San Diego, CA
Healing Hearts: San Diego Imam Guides the Muslim Community Through Grief
Imam Abdeljalil Mezgouri, a spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont, keeps no tissues in his office because he sees tears as an expression of mercy, encouraging people to cry openly and fully embrace their emotions without feeling the need to wipe them away or hide them.
The Moroccan-born cleric at the largest mosque in San Diego County has spent nearly 40 years counseling people through the complexities of grief, offering both theological guidance and emotional support.
In Islam, death is not seen as an end but rather as a transition to another stage of existence. The Quran, which Muslims believe is the final revelation from God, consistently reminds adherents of Islam that life on Earth is temporary. According to Mezgouri, this understanding can be a source of great comfort.
“When you were born, you came with an expiration date,” he said. “Nobody can add one minute to their life or take one away. But death is not the end of the journey; this life is our shortest chapter, and when we die, the soul splits from the body.”
Mezgouri explained how this belief removes the randomness often associated with loss and provides a framework in which grief can be understood not as a punishment but as part of divine decree. Islam teaches that the soul does not die but enters a different realm known as Al-Barzakh, a waiting period before resurrection and eternal life.
The imam emphasized that while death is inevitable, how one processes grief is crucial, distinguishing between sadness and anger.
“Sadness is natural and even the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, cried when his son died. But anger is discouraged as it questions God’s wisdom,” Mezgouri said.
Mourning from three days to months on end is encouraged, according to the imam, with family and community support playing a vital role.
Mezgouri said comforting the grieving involves being present and communicating with their heart, as healing takes time and the heart moves slower than the mind.
“If the mind moves at 100 miles an hour, the heart moves at 5 miles an hour,” he said.
The cleric frequently encounters people struggling with the weight of grief, often leading to anxiety or depression. He believes the root of much suffering lies in a misplaced focus on the past or future.
“Many people are stuck in the past, unable to move on or they live in fear of what the future holds. But life is in the moment,” Mezgouri said.
To help people cope, he emphasizes the Islamic concept of Qadr (predestination).
“God already knows what will happen and everything is according to his wisdom. Trusting in God’s plan brings peace,” Mezgouri said.
He critiques secular approaches to grief that rely solely on medication or behavioral therapy, arguing that without faith, healing remains incomplete.
“A pill can numb pain, but it doesn’t address the root cause,” he said. “True healing comes when the heart accepts God’s decree.”
A great strength of the Muslim approach to grief is the support provided by the community, according to Mezgouri. The Islamic tradition encourages family and friends to rally around those who have lost a loved one. Condolence visits, prayer gatherings and acts of charity in the name of the deceased are ways in which the community offers comfort.
The imam stressed that staying connected to faith through prayer, reading the Quran and engaging in acts of kindness can help alleviate grief.
“By remembering God and serving others, we find healing,” he said.
Despite the pain of loss, Mezgouri assures the grieving that God’s mercy is vast and that the trials of this world are temporary.
“This life is not the resting place; it is the testing place,” he said. “The resting place is eternal life.”
Mezgouri explained both good and bad events serve as tests from God to gauge our responses. He emphasized that gratitude in times of blessing and patience in times of hardship are key to passing the test, as life’s challenges are inevitable.
His message is one of optimism for those struggling with grief.
“Acceptance is the key to a happy life,” Mezgouri said. “When we surrender to God’s wisdom, we find peace.”
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The City of San Diego is beginning to install 286 metered parking spaces this week in downtown San Ysidro in an effort to increase parking turnover, it was announced Thursday.
To develop the plan, city leaders worked with the San Ysidro business community. Revenue collected from the meters is reserved for transportation, parking and safety improvements in San Ysidro.
“Feeding parking meters feeds neighborhood repairs, and we can’t wait to get to work for the San Ysidro community,” said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city’s Transportation Department. “This new parking zone will bring long overdue change that will help support local business activity and generate revenue that will be reinvested directly into improving neighborhood quality of life in San Ysidro.”
Crews began preparing the bases for the meters last week and installation work is expected to last through June. According to the city, these will be multi-space meter kiosks and drivers should be aware that they will need to go to the nearest kiosk to pay for parking since there won’t be a meter at each space.
Metered parking goes into effect on July 1 and will be enforced 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. The parking rate is $2.50 an hour, with a maximum time limit of four hours.
City-led parking studies determined vehicles were parking on the streets of the neighborhood for hours or days at a time, making street parking for the area’s businesses scarce.
Drivers who customarily use free street parking when traveling across the border to Mexico are encouraged to use “one of the many paid off-street parking lots in the area,” a city statement read.
“The findings [of the parking study] clearly demonstrate the need for action. High parking occupancy on unregulated segments, along with data showing that 37% of vehicles exceed the existing two-hour limit and an average parking duration of over five hours, indicate that current conditions reduce turnover and limit access for local businesses and visitors,” wrote Alfredo Ripa, president of the San Ysidro Community Economic Development Corporation. “The proposed introduction of approximately 286 metered spaces, along with better signage, clearer designations and continued enforcement, represents a thoughtful and data-driven approach to improving parking availability and supporting economic activity in the community.”
Areas where the meter kiosks will be installed include:
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Border Village Road to Camino De La Plaza (both sides);
— Border Village Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard (north) to East San Ysidro Boulevard (south), (both sides);
— Front Street between Border Village Road to end of cul-de-sac (south side);
— Bolton Hall Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (south side);
— Louisiana Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to end of cul-de- sac (south side);
— Virginia Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (both sides); and
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Willow Road and East Park Avenue (south side).
POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is asking for any information regarding the whereabouts of a missing Poway man.
59-year-old William Clayton Miller was reported missing by his sister, who last saw him on March 2, 2026.
Miller’s car was later found at the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve in the City of Poway, where it sat for several weeks, according to authorities.
On Saturday, June 13, around 80 Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers and detectives from the Major Crimes Division conducted a search of the Lake Poway area and found nothing of significance.
This is the second coordinated search by the Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue teams.
Miller is described as a white male adult, 6 feet 0 inches tall, 210 pounds, bald, of medium build, with brown eyes and white hair.
Miller has been categorized as a voluntary missing adult and is not known to have any life-threatening medical conditions, nor does he require life- sustaining medications.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of William Clayton Miller is urged to contact the Major Crimes Division at 858‑285‑6330.
San Diego, CA
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