ON June 1, my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our son, Zacharia Hesham Hassaballa. It was a very happy day for the both of us. I pray that the Precious Beloved protects him, blesses him, and makes him a force for good in both our family and… Read full post »

As I continue to listen to Gotye's "Somebody I Used to Know," the beginning stanza struck me even more deeply than before:

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely/

… Read full post »

http://www.chicagonow.com/midwestern-muslim/2012/06/somebody-he-used-to-know/ 

I first heard this song on Saturday Night Live, when Gotye was the musical guest. The song was quite intriguing, with a really cool sound and tempo. When I listened to it more closely, the story of the song intrigued… Read full post »

http://www.chicagonow.com/midwestern-muslim/2012/05/grateful-on-this-day/ 

This year is a rarity for me: being off on Memorial Day. As a physician, I frequently (if not consistently) must work on Memorial Day. I have been blessed to have been able to take this year's holiday off. And I am gratef… Read full post »

This first appeared on Patheos. 

Time and again, the same illogical claims about Islam keep popping up from various people, whether they are pundits, commenters, or self-styled "experts" on Islam: Islam is "violent," it calls for the "killing of all non-Muslims," Muslims "must hate all non-… Read full post »

This first appeared on Beliefnet. 

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 Prop/… Read full post »

My wife and daughters really like the song by the band "The Wanted" called "Glad You Came." When I hear the song, it makes me think of all the wonderful people that I have been blessed with in my life:

The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and/

… Read full post »

In the days since it was reported that the CIA disrupted a bomb plot targeting the United States, it has been revealed that the would-be suicide bomber was actually a double agent:

The latest al-Qaida bomb plot targeting U.S. aircraft was unraveled from inside the terrorist group by operatives &mdash

… Read full post »

This was published on Patheos. 

Last month, South Dakota passed a law that seeks to prevent the enforcement of "any religious code." The very brief bill stated simply: "No court, administrative agency, or other governmental agency may enforce any provisions of any religious code."/… Read full post »

This was the sermon I gave in Friday prayer services today:

In the seventh verse of the eighteenth chapter of the Quran, it states:

Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which we put humanity to a test, [showing] which of them are best in

… Read full post »

As a Muslim, Easter Sunday is just like any other Sunday. Indeed, I am not working on this Easter, but that is due to happenstance rather than religious devotion. In fact, I hope to catch some of the Masters golf action on Sunday. Yet, I know that, at the very same… Read full post »

http://www.patheos.com/Muslim/Respect-the-Hoodie-but-Dont-Forget-the-Headscarf-Hesham-Hassaballa-04-03-2012.html

It is quite easy to get overwhelmed by your personal predicaments and problems, whether on an individual or communal basis. As a Muslim community, there are almost daily reports of attacks… Read full post »

http://www.chicagonow.com/midwestern-muslim/2012/03/a-teachable-moment/

The horrific murders of innocent Afghan villagers by a US soldier this past weekend has prompted the rightful condemnation of officials and leaders, including our own President who said the killings were "outr/… Read full post »

One of the most popular songs by the American band, The Fray, is "How to save a life." According to lead singer Isaac Slade, he wrote it in response to his difficulty reaching a troubled teen. When I first heard it, I thought it was about the difficulty between two people… Read full post »

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 among His miracles is th

… Read full post »

This was published on my Patheos Column, "An American Islam."  

 President Obama aims to live by the Christian principle that a person who is blessed with much must give back to the community. That seems to be the underlying sentiment of his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfas… Read full post »

This was published on altmuslim. 

The ultimate fate of Saudi blogger, poet and writer Hamza Kashgari is still unknown. The 23-year-old, who formerly worked for the Saudi Arabia newspaper Al Bilad, recently tweeted some critical comments about the Prophet Muhammad (saw),/… Read full post »

It seems that former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum’s presidential run is running out of steam. According to the Huffington Post, Santorum is “taking a pause from Florida campaigning just days before the Tuesday primary that even he expects to deal him a third consecutive loss.&r/… Read full post »

This was published in the Washington Post's "On Faith" blog.

I was walking through my hospital one recent morning, and I looked out the window and beheld the American flag billowing in the breeze. It was truly beautiful, stirring my heart with love of country. When I see that flag, waving so… Read full post »