Holding grief during Ramadan and Eid

As Ramadan approaches, it is often described as a time of reflection, prayer, and spiritual connection. Eid is commonly associated with togetherness, celebration, and shared joy. However, for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, this time of year can feel especially painful. When familiar traditions continue but someone significant is missing, the emotional contrast can feel deeply unsettling.

For many people, this may be the first Ramadan or Eid without their loved one. The empty chair at iftar, the absence of a familiar voice, or the quiet moments where shared routines once existed can bring grief sharply into focus. Even when surrounded by family and community, feelings of loneliness, sadness, or emotional disconnection are common and entirely understandable.

From a counselling and mental health perspective, grief often becomes more present during significant times of the year, particularly those connected to family, faith, memory, and belonging. You may notice heightened emotions, tearfulness, fatigue, changes in sleep, or a sense of emotional heaviness. It is also common to experience mixed feelings of gratitude alongside sadness, faith alongside questioning, and moments of closeness existing alongside a deep sense of absence.

Faith, Grief, and Emotional Wellbeing

Within Islam, hardship and loss are recognised as part of the human experience. While faith can provide comfort, meaning, and strength, it does not remove grief. Emotional pain can still arise and may feel confusing or overwhelming at times. Faith and emotional struggle can coexist, one does not cancel out the other.

During Ramadan and Eid, some people find comfort in prayer, dua, or quiet reflection, while others may find these practices feel different or more difficult than before. There is no right or wrong way to experience this time after loss. What matters most is allowing space for how this period truly feels for you, rather than how you believe you should be coping.

Honouring Loved Ones While Caring for Yourself

Some people find gentle meaning in acts that honour their loved one, such as:

• Visiting the cemetery

• Offering Dua

• Giving charity (Sadaqah) in their name

These acts can help maintain a sense of connection while acknowledging loss. At the same time, it can be important to lower expectations of yourself attending fewer gatherings, taking breaks, or allowing moments of rest and quiet. Grief can be emotionally and physically exhausting, and rest is not a failure, but a necessary form of care.

Understanding Grief from a Therapeutic Perspective

From a counselling perspective, grief is understood as a process of adjustment rather than something to be resolved or overcome. There is no fixed timeline for grief, and each person’s experience is unique. Loss can affect emotional wellbeing in many ways, influencing mood, concentration, sleep, relationships, and one’s sense of self.

When grief remains unspoken, it can feel heavier and more isolating over time. Bereavement counselling offers a confidential space to explore loss, memories, and the ongoing impact grief may have on emotional wellbeing and daily life. Counselling does not take grief away, but it can support you in carrying it with greater understanding, compassion, and care.

Bereavement Counselling Support

I have experience working with bereavement and loss and understand how deeply personal and complex grief can feel particularly during significant times such as Ramadan and Eid. My work is informed by a strong awareness of cultural diversity, faith, and identity, and how these factors can shape the way grief is experienced and expressed.

I support individuals and couples from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds and offer culturally sensitive counselling where each person’s experience is met with empathy, respect, and care. I offer a free 15-minute initial telephone consultation, providing a gentle opportunity to talk through what you are experiencing, ask questions, and explore whether counselling support feels right for you. As a multilingual counsellor sessions can be in fluent English, Hindi, and Urdu, allowing clients to express themselves in the language that feels most natural and emotionally comfortable.

If this time of year is bringing up difficult emotions, you do not have to face them alone. Grief is not something to “get over” it is something we learn to live alongside, with understanding and support. Seeking counselling is not a sign of weakness, but an act of care for your mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Support through counselling

At times like this, having a confidential and supportive space to talk can feel grounding. Speaking with a counsellor who understands bereavement, mental health, and the emotional impact of loss within cultural and faith contexts can help ease the sense of carrying everything alone.

Support is available when you feel ready.