Rohaan’s Journey: Healing Childhood Trauma through Faith and Psychology
- Umm-e-Sidrah
- Sep 10
- 13 min read
Updated: Nov 1
And do not think Allah to be unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing. He is only delaying them for a Day when (their) eyes will stare (in horror)
(Surah Ibrahim, 14: 42)
Translation of Kanz ul Irfan
Dear Readers, before we start Part 3, be sure you've read the previous parts.
Click the buttons.
The words of his parents shook him to his very core, reopening the scars of his childhood trauma. But this time, instead of answering back with rebellion, he stood still. With a broken smile, born of a bleeding heart. In a low, trembling voice, he confronted.
Walking Through the Past: The Confrontation of His Childhood Trauma
Since childhood, I endured your scolding. Your harsh words. The endless, judgmental questions from your family. But from you, not a single question. No one ever asked me why I do. I never believed I would find the courage to stand before you and say this. But today, seeing my mother’s lowered eyes, her shattered pride, it forces me to unveil the black, mysterious truth of my childhood. A truth that ruined my life. That dragged me into a place where right and wrong have no meaning. Where mercy is a ghost. Life or death, it makes no difference to me now. I earn through sin. I eat through sin. I became Rohaan the Builder, oh, pardon me, the king of this magnificent illegal world. A real self-made man. And do you want to know who is truly responsible for laying that first brick? It was your late brother. So please do not call me his killer. I did not murder him. He murdered me long ago, while I was still breathing.
How childhood Trauma Affects adulthood
Rohaan’s father sat there stunned, his mouth open in disbelief. His hand twitched, as if he wanted to strike, but for the first time in his life, something stopped him. For the first time, he wanted to hear his son’s explanation.
Rohaan didn’t stop. The dam had broken. Years of suffocated pain, chained inside his chest, came pouring out like a flood.
“Do you know why this fire of revenge has been burning in me all these years? The man you all respected, the honorable, respectable, pure man, he destroyed my childhood. He defiled my very existence. The day I finally dared to answer back to his humiliations, you beat me instead. You locked me in my room without food, without water, in complete darkness. Terrified, I cried.
And then, the door opened. A shadow walked in. That shadow… was none other than your brother. That monster took out his vengeance on me. He shattered me. And the very next day, he sent me away to boarding school, not for my discipline, but to protect his filthy reputation. To bury his secret.”
Rohaan’s voice shook, but he pressed on.
That night, I decided I would never walk the straight path. Why should I? You praised other people’s sons, but your own son was left to rot. My own mother trusted your brother's son more than me. And do you know? His son, Azlaan, was a gambler, drowning in addiction. But Uncle never told you that, did he? He kept his son’s filth hidden. Why? Because blood protects blood. But if that shame had been mine, he would’ve run to you, created chaos, and once again you both would’ve turned your suspicious eyes on me.
"So why shouldn’t I take revenge? I only did what a broken child, crushed under silence, should have done to a devil like him. His heart attack wasn’t because of me; it was because of Azlaan, his own son. But Azlaan lied. He told you it was stress over the house being sold. The truth is… he was your brother’s son. And I was never your son. Not then, not now.”
With that, Rohaan signaled to the servant, who brought forward a file.
“I thought I’d mail this to you. But since you’re here, take it. It’s the file of your brother’s sold house. Give it to Azlaan.”
His father’s eyes filled with shame and regret as he slowly took the file. Rohaan’s voice softened, but each word cut deeper than a blade.
Emotional Healing and Self-Care Steps:
I’ve realized, revenge doesn’t heal wounds of the soul. I need to search for myself, to find that place where the trauma of my childhood and youth can finally be mended. I don’t know where that place is. But maybe, by leaving, the pain I’ve caused you will begin to heal.
I’ve repaid your brother’s so-called favor. Now, you will never see my face again.”
His parents wanted to stop him, but how could they? How could they put balm on wounds that had turned to poison? For the first time, their son wasn’t fighting them. He wasn’t accusing. He was simply… telling his truth. And when he left, he took nothing with him, not wealth, not luxury, not the grand life he could’ve claimed. He left it all behind.
The Exhaustion of an Ended War: When the Rage Finally Burned Out
Out on the deserted road, with no one by his side, he walked. The night was silent. And then, it began to rain. But not from the sky. From his eyes. Tears poured down like a dam bursting, years of grief finally breaking free. His chest heaved with every sob.
“Oh Allah, where do I go? Who will shelter me? My parents never saw me as their son. Why did you bring me into this world? Why did you make me? They were right, I am a burden. A curse. It would have been better if I had died that night as a child. Better than this life of ruin, failure, and misery.”
And then, through the emptiness, a voice rang out:
Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah حَيَّ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَاة Come to prayer
Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah حَيَّ عَلَى ٱلْفَلَاحِ Come to Success
The Turning Point: Finding Healing
He had heard the call to prayer many times before. But tonight, it pierced his heart. His feet, almost against his will, began to move toward the mosque. He didn’t know what was happening, but he didn’t want to resist.
At the ablution fountain, he watched others perform wudu and clumsily imitated them. The prayer had already begun. He slipped into the last row, an ashamed, defeated man. No pride, no arrogance, no wealth, no revenge. Just a Broken soul standing before its Creator.
And for the first time in years, he bowed down. His forehead touched the ground. And with it, his heart began to lighten. The anxiety that had chained him for years began to loosen. The ache, the trauma, the sleepless nights drowned in drugs and alcohol, all of it began to wash away in those tears of prayer. He cried so long in prayer that he eventually fell asleep, without even realizing it.
Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Trauma
That night, after years, Rohaan slept peacefully, without pills, without intoxication.
When morning came, a soft hand shook him awake. Startled, he opened his eyes. He was still in the mosque. Standing before him was an elderly man, white beard glowing, a gentle, luminous face.
For a moment, Rohaan froze. His face turned pale. Memories slammed into him. He stumbled back in fear.
“You, you’re my uncle, aren’t you?” his voice cracked.
“But you’re dead, aren’t you? Then how are you here? Did you come looking for me, even in death? You cruel, merciless animal! You stole my childhood, my youth, you ruined me! Don’t touch me! Don’t come near me! Leave me alone!”
He thrashed like a fish out of water, gasping, trembling. The mosque was empty except for him and the man. He was seeing his uncle’s ghost.
But the man was no ghost. He was the Imam of the mosque (prayer leader of a mosque).
The Imam didn’t panic. He understood the weight of trauma better than words could explain. So instead of arguing, he gently stepped back and spoke softly:
“Calm yourself, my child calm down. This is the pure house of Allah. No devil can enter here. This place is filled with prayer, with remembrance. Here, hearts are cleansed. Do not fear. I am not your uncle. I am the only one who leads prayer here.”
There was magic in his voice. Not the sly whispers of a devil, not deceit, not manipulation. Just truth. Just compassion.
Rohaan’s trembling slowed. His sobs softened into hiccups. The Imam recited verses from the Qur’an and did Ruqyah(a healing practice) for some seconds. These are the verses and supplications(Al-mu'awwidhath surah Nas, Surah Falaq) that ease anxiety, fear, and restlessness. No sooner had they whispered the prayer, blowing it onto Rohaan's face." And something happened. The shadow of his uncle that haunted his vision disappeared. The suffocating grip of terror began to lift.
For the first time, Rohaan felt a little safe. He leaned against the wall. His eyes closed. In that moment, he wasn’t the broken man anymore. He was the little boy again, the child who had only ever longed for love, care, and kindness. The Imam brought him dates and warm milk, no questions asked.
The Imam’s gentle voice filled the silence, warm and reassuring, like the voice of a parent.
He opened his eyes. He was no longer crying. The scholar smiled and placed the milk and dates in his hands.
“Eat, my son,” he said.
And this time, Rohaan did not refuse.
The Imam had given him a small room at the back of the mosque, a quiet space away from the main hall.
A Conscious Rebirth: How to build Resilience after Abuse
Faith and Psychology: A Holistic Approach to Emotional Recovery
On his first day, the Imam had made his instructions clear, his voice leaving no room for debate: "No one is to ask this man any questions. Offer him peace, offer him kindness, but do not ask about his past. His presence here is answer enough." Weeks blended into a rhythm of respectful silence. He became a quiet fixture, a man who prayed with a focused intensity that seemed to shut out the entire world.
One bright day, he wondered what would become of no home, no wealth, nothing to claim. Dark thoughts of despair were closing in, yet people kept entering the mosque. The imam began reciting a Surah, his voice rich and beautiful, then offered his interpretation of the verses. As he listened, a quiet light stirred within his heart. He reflected deeply, and something within him began to awaken.
His chest still trembling from sobs, a strange calm began to wrap around him. The Imam’s words echoed softly, and Rohaan’s own heart whispered what he had forgotten all his life:
He was saying;
Undoubtedly, the repentance which Allah has by His grace made obligatory upon Himself to accept, is only the repentance of those who commit sin in folly(ignorance and foolishness) and then soon repent - towards them does Allah incline in mercy; and Allah is the All Knowing, the Wise.
Nisa 4:17
translated from Kanzul Iman
When an ordinary person recites his prayers, they hold power. But when a heart is pure, when a man does not live to impress, when his words and deeds are one, then his prayers rise quickly, and Allah listens sooner.
“The Rohaan thought, “Are these Allah’s true people? They don’t wear piety as a mask like my uncle, the hypocrite. Their worship is clean, hidden from show. And that’s why Shaytan fears the scholar, because knowledge burns his lies to ashes.”
And then, it struck him.
This voice, this reminder, it wasn’t new.
Healing Childhood Trauma Through Kind Words
It was the same voice he had been hearing inside himself for years, every time he sinned, every time he turned haram(Illegal) into halal(legal), every time he drowned in a major sin.
He finally realized: this was the same voice he had been searching for all along. The voice of truth that never left him, no matter how far he ran.
For the first time, Rohaan felt it inside himself, not just as words, but as a truth unfolding before his eyes. The Imam came closer, his voice gentle but steady.
“My son, tell me, what happened to you?”
And Rohaan poured everything out, his pain, his anger, his story buried for years. The Imam listened silently. His eyes showed sorrow, but his words carried no harshness.
He did not sprinkle salt over old wounds. He listened patiently, and then spoke:
“The Qur’an is healing.
And the Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah has placed medicine for every disease. Both the words of Allah and medicine bring a cure."
Bad Parenting in Islam vs. The Sin of Accusing Parents
With tearful eyes, he said, “The illness within me, its cause lies only with my parents.”
At this, he paused for a moment, then softly said.
Children are accountable for fulfilling their duties to their parents, while parents are responsible for their own actions and beliefs.
You see, you longed for a destination. That’s why a path was shown to you. Because you wished for it. When a servant is given the choice between good and evil, it is his intention that defines his journey. The day you chose hatred, the day you chose revenge against your uncle, you unknowingly stepped onto the very path of evil. And slowly, you became like the very man you despised.
If only you had chosen to hate the sin instead of the sinner, your path would have opened toward goodness long ago. And as for parents, whether they are sinners, disbelievers, or righteous, it does not matter. Their respect is always sacred.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Shall I not inform you of the greatest of major sins? Associating partners with Allah, and being disobedient to parents.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2654 )
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 87)
Allah's Pleasure
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The pleasure of Allah lies in the pleasure of the father, and the displeasure of Allah lies in the displeasure of the father.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1899)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “It is one of the greatest sins for a man to abuse(curse) his parents.” When asked how this could happen, he replied: “He abuses another man’s father, and that man abuses his father and mother in return.”
Sahih Bukhari :5973
Wisdom: Even when parents fall short in their duty, the child is tested by their own response. Islam calls us to protect ourselves and set boundaries, yet never to cross into sin by cursing, humiliating, or accusing our parents.
In essence, you may acknowledge the pain, seek healing, and even create distance but turning hurt into open abuse against parents is where the line of sin is crossed.
But, I can see this: for the first time in your life, you didn’t answer your father with rudeness. You didn’t rebel. You even handed him the documents of your uncle’s house with your own hands. This is no small thing. When a man turns his steps toward goodness, the road itself begins to open before him. And you chose goodness. Look ahead now. You will find only success, and it means Allah is pleased with you.
Heal Through Hadith: Allah’s Justice against Oppression by a Cruel Uncle in Disguise:
That question rose in his heart like an arrow piercing, sharp, impossible to ignore. If I became the villain because of another, will Allah not punish the one who made me this way? The scholar looked into his face and smiled gently. “You wonder what fate awaits that man. But the truth is, you’ve already seen his end. As for what lies beyond, that is a secret only Allah knows. Whether he repented or not, only Allah holds that knowledge.” He paused, then added softly, “
But listen
Allah says in the Qur’an
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْـــًٔـا وَّلٰكِنَّ النَّاسَ اَنْفُسَھُمْ يَظْلِمُوْن
Indeed, Allah does not oppress men at all, but they do wrong themselves
Surah Yunus !0:44
Translated from Kanzul Iman
Islamic Perspective On Injustice And Childhood Suffering
Dua of the Oppressed
Narrated by Ibn'Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) sent Mu`adh ibn JabalIbn ' رضي الله عنه to Yemen and said,
"Be afraid from the curse of the oppressed, as there is no screen(no barrier) between his invocation(Plea) and Allah
Sahih al-Bukhari 2448
In-book referenc : Book 46, Hadith 9
Narrated Ibn `Umar: The Prophet said, "Oppression will be a darkness on the Day of Resurrection." (Sahih Bukhari: 2447)
Remember, my child
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child." Sahih al-Bukhari: 5999
The scholar looked at Rohaan with deep compassion and said softly:
“What you see as destruction was in fact your deliverance. Allah, in His wisdom, saved you, even through pain.”
Therapy, Counselling, and Faith-Based Healing
Those words broke something open inside Rohaan. For the first time, instead of anger, his heart bent in repentance. Tears streamed down his face as he turned back to Allah, and then, towards his parents.
Rohaan reconciled(made peace) with his parents. He asked for forgiveness for all his past mistakes. They, too, felt ashamed for not noticing the injustices he suffered under his uncle’s influence and for their harsh parenting. With trembling arms, they held him close and said, “We are with you. You are our son, and we trust you.”
Next, he gave away all his wealth in charity, but this time with a sincere intention. He had truly repented. It wasn’t for show; he didn’t donate to an orphanage for publicity. He faced the consequences of his past wrongdoings, bribes, interest, small and big sins, and turned himself in to the authorities.
Psycho Therapy After Punishment: Finding Guidance and Healing from Within
After serving his punishment, Rohaan turned to the One who guided him inward, where true healing begins. Alongside the prayers that calmed his soul, he sought the counsel that soothed his mind. Spiritual therapy gave him light, mental therapy gave him clarity. Together, they unraveled the knots of his past. When he returned to work, every coin he earned was pure and lawful. The bitterness that once poisoned him melted away. He no longer snapped in anger or carried hatred like a shield. Instead, he stitched his heart to faith, discipline, and compassion, living proof that healing is both divine and human, both prayer and patience.
Slowly, his childhood scars began to heal. And with every step of healing came a strange, indescribable relief, like a suffocating weight had been lifted. Peace of heart became his greatest treasure. Allah showered him with mercy, and the Rohaan of his childhood, the wounded, broken boy, was finally healed.
Tips for parents to break the Toxic Cycle
Pause before repeating the harsh words once spoken to you; choose gentleness instead. As you guide your child to therapy, seek your own healing, too, spiritual and psychological. For a parent’s growth is the foundation of a child’s recovery.
Childhood Trauma: Psychological Aspect
Neuroscience shows trauma is stored in the body, disrupting growth and well-being, but healing is possible through embodied practices that reconnect children to their feelings and bodily sensations. As Sharon Stanley (2016) explains in Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma, approaches like embodied awareness, meaningful rituals, and somatic empathy help children process trauma, strengthen human connection, and restore healthy brain function.
Rohaan's Journey from Trauma to Healing: Righteousness Heals, Evil Destroys:
Rohaan saw the difference between the two people:
One wore the mask of piety but hid a devil inside, who had crushed him alive.
But Allah sent a savior, guiding him to the path of goodness and granting him mercy.
He can never forget the kindness of the scholar, the truly righteous person.
After Rebirth, Rohaan chose the harder but nobler path: forgiveness over revenge, faith over bitterness. And in that choice lay his true freedom.
Dear readers' family,
Has something like this ever happened to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and help spread this heartfelt story.
What kind of story would you like to read?
جَزَاكُمُ اللهُ خَيْرًا
Jazākumu Allāhu Khayran
References
Authors: Downey, C., & Crummy, A. (2022). The impact of childhood trauma on children’s wellbeing and adult behavior. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 6(1), Article 100237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2021.100237
Link: https://www.manifestquran.net/english/Surah-Ibrahim-with-english-translation/42
Link: https://www.islamicity.org/104896/a-fathers-duty-the-hidden-force-in-an-islamic-home/ Link: https://footprintstorecoverymh.com/what-are-the-signs-of-repressed-childhood-trauma-in-adults/
Link: https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/10/44/
Love from Sydney 🤩♥️
love your content
Love from Poland😍