The Prick of a Thorn: Coping with the Trials and Tribulations of Life

The Prick of a Thorn written by Dr. Aisha Utz and publish by IIPH. Here’s a taste of what’s inside: The more trials you face, the more sins you reduce… A Muslim female professional, whom I had met just after beginning a new position in the university, requested a private meeting with me. As we settled into her office, she began to share with me the story of her young daughter who had been suffering from a serious, potentially fatal medical condition for several years. She proceeded to describe the treatments, surgeries, and recurring visits to medical specialists, sometimes in other countries. As she related the details of her story, she burst into tears and expressed intense feelings of guilt and grief related to the situation. She was plagued by nagging thoughts of being responsible for her daughter’s illness and being punished by Allah for the misdeeds that she may have committed.