Strength and Vulnerability: Spirituality in Abused American Muslim Women's Lives

Abstract

The importance of spirituality for individuals coping with and recovering from trauma has been widely recognized. Despite this recognition, little information is available addressing the influence of spirituality on the abuse experiences of women surviving intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper begins to amend this gap in knowledge by examining the influence of spirituality on the abuse experiences of American Muslim women, a large and growing population. Findings from this qualitative study indicate that spirituality provided participants with an important means of coping with ongoing violence while in many instances also creating barriers to safety. These findings underscore the complex role spirituality may play as a source of both strength and vulnerability in American Muslim women's response to IPV.