Aaliyah “Aali” Habeeb is the quintessential multi-hyphenate. An author, filmmaker, and musician, she began her journey in entertainment as a child. Prior to receiving her MFA in acting from Rutgers University, Habeeb graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a minor in theater & major in administration of justice with a concentration in forensics science.
Post grad school, Habeeb wrote her inaugural full-length play, Love Ya Like a Sis (LYLAS), in which she starred & produced in New York City. In 2018 she was awarded the Natasha van Kampen Grant and had the pleasure of working behind the scenes on the production of Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, shadowing Tony award winning director, composer, and playwright Claire van Kampen, and Tony and Olivier Award winning actor, Mark Rylance.
Two years later Habeeb would make her directorial debut in her short film, America Again, inspired from 10 years spent working as a teaching artist in New York & New Jersey. Adapting to the restrictions of the global pandemic, America Again was cast, rehearsed, and filmed entirely over Zoom. It is available to watch here. As an actor Habeeb was last seen at Connecticut Repertory Theatre playing the titular role in Henry IV. Other favorite credits include the title role in The Rape of Lucrece, Yelena in Uncle Vanya, & Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun.
Fueled by the dissolution of a long-term relationship, Aali was called to write Godward: 99 Reasons to Love You, an inspirational wellness guide that takes the 99 Names of God in Islam, the Asma al-Husna, and through personal reflections and journal prompts, encourages the reader to explore how they embody the attributes of the Divine in their daily lives. Through this journey of faith, self-exploration & self-love, Habeeb has uncovered a path that transcends the physical reality and the human mind’s limited conception of space & time. It is her hope that the more we awaken as individuals, the more we shake up & enlighten the world, vibrating together on the highest frequency of all: LOVE.
Godward: 99 Reasons to Love You is available for purchase here.