For years and years, I have heard the story of the birth of Christ recited in beautiful Arabic during Muslim ritual prayer. That’s because the story of Christmas is in the Quran.

The Muslim man in the video who destroys a statue of the Virgin Mary betrays his faith.

In the Name of God: The Extremely and Eternally Loving and Caring Christians have been under assault in some areas of the Middle East, with so-called “holy warriors,” more like satanic savages, attacking Christian churches and forcing them to leave their homes. Add to this the historical rivalry and conflict between Islamic and Christian civilizations,…

In the Name of God: The Extremely and Eternally Loving and Caring Christmas time every year is always slightly different: the weather is different, the cultural context is different, and even the political climate is different. The Presidential Election season definitely has changed the flavor of this Christmas season, especially with respect to Islam and…

In the Name of God: The Infinitely Merciful and Compassionate Beloved Lord In my last post, we discussed how Jesus Christ is part of my life, even if I am not celebrating the religious festival marking his birth.  Yet, the verses in the Qur’an regarding the birth of Jesus Christ were only quickly mentioned. Here…

In the Name of God: the Infinitely Compassionate and Merciful Beloved Lord I must admit: at this time of year, sometimes it feels lonely. Practically the whole country is gearing up for the Christmas holiday, which is less than two weeks away. And while technically I do not celebrate the religious festival that is Christmas,…

In the Name of God: The Infinitely Merciful and Compassionate Beloved Lord Throughout my childhood, I have grown up listening to this story being recited out loud: When the wife of ‘Imran said, “My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me.…

In the Name of God: the Infinitely Compassionate and Merciful Beloved Lord As is the case every year, Christmas Day is just another calendar day for me. In fact, I will be working in the hospital on Christmas Day this year, one of 11 shifts I am scheduled to work until the end of the…

In the Name of God, the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful After voraciously taking in Reza Aslan’s book, Zealot, about the life and times of Jesus Christ, I decided to read his bestselling book about Islam, No god but God. Towards the end of his excellent, I must say, book Aslan wrote: Just as the Christian…

In the Name of God, the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful This Sunday, billions of Christians around the world will celebrate what is the most important holiday of the Christian spiritual calendar: Easter. It commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the central theological tenet of the Christian faith. As a Muslim, I…

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.

read full bio
More from Beliefnet and our partners
More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad