The Comics Behind Next Month’s Eid Comedy Jam Believe in the Power of ‘Halal Humor’
By Lauren Abunassar
March 2, 2026
There’s a classic Charles Dickens line that Philadelphia-based comedian Moses The Comic has never forgotten: “While there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
Throughout his career as both a stand-up comedian and a producer, Moses, born Musa Sulaiman, has embraced this notion of comedy’s sheer power. As he has become more and more enmeshed in comedy circles in Philadelphia and around the world, he is increasingly convinced that comedy is capable of more than entertainment. It can also be a dynamic tool for educating, healing and ultimately building communities.
“I know humor is one of those vehicles, actually one of the best vehicles, to have uncomfortable conversations,” Sulaiman said. “It’s one of the great unifiers; there’s not too many people who don’t like to laugh.”
His belief in comedy’s ability to reach everyone is at the heart of one of his most personal comedic productions to date: the upcoming annual Eid Comedy Jam on March 22 at Punch Line Philly. This will be the second year Sulaiman has curated and organized the showcase, which has already sold over 100 tickets. Last year, it sold out. Punch Line was so excited to host the event again, they Googled Eid dates so they could block off time for the show in their calendar, Sulaiman said.
It was a meaningful reminder that both Muslim and mainstream comedy audiences can get something out of what he describes as “halal humor,” the rare comedy label that signals clean content standards sure to gain auntie approval. It is also a reminder that every time he brings a comedian to the stage or performs standup himself, he is representing something that feels larger than any one set of jokes.
“When I'm on stage, I do feel a huge sense of obligation to make sure that the comedy that I'm doing and the environment that I curate for people is in line with what my ideals are,” Sulaiman said. “I’m a representation of something bigger than me. One of the things that my father used to say was that good character is the greatest currency.”
His decision to prioritize character and fuse his comedy with his spiritual life began back in 2010, when a friend invited him to tag along with her to Philadelphia’s legendary Laff House, which closed in 2013. Sulaiman fell in love with the spirit of open-mics and soon began hosting monthly comedy events, going on to start his own production company, Let My People Laugh. He joined a roster of famous entertainers, performing alongside the likes of Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey and Snoop Dogg.
Slowly, he found a way to channel his comedy through his spiritual beliefs, not around them. No, halal is not a spice or seasoning. And yes, the widespread Muslim inability to not respond to takbir is a hack for solving any kind of marital spat. “I’m telling you it will work on your wives,” he can be heard calling out to one crowd. “The next time she’s giving you the silent treatment, hit her with a takbir. She will suddenly appear at the top of the stairs [grumbing] Allahu Akbar.”
In 2015, Sulaiman collaborated with fellow Muslim comic Omar Regan to create the Super Muslim Comedy tour in the UK. The tour was such a staggering success that they followed it up with another one in 2016. Again, Sulaiman saw the power of comedy as this tour sold out over 50 shows across six countries and raised over 3 million dollars for disaster relief efforts worldwide. If comedy brought communities together to laugh, it was also a chance to offer some measure of healing to communities that were hurting.
Punchlines with Principles
Sulaiman remembers a conversation with Iranian American comedian Baba Ali, who told him never to compromise his integrity for success. “He said, you should be able to be unapologetically Muslim. So when I got back to the U.S., I trademarked the brand Unapologetically Muslim and Muslima.” He also recognized comedy as a way to give dawah: the Islamic practice of inviting people to understand and accept Islam.
With this calling in mind, Sulaiman’s network of Muslim comedian collaborators grew. Soon, he was organizing another comedy showcase, Halal Hilarity, with Pakistani American comedian Usman Habib. Habib has since collaborated with Sulaiman on the Eid Comedy Jam and will perform at this year’s showcase, an event Habib calls “a chance to build empathy.”
After all, according to Habib, roughly 40–50% of the audience at these showcases are non-Muslims curious to see what halal comedy is all about. For Habib, it is important to acknowledge that comedy can just be about joy and laughter. But he also recognizes it as an opportunity to teach. “I think storytelling is the most powerful teaching tool,” Habib said. “I can use comedy to tell my story and this perspective of feeling like an innocent kid growing up in America thinking all is good. But then all of a sudden, having to be very conscious of the fact that I was Muslim and that everything I did and said was also representing Muslims.”
But even the disorientation caused by this newfound self-awareness came with a punchline. “I have this bit about how, when I came to America, they gave me four boxes: white, Black, Hispanic or Asian,” Habib joked. “And I was like, ‘oh, cool— I must be Black.’ And so I was Black for like 10 years. Then 9/11 happened, and I was like, ‘oh, no, I’m not Black. This is something different here.’”
Other jokes find their footing at the intersection of identity and cultural misunderstanding. Addressing non-Muslim audience members, Habib has described the difference between a hijab and a niqab. “Then God sent down a pandemic and made everyone wear niqabs,” he barbs. He has another bit that parodies “how white girls say Salaam.”
But Habib is no stranger to moments when comedy has been regarded as a luxury. Maybe even an impossibility. He remembers going to comedy clubs in the early days of Israel’s continuing genocide in Gaza and being struck by the fact that no one wanted to get on stage. The heartbreak was just too pervasive. Eventually it occurred to him that being able to help people forget their heartbreak, even for five minutes, was also an invaluable service. Joy and mourning, after all, have always coexisted.
“People used to say to me, ‘genocide is happening in Palestine. But in certain areas of Palestine they’re also dancing and playing music and sharing candy,’” Habib said. “And I was like, duh. As they should. It’s not about acting like it’s not [happening]. It’s about how you can’t just sit in that constantly… Our distinct opportunity [at these shows] is to not only raise awareness but to bring some joy and laughter for you to leave with.”
The Serious Work of Being Funny
Habib’s ability to mine humor in moments of uncertainty— and even grief— is part of what Sulaiman is most proud to share with audience members at the comedy jam in March. In addition to Habib, the show will feature Yasmin Elhady of Hulu’s “Muslim Matchmaker” fame; Zainab Johnson, a “Last Comic Standing” alum and one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch for 2019;” Philadelphia comic Yoob Brown; and Sulaiman’s Super Muslim Comedy collaborator, Omar Regan.
Being surrounded by comedians, Sulaiman often reflects on a class he once taught at Haverford College, called “From Malcolm X to Dave Chappelle,” that explored humor, comedy and African American history as intersecting narratives. While guiding students through the ways comedy has been used to fight for civil rights and resist racism, bigotry and violence, Sulaiman reminded his students of Charlie Chaplin’s sentiment that comedy is tragedy viewed from a distance. “If you have two people on opposite sides of the street, and one sees a six while the other sees a nine, both are right based on their perspective,” Sulaiman said. “Sometimes we need to see things from that different perspective.”
Habib holds a similar view and sees his comedy as fueled by a spiritual calling to believe that joy matters. “In the Quran there’s a pattern where, whenever Allah says something or warns us of something that’s scary, he always ends it with a positive, and with hope,” he said. “I try and help people walk away [from my shows] with joy and laughter. Because it is important to spread awareness and justice. But it is also important to spread goodness.”
And if tragedy is comedy viewed from a distance, perhaps comedy is also faith viewed up close: an act of hope and empathy, and a wager on their restorative power.
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Lauren Abunassar is a Palestinian-American writer, poet and journalist. Lauren holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an MA in journalism from NYU. Her first book, Coriolis, was published in 2023 as winner of the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize. She has been nominated for a National Magazine Award and is a 2025 NEA creative writing fellow.
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