Finding Peace in Surrender

by Roberta Ness

An Islamic Perspective

Welcome back to our sacred space, dear one. Today, I brought mint tea from home and brewed it instead of coffee. Its gentle warmth seems more fitting as we cap off our tour of religious beliefs about death with an exploration of how our Muslim neighbors understand life's final chapter. You know how after 9/11, many Americans developed fears about Islam and still hold these today? Well, I started wondering about that when our neighbor Fatima came and sat with me almost every day during David's final days, bringing homemade baklava and hummus, and holding my hand as she quietly chanted lyrical prayers in Arabic. She was the one who raised the topic of the 9/11 bombings and told me how deeply saddened and upset she was. “I hate those men as much as you do. They gave my religion and all Muslims an undeservedly bad name.”

Today, with 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide—including some of your old college friends—I want to understand what Islam’s true teaching is, because if I've learned anything from writing these blogs, it's that from unexpected places, you and I gain wisdom.

The Foundation: Life is not yours alone

Remember Muhammad Ali? The man who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee? When winning world titles, he strutted around calling himself "The Greatest." But something profound happened when he became Muslim in 1964. Ali learned to surrender everything—his career, his name—to something greater. He later said, "I just want to be remembered as a man who tried to unite all humankind with faith and love."

Ali's transformation embodied Islam's heart: surrender…