We do this through a phenomenological analysis of a biographical account of personal loss told by Aisha, a Muslim Palestinian refugee living in Denmark, who narrates her experience of losing her husband to lung cancer. By drawing on a religious framework, Aisha creates meaning from her loss, which enables her to incorporate this loss into her life history and sustain agency. Her narrative invites wider audiences to witness her tale of overcoming loss, thus highlighting the complex way in which religious beliefs, minority status and migration history come together in shaping meaning-making processes, and the importance of reciprocity in narrative studies.

Keywords: Bereavement; Grief; Islam; Narratives; Religion.