Filming the Prophet

kamath,

Spin? Heh...there`s actually a logical argument (using Hadith) no less that calculates Hazrat Ayesha`s age to be closer in the teens. Whatever.

Needless to say, the spin is fastest in the opposing camp, which through filtering Islamic sources (the only source of Islamic history, I might add) twist the history to suit their agenda against Islam. So, Muhammad (pbuh) becomes the instegator to the war with the pagans for monetary gain (the standard line in oreintalist lore). This, whereas Islamic tradition is quite clear that a few days after his arrival to Medina the Meccans threatened the leader of Medina with a rather brutal death (along with his clansmen) if Muhammad and his followers were not killed on the spot.

Simply exposes many who claim to be humble critiques of Islam as secretly desiring their extermination (as the pagans in Mecca did). Yet when Muslims try to set the record straight...it`s allll spin...heh...

Khadija film will unwittingly end up showing ``pagan`` arabia`s women as strong role models. Not to mention, Khadija film will expose mohammad`s social climbing ways and warqah bin nofal as the true inventor of islam.

Mohammad model can be a great framework to explore multiple narratives.. a film could be done in first person mohammad narrating and then shifting POV to his al-Lah alterego and then al-Quran and then back.. the plot could be circular... starting from mohammad being chosen to install the black stone and back to mohammad `purifying` the place around that very same black stone ... ayesha`s tryst with safwan could be thrown in for a side plot..

one of the movies my mum made me watch as a child was the message so she could give us a visual picture of how it was than. and i still love watching it.

i have studied religion in enough detail to know that mustapha didn`t do anything that may be considered sinful when making the film, in fact i appreciate the effort that he took in making it and the way he went out of his way to consult scholars during the making of it to make sure he wasn`t going to hurt any muslim sentiments.

for people who cant understand that, i feel sorry for them. their version of religion does not allow for them to be able to live peacefully.

we saw this movie almost ten years ago as video rental -- there was no hush hush secrecy or condemnation from the Muslims -- every Muslim household had seen the movie without trepidations -- Anthony Quinn was as usual superb as Hamza -- he was superb as Mokhtar as well in the other movie -- actually I wished Quinn should have played the prophet -- then the Americans would have gone in droves...

anyway it was a great movied.....thanks Nadeem for the background tempest in the teapot information....we Muslims are so twisted and weird....even in trying to make a religious movie.....

now who has ever heard a voice playing a human being prophet -- that priviliege was supposed to be tradionally granted to only God...

.....but well for some of us Muslims our prophet was never less than God....

Even though most of us know Nadeem is an atheist, Marxist if you please, but I have noticed that in most of his pieces dealing with religious issues he does tend to side with the Berelvi school of Islam. Anyways, yet again another super article, must watch Message again.

Dillemma and apathy and woe to the ignorant who didn`t receive the underlying concept of the film..

very informative and concise..i might start envying your expression in writing.

the disadvantage is majority of us move with the dogma.

Ask the barelvis and they would hold this film very high..might perhaps Anthony Quinn would manage his picture in every Barelvi Masjid.
Some of them..in reverence..might proclaim him to be a Muslim..Some more devoted would go further to call him a Sufi..and the saga goes to holding him just a degree below the Prophet and Allah..

The staunch and rigid believers who outrightly reject it..
same phase but different outcomes..

Re: # 8
Swarrier: I do not remember the exact name of the movie at this time. But if you go to PBS web site and search a bit under subjects etc. You should be able to locate it. Let me try to find out for you when I get a little time.

Anyway, I am of the opinion that one should never never form an opinion about anything by reading one book or article or a movie etc.

BTW, the latest author is Reza Aslan-of Iranian heritage- He puts a lot of spin on Prophet Mohammad life story and history of Islam. He even raised the age of marriage to 18 to keep up with norms of 20th century to deflect criticism. ( Even though according to respected Hadith collectors like Bukhari her age was something like six. These things were not uncommon in those days ). So there are all sorts of Spin doctors who like to distort, stretch and falsify historical facts to defend a faith which they revere at any cost- true or false.

Re: # 13

...and who would play the lead in your movie? i mean the character of Khadija?

Very informative article, Nadeem. Thanks!

Though I`ve wept each time I see the movie, it still remains a deeply patriarchal movie for its time. The only powerful women in it are evil conspirators, or they are dancers.

Some day, I`d love to make a movie about Khadija, The prophet could be played by supporting actor Brad Pitt , with black curly hair and black eyes.


Aisha Sarwari

deep analysis nfp ... zia wuz also against kadaffi cuz he had offered ppp to rescue bhutto from zia`s jails.

Interesting article indeed. Liked the way you tried to give political reasons behind the banning of this enigmatic film in Pakistan.

Any effort to document and sugarcoat PBUH`s life into a Disney/Hollywood/Bollywood inanity must be resisted. Even the so-called educated Muslims have not bothered to study to primary sources about the prophet of Islam. kaka can bet paracha, versey, hamidm etc have no clue who Ibn Ishaq was and where to find his writings.

You do not have to learn Arabic to read the Quran, the Saheehain, the Sirah, an early exegsis like al-Tabari`s, the Christian Bible and maybe a primer on Middle East geography. This may take 5 years but if idiots are determined to learn about Islam from Shibli Naumani, Maududi, Rushdie, Anthony Quinn etc and then pontificate about it, then idiots you shall remain.

Its a fbulous articl Mr` Pracha and thanx for the detail.....and The Message on Geo became very popular! lol.......everyone was talking bout it!

Re: # 5
Kamath
Can you recall the name of the PBS documentary? I haven`t seen it and I`d like to see what Karen Armstrong has got up to? My wife was reviewing a book on Mohammed that she had written and I found it a really bad read. I found Maxime Rodinson`s biography of Mohammed rather interesting.