One of the options, to spend your time productively is to get acquainted with the cinematic works that tell the viewer about what Islam really is, about the beauty of this religion, about the good disposition of Muslims and their contribution to the development of humanity.
In this article, we will share with you the top 5 impactful movies that you can watch not only with your family, but also with friends who want to get more imbued with the teachings of Islam.
1. Watu Wote: All of Us (2017)
Watu Wote is a 2017 Kenyan-German short film directed by Katja Benrath as her graduation project at the Hamburg Media School. The film won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Short Film (Live Action).
The film “Watu Wote” is based on real dramatic events that unfolded in 2015 in northern Kenya. Al-Shabaab militants stopped a regular bus on the highway and ordered the Muslim passengers to stand in one direction and the Christians in the other to deal with the latter. However, the Muslims refused to comply with this order and did not give up their compatriots who profess another religion, risking their lives.
2. 1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets (2010)
The movie was released in 21 January from producer Ahmed Salim and starring Oscar-winning actor and screen legend Sir Ben Kingsley. This short feature film is about the scientific heritage of Muslims civilisation. The amazing success was replicated in over 40 cities around the world where it engaged more than 15 million visitors.
Coffee, a computer, and a piston engine – can you imagine the modern world without them? These things, which have become an indispensable part of the life, could not have appeared without the knowledge of the ancient Islamic civilization. Recently, they were included in the exhibition of the London Science Museum, clearly refuting the views that the modern relations of the Islamic world with the West represent a “clash of civilizations”. Unfortunately, many of these achievements have been lost amid a flood of false information about infighting and terrorism.
We need to meantion that glorious era of Islamic civilization – not only about conquests, but also about culture, about scientific and technological discoveries. This is exactly what the British short film “1001 Inventions and a Library of Secrets” is dedicated to. In the film, a group of schoolchildren discovers the wonderful world of inventions of the Golden Age of Islam. The librarian and the famous Arab scholar Al-Jazairi was played by the winner of the Academy Awards.
3. The Message (1976)
An introduction to Islamic history and a brief biography of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by a Syrian filmmaker Moustapha Akkad. He began filming in late 1974. To make his movie accessible to both the Islamic world and the West, Akkad shot it simultaneously in two versions, Arabic and English. The Arabic version featured some of the biggest stars of Muslim cinema. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1977 for Best Original Score for the music by Maurice Jarre.
The plot follows the beginning of the religious activities of Muhammad (PBUH), the mass flight and the solemn return of Muslims to Mecca. The Epistle reflects many crucial events in the life of the Prophet (PBUH). In accordance with the Islamic prohibition on the image of the Prophet (PBUH), he and the members of his family are not shown on-screen nor are their voice heard. When creating this movie, he consulted with Islamic clerics and tried to be respectful of Islam and its views on the image of the Prophet Muhammad.
The movie shows the period when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) became the Prophet of Allah (SWT). The life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is shown from the first years in Mecca, in which Muslims were subjected to severe persecution and insults, then the mass flight to Medina and the solemn return of Muslims to Mecca are shown. The film reflects many pivotal events, such as the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. Most of the stories are told by witnesses: Muhammad’s uncle Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (RA), the lord of Mecca Abu Sufyan (RA) and his wife Hind bint Utbah. It is good watch for people, who are interested in the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a cinematic manner.
4. Mulla (2018)
Mulla is a drama movie shoot by producers Milyausha Aituganova and Marat Akhmetshin in 2019. The main character Asfandiyar receives an unexpected offer from his wealthy well-wisher Samat to become a Mullah in the village where he built a masjid. The arrival of a young Mullah in the village reveals a whole layer of deep problems of the modern Tatar village, the main root of the troubles of which lies in the lack of spirituality. Asfandiyar will have to turn this situation around with the help of true faith and the firmness of his character.
Through the entire life path of the main character Asfandiyar, through the demonstration of the daily village life, the viewer sees the trials that, perhaps, every person passes. That’s just someone gives up and gets drunk, and someone, keeping a strong Iman in their heart, not only remains faithful to the precepts of Allah (SWT), but also tries to return others to the true path. So it was in the case of Valiahmetov that from the first seconds of meeting a new Mulla did not like him.
Of course, when your business, and its expansion is hindered by a newly minted religious figure, how can you react otherwise?! However, Valiakhmet’s friends and old colleagues, who have arrived, urge him to remember the old, to smell the gunpowder again, push the man to reform, to purity of soul and sincere faith. It seems that one moment he was wringing Asfandiyar’s hands and threatening him with a firearm. But the next frame, and Valiakhmet together with his fellow villagers at Friday prayers in the village masjid. It is symbolic that the first sermon narrated by Asfandiyar Hazrat was about the harmfulness, the prohibition for Muslims of everything that contains alcohol.
5. Light From the East (2005)
Have you ever wondered where the term “medicine” came from? Among scientists and researchers, there is an opinion that the appearance of this word is associated with the name of Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the great Eastern sage, physician, scientist – “madat Sino”. The exact number of his works is unknown, but researchers range between the numbers 160 and 450. His books were burned, stolen, and hidden. But even a simple list of them sounds impressive: “The Book of Healing”, “The Book of Salvation”, “The Book of Knowledge”.
The film was based on the acquaintance of the world-famous encyclopedic scholar Ibn Sina with the great thinker Abu Rayhan al-Biruni. The shooting took place in several countries – Uzbekistan, Iran, France and Russia. And the role of the Eastern thinker was played by young talented actors Hassan and Husan Salikhov. The film turned out to be biographical, educational in nature. According to the director himself, at first he wanted to tell more about his scientific works. But after analyzing the available films about Avicenna, Shukhrat Makhmudov decided to prepare an educational picture in order to try to fully convey the conditions in which the encyclopedist worked from an early age, absorbing all the existing knowledge and skills at that time.
References:
- Watu Wote Movie Poster – Wikimedia Commons
- Mulla Movie Poster – Wikimedia Commons
- Message Movie Poster – Wikimedia Commons
