Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 27, 2012

Santorum and the God of Abraham

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

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.” Yet, despite the fact that he is likely not going to become President of the United States, there is something he said while campaigning in South Carolina that intrigued (and amused) me.

At a town hall meeting before the South Carolina vote, Santorum asked a crowd: “Where do you think this concept of equality comes from? It doesn’t come from Islam. It doesn’t come from the East and Eastern religions…It comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that’s where it comes from.” He meant that, if people want equality, then they must live by God’s rules since the concept of equality “doesn’t come from Islam” but from “the God of Abraham.” This begs the question: which rules are God’s rules and who is say what those rules are? But, I digress…

Still, his statement was quite telling because it is painfully obvious that Santorum has absolutely no idea that the God of Islam is the very same God of Abraham. Islam has always maintained that Muslims worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Hebrew Prophets. In fact, Islam is nothing less than the religion of Abraham himself, as outlined numerous times in the Quran: “And lastly, we have inspired thee [O Muhammad, with this message,] “Follow the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught besides God.” (16:123).
Yes, many Muslims call God by His Arabic name “Allah,” but so do Arab Christians. In fact, open up an Arabic Bible, and the name for God is none other than “Allah.” Why, even Jesus Christ himself called God “Allah.” If someone wants to become “Leader of the Free World,” I would expect that he or she would know that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews. That’s pretty basic information.

I take Mr. Santorum at his word that he loves and worships the God of Abraham. So do I. That should be our point of reference; that should be our point of convergence. No, we don’t worship the same way, but that is totally irrelevant. The fact that we both call upon the God of Abraham makes us brothers, and as brothers, it should move to bring us together to help make our country better. Presumably, that is why is running for President: to make our country better. So why the divisiveness over the God of Abraham, Who should always be a force for unity and brotherhood.

The same should go for all Americans of faith (and it should extend to those who do not profess an “official faith” or any faith at all). Our common love and worship of the God of Abraham should bring us together. It is what the Lord our God wanted for us. Why not heed Him?

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/commonwordcommonlord/2012/01/santorum-and-the-god-of-abraham.html#ixzz1khkCcRlH

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 19, 2012

Marine Video A Lesson For Many

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

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 proudly over the medical center’s campus, I think of the wondrous nature of my country: its beautiful blue skies, its amber waves of grain, its scenic ocean vistas, and its majestic mountain ranges. I think of the equally beautiful nature of her people – my people – who are kind and gentle, who welcome strangers into their hearts and neighborhoods, and who rally to help each other when in need. I think of the freedom for which that glorious symbol stands: the freedom to be who I want and worship the Lord however I see fit.

What I put out of my mind are the images of those four American Marines urinating on the corpses of dead Taliban fighters, which surfaced on a YouTube video last week; or the picture of an American soldier next to a dead Afghan civilian, showing off his “trophy” kill. More than just because they are repugnant images, I refuse to dwell on such stains on the national character because I know – in my heart – that those pictures and video clips do not represent the truth of America. I know that America is not what those images portray. That flag, which is also printed on the arms of those soldiers, does not symbolize the horrific nature of those sad incidents.

Sadly, however, there are many around the world who do not go through a similar exercise. When they see the very same image of the American flag, they will only think of these horrible videos and pictures. They will only see the bad that our nation has done, never knowing that true nature of our goodness and purity, the one that I see each and every day. And if anyone – following a sick and criminal mindset – were to attack an innocent American anywhere in the world, or right here at home, seeking to “avenge” the terrible images on the video, it would be a horrible travesty, worthy of the strongest condemnation. We Americans are not those Marines in that video. The truth about America is different than what that video portrays.

The same thing goes with American Muslims. The actions of extremists and terrorists, acting in the name of Islam, do not reflect the truth about our faith and our people. Those terrorists are depraved and Satanic criminals, twisting the beautiful and universal principles of our faith to seek a depraved and evil end. Just as we Americans are not responsible for those Marines urinating on those corpses, we American Muslims are not responsible for the actions of criminal extremists who act in our name. Just as it is wrong to attack Americans anywhere in the world in “revenge,” it is equally wrong to attack Muslims, or their houses of worship, in “revenge” for the crimes of extremists, which, sadly, occurs ever too frequently here in America.

If anything good can come out of this terrible incident, it is perhaps that more people can understand that the whole should never be blamed or symbolized by the crimes of the very few. A Muslim woman, who is courageous enough to wear a headscarf in deference to her faith and love for God, does not symbolize terrorism any more than the American flag symbolizes the crimes of those American Marines urinating on those corpses. If more can understand this, we will be all the better, both as a people and as a nation at large.

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 17, 2012

Election 2012: A Rough Ride for American Muslims

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

This was published on my Patheos column.

The 2012 election year has finally come, and as already seen in Iowa, the presidential campaign is in full swing. On the Democratic side, there is no contest (but lots of concerns). But the Republican primary process has already given us a chilling glimpse into what is to come for American Muslims. Our faith and our status as Americans look to become an important part of the election.

Former Senator Rick Santorum, thrust into the spotlight by his surprise finish in Iowa, was asked in a debate about who should be profiled in this country: “Well, the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes. If you look at—I mean, obviously, it was—obviously, Muslims would be—would be someone you’d look at, absolutely. Those are the folks who are—the radical Muslims are the people that are committing these crimes, as we’ve—by and large, as well as younger males.” And that’s just one example of what some Republican candidates are inferring and saying about Muslims. I would also be remiss if I did not mention Newt Gingrich and his incessant claims about the “threat” of “Sharia law” to our country.

These criticisms will only intensify as the months pass on the way to the November elections. Islam will be demonized, and Muslims will be more and more “otherized” and scapegoated. Just recently, state Rep. Judy Manning (R-GA) said of Mitt Romney, “I think Mitt Romney is a nice man, but I’m afraid of his Mormon faith. It’s better than a Muslim.”

Yup . . . hold on to your seats, folks, it’s going to be a rough ride for American Muslims.

I never cease to be baffled by comments like these. The truth about Islam and Muslims is so different than what is presented in the media to the minds of many Americans. The season of Jesus and his birth has just finished. Don’t our fellow Christian Americans realize how much Muslims love Jesus? Don’t they know how much of the Quran extols the virtues of Christ? Don’t they know the number of times Jesus (and his mother Mary) is mentioned in the Quran? I penned a piece about the Virgin Mary last December and gave it to a devout Catholic colleague. She was stunned at the beauty of the Quranic description of the both the birth of Mary and her son, Jesus. My brother-in-law gave it to his co-worker, and the reaction was the same.

It seems like our fellow Americans do not know how much our faith honors all of the Abrahamic prophets. Whether it is Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Jacob, David, or Solomon, they are all revered, and respected, and honored in our faith. It seems incredulous that I must re-state the fact that we Muslims worship the same God of the other Abrahamic faiths. “Allah” is simply the Arabic version of “God.” And, if Jesus were alive today, he would also call God “Allah.” Moreover, open up an Arabic Bible, the word for “God” is none other than “Allah.”

Most American Muslims are just like most other Americans: patriotic, country-loving citizens who work hard every single day to contribute to the greatness of this country. As the TLC show “All-American Muslim” showed, we are normal people like everyone else. We are teachers, doctors, lawyers, football coaches, police officers, firefighters, and nurses. One of my closest friends, whom I consider to be a brother, was on the ground on 9/11 as a first-responder helping the injured on that horrible day.

Now, that fact doesn’t sit well with some Americans, as the Lowe’s advertising controversy with “All-American Muslim” showed. They would like to have everyone believe that the actions of criminals acting in Islam’s name speak for the whole of Islam and Muslims. But that doesn’t change the truth: Muslims are not the monsters that some make us out to be. Islam is the not the “evil” that some make it out to be.

And, to be fair, there are some in the GOP who have acknowledged as much. The most shining example is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (another Republican), who defended his appointment of a Muslim judge and called the hysteria about Sharia law “crap.” And New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg is another politician (not a Republican) who has refused to join in the demonization of Muslims for political gain.

Since the forces of division will not stop trying to demonize Islam and Muslims, we must not stop telling the truth about our faith and our people. The election season may be rough for American Muslims, but in the end, all will be right and good. The forces of hatred will not win. That is because our country is a great nation, and our people are a great people.

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 13, 2012

“Never Let Your Hatred Move You To Commit Injustice…”

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

I am no fan of the Taliban. I hate their barbaric distortion of Islam and their barbaric practices and tactics. They are as much my enemy as they are the enemy of the Afghan people. Also, I – like most Americans – grow weary of the war in Afghanistan, and I look forward to our troops finally coming home from that conflict.

Nevertheless, there is no excuse for what those Marines allegedly did on that video. Yes, the Taliban are our enemy. But, we don’t urinate on their corpses. That is not what Americans should do. Ever.

Imagine, for a moment, if Taliban fighters killed our soldiers, urinated on their corpses, and then posted that footage online. How would that make us feel? How outraged – totally rightly – would we be in this country? Just hypothesizing such a thing incenses me to an infinite degree. Thus, we cannot think that what these Marines allegedly did was excusable. We cannot praise what they did, not even for one second.

It reminds me of this verse of the Qur’an: “Never let your hatred move you to commit injustice…” (5:8). No matter how much those soldiers hated the Taliban, that should never give them justification to urinate on those dead bodies. The same is true with Muslim extremists. No matter what America or “the West” has done wrong (in their minds), this never makes attacking innocent American civilians justifiable. It never allows killing the innocent to be right.

Yet, there is another issue at work here. The actions of American soldiers around the world, right or wrong, reflect upon America as a whole. But everyone in America knows that this video is not the accurate reflection of America. This video does not represent the truth of who we are as a people and what our nation is all about. People cannot look use that video and judge all Americans by that truly repugnant footage. We Americans are not those soldiers on the video who acted in our name.

The same goes with extremists who act in Islam’s name. Their actions do not speak for all Muslims. Their crimes do not represent the overwhelming majority of Muslims. We Muslims are not those extremists who act in our name.

If there can be any good that comes out of this terrible episode, it is that perhaps people can understand that the whole can never be judged by the crimes of the few. Just as it would be terribly wrong to attack an innocent American tourist in London because of this video, it is terribly wrong to firebomb a mosque in NY because of the action of Muslim terrorists around the world. The whole is never like the crimes of the few. Never.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/commonwordcommonlord/2012/01/never-let-your-hatred-move-you-to-commit-injustice.html#ixzz1jJoTfz00

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 10, 2012

Why I Am a Doctor

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

This was published on Inside Islam: Dialogues and Debates.

“So, you are going to become a doctor, right?” This question, I am quite certain, has been asked of scores of Muslim children by their parents all across this world. Does Islam, somehow, motivate Muslims to become physicians? Perhaps slightly, especially since the Qur’an says that saving a life is like saving all of humanity. But I think that is more of a “fringe benefit” than a major motivation for Muslims to become physicians.

Most importantly, when the Lord blesses a person with being a physician, He gives them the opportunity to do His work on earth: help relieve the suffering of His people. Each and every day, physicians are given the honor and privilege to help people feel better, breathe better, feel less pain, and – through the Lord’s healing power – treat and even cure disease. If smiling to one another – as the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once said – is a charity, then how about helping someone’s asthma attack? Or helping someone overcome a cancer diagnosis? Or relieving the pain and suffering of someone afflicted with a terrible infection? For me, as a Muslim, being a doctor goes hand in hand with my mission in life: to help God’s people be better.

I did not deserve this honor, and so that’s why I am thankful for it each and every day. God blesses men and women in becoming doctors in two ways. First, and especially in the United States, most physicians are blessed with a good, stable, and well-paying occupation. Additionally, although it has been eroded significantly, most people have enormous respect for physicians and the difficult job they must do.

Has being a doctor ever conflicted with my religious belief? Never. In fact, I hang my religious faith, as I hang my coat, on my desk chair before I see any patient in the office or hospital. My job is to take care of my patients and do what is medically best for them. Period. My religion has never entered into the equation, and that is how I think it should be. I would never, God forbid, impose my own religious belief upon my patients. To me, I would betray my mandate as a physician if I were to do so.

Was Islam a factor for my becoming a doctor? No, not really. For me, there was absolutely no pressure from my parents to become a doctor. Ever since I was a young boy it has been my life dream to be a physician, and I am eternally grateful to the Lord for His granting me my dream to be a doctor. I help people and, in the process, do God’s work at the same time, without ever preaching or even mentioning God at all. What a tremendous gift, Lord, and I thank you so very much for it.

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 7, 2012

I Am Dead Without You

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

The song "Without You," by David Guetta and featuring Usher is truly moving and inspirational. It is probably about a lover talking about his beloved, but what makes great art (and song) is its transcendent nature. If a song can be extrapolated to many instances, it is truly great. Such is the case with this one:

I can’t win, I can’t reign

I will never win this game
Without you, without you

I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you

I won’t run, I won’t fly
I will never make it by
Without you, without you

I can’t rest, I can’t fight
All I need is you and I,
Without you, without…. You!

Can’t erase, so I’ll take blame
But I can’t accept that we’re Estranged
Without you, without you

I can’t quit now, this can’t be right
I can’t take one more sleepless night
Without you, without you

I won’t soar, I won’t climb
If you’re not here I’m paralyzed without you, without you

I can’t look, I’m so blind
Lost my heart, I lost my mind without you without… You!

I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you, without you

When I heard this song, all I could do is look up to the sky and say, "I am dead, without You, my Beloved." He was there for me from the very beginning of my life. He gave me life when I was dead. He blessed me with a wonderful set of parents, who loved me deeply and stopped at nothing to give me, and my siblings, a great life. He gave me the strength to live as good a life as I could, helping me navigate the difficulties of growing up as both a child of immigrants and a Muslim in America.

He blessed me with a career in medicine, for which I am grateful each and every day. He blessed me with a love and passion for writing, for which I am grateful each and every day. He blessed me with my wife, without whom I would be forever lost and not the person I am today. He blessed me with four beautiful daughters, which fill me heart with warmth, and love, and grace.

One has already gone back to Him, and my heart cries out in pain every day for her loss. But, He has shown me nothing but love and comfort and grace ever since that day. There is not one step I take on this earth, which He has blessed me to be on, where I am not enveloped by His love and mercy. Indeed, I am dead without Him.

It is truly just as the song says: "Can’t erase/So I’ll take blame/But I can’t accept that we’re Estranged." Whenever I sin against Him, I estrange myself from Him. I fall from grace and place a barrier between His Beautiful Countenance and my ugly existence. And when that happens, I can’t erase what I did. I can’t take back my choice to take a different path, outside of His blessed one.

But, when I am alone on that path, and it is truly a lonely one, I simply can’t take it. It is cold, dark, damp, and horrific. I can’t breathe when I am there. I "can’t accept that we’re estranged," and so I must make my hijrah, my spiritual migration, back to the Precious Beloved. And when I set out, He comes with his Beautiful Touch and Soothing Mercy to help me along the way. He takes me by the hand and helps me along the path. And when I get back to His domain, I am greeted with a Grace unlike any other.

Indeed, I am dead without Him.

I could write on and on about the Precious Beloved and His Beauty and Wonder. I could write on and on about His Love, and Grace, and Mercy, and Blessing, and Light, and Warmth. Reflecting upon Him and all that He is could take a lifetime, and it would still fall far short of giving Him any semblance of justice. But, my entire life is my journey to get back to Him and His presence: "To Him we belong, and to Him we shall return," as the saying goes. I pray that He blesses me with the strength to be as best a servant as I can be, despite my ugly flaws and weaknesses.

That is because, indeed, I am truly dead without Him.

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | January 1, 2012

A New Year’s Prayer

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

As the year of 2011 comes to a close, there are so many things over which we can reflect. As I look to the next year, I turn my eyes skyward and beseech the Lord our God for many things, some which I will share here:

Precious Beloved Lord, to You belongs all the praise in the Heavens and Earth. To You belongs the Majesty of the Universe. To You belongs the sovereignty and power over everything. I cannot truly praise You as You deserve to be praised, and so I praise You as You have praised Yourself. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

As You continue Your life-giving love and life over us in 2012, I pray that You continue to bless us with health, sustenance, ease, and happiness. As the next year begins, I pray that You send Your comfort to all those who have lost loved ones. I ask that You bring jobs to the jobless. I ask that You bring shelter to the homeless. I ask that You bring hope to the hopeless. Lord our God, hear my prayer.  

As the days, weeks, and months of 2012 pass, I pray that violence against the innocent ends. I pray that Your protection be extended to everyone on the earth. I pray that You frustrate and foil the Satanic machinations of all those who seek to kill, maim, and mar this world with senseless violence. I pray that You frustrate all the plans of those who seek to murder others and think You told them to do so. For there can be no evil that is truly done in Your Name. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

Precious Beloved, as the 2012 Presidential Election truly heats up, I know that Islam and Muslims will, once again, come to the fore. There will be those who try to cast fear and division about the “secret Muslim agenda.” There will be those who will speak about the “threat” of “Sharia law” to United States. There will be those who want to marginalize the Muslim community from all aspects of American life. I pray that You frustrate these plans.

Moreover, I ask that You frustrate all plans to divide on the basis of religion. The agenda of all people of faith – whatever faith they may be – is to do Your work on this earth; to spread peace and mutual respect; to work together to make this world better for all. Lord please stop the forces of division and hatred in our world. You are the only One to do it the best. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

Most of all, Precious Beloved Lord, I ask for Your unending blessings and grace. Extend Your blessings over me, and my family, and my practice of medicine, and my writing, and everything else that I do. I ask that You pour Your blessings over me as a father, a husband, a brother, a son, a cousin, and a human citizen.

Yet, as Your Noble Messenger told me, I cannot truly believe until I wish for others what I wish for myself. Therefore, please extend Your blessings upon everyone else in the exact same manner above. Your blessings, and mercy, and grace, and love, and beauty are infinite and endless, and so shine their light upon us all. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

All of this do I ask in Your Most Holy Name, Lord, and thus – Lord our God – hear my prayer. And may the New Year of every single person on earth be blessed, healthy, happy, and prosperous.

Lord our God, hear my prayer. 
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/commonwordcommonlord/#ixzz1iFnjuCNf

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | December 31, 2011

Your Personal Hijrah This Year

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

Happy New Year…times two.

Not only am I talking about 2012, but I’m also talking about the Islamic New Year, which occurred on November 26. The Islamic New Year marks the Hijrah, or the migration of Muslims from Mecca to Yathrib, a city 250 miles to the North, which occurred 1433 years ago. (This is 1433 by the Islamic calendar.)

The nascent Muslim community in Mecca was so oppressed, so harassed for its faith that its members were forced to migrate to Yathrib, later called Medina. It was a very difficult thing to do for the Muslims, including the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who reportedly said, “O Mecca! I know you are the most blessed of the land of God. If your people did not force me to leave I would never have left you.” (Ibn Kathir, Vol. 2, p.285)

The Quran extols the virtues of the emigrants in many places: “Those who have been driven from their homelands and their possessions, seeking favor with God and [His] goodly acceptance, and who aid [the cause of] God and His Apostle: it is they, they who are true to their word!” (Surah Al-Hashr, The Gathering; 59:8)

Indeed, it takes a lot of courage and conviction to leave everything behind and go to a completely alien environment for the sake of God. The Lord comforted the emigrants in the Quranic scripture by telling them, “He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah, finds in the earth Many a refuge, wide and spacious: Should he die as a refugee from home for Allah and His Messenger, His reward becomes due and sure with Allah. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah An-Nisaa, The Women; 4:100)

And, there is another interpretation of the Arabic word hijrah in the Quran, brought forth by Muhammad Asad, which says that:

the term hijrah (lit., “exodus”), derived from the verb hajara (“he migrated”), is used in the Quran in two senses: One of them is historical, denoting the exodus of the Prophet and his Companions from Mecca to Medina, while the other has a moral connotation—namely, man’s “exodus” from evil toward God—and does not necessarily imply the leaving of one’s homeland in the physical sense.

The above passage [from Surah An-Nisaa] refers to this wider, moral and ethical meaning of the term hijrah—just as the preceding passage in the same surah (verses 95-96) refers to “striving hard in God’s cause” (jihad) in the widest sense of the term, embracing both physical and moral efforts and the sacrifice, if need be, of one’s possessions and even one’s life. While the physical exodus from Mecca to Medina ceased to be obligatory for the believers after the conquest of Mecca in the year 8 H. [hijrah], the spiritual exodus from the domain of evil to that of righteousness continues to be a fundamental demand of Islam.

Thus, each one of us needs to make such a “migration”; each one of us needs to “forsake the domain of evil,” in Asad’s words, and seek out the domain of righteousness, which is the domain of God. And just as the original migration was difficult for those early Muslims, so too may be this migration from the domain of evil to the domain of righteousness be for all Muslims. It may be quite a lonely journey.

Enter Asad’s interpretation of verse 100 in Surah An-Nisaa, which in transliteration reads

Wa many-yuhaajir fee sabeelil-laahi yajid fil-ard muraaghaman kaseeranw-wa sa’ah; wa many-yakhruj mim baytihee muhaajiran-ilal-laahi wa Rasoolihee summa yudrikhul-mawtu faqad waqa’a ajruhoo ‘alal-laah; wa kaanal-laahu Ghafoorar-Raheem.

And he explains this interpretation thus:

The word muraagham is derived from the noun raagham (“dust”) and is connected with the idiomatic expression raghima anfuhu, “his nose was made to cleave to dust”; for example he became humbled and forced to do something against his will. Thus, muraagham denotes “a road by the taking of which one leaves one’s people against their will. “(Zamakhshari)

It being understood that this separation from one’s familiar environment involves what is described as muraaghamah, the “breaking off (from another)” or the “cutting off from friendly or living communion” (see Lane III, 1113). All this can best be rendered, in the above context, as “a lonely road”—a metaphor of that heartbreaking loneliness that almost always accompanies the first steps of one who sets forth on his “exodus from evil unto God.”

But, it is worth it, so worth it, because at the end of that (perhaps quite lonely) journey is the smiling face of the Lord and a “life abundant.” This life is abundant in God’s blessing, grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy. At the end of that journey, that hijrah, is a place from which you never want to leave. And thus, each of us has to make the choice to forsake our own domains of evil and migrate to the domain of God.

The beauty is, once we start down that path, we will find the Lord running toward us, and even though the start of the journey may be a “lonely road,” we will quickly be accompanied by our Precious Beloved, and we will be relieved, comforted, and blessed with a “life abundant.” Happy New Year, indeed.

This first appeared in my column on Patheos.

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | December 30, 2011

Away She’d Fly…

When I first heard Coldplay’s song, Paradise, I thought it was interesting, with a nice melody and theme. But, as I always do with the songs I place in my iPod and iPhone, I listened and reflected upon the lyrics of the song. And I found them to be quite profound:

When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But if flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep
And dreamed of Paradise
Every time she closed her eyes

I understand the feeling of this girl (or even woman): she was hoping for so much from the world, but its ugly reality came crashing down, and it was difficult to bear. And so, her escape was to close her eyes and dream of Paradise, a truly wonderful place of felicity and peace. And it seems, when hearing the next stanza of the song, that her life was quite difficult and ugly indeed:

When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth

Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear a waterfall

My God: her every tear is a waterfall. And so, it is natural that she would dream of Paradise, where she would at least be happy for a short time, "every time she closed her eyes." It makes me think of these hard times, when so many people are suffering from deprivation, hunger, war, famine: it is hard – nay, impossible – to endlessly endure such difficulty without having an escape of some kind. For this girl or woman, it was closing her eyes and dreaming of Paradise.

We should all try to do the same: try to find a place, whether in our mind, or in a park, or on a beach, or in our house, where we can escape the madness of this world and be in a sort of "Paradise." For me, this escape should be in my daily prayer: where I leave this world and enter into the presence of the Lord and have a conversation with Him. Yet, sadly, I am too weak for this to happen for me. My faith is not strong enough for me to go to Paradise five times daily. I am truly sorry for this, but I am what I am.

Yet, my own "waterfall tears" fell when I heard this part of the song:

In the night, the stormy night, she’ll close her eyes
In the night, the stormy night, away she’d fly
And dreams of Paradise

I thought of my eldest daughter, who passed away on June 7, 2009. On the last night of her life, she was suffocated under the crushing weight of a "stormy night." The infection ravaged her poor, defenseless body, and she had no chance. And thus, later that morning, she "flew away" to her Lord. And I – along with my wife – was left crying out in unbearable pain at her loss. It has been more than two years, but it is still so hard. And when I heard these words in the song, I couldn’t help but cry. This feeling is especially raw because her birthday is today: December 30. I miss her so much, and it is going to be quite hard working today, having to write 12/30 over and over again in my patients’ hospital charts. Lord help me.

Yet, despite the darkness, there is always hope. Yes, every single day, my wife and I endure the pain of the loss of our daughter. But, the Lord has also blessed us, as His word states: "Verily, with every hardship comes ease. Verily, with every hardship comes ease." (94:6-7) He has comforted us a lot ever since that dark, dark day in June 2009. And thus, all of us, should never lose hope. There can always be a better day. It is just as the song says:

And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She’d say, "I know the sun must set to rise."
This could be Paradise

While I don’t think this world – as a whole – "could be Paradise," still, there is always hope. We must always hold on to hope, because without hope, it is quite hard to keep going in the midst of the darkness of this world and, in fact, the human condition. Without hope, there is no way I can endure working today, my late daughter’s birthday. Indeed, the "sun must set to rise," and just as, God willing, I will make it through this terrible date, we shall, God willing, make it in the end. That is because, the Lord our God is an Awesome God.

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Posted by: Hesham A. Hassaballa | December 28, 2011

Sharia and Shopping

In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

Year after year I watch as the holiday shopping season begins and ends without much incident for me. Indeed, it is a good time to scoop up some really good deals on whatever I may need: luggage, electronics, and the like. Yet, I am not a part of the frenzied shopping scene, because I do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. While that does not mean I do not honor and revere Christ, which is something that I do as a devout Muslim, nevertheless, I am not out shopping for various gifts for family and friends.

Yet, sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if there was an “Eid shopping season,” which are the main Islamic religious holidays. I wonder how it would be if there was a “Black Friday,” which is also the Muslim Sabbath, for the Muslim holidays. I wonder what it would be like to have Muslim holiday songs playing non-stop on a number of radio stations. I wonder what it would be like to have people’s houses all decorated with lights for the Eid holidays.

Indeed, I do not have to wonder about such things. All I need to do is travel to a majority Muslim country and experience this myself during Ramadan and the days afterward. Yet, I wonder what that would be like with an American consumerist bent: “Hurry now for your last-minute Ramadan deals!” “Come in today for pre-iftar (sunset meal) doorbusters!” “Eid is around the corner, and these fantastic sales won’t last forever!”

True, this “Muslim holiday shopping season” would occur a little earlier each year, because the Islamic religious calendar is a lunar one. Still, an American Muslim holiday shopping season would be kinda cool.

Now, now, relax: I am not trying to pour “Sharia law” all over you. This feeling comes out of a small amount of sadness over the degree to which forces in our country are actively trying to marginalize the American Muslim community, to make it the perpetual “Other” that must be feared and fought. Indeed, whenever companies try to market to the Muslim community — such as Whole Foods during Ramadan or Butterball turkeys during Thanksgiving — there is almost always a cry of alarm that Muslims are trying to “Islamize” the United States and force “Sharia law” down everyone’s throats. The same goes with the reality program “All American Muslim,” which is currently airing on TLC.

During the Republican presidential campaign, the degree of Muslim-bashing is astounding. When asked who should be profiled, former Senator Rick Santorum replied: “Well, the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes. “If you look at — I mean, obviously, it was — obviously, Muslims would be — would be someone you’d look at, absolutely. Those are the folks who are — the radical Muslims are the people that are committing these crimes, as we’ve — by and large, as well as younger males.”

Herman Cain remarked that when his doctor with an Arab-sounding name turned out to be Christian, he said: “Hallelujah! Thank God!” This is not to mention the hysteria of Newt Gingrich, the latest Republican frontrunner, about the “threat” posed to the United States by “Sharia law.”

Deep down, I know that this anti-Muslim sentiment is not reflective of the whole of the American people. By and large, the American people have been welcoming and kind to their Muslim neighbors, which has been confirmed by polls of American Muslims and my own personal experience as an American Muslim. Nevertheless, it still does bother me that there are those who want to “otherize” (using Reza Aslan’s term) me simply because of my faith. It does serve to motivate me more to engage my society: get to know my neighbors, participate in the local life of my community, vote in each election, large and small. And I know that, in the end, these friends and fellow community members will accept me as one of their own, even though I don’t light up my house during the Christmas season. That’s because I know my people — the American people — are very good people indeed.

This first appeared in Middle East Online.

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