A great dinner & discussion with author Hesham Hassaballa

Dr. Hesham Hassaballa, author of "Noble Brother" and the well-known blog "God, Faith and a Pen", joined American Muslim Family Association at a community dinner on Saturday, February 26, 2011 to discuss "Noble Brother" and his other writing.  A full house (literally) was on hand for the gathering.

Isha prayers... after the Fard rakahs in congregation

The evening kicked off with a social hour and was followed by Isha prayers in congregation.  After prayers a delicious South Asian dinner was served.

During dinner Dr. Hassaballa spoke.  He spoke about how he came to become a writer and how that journey led him to writing "Noble Brother".  Dr. Hassaballa is a medical doctor and only took up writing in 2001 after the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11.  That tragic event, according to Dr. Hassaballa, was personally transformative.  He remarked that it made him explore his faith more deeply.

What he found was God's Love.  Or, to be more precise, the infrequent reference to it.  He noted that this aspect of faith - God's Love - was never a focus during his upbringing.  In fact, some people even tried to dismiss it as a "Christian" concept, but as he delved deeper on his personal quest he found that God's Love for His Creation was at the foundation of Islam.  And that laid the groundwork for "God, Faith and a Pen", an award winning blog that explores current events, art, and personal experiences from the eyes of a faithful Muslim who seeks to see these things in the context of God's Love.

Dr. Hassaballa discussing "Noble Brother"

"Noble Brother" is Dr. Hassaballa's most recent book.  It is a history of Prophet Muhammad (saw).  What makes "Noble Brother" unique among a field of excellent histories by writers such as Armstrong, Haykal and Lings is that "Noble Brother" is a book of original poetry.

Written over the course of about one year, in between being a full-time physician, father and husband, "Noble Brother" is a soulful reflection of events in and around the life and times of Prophet Muhammad (saw) as learned from scholars who wrote detailed histories and from the ahadeeth (the sayings of the Prophet).

AMFA members quickly picked up the handful of copies of "Noble Brother" that were available for purchase.  Dr. Hassaballa answered questions and also shared his experiences in getting "Noble Brother" published.

After Dr. Hassaballa's talk AMFA members enjoyed dessert, tea and conversation while the children played.  It was a very well attended community event that fulfilled the objectives of AMFA by bring American Muslims together socially with a a balance of faith and learning delicately interwoven into the gathering.

AMFA families thank our fellow members Drs. Khalid Husain and Yasmeen Beg for hosting the February 26th dinner at their home!