Daniel Haqiqatjou (pronounced: Ha-qee-qat-joo) was born in Houston, Texas and comes from a liberal secular Muslim background. He studied physics as an undergraduate at Harvard University and completed graduate studies in philosophy, studying with some of the top physicists and philosophers in the world, including Nobel Prize winners. He also studies Islam traditionally with respected ulama. He is founder of Alasna Institute and writes and lectures on contemporary issues surrounding Muslims and Modernity over the past ten years and has spoken at universities and mosques around the world. He has lectured at traditional madrasas and Muslim institutes, including AlMaghrib Institute. He was featured as a regular columnist for MuslimMatters.org between 2014 and 2017. He served as the first Director of Research for the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research in 2016. His work has been featured in outlets such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Aljazeera, Public Discourse, Mashable, and First Things. He lives with his wife and four children in the US.