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HABEMVS PAPAM
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Infinitely Merciful I join the rest of the world – Catholic and non-Catholic – Christian and non-Christian – in congratulating the Catholic Church on electing their new Pontiff, Pope Francis I. May the Lord our God guide him to all that is right and good in all…
A Very Happy Day
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful No, it’s not the “Muslim Christmas.” I have never put lights on my house, placed a tree in the family room, and exchanged gifts. Nevertheless, it is a very happy day for me and Muslims all around the world: the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, or Maulid…
The Blasphemy of “Anti-Blasphemy” Laws
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful I first learned about the law – that passed the Kuwaiti parliament – on a ChicagoNow blog post entitled “Kuwait theocracy declares Islam is weak.” The law calls for the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad, his wives or relatives. Apparently, this was in…
The Quest for “Oneness” in a Diverse (and Divided) World
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful In our day and age, many are trying to “be different.” Whether in a singing competition, or anywhere else, many people value being different. Indeed, diversity is very important, and it is – in fact – a miracle of God according to the Qur’an: And…
A Special Day I Don’t Celebrate
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Today was always a special day for me, ever since my university days. For three years of my life, I would have this day off, in fact. I would do nothing special on this day, but it was still nice not to have to attend any…
The Arafat Moment We Each Need to Have
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Today, the over 2 million pilgrims are now standing upon the plain of Arafat, fulfilling the most essential and important ritual of the Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every able-bodied Muslim must perform once in his or her lifetime. I was blessed to perform…
Let the Pastor Go Free
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Here we go again: an Iranian Pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, faces execution if he does not recant his conversion to Christianity. Last year, Mr. Nadarkhani was found guilty of “apostasy” last year, which was upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court. Now, if he does not recant, he…
So Glad I Did It
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of GOD, the Compassionate, the Merciful It has only been a few days, but it almost seems that Ramadan is a distant memory. Now, I am eating and drinking during the day, and although it still feels a little weird, it is a most welcome change. Indeed, I am trying to keep…
Last Day of Ramadan
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful It is amazing that it is finally here: the final day of the month of fasting. Indeed, it did seem to go by quickly, yet at the same time, however, the days of fasting seemed to never want to end. I am not going to put…
Loving God the Most
By
Hesham A. Hassaballa
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful One of the (very few) advantages of fasting a long (long, long) day is that there is ample time to read and reflect over Scripture. I mean, since there is really nothing else to do while waiting to eat, might as well read the Qur’an. Besides,…
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