Dearborn Workshop Draws on the Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt to Help Muslims Navigate Grief

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DEARBORN, Mich. — On October 10, R.I.S.E. led a mental health wellness workshop titled "Islam & Grief" at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, in collaboration with UNI. The session, led by Sayyid Sameer Ali, explored how Muslims can understand and work through grief by drawing on the Quran and the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

According to IMAM-US.org, attendees came from a range of fields, including mental health providers, advocates and faith-based counselors. The goal was to bring faith-based approaches to recognizing grief together with sound psychoeducation on the subject.

Grief through the lens of faith

The workshop focused on how grief is understood in Islam, closely examining examples from the Quran and from the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt. Its framework was based on the work of the Muslim philosopher al-Farabi on the "Virtuous City," and it called for collective education, resource-building and open discussion of grief among Muslims. The five stages of grief were discussed alongside examples from the Islamic tradition.

Participants explored Quranic models of emotional wellness and expression, along with traditions from the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt that emphasize endurance, patience and making space to recognize one's emotions. The audience engaged actively, and some attendees asked questions about the messengers mentioned in the Quran.

Who are the Ahl al-Bayt?

For readers who are not Muslim, "Ahl al-Bayt" is Arabic for "People of the House" and refers to the household of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): his daughter Lady Fatima al-Zahra (SA), her husband Imam Ali (AS), their sons Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS), and the Imams descended from them. Shia Muslims look to the Ahl al-Bayt as divinely guided examples of faith and character. Their lives include profound loss, from the death of the Prophet (PBUH) to the tragedy of Karbala, which is why their example of patience and steadfastness in hardship speaks so directly to anyone who is grieving.

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Practical resources for support

Beyond discussion, the workshop pointed the audience to practical tools. Organizers shared educational resources, including emergency support numbers and directories of Muslim mental health providers, so that people who are struggling can find care that respects their faith.

Programs like this one help reduce the stigma that can keep people from seeking help, and they remind communities that faith and professional care can work together.

Join us in Maryland on October 17

Closer to home, the Shia Muslim Foundation and Idara e Jaferia will host a Faith & Mental Health Workshop this Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon in Burtonsville, Maryland. All are welcome.

Source: IMAM-US.org (Oct. 10, 2026).

Shia Muslim Mohammed Mawla Appointed to Dearborn Heights City Council

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN — Mohammed Mawla, an Iraqi American Shia Muslim community leader, was appointed to the Dearborn Heights City Council on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, filling a vacant seat on the Michigan city's governing body.

His appointment marks a significant moment for Shia Muslim civic representation and reflects the contributions of immigrant communities to public service in the United States.

Mawla came to the United States in 1995. He lives in Dearborn Heights with his wife and daughter. His professional background includes serving as special assistant to the director of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs.

He has also volunteered with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department as a reserve member of its Community Emergency Response Team. Earlier in 2026, he helped connect the Dearborn Heights Fire Department with Dialed and Defend, a nonprofit focused on firefighter health and wellness, to discuss a proposed sauna donation and possible firefighter training opportunities.

During his October 6 interview before the City Council, Mawla emphasized collaboration, accountability, and service to residents.

"I believe public service often means identifying an opportunity, bringing the right people together and following through to turn it into something useful for the community," Mawla told council members.

He also pledged to exercise independent judgment, carefully review city expenditures, and prioritize the public interest over personal or political considerations.

Among his stated priorities are addressing flooding along Ecorse Creek, responsible management of city finances, strengthening public safety, improving communication between residents and city government, and supporting local small businesses.

Mawla also highlighted the importance of bringing younger residents into civic leadership, particularly those raising families, establishing careers, and building businesses in Dearborn Heights.

The vacancy arose when former Council Chair Hassan Ahmad left the council to join the Wayne County Commission. Under Section 4.5 of the Dearborn Heights City Charter, the council fills a vacancy by majority vote.

Mawla will serve until certification of the November 2, 2027 election. The term of the seat filled through that election ends December 31, 2029.

The Shia Muslim Foundation congratulates Mohammed Mawla on his appointment and recognizes the importance of Shia Muslim participation in civic leadership and public service.

UN Security Adviser Visits Imam Husain (AS) Shrine in Karbala: 'Even Christians' Find Inspiration

Worshippers pray beneath chandeliers inside a Shia holy shrine.

KARBALA, Iraq — A senior United Nations security official visited the Holy Shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala on Monday, October 5, and described the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a source of inspiration not only for Muslims, but "even Christians — of whom I am one."

Olga Mokrova, the UN's Senior Security Adviser for Iraq, made the remarks in an interview with Iraq's Non News Agency, as reported by Shafaqna English and the Iraqi Video Agency. According to Karbala Intel, a news site of the Holy Shrine of Imam Husain (AS), the UN delegation also included Ali Hammoud, Director of Security Operations and Information for Iraq; Riyasat Khan, Security Director for the World Food Programme; and Zaid Mohammed Fadhil, UN Security Coordinator for Iraq.

A visit to open channels of cooperation

Mokrova said the purpose of the trip was practical. "Today, we traveled to the city of Karbala to establish cooperation's channels with the United Nations and, through these channels, bring our programs and projects to the cities of Karbala and Najaf," she said, according to Shafaqna.

During the visit, the delegation met Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaei, a senior cleric at the shrine, inside its holy courtyard. According to the reports, Sheikh al-Karbalaei receives thousands of Iraqis from across the country for several hours each day after prayers, except on Fridays and Tuesdays, to hear their problems and requests. Institutions affiliated with the shrine provide medical, humanitarian, social and financial services to visitors. Karbala Intel reported that he welcomed the delegation and gave an overview of the shrine's history, its major projects and the services it offers pilgrims.

Mokrova said she found him "fulfilling his humanitarian duty and providing services to people" inside the shrine. "I saw wisdom, patience, and gentleness in his manner of speaking," she said. She added that she had asked him "to pray to Almighty God for peace for all the people of this country."

"Today, I had the honor of visiting the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS). The name of Imam Hussein is a source of inspiration for Muslims in general, Iraqis in particular, and even Christians — of whom I am one." — Olga Mokrova, UN Senior Security Adviser for Iraq

She also spoke of the shrine as a place of prayer for anyone: "I believe that, in this place, people's messages and supplications reach Almighty God in the shortest possible time. I also believe that anyone who needs to humbly plead and commune with Almighty God should pray in this place."

Shrine attendants care for the sanctuary of a holy tomb.

Who is Imam Husain (AS)?

For readers who are not Muslim, Mokrova's words may raise a natural question: why would a Christian diplomat find inspiration at the tomb of a seventh-century Muslim figure?

Imam Husain ibn Ali (AS) is the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He is the son of Imam Ali (AS) and Lady Fatima al-Zahra (SA), the Prophet's daughter. Shia Muslims honor him as the third Imam, one of the divinely guided leaders who, in Shia belief, carried forward the Prophet's message after him. The Prophet's love for Husain and his elder brother, Imam Hasan (AS), is a cherished part of Shia tradition.

In 680 CE (61 AH), Imam Husain (AS) refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid, a ruler whose reign he regarded as unjust and corrupt. He declared that he had set out to reform the community of his grandfather and to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. On the plains of Karbala, in present-day Iraq, he and a small band of family members and companions, numbering around 72, were surrounded by a far larger army and cut off from water. On the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, known as Ashura, Imam Husain (AS) and his companions were martyred. The women and children of his family, led by his sister Lady Zaynab (SA), were taken captive, and her sermons kept his message alive.

Ashura, Arbaeen and a message for all people

For Shia Muslims, Karbala is not only a historical tragedy but a living lesson: that standing for truth and justice is worth any sacrifice, and that dignity cannot be surrendered to tyranny. Each year, Shia communities around the world, including here in the United States, commemorate Ashura with gatherings of remembrance known as majalis, recitations and acts of charity.

Forty days after Ashura comes Arbaeen, when millions of pilgrims walk to Karbala, many on foot from Najaf and beyond, in one of the largest annual gatherings on earth. Along the route, local families and volunteers offer free food, water and shelter to strangers, a tradition of hospitality that reflects the values Imam Husain (AS) stood for.

That universal message has long reached beyond the Muslim world. Imam Husain (AS) is remembered by people of many faiths as a symbol of conscience and courage in the face of oppression. Mokrova's remarks in Karbala are a recent example of how his name continues to speak to people across religious lines.

Why it matters

For Shia Muslims in the United States, many of whom have family ties to Iraq or have made the pilgrimage to Karbala, the visit is a reminder that the shrine cities are centers of humanitarian service as well as worship. The interest the UN delegation expressed in bringing programs and projects to Karbala and Najaf is worth following, and the Shia Muslim Foundation will continue to report on developments.

It is also a reminder of what Imam Husain (AS) means to the people who love him: a figure whose stand for justice belongs not to one community alone, but to anyone who seeks to live with dignity, compassion and courage.

Sources: Shafaqna English (Oct. 7, 2026); Karbala Intel (Oct. 8, 2026); Video Agency (Oct. 6, 2026).