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In Memory of Mustapha al-Akkad and
Da`wah
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By
Farrukh I. Younus **
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Nov.
16, 2005
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| Mustapha al-Akkad receiving a lifetime achievement award in 2004 at a fundraiser for development projects in Occupied Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and other parts of the world |
Communication
is to make information known. The Arabic word da`wah, often translated as
“inviting someone to faith,” is the best form of communication, as its root
word implies inviting someone to a meal, an environment in which information is
not only shared, but is done so in an open, friendly and pleasant manner. In
such a context of communication, al-Akkad was ahead in the race with his movies,
delivering the message of Islam to many Muslims and non-Muslims around the
world. In fact, his method was not that far from the way the early message of
Islam was delivered.
Between
the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad and the later period in
Makkah, where he was commanded by Allah Almighty to proclaim the message, there
existed a pause, usually called the fatrah, which, according to Ibn Sa`d,
lasted for three years.
After
this interval Prophet Muhammad began preaching openly in public, and later even
attended the great fairs of Arabia such as that of Ukaz, an annual event lasting
for 20 days during which there was much entertainment. The fashion trends
established there would then be copied throughout Arabia in the same way that
the fashions of London, New York, and Paris are imitated around the world today.
Khamais
Ash-Shaqi, a medieval jurist, observed that for every period of time there is an
appropriate rule. By extension, the quick spread of Islam as a faith that
appeals to the mind and draws upon the emotions of the heart, was by the grace
of effective methods for that time. Islam
needs to be communicated in the most
proficient of manners to the people, through mediums which they can understand
in the context of the time in which they live.
Throughout
time, Muslims have benefited from the purity of Islam, from the example of the
Prophet, and from the revivers of faith. These revivers could be rulers or
jurists setting a good example, historians, scientists documenting the latest
discoveries, etc. The nature of their preaching enabled the mind to think, the
people to develop, and created harmony between faith and every aspect of our
God-given nature.
Thus
the Syrian born director Mustapha al-Akkad was the epitome of communicators.
1976 saw the release of his movie The Message, with which he for the
first time brought to the world the message of Islam through the use of the most
advanced of technologies and by utilizing the most popular medium of our
generation, television. How ironical then, that such a great communicator lost
his life to those who claim to be acting in the name of Islam when they blew
themselves up in the midst of a wedding feast.
Mustapha
al-Akkad was one of the few people of our generation who have been able to
deliver his understanding of Islam to people effectively. He tapped into various
historical sources, respected Muslim sensibilities by not physically portraying
the Prophet Muhammad, and provided the everyday individual access to Islam.
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| A young Mustapha al-Akkad instructing actor Anthony Quinn at the set of
The Lion of the Desert. |
As
a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad reads, a time will come when Islam will be
available in every household. Mustapha al-Akkad took a giant leap forward in
making Islam available to everyone.
From
the Prophet Muhammad, who brought the message, to the scribes who recorded the
message, to the scholars who transmitted the message, to the producers who
illustrated the message, to the future leaders of communication who will make
the message freely available to everyone—in my understanding Mustapha al-Akkad
was one of the key links in this chain.
We
may have lost a mere link in the chain, yet Mustapha al-Akkad’s message was
certainly stronger, clearer, more accurate, and more just than that of those who
murdered him. May Allah have mercy on him and may He guide us all. Ameen. To God
we belong and unto Him is our return.
**
Farrukh I. Younus holds a
master’s degree in international business management and works in the emerging
telecom industry. He resides in Surrey, UK. His interests include travel,
nouvelle cuisine, and chocolate. You can contact him at: farrukh@ntlworld.com.
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