Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions Islam through Unseen Eyes Islam, the religion often misunderstood by the world as being "violent," but what if we found out we were fed lies all along? Some regard it as the opposite of Christianity, others ask "why should we care about Islam if our lives are not directly impacted by it?" This and more, I hope to answer through the 1976 film "The Message," and correlate this new knowledge into three parts: how this all relates to our written lectures, class readings, and my perspective as a Christian on the impact this personally had on me. Starting with the beginning of the movie, "he speaks of a new prophet in Arabia, it was like this when John the Baptist came to King Herod out of the desert crying about salvation," relates to written lecture 3 in the sense that God and Allah are the same deities, but the movie portrays Muhammad the same way as John did Jesus. A "mercy to mankind," where he was sent from God to bring salvation to everyone. Personally, before watching this movie and reading the lectures I was always taught in Church that Islam was in direct opposition to everything we stood for, and this could not have been further from the truth. Even our textbook, "Sacred Texts Around the World," begins with "It is frequently said that the Qur'an is the Muslim's Bible." To no surprise, there are more parallels in how Muhammad was raised in a dark time in the film, roughly 600 years after Christ. Europe was plunged into darkness during an era when idolatry was rampant in Kaba, with idolatry running rampant, and bearing witness to 360 different gods. I found this in correlation with Genesis' story of Sadham and Gamora, and Exodus when Moses set the Israelites free, and many people turned to false gods. To prevent idolatry, imagery of any prophets and Allah is strictly prohibited, as I never quite understood why the face of Muhammad was never portrayed through film. Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions "Who is that man who stood there, who looked into my soul and carried me away from here?" The director made a beautiful foreshadowing with this as Muhammad from the beginning was meant to be a spiritual leader. His uncle portrayed him as someone who was humble with his riches yet found himself on equal footing with the other commoners. Shortly after, his encounter with the angel Gabriel gave me a better understanding of what it's truly like for a person to see an angel. In the Qur'an, they are portrayed as winged beings made of light and can take the shape of anything they chose, but often are seen as a man. For Muhammad to be able to see Gabriel (while trembling in fear,) meaning his spirituality surpassed that of the average commoner. His uncle did not seem shocked by this, as his calm and collected demeanor was soon met with "even the God of Moses spoke to him through a burning bush." This helped me understand two things: one, Muhammad can be (and was) seen as the greatest of all prophets, and two, even from personal experience Muslims respect and relate to Christianity on a personal level. "We are Arabs, we obey our fathers. Our children cannot be our teachers," was a quote that struck me in the same way written lecture 3 did concerning how Muslims view the Qur'an. The book is seen as "the literal, untouched, Word of God itself, with no human changes whatsoever." So even though Muhammad aided in the physical creation of the Qur'an, he is "merely the transistor through which it passed." Opposition was still brought up as people did not want to change what they already knew. Similarly, Jesus and Muhammad were both mocked and seen as crazy for their proclamations. Likewise, Muhammad's followers chose to leave his old life behind and follow him willingly, despite their families thinking they are crazy for following a man who claims to have seen and heard the word of God. I loved how when the clay idol broke Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions on the ground, the first thing that was uttered is "That god could not even help itself." As a true Muslim whose eyes are open will not fall for deceit. "Girls should not be forced into marriage, but be able to choose or refuse," was another powerful quote to me, as in the 3rd written lecture we are taught about Islamic stereotypes in the West, and one that I have heard repeatedly was how the men forced women against their will into marriage and never gave them rights when that is not the case. I love that Muhammad defied these rules and became a person who stood up for everyone knowing "before God, all men are as equal as the teeth of a comb." Muhammad's peaceful influence extends to him eventually becoming a mediator during a civil war from the request of a deputation from Medina, which I never knew about, but he did it on the condition that they worship God only. When the people of Mecca tried to kill Muhammad knowing he had no protection after his family died, it brought a strong reconnection to how Jesus was taken, tortured, and killed for sharing the same core ideology. It is not until the last moment that people realize their wrongful doings, and both the Bible and Qur'an showed that after the passing of Jesus and Muhammad, both beliefs spread like wildfire because of eyewitnesses, and testimony. One thing I never knew was how the people of the Kaaba did not worship their gods out of sovereignty, but rather to make a profit off the tribes of Arabia. When slaves became defiant, and hearts were opened, the Kaaba would never be the same. "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger." A quote from one of Muhammad's followers that would soon become a part of the Shahadah (lecture 4) for generations to come. I also found this symbolic Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions overall in recognition of the deep poetry Islam is renowned for, much like a beautiful Psalm, I did not know that this all stems from the pain and sorrow endured by the prophets. Seeing the followers of Islam be whipped and tortured reminded me of a personal conversation I had with my Muslim best friend. Back in Pakistan, she witnessed a practice known as "Tatbir," where Shia Muslims in Pakistan partake in the pagan practice of whipping themselves, to feel what Muhammad's grandson felt when he died. Despite this going against the Qur'an, I can understand why people would do this in remembrance. These followers did nothing but spread love and the message of God, and what did they get in return? A cruel savage death on Earth. Yasir and Sumayya were the first martyrs of Islam, and Aman was told they were promised paradise. From "Sacred Texts of the World," spoke of Muhammad and his followers migrating to Medina to thrive in other communities, yet it was portrayed respectfully in the movie. When talking directly to the King it was mentioned that they traveled to find comfort knowing Christians share the same one God as they do, and how they wish to leave inhumanities behind and bring about heavenly order through truth, and love. I found this to be a major far cry from Christian history, however, where bloodshed runs deep at its core, and wars broke out over being forced to worship God. "Why are your 300 gods tongue-tied, while this one God is eloquent?" This statement shows the King's heart being moved through their words and came to an understanding that Christianity and Islam bare strong similarities. When asked about Christ, written lecture 4 came up in my head knowing that Muslims see Jesus in the Jewish sense of him not being God. In Islam, he is a spiritual prophet, but God did not let him suffer but rather uplifted him from the Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions cross. Muslims also believe that it is Jesus, not Muhammad who will come on judgment day, which I found interesting considering both are profits in Islam. After traveling to Medina, the people gathered to build a house for the prophet. Little did I know this is where the first mosque of Islam would be born. Trying to appeal to everyone, they offered to put bells seen in Christian churches or a horn seen by the Jews. Through this mosque, Muhammad never stopped preaching about brotherhood, and everyone embraced his ideology. Peace and equality (new concepts for the time,) were heavily taught through preaching. Muhammad's followers never stopped emphasizing equality for Jews, Christians, women, and even those in poverty. Islam was finally being seen as akin to its brothers and sisters before it. Muhammad even in his old age never struck anyone down or wished harm. Multiple times throughout the movie, he is shown offering peace and surrendering in the name of God who is deemed most merciful. "For God never loves the startle of wars, so fight in the way of god against those who fight against you." This ideology is how Islam got its name, literally meaning "peace, and "surrender." (Written lecture 3.) Those who defied Islam were seen murdering and spilling blood, all in the name of "blasphemy." This lecture also provided me with more insight when watching this, as regardless of the unjustifiable actions of man, if it goes against everything religion stands for, it does not mean the whole belief is tainted as one person does not speak for it. During this time of "peace" was the spread of Shari'ah, as Muhammad being able to spread law through not only his word but through his followers allowed the world to grab ahold of Islam for the first time. Rather than forcing people, however, the people were given an option. Either follow Islam and leave their gods behind, Muhammad and his followers will not bother Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions with them. After the leader of Mecca broke the 10-year peace treaty, this would be the first time Muhammad ever looked at anyone in anguish throughout the movie. The leader addressed the situation as "being outmaneuvered by a one-time shepherd," and confessed to breaking the agreement. This doubt would extend further into the depths of his followers' hearts. This felt like a stab to me, as throughout my time in Church I have seen people's lives turn around for the better, talked with people whose hearts were closed but still open, and seen the impossible happen. Yet, before I still doubted not only myself but the extent to which God is capable. Even in death, Muhammad preached about surrendering to God and giving up humanity. It was during this time that the final revelation of the Qur'an was revealed. I did not know this would become a holiday known as "Nuzul Qu'ran," and would take place during the holy month of Ramadan. His followers took note of his teachings and preached about how "if anyone worships Muhammad, let them know he is dead. He who worships God, let him know God is alive, and cannot die." This right here defies another major stereotype in which Muslims supposedly revere Muhammad as a deity when he was nothing more than a man who became a prophet of God but still died like the rest of us will. My opinion on all of this is nothing short of breathtaking. Readings from the written lectures and textbooks did not do this movie justice, as actually witnessing emotion and empathy throughout Islam's history gave me a deep connection to it, even as a Christian. This not only cleared up a lot of misconceptions about Islam but also allowed me to realize just how similar we are to each other. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for Muhammad, as I will be honest, I am guilty of originally thinking he was revered by the people of Islam as a deity. I was happily proven wrong, learning he spent his whole life spreading love and awareness, and never once Jadon Castro 05/07/22 World Religions fought back despite the odds being against him. His followers taking note that he was the only man and not to be worshiped stood out to me at the end, as Muhammad died peacefully knowing his mission was accomplished. With my newfound appreciation for Islam, I hope to be able to spread awareness to people who fear the unknown and think this is just another meaningless religion. Even if a person is not religious, what Islam truly stands for is brotherhood, and unity for all. Something everyone can agree on.
