Hassan Hathout

1924–2009 · United States · Physician, obstetrician and gynaecologist, writer and interfaith leader

Hassan Hathout was an Egyptian-born physician who spent his later life in southern California. He was born in 1924 and trained in medicine and surgery in Britain, holding qualifications associated with the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology and became the founding professor and chairman of that department in the Faculty of Medicine at Kuwait University.

Alongside his clinical career he worked on medical ethics from an Islamic standpoint. He took part in the founding of the Islamic Organization of Medical Sciences, sat on ethics committees concerned with reproduction, and wrote on how Islamic teachings relate to medical practice. After moving to the United States he served as director of outreach at the Islamic Center of Southern California and helped to found an interfaith council in the region.

His books range from professional works on Islamic medicine and obstetrics to reflective writing for a general Muslim audience. Reading the Muslim Mind (1995) and Thus Shall I Stand Before God (1999) address Muslims’ self-understanding and relations with the wider society, while Audible Silence gathers personal reflections. He also wrote Arabic poetry and memoir. He died in Pasadena in 2009.

Photo: The Hassan Hathout Legacy Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Archived 19 October 2026 · Biography sources: en.wikipedia.org · archive.org

Works

Books 5

BOOK 1984 · English

Topics in Islamic Medicine

A collection of studies on medicine and medical ethics from an Islamic perspective, published by the International Organisation of Islamic Medicine.

Archived 19 October 2026 · Source: openlibrary.org

Cite

Hathout, Hassan. Topics in Islamic Medicine. 1984. Archived 19 October 2026 in Islamic Internet Archives: Archive of Modern Islamic Thought. https://islamicarchives.org/authors/hassan-hathout/#hassan-hathout-topics-in-islamic-medicine

No free copy online

BOOK 1995 · English

Reading the Muslim Mind

Essays introducing the outlook, values and concerns of Muslims, written for both Muslim and non-Muslim readers.

Archived 19 October 2026 · Source: Internet Archive (borrowable)

Cite

Hathout, Hassan. Reading the Muslim Mind. 1995. Internet Archive (borrowable), https://archive.org/details/readingmuslimmin0000hath. Archived 19 October 2026 in Islamic Internet Archives: Archive of Modern Islamic Thought. https://islamicarchives.org/authors/hassan-hathout/#hassan-hathout-reading-the-muslim-mind

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BOOK 1999 · English

Thus Shall I Stand Before God: A Message to the Muslim Mind

A reflective address to Muslim readers about faith, accountability and the responsibilities of Muslims in the modern world.

Archived 19 October 2026 · Source: Internet Archive (borrowable)

Cite

Hathout, Hassan. Thus Shall I Stand Before God: A Message to the Muslim Mind. 1999. Internet Archive (borrowable), https://archive.org/details/thusshallistandb0000hath. Archived 19 October 2026 in Islamic Internet Archives: Archive of Modern Islamic Thought. https://islamicarchives.org/authors/hassan-hathout/#hassan-hathout-thus-shall-i-stand-before-god-a-message-to-the-muslim-mind

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BOOK 2006 · English

Audible Silence: Thoughts and Remembrances of a Muslim Elder

A volume of personal thoughts and remembrances by the author in his later years.

Archived 19 October 2026 · Source: Internet Archive

Cite

Hathout, Hassan. Audible Silence: Thoughts and Remembrances of a Muslim Elder. 2006. Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/isbn_6223002802289. Archived 19 October 2026 in Islamic Internet Archives: Archive of Modern Islamic Thought. https://islamicarchives.org/authors/hassan-hathout/#hassan-hathout-audible-silence-thoughts-and-remembrances-of-a-muslim-elder

READ AT SOURCE ↗

BOOK English

Islamic Perspectives in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

A professional text discussing issues in obstetrics and gynaecology in the light of Islamic teachings and law.

Archived 19 October 2026 · Source: openlibrary.org

Cite

Hathout, Hassan. Islamic Perspectives in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Archived 19 October 2026 in Islamic Internet Archives: Archive of Modern Islamic Thought. https://islamicarchives.org/authors/hassan-hathout/#hassan-hathout-islamic-perspectives-in-obstetrics-and-gynaecology

No free copy online