"Films on lives of Prophets" - Roman Ahsan

FILMS MADE ON LIVES OF PROPHETS (peace be upon them all)

[By Roman Ahsan]

 NOTE: This insight should be investigated by reader himself/herself as the writer is not an Islamic scholar and does not claim that he commands any authority in this regard.

Hollywood has been making movies on historical figures, even Prophets. There have been movies like "The Ten Commandments", "Moses", "Bible" and the latest "The Passion Of Christ" - then there are animated movies also like "Joseph: The King of Dreams" & "Prince of Egypt I [Moses]".

 These movies show the greatest Prophets enacted by people who are not even following the right path. We as Muslims should never fall for these recreations of Prophets' lives and should also avoid showing these films to our children. The status of Prophets is such that their lives should only be narrated in books or glorified through words but not for the purpose of creating entertainment.

"Ben-Hur" released in 1959 shows the person of Jesus (pbuh) without any close-ups. But "The Passion Of Christ" in 2004 has gone much ahead and shows his persona in great detail. Prophet Isa (PBUH) was one of the highly ranked Prophets. As Muslims we believe that he was neither crucified nor tortured but he was lifted to the heavens from where he will descend to the world before the end of time to strengthen Islam as the reigning religion (The Golden Age). Making a movie on a Prophet's life is a sin and likewise we will all also indulge in this sin unless we stop ourselves in future from seeing such movies.

We really do not need to watch such movies to strengthen our faith. Haven't we got sources like The Holy Qur'an with translation, the teachings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as per his sayings, Urdu & English Islamic literature in the form of books and now on web also (though one should be careful to confirm the authenticity of the material available on web from other sources)?

After the disastrous earthquake in Kashmir in 2005, a local television channel showed "The Message" proclaiming that we need to enhance our faith – we need to examine this in detail! "The Message" shows the dear companions of The Holy Prophet (pbuh) like Hamza (RA) and Bilal (RA) apart from others. I am lucky I did not watch this movie in my childhood, but had I then the actor Anthony Quinn would have become synonymous with Hamza (RA) in my mind who was not only the Uncle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) but a great support to the mission of Islam in many ways. Furthermore, in a scene where Anthony Quinn is shown helping in the construction of the mosque in Madinah, the camera moves with Anthony Quinn (personifying Hamza (RA)) as if he is talking and walking along with our dear Prophet (pbuh). This is a very close simulation of a scene from Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) life, which I believe falls in the realm of disrespect. (Moreover, we should not forget that the actors who play roles in such movies are not always confined to topics concerned with morals in other movies and this also imparts insult to the exalted status of the holy personalities).

“The Message” was approved by certain Islamic authorities prior to being screened but still the issue requires serious rethinking. It could be recommended that instead of filming the story of early Islam, a documentary can well be made which describes the essence and the culture associated with Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) life. Seeing "The Message" will not help lift our weak faith. What about the excellence in morality, decency and character exemplified by the Muslims 1400 years ago under the true spirit of Islam? Our faith is on decline - we need to restore and enhance it through Islamic teachings & obligations before it's too late, and we depart with nothing for afterlife.