She married Rahmat Gul between the age of 13 and 16, and returned to her village in Afghanistan in 1992. She is a widow: her husband died from hepatitis C around 2012. Sharbat Gula has three daughters. A fourth died in infancy. She expressed hopes that her children will be able to get an education. A devout Muslim, Sharbat Gula normally wears a burqa and was hesitant to meet McCurry, as he was a male from outside the family. Asked if she had ever felt safe, she responded, "No. But life under the Taliban was better. At least there was peace and order." When asked how she had survived, she responded that it was "the will of God".