Manzoor Hussain of West Windsor has several upcoming booksignings and two are in central New Jersey. He is the author of “Islam: An Essential Understanding for Fellow Americans.” The first event, a seminar on Islamic law, takes place on Saturday, July 7, at the North Brunswick Islamic Center. Sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America, the all-day event features several Islamic scholars who will speak about Shariah. The second event is Sunday, July 15, at the Edison Hotel. A celebration in praise of Prophet Muhammad, the event is sponsored by Muslims belonging to the Naqshbandi Sufi order. Hussain is one of the organizers.
The book is published by Vantage Press, New York and available on Amazon.com for $25. Hussain, an American Muslim, believes that Islam is the most misunderstood religion. His book description on Amazon includes: “His response is to delineate Islam from its inception through its extraordinarily rich history, making transparent the religion’s most seemingly opaque foundations. Hussain discusses Islam’s wealth of achievements in subjects as far ranging as mathematics, astronomy, law, chemistry, physics, medicine, and philosophy, thereby showing how, at heart, we are all striving always to demonstrate the ways we want and value the same things.”
Born in Pakistan, Hussain, 71, came to the United States in 1966 for higher education. He received a master’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his PhD in chemistry from University of California, Riverside.
He began his career as a senior research scientist in the chemical industry. He later worked with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations in Vienna, Austria. When he returned to the United States in 1999 he taught chemistry, first at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, and later at the College of New Jersey. Two years ago he retired from teaching chemistry at the college and university levels and has been teaching Islamic Studies at Noor-Ul-Iman High School in Monmouth Junction since 2004.
His wife, Jana Hussain, teaches calculus at Noor-Ul Iman. “She comes from a Christian family in California,” says Hussain. “She voluntarily converted to Islam at the time of our marriage in 1973.” They moved to Conover Road in 1978 and raised their four children mainly in West Windsor.
Jamal Hussain attended the Busy Bee Nursery and Dutch Neck schools. He graduated from the American International School of Vienna, Austria, in 1992. He attended University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University, and received his M.D. from UMDNJ in 2000. Married with two children, he has been working in Abu Dhabi for two years. “He likes it there and plans to stay for another year before returning to the United States,” says Hussain.
Yusuf Hussain attended Maurice Hawk School before the family relocated to Vienna. A graduate of J. P. Stevens High School in 1997, he received his bachelor’s degree in IT from Rutgers University in 2001, and works for Knights Capital corporation. He and his wife have an infant daughter and live in Hamilton.
Safia Hussain attended Maurice Hawk school and graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School in 1999. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2003 with a degree in economics and French. She received her law degree from Rutgers School of Law in 2007. She has also received a master’s degree in charity law from New York University. Married to a lawyer, they live in New York City with a two-year old daughter.
Danyal Hussain attended WW-P schools and graduated from South in 2004. He graduated from Rutgers University Business School with a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting. He was married a year ago, and is currently studying for his MBA at New York University.
Hussain will also be signing books at events in Upper Saddle River and New York City. The Sufi Master (Mawlana) Shaykh Hisham Kabbani only comes to the east coast once a year and his admirers organize events. Some of the events are semi-private and only invited people are allowed to participate.
Islamic Law Seminar, North Brunswick Islamic Center, 1330 Livingston Avenue, North Brunswick. Saturday, July 7, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. “The Aims of Shariah” presented by Islamic scholars. Manzoor Hussain, author of “Islam: An Essential Understanding for Fellow Americans” and a resident of West Windsor, has a booksigning.
Celebration of Prophet Muhammed, Naqshbandi Sufi, Edison Hotel, 3050 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison. Sunday, July 15, 2:30 to 6 p.m. Dinner speaker is Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, a Sufi master. Manzoor Hussain, author of “Islam: An Essential Understanding for Fellow Americans” and a resident of West Windsor, has a booksigning. 609-716-4781. www.sufinyc.com.
