Movie critics please!

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Movie critics please!
Malika
12/20/00 at 15:23:26
slm

I was in the store this past weekend and I saw a double tape called "The Message". I am told it never shows the Prophet (saw) and you never hear his voice.  Pretty wise in my book.  Has anybody seen it and how was it?  I saw that one of the actors was Anthony Quinn who ironically has had parts in all of the religious movies.  Glad to see he is versatile.  He has portrayed a jew, christian and now muslim.  I understand this may be a old release but hey I just found out about it.  :)
Re: Movie critics please!
Kashif
12/20/00 at 15:50:53
assalaamu alaikum

I have a fleeting memory of a speaker once saying that the ulama had told Muslims not to watch it. How could we stand for non-Muslims portraying the best of generations?

Kashif
Wa Salaam
NS
Re: Movie critics please!
bhaloo
12/20/00 at 15:55:41
slm

I have it on DVD and when you buy stuff on DVD it has all these extras on there.  So they had the making of the movie on there, but the director is a Muslim.  I thought it was done pretty well.
Re: Movie critics please!
Malika
12/20/00 at 16:17:20
wlm

Arshad, Yes I heard the Director was Muslim and it took six years to make. He wanted to make sure the information was as accurate as it could be. I.m sure (ok I'm not) there were Muslims in this feature.

What exactly is it about?  What do you get from the picture? if anything?

Kashif, could you dig a little and give me a bit more information before I go and purchase it.
Re: Movie critics please!
Saleema
12/20/00 at 16:32:30
Assalam ualykum,

I love The Message. You should watch it. :)

wassalam
Re: Movie critics please!
Kashif
12/20/00 at 19:25:38

[quote]Kashif, could you dig a little and give me a bit more information before I go and purchase it.[/quote]

Give me a 2 weeks inshallah. I've narrowed the comment by the speaker to about 40 tapes.. and i'll listen to them and let you know insha;llah.

Kashif
Wa Salaam
NS
Re: Movie critics please!
Malika
12/21/00 at 13:56:24

[quote]
Give me a 2 weeks inshallah. I've narrowed the comment by the speaker to about 40 tapes...
[/quote]

When you get to the 15th tape update a sister :)
Re: Movie critics please!
zakk
12/22/00 at 21:36:03
Salaam,
The Message was released in 1977.

It is a very good movie.  Some people have issues with it because some of the sahabiyyah are shown.  But I know many ppl who really love the movie because it is done in an entirely respectful manner.  The director is Muslim, and it is pretty amazing how well the movie is done without showing or even hearing the main character...
Lion of the Desert.
SuperHiMY
12/30/00 at 21:36:28

AsalamAlay.com,

This movie came out when I was a child and
used to attend Saturday/Sunday school at Jami
Masjid here in Toronto.

At that time, there were a few scenes which
were objectionable for some reason. I still
remember seeing muslims picketing outside the
movie Theatre where it was playing.

But then something good/better happened.

Those few, and I recall them they were VERY
few scenes, which were objectionable were
removed and then the movie was released again.

This time, no problem.

So now about the Movie:

The Prophet [saw] is NEVER shown or heard or
seen and appears on screen in any way shape or
form.

The closest that this happens is the point at
which the camel that arrives in Yathrib which
accompanied the Prophet [saw] into the city of
the Ansars is shown. The Ansars and Sahabahs
present in the scene look up to the rider of
the camel, but the rider is off screen.

This movie is just SOOOOO GOOOOD.

If you have heard of Mustapha Showki, He was
a jew who at age 14 saw this movie in the
Theatre. From this movie alone, he became a
Muslim. He then became a great dawah worker for
a good deal of time and also a muslim tv
broadcaster.

I have heard of other people lead to Islam
because of this movie.


The producer of this movie also made:

"Lion of the Desert".

That movie is about the muslim liberation of
Lybia from the Italians.

That movie breaks your heart and makes you cry.

If you ever wanted to see a true 'jihad' or
struggle on the screen, see this movie.

Is short, I feel, this movie belongs in every
muslims video library, if you have even ONE
Hollywood movie DVD/VHS, then what's your
excuse for not owning a copy of Both these
Muslim Movies???

I give it, two beards up.

~ HiMY! ~



Re: Movie critics please!
Al-Basha
12/31/00 at 03:43:17
Salamu Aliakom,

I thought "The Message" was originally done in Arabic then they made an English version of it? Because I remember watching this Arabic film called Al Risala ("The Message" in Arabic) and it was the same thing, except it had arabic actors in it. Dunno maybe it was different.

I didn't really like The Message that much. Ironically the 1st time I saw it was during the Gulf War. I wish Astrolabe would make more cartoon films like "Al-Fatih". Actually there are many cartoon movies in Arabic, I watched one really good one about Qutus, Asad Ayn Jalut.
Can't someone make a toy story type animation film or something of the sort? Or not even that, I thought Al-Fatih was pretty good.
Re: Movie critics please!
UmmIby
02/21/01 at 23:25:23
Assalamu alaikum wr wb

I remember the movie coming out a really long time ago like in 80's or something and when it came out again in 85 or something i was sure to tape it.  Eventually though ppl who would borrow the tape never gave me the tape back.  I never really saw the tape resurface until just two years ago when i was cleaning out some stuff a relative of mine had left behind, there below in it was my tape... 'the message' and im like wow.. i went to go re see it and it wasnt working anymore, you could hear what was going on but it was ruined. :(

  i recently borrowed it from a friend, and they let it to us, so we saw it again. (my husband and i).  It was 3 hours long.  I was crying in the parts where the ppl were tortured and got sickened when Hind had did what she did.

When i saw the making of it, i was like wow.  My husband was interested in getting the arabic one.  Compared to the arabic one, all the ones in the arabic film were muslims whereas the ones in the english were, only a handful of them were muslims but the main characters were non muslim.
 and it made me like, wow subhanAllah these ppl are like exposed to the truth about islam, and its just acting to them..   and they dont accept it as real truth for themselves.

i mean this anthony quinn guy did 2 movies about muslims and he portrayed these great ppl and yet he hasnt accepted islam.  My husband tried to find info on him and it said that he was divorced and had a mistress or something astagfiruAllah! so sad.
  same would go for the malcom x movie, denzel washington knew all this about islam and yet said its just acting...   and i was like how did they get into mecca if they are non muslims.. and my husband they lied to get in.. so sad..

anyways the movie is available at halalco.com or astrolabepictures.com or soundvision, all 3 sells them for 30 dollars.   though a few other regular sites were selling them for 12 or so.

take care
Re: Movie critics please!
bhaloo
02/21/01 at 23:43:08
slm

I thought Denzel Washington was Muslim? ???  The making of the Message was interesting and how they filmed the Arabic version was pretty neat too.
Re: Movie critics please!
proudtobemuslim
03/02/01 at 06:06:31
Assalam-u-Alaikum,

It seems that Anthiny Quinn playsa as Hamza (RA).  Is this allowed Islamically?  I mean to pretend to be a great Sahabee?

Jazzakum ullahu Khair

Wassalam-u-Alaikum
Uzer
Re: Movie critics please!
PacificBreeze
03/02/01 at 09:20:14
wa alaikum assalaam wr wb,
i give it two thumbs up. akkad had the movie approved the accuracy and content (fidelity of the movie) by muslim scholars n historians by the univ al azhar n the high islamic congress of shias in lebanon, .....it was made in  '76. during the whole movie, prophet muhammad pbuh n ali rad are not protrayed...they've used a clever camera effect whenever protraying the prophet's presence...he spent aloooot of money on it...got the best of everything! h.a.l. craig, maurice jarre, quinn, papas, etc etc..

the commotion arouse from the US muslims...and one of the issues were of nonmuslim actors protraying muslims..(which some can also raise issues of seemingly "muslim" actors ethics as well..n muslm/arab actors have protrayed those chars n roles before as well re arabic versions in the past and if not present)..and the protrayal of hamza by quinn...and i believe also about a few others like zaid, jafar, etc or something..?

it's an AWESOME movie subhan'allah..and the dialogues are beautiful masha'allah! it will totally move you...encourage you...educate you..give you back that whole muslim spirit and reinstill the beauty of islam..it's a cool dawah effort..

akkad developed/produced both arabic and english versions at once...diff casts (some were the same)..ar risalah fil arabiyyah.."the message" in english..it's stunningly done masha'allah..masha'allah they worked real hard to make it authentic too

the message is basically the seerah..the story of islam in arabia..starts with when prophet muhammad pbuh received the wahi (revelation) from jibrail..all the way to the victory march of the muslims back to makkah..everything is covered in btwn...the hijrahs..ethiopia and madinah..battle of badr...taif..battle of uhud..treaty of hudaibah..spread of islam..the prophet's farewell khutbah..etc etc..

you can get the english version on dvd..and i'm not sure if they have the arabic one on there yet...we've always had the eng version (vhs n dvd) but we'll be getting the arabic version too...akkad has also made another awesome movie re the mujahid omar mukhtar in libya and their jihad against the italian colonizers..another memorable awesome movie...it's said that quinn was soooo touched with the char he was protraying, mukhtar that he wanted and tried to keep his behavior a lil longer after it's production.. :) (but u know prompted by others n for the sake of his career etc..he had to give it up..) he did an awesome job masha'allah protraying mukhtar and you can tell by his performance..and yeah, if you look closely, you'll recognize alot of the actors who have worked in other religious movies as well..


the makings to both are lovely...total props to akkad for using his movie dir talents to benefit and educate the muslims n nonmuslims..support a muslim prod! :)

def a must have, a must see! 2 major thumbs up & more! :)


p.s. to get a better deal, do not buy the movies/dvd from muslim retailers..you can get it at a waaay better price at places like dvdexpress.com etc.. :) happy viewing! :) you'll LOVE it...seriously...go watch it!


p.s.2 some muslim n some not muslm actors in the eng version..in the arabic versions, they're muslims or just arabs..(some if not all..some actors worked on both eng and arabic versions)


p.s.3 they did not lie to get into makkah...subhan'allah...nooo the whole movie was filmed primarily in libya n morroco..in the dessert where they reconstructed their own towns etc etc
alot of muslims worked in the movie...the arab i think libyan army helped out with the battle scenes..most of the arab bedouins were real arabs from the village and other places working in the movie..but ppl from almost every nationality had a hand..the footage clips of the kabah at the end of the movie..that i think akkad got from someplace (muslim movie dir) or got it himself...he is a muslim..so there's nothing to worry about re that.. ;)

(grrr..i'm having hard probs..everytime i use the letters s-a-w it automatically puts in salaams etc..help? is there anyway to get around that? shouldn't assalaam be AS? not s-a? it's ASsalaamu...not 'salom' or 'salam alaikom' etc.. ur forgetting the alif lam?)
Re: Movie critics please!
proudtobemuslim
03/02/01 at 09:27:50
Assalam-u-Alaikum,

Heres something i found at islam-qa.com

Question:

      I would like to know the ruling for skits/dramas/plays for
      children/teenagers with Islamic content (like ayahs from Qur'an,
      quotations from Hadith, etc...)  I have read your ruling about wearing
      wigs, false moustaches, etc...(which is haram) however, I would
      appreciate a comprehensive answer as many people who have some
      knowledge of the deen have said skits are allowable for youngsters.  I
      would be much obliged for your early reply as we have a halaqa for
      young people and may Allah save us from going against the book and the
      Sunnah.


Answer:

        Praise be to Allaah.

      This is one of the issues concerning which the scholars differed;
      some of them forbid it altogether and some of them permit it, but
      within the guidelines of sharee’ah. Before we discuss the different
      views on this matter, we should point out that there is no dispute at
      all concerning the kind of acting which involves promiscuity and
      the mixing of men and women, and other kinds of evil actions,
      which is well-known on the screen. There is no dispute among the
      scholars concerning the prohibition of such acting.  

      The kind of acting concerning which there is a difference of
      opinion is that which is done by two or more people in front of a
      group of others, using actions and dialogue, in order to teach that
      group something about Islamic worship or morals, or to help them
      understand reality and the corruption that exists, or to teach them
      about the glories of the past, or for purposes of entertainment – in
      which they may present themselves in a way that differs from the
      way they really are. This kind of acting must be subject to certain
      guidelines, as follows:  

      1-               <b>Avoiding acting the parts of Prophets, the Sahaabah,
      shayaateen (devils), kaafirs and animals. </b>Avoiding men playing the
      parts of women and vice versa. Avoiding acting the parts of unseen
      beings such as angels.

      2-                Playing the part of one who mocks Allaah, His signs,
      His Messenger or any of the rituals of Islam, even if the aim is to
      teach the people. No one is permitted to act in such a manner,
      regardless of whether he means it or is joking.

      3-                Playing any role which involves any kind of speech
      that is haraam, such as lying or backbiting; or which involves
      making the clothes too long, etc.

      4-                Acting out any acts of worship such as wudoo’ or
      prayer in an incorrect manner which is not that reported in the
      Sunnah.  

      One should avoid playing the role of evil or immoral characters, or
      playing the role of the imaams or prominent scholars of the
      ummah, lest that lead to an undermining of their status.  

      Some of the contemporary scholars said that acting is forbidden
      altogether; others said that it is permitted so long as it meets certain
      conditions. Among the latter was Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
      ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him). There follows
      his fatwa on the topic:  

      “Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds. There is no doubt that
      calling people to Allaah (da’wah) is an act of worship, as Allaah
      commands us (interpretation of the meaning):  

      ‘Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the way of your Lord (i.e.
      Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the
      Qur’aan) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that
      is better”[al-Nahl 16:125]  

      The person who is calling others to Allaah feels, when he is calling
      them to Allaah, that he is fulfilling the command of Allaah and
      drawing closer to Him. Undoubtedly the best way in which he can
      call people is with the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His
      Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). For the
      Book of Allaah is the greatest preaching method that can be used
      when advising mankind:  

      ‘O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your
      Lord (i.e. the Qur’aan, enjoining all that is good and forbidding
      all that is evil), and a healing for that which is in your breasts,
      — a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful
      things) for the believers”[Yoonus 10:57 – interpretation of the
      meaning]

       The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
      likewise: “The best of speech is preaching.” Sometimes he used to
      preach to his Companions in a manner that they described as
      “making the heart tremble and the eyes fill with tears.” So if a
      person can use this means of preaching, undoubtedly this is the
      best means, i.e., by using the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of
      His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). But if
      he thinks that sometimes he can add other permissible methods,
      using things that Allaah has permitted, there is nothing wrong with
      that. But this is subject to the condition that these means should
      not involve anything that is forbidden such as lying or playing the
      roles of kaafirs, for example, or playing the roles of the Sahaabah
      (may Allaah be pleased with them) or the imaams – the leaders of
      the Muslims after the Sahaabah – or similar things where there is
      the fear that this may lead to the people looking down on any of
      these great imaams… Another of the conditions is that this acting
      should not involve men imitating women or vice versa, because
      this is a matter concerning which it is reported that the Messenger
      of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed those
      who do it. He cursed the women who imitate men and the men
      who imitate women.

       The point is that if some of these means are used occasionally in
      order to attract people, and they do not involve anything haraam, I
      do not think that there is anything wrong with that. But if it is done
      frequently and is made the only means of calling people to Allaah,
      and one turns away from calling them with the Book of Allaah and
      the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
      Allaah be upon him), so that the people who are being called
      cannot be moved by any other means, then I think that this is not
      right, and in this case it becomes haraam, because directing the
      people towards anything other than the Qur’aan and Sunnah in
      matters that have to do with calling people to Allaah is a
      reprehensible action. But I do not see anything wrong with doing
      that occasionally, so long as it does not involve anything haraam.”

       And Allaah knows best.

       See al-Tamtheel fi’l-Da’wah ila-Allaah by ‘Abd-Allaah Aal
      Haadi, 11-66-67-102

      And Hukm Mumaarasat al-Fann fi’l-Sharee’ah by Saalih
      al-Ghazaali


           Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

Wallahu 'Alam

Wassalam-u-Alaikum,
Uzer
Re: Movie critics please!
Arsalan
03/02/01 at 10:45:07
[slm]

Pacific Breeze, you're not having problems with s-a-w.  You're having problems with s-l-m (with no dashes).  You misspelled Muslim at a couple of places (you spelled it m-u-s-l-m) and that caused the automatic insertion of Assalamu alaikum.

Since there is no word in the English language which contains the letters s-l-m successively, I think it's a fair enough abbreviation for salaam.  (AS cannot be used because it's a common English word).

Wassalamu alaikum.


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