For Those Left Behind: Guidance on Death and Grieving by Omar Suleiman

Upon visiting the graves of family and friends, you get to finally realise that you do not go there to bid farewell, instead it is to say: “See you soon.”

You pray upon them until one day, you are prayed upon, you visit them until you are visited. But you still love them and long for their company and wonder about them, while you are still in this dunya.

Where are they? Do they know how I am feeling? Do they know when I visit them? Do they hear me? What should I be doing to make things better for them? And what should I be doing to make things better for myself, while I wait to hopefully join them, in the company of the righteous?

As our community encounters death at an increasing rate, how do we honour those who have left us beyond the Janazah? How can the families of our deceased brothers and sisters cope and grow, while staying connected to their loved ones? This book is meant to provide guidance spiritually to those who are grieving, while also covering the rulings associated with death and mourning for practical purposes. We pray that this will offer clarity and comfort to those who need it most in these difficult times.

Imam Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at SMU (Southern Methodist University). He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square. He holds a Bachelors in Accounting, a Bachelors in Islamic Law, a Masters in Islamic Finance, a Masters in Political History, and is currently pursuing a PhD. in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.