The Message (1976)

The story of prophet "Muhammad" and the delivery of the message of God "Allah."

Director:

Moustapha Akkad

Writers:

H.A.L. Craig, Tewfik El-Hakim

Stars:

Abdallah Gheith, Mona Wassef, Hamdy Gheith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abdallah Gheith	...	Hamza
Mona Wassef	...	Hind (as Mouna Wasef)
Hamdy Gheith	...	Abu Sofyan (as Hamdi Ghayth)
Ali Achmed Taram	...	Bilal
Mahmoud Said	...	Khalid
Ahmed Marei	...	Zaid
Mohamed Larbi	...	Ammar
Ronald Chenery	...	Mosaab
Michael Godfrey	...	Barra
Mohammed Tawfik	...	Toothless Man
Habib Ageli	...	Hudayfa
George Camiller	...	Waleed
Mounir Maasri	...	Jaafar
Bruno Barnabe	...	Umaya
John Humphry	...	Ubada

Storyline

The story of prophet "Muhammad" and the delivery of the message of God "Allah."

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Plot Keywords:

arab | freed slave | islam | torture | prophet | 

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Taglines:

The story of Islam

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

Libya Morocco Egypt Saudi Arabia

Language:

Arabic English Hindi

Release Date:

19 December 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Al-Risalah

Filming Locations:

Libya

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmco International Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

207 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although broadly sharing the same film unit (director, editor, etc.), Two different versions of the film (one in English and the other in Arabic), were shot simultaneously, scene by scene. Two completely different sets of actors shared the same set; once a scene had been established, one actor would play a character in one language, and then the whole scene reshot with his corresponding number speaking in the other language. The main (English) version was released as "The Message", while the Arabic version became "Al-Risalah".

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Quotes

Narrator: If this Coran were revealed to a mount, it would collapse even off feared Allah, the Great, said the truth. The Prophet, elected official by Allah to carry what the mountains can not, is too great and inaccessible to be represented by a human. For that we will not see nor his image neither his voice nor his shade, throughout this film.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: The Arrival of Multiplexes and Asian Mainstream (2011)

User Reviews

Movie Review by Bexultan Akimkhan

The Message (1977) The movie narrates about the chronology of the formation of Islam and the biography of the prophet Muhamad. In 610, Muhammad became a messenger of God. He met followers in the first years of his life in Mecca, and began to fight for a new faith, but because of persecution he had to flee to Medina. The rise of Islam was one of the bloodiest events in the history of humanity: battles against pagans who worshiped polytheist Gods. But God is one, and his prophet is Muhamad. Even though the film is biographical, the Prophet Muhammad does not appear in the frame, since any image is prohibited. As we knew from our general knowledge about Islam, pre-Islamic time was called Jahiliyya which means period before the emergence of Islam as a religion or age of ignorance. During this age as we see from the film different religious group were inhabit the Arabian Peninsula. Each of these groups invented for themselves some kind of idols which they regularly worship. Despite the fact that the Near East is the birthplace of very influential monotheist religions such as Judaism and Christianity, the idolworship was also prominent among ordinary people. Current movie shows us how gradual formation of Islam as religion has limited the scope of activity of polytheist actors in the Arabian Peninsula and then in rest of the world. The movie delivers to us that all polytheist religions as well as Judaism and Christianity are imperfect. Because, as Islamic follower of that believed, the interior of Kaaba was decorated with images and statues of different Gods, this in its case strictly contradicted the essence of newly formed religion's principles. As we observed from the picture, the essence of Islam consists from one major concept, and this concept is called monotheism, or unity of Allah. According the scenario of the movie, the representatives of other religions turned the essence of their religion into easy target to change and misinterpretation, therefore, these religions should be considered as imperfect. On the contrary, as movie narrates, the Islam will never become target to change and misinterpretation by its followers foremost and by representatives of other religions in other side. Yet, extensive facts and events in the picture shows that Islam formed its shape during the lifetime of prophet Muhammad. But, in reality, most of the principles of Islam has been formulated after the death of the messenger of God through gradual interexchange of norms and mores of other monotheist religions vis a vis Islam. If we look closer to the sayings and writings of Judaism and Christianity, they are almost similar with the meanings which interpreted in Islam. This fact in its case, infers that Islam by forming in the Middle East where both Judaism and Christianity emerged, insensibly borrowed some ideas from these religions, because they were major monotheist religions of the world which claimed the unity of the God. From my perspective, Islam as a religion digested all the disadvantages of these religions and formed reformative new faith. Because, as the movie itself narrates, through many years Judaism and Christianity are heavily changed from its original concept, therefore Islam emerged as alternated form of these religions, but completely in different paradigm and ideological discourse. Nevertheless, the film shows that how prophet Muhammad has possessed large degree of legitimacy among the people of Medina and how after the bloodless encroachment to the Medina he even further acquired huge level of authority in Arab world. This political and religious position in its case, gave him authority to claim from other rulers of Middle East to convert their faith into Islam and fight for the proliferation of perfect religion which lacks errors unlike other religions. From my perspective, these rulers from Middle East were eventually agreed to convert their faith, foremost in order to set up peace and order in the Arabian Peninsula, because as we knew already Arabian world prior to emergence of Islam was deeply involved in severe conflicts and ignorance. Therefore, I would claim that Islam to certain extent created stability in Arabian community. One of the mind changing point in the movie was the fact that Holy book of Muslims Koran has been written after the death of prophet Muhammad. As movie facts and events delivers to us, holy texts have been orally transmitted to the messenger in the form of revelations, he and his literate companions immediately convert them into written papers and after the death of the messenger these papers have been recollected into one book called Koran. To conclude, Islam become third monotheistic major religion in the world after the Judaism and Christianity, by taking its shape in sixth century by the direct involvement of prophet Muhammed. At that time Islam was a new phenomenon which narrated surrounding environment little bit different than Judaism and Christianity. Followers of Islam certainly believed that these religions become an imperfect religion after the constant amendments by high authority scholars or certain rulers, therefore Islam will be only religion which would not change its fundamentals. Nevertheless, Islam brought to stability and put an end to pagan worships in the Middle East.