I first heard it while listening (for the tenth time) to Disney’s “Pirate Fairy” movie in the car. Towards the end of the film, they play Natasha Bedingfield’s song “Weightless,” and it is a very catchy tune. I looked up the lyrics, and they are as uplifting as the song itself. The most profound part…

In the Name of God: The Extremely and Eternally Loving and Caring My wife and kids always keep me up to date on the latest hit songs. And it is no different with Lukas Graham’s hit “7 Years,” which is now #2 on the Billboard list in the U.S. As I listen to this very…

In the Name of God: The Eternally and Everlastingly Loving and Caring There are many times that the songs I may happen to hear will cause me to frown. So much of popular music today is comprised of lyrics that are questionable (at the absolute best) in their morality and message. Yet, sometimes, a song…

In the Name of God: The Extremely, Eternally, and Everlastingly Loving and Caring My daughter first told me about the song, and I really had no idea what she was talking about. But, I had a chance to listen to the song on a long drive back home after a short trip with the family.…

In the Name of God: The Infinitely Merciful and Compassionate Beloved Lord I thought, for certain, that Hozier would win “Song of the Year” at the Grammy Awards last night for “Take Me To Church.” Not that I’m disappointed about Sam Smith – whose music I enjoy – but “Church’s” fame continues to be strong.…

In the Name of God: the Infinitely Merciful and Compassionate Beloved Lord Pharrell Williams’ smash hit “Happy” has set off a worldwide phenomenon, bringing Pharrell Williams himself to tears. This phenomenon has touched the Muslim community around the world as well, staring with Muslims in Britain, who made a video of themselves dancing and laughing…

In the Name of God, the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful Given that is the time of year for love, sort of, I had blogged about a particular song, “Lullabies” by singer/songwriter Yuna (a Muslim woman who wears the headscarf, by the way). I wrote about how the song reminds me of someone who wanted to…

Hesham A. Hassaballa
about

Hesham A. Hassaballa

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world. He has been a Beliefnet columnist since 2001, and has written for the Religion News Service. He is also a columnist for Patheos. His articles have been distributed worldwide by Agence Global, and he was also a guest blogger for The Chicago Tribune and has blogged on ChicagoNow" . In addition, Dr. Hassaballa has appeared as a guest on WTTW (Channel 11) in Chicago, CNN, Fox News, BBC, and National Public Radio.

Dr. Hassaballa is co-author of The Beliefnet Guide to Islam (Doubleday), and his essay, “Why I Love the Ten Commandments,” was published in the award-winning book Taking Back Islam (Rodale). His latest book, Noble Brother, is the story of the Prophet Muhammad told entirely in poetry, and it is now published in its second edition.

In 2007, his blog "God, Faith, and a Pen" was nominated for a Brass Crescent Award for a blog that is “the most stimulating, insightful, and philosophical, providing the best rebuttals to extremist ideology and making an impact whenever they post.” "God, Faith, and a Pen" has also received an award for being one of the "Top Muslim Blogs for 2010" by Awarding The Web.

In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations and currently serves on their board of directors. He also co-founded the Bayan H. Hassaballa Charitable Foundation and now serves as its Treasurer.

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