Biography
Mohammad Hassan Khalil is a Professor of Religious Studies, an adjunct Professor of Law, and the Director of the Muslim Studies Program. Before returning to his hometown of East Lansing, Michigan, he was an Assistant Professor of Religion and visiting professor of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He specializes in Islamic thought and is author of Islam and the Fate of Others: The Salvation Question (Oxford University Press, 2012; Indonesian translation published in 2016; Albanian translation published in 2023) and Jihad, Radicalism, and the New Atheism (Cambridge University Press, 2017); and editor of Between Heaven and Hell: Islam, Salvation, and the Fate of Others (Oxford University Press, 2013) and Muslims and US Politics Today: A Defining Moment (ILEX and Harvard University Press, 2019). He is also the lead investigator of the Muslims of the Midwest digital archive (muslimsofthemidwest.org); coproducer, codirector, and cowriter of the documentary film, American Jedi: The Salman Hamdani Story (Alexander Street, 2023); and co-PI of a project funded by Templeton Religion Trust entitled “Science, Art and Faith: Architectural Heritage and Islam.” He has presented papers at various national and international conferences and has published peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on various topics, from early Islamic historiography to bioethics. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including, most recently, the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, which recognizes excellence across the mission of the university.
Education
Ph.D., University of Michigan 2007
M.A., University of Michigan 2004
B.A. with High Distinction, University of Michigan 2001
Principal Scholarly Interests
Islamic Thought, Interreligious Relations, Qur’anic Studies, Islamic Historiography, US Muslim Communities
College of Arts & Letters News
- MSU Professor’s Documentary on 9/11 Hero to Air on WKAR-HDCollege of Arts & Letters
September 11, 2026When the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, Salman Hamdani rushed toward the Twin Towers to help. The 23-year-old New York City Police Department cadet and emergency medical technician lost his life that day, but his story of heroism — and his family’s […] Read Now →
- Faculty Award Winners Recognized for Outstanding AchievementCollege of Arts & Letters
September 19, 2023The College of Arts & Letters honored its 2023 Faculty Award winners at the College’s Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 18 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The four faculty members who received awards were recognized for their outstanding leadership, […] Read Now →
- Muslim American 9/11 Hero Subject of Film by MSU Religious Studies ProfessorCollege of Arts & Letters
September 8, 2023It has been 22 years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. As we reflect upon the events from that day and mourn the tragic loss of life, we also remember the heroes. The story of one 9/11 hero is the subject of a new documentary film co-created by Mohammad Khalil, […] Read Now →
- Religious Studies Major Goes Above and Beyond to VolunteerCollege of Arts & Letters
May 3, 2023Michigan State University senior Rana Omar believes in giving back to the community. For four straight years, the Honors College student, who will graduate with a B.A. in Religious Studies and a B.S. in Neuroscience in Spring 2023, has received the Spartan Volunteer […] Read Now →
- MSU Receives Templeton Religion Trust Grant for Islamic Architecture, Science, and Interreligious Relations...College of Arts & Letters
April 18, 2022Michigan State University has received a $228,000 grant from the Templeton Religion Trust to fund a multi-year, multi-national, multi-faceted research project on “Science, Art and Faith: Architectural Heritage and Islam.” Led by Martha Olcott, James Madison […] Read Now →
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