Dan: updated page

2026-03-10T22:19:14Z

updated page

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-09-28T19:01:19Z

Created a new article

New page

{{short description|Depictions of the main Islamic prophet in movies}}
{{Muhammad}}
The depiction of Islamic prophet '''Muhammad in film''' (as with other visual depictions) is a controversial topic both within and outside of Islam. Although the [[Quran]] does not explicitly forbid images of Muhammad, there are a few [[hadith]] (supplemental teachings) which have explicitly prohibited Muslims from creating visual depictions of figures. Because the different branches of Islam use different Hadith collections, there is a split on this issue between the two major denominations of Islam, [[Sunni]] and [[Shia]] Islam.

Most Sunni Muslims believe that visual depictions of all the [[prophets of Islam]] should be prohibited<ref name="Larsson">{{cite book|last=Larsson|first=Göran|title=Muslims and the New Media|year=2011|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-1-4094-2750-6|page=51}}</ref> and are particularly averse to visual representations of Muhammad.<ref name="BergenMuhammad">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120131123426/http://www.hf.uib.no/religion/popularikonografi/devotion04.html Devotion in pictures: Muslim popular iconography – The prophet Muhammad], [[University of Bergen]]</ref> In 1926, Egyptian actor [[Youssef Wahbi]] was in discussions to play Muhammad in a film financed by the Turkish government under [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk|Atatürk]]. When the Sunni Islamic [[Al-Azhar University]] in Cairo heard about it, scholars there released a fatwa stipulating that Islam forbids the depiction of Muhammad on screen and [[King Fuad I of Egypt|King Fuad]] then sent a severe warning to the actor, threatening to exile him and strip him of his Egyptian nationality. As a result of the controversy, the film was abandoned.<ref name="fatwa_important">{{cite book |author=Alessandra. Raengo |author2=Robert Stam |name-list-style=amp |title=A Companion To Literature And Film |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0-631-23053-X |page=[https://archive.org/details/companiontoliter00stam/page/31 31] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/companiontoliter00stam/page/31 }}</ref>

In Shia Islam, scholars historically were also against such depictions, but have taken a more relaxed view over the years and images of Muhammad are quite common nowadays.<ref name="BergenMuhammad" /> A fatwa given by [[Ali al-Sistani]], the [[Shi'a]] [[Marja'|marja]] of Iraq, states that it is permissible to depict Muhammad, even in television or movies, if done with respect.<ref name="sistani">{{cite web|url=http://www.sistani.org/english/qa/01282/|title=Istifta|access-date=2015-09-28}}</ref>

==Notable films==
===''L'Inferno''===
{{main|L'Inferno}}
''Dante's Inferno'', originally released in Italy as ''L'Inferno'', was one of, if not the first depiction of Muhammad in a feature-length film. The depiction of Muhammad in ''L'Inferno'' is very brief and very unflattering. It has a brief section in which Muhammad is being tortured in Hell with his chest opened, exposing his entrails.<ref>{{cite book |last=Plate |first=S. Brent |title=Blasphemy: Art that Offends |publisher=Black Dog |year=2006 |page=39 |isbn =978-1-9047-7253-8}}</ref>

===''The Message''===
{{main|The Message (1976 film)}}
''Mohammad, Messenger of God'', released in the US as ''The Message'', was the first major film about Muhammad. The film was released on January 1, 1976 and on July 29 of the same year it had its premiere in "Plaza", a [[London]] cinema. There are two versions of the movie, an English one and an Arab one. The Arab version had also its premiere in a London cinema, Curzon, on August 19, 1976. Both versions were screened till September 29. So the English version was shown for nine weeks, and the Arab version for six weeks.

When director [[Mustafa Akkad]] was shooting the film, he made use of an American cast and an Egyptian cast. In the English version [[Anthony Quinn]] played Hamza, Michael Ansara Muhammad's principal opponent [[Abu Sufyan]], and Irene Papas Abu Sufyan's wife Hind. In the Arab version these roles were played by Egyptian actors. However, in a number of overall shots, in which a large group is acting, such as the [[Battle of Badr]], it can be heard that the scene is shot only once, as the actors shout "''[[Allahu Akbar]]''", whereas in other similar scenes the director opted for "God is great".

Although the movie is about Muhammad, the director decided to shoot the film so as to not depict Muhammad. Akkad frequently changed the position of the camera at moments when Muhammad would be brought into vision. When Muhammad was essential to a scene, the camera would show events from his point of view.<ref name="Message">{{cite web|url=http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/L7M5247402032139.pdf|title=The image of Muhammad in The Message, the first and only feature film about the Prophet of Islam|first=Freek L.|last=Bakker|date=January 2006|publisher=Routledge, "Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations", Vol. 17, No.1|access-date=2007-07-06}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

''The Message'' became very popular, not the least in the circles of Muslims, for example in Africa, and Asia. Even so, two well-known [[fatwa]]s from [[Al-Azhar]] University and Shiite Council of Lebanon were issued about ''The Message''.
{{blockquote|It is certainly probable that this is not the result of the creativity of the filmmakers but of the rules announced by the Islamic scholars of the Azhar and the Shia Council of Lebanon, who prohibited any representation of Muhammad's wives as well as of Muhammad himself.<ref name="Message" />}}

===''Muhammad: The Last Prophet''===
{{main|Muhammad: The Last Prophet}}

''[[Muhammad: The Last Prophet]]'' is an animated film produced by Badr International according to the same principles as "The Message". Its director is [[Richard Rich (director)|Richard Rich]]. The movie was released in 2004 and it was screened in a limited number of movie-theatres in the United States and the United Kingdom. The film focuses on the early period of Islam.

===''Muhammad: The Messenger of God''===
{{main|Muhammad: The Messenger of God (film)}}

In October 2012, Iranian director [[Majid Majidi]] began shooting a film titled '' [[Muhammad: The Messenger of God (film)|Muhammad: The Messenger of God]]'' with plans to show Muhammad on screen, though not his face, as per Shia tradition. The film world premier was on 27 August 2015.<ref name="ffm">{{cite news|url=http://www.ffm-montreal.org/en/press-releases/104-muhammad-the-film-event-of-2015-to-have-world-premiere-at-the-montreal-world-film-festival.html|title=MUHAMMAD THE FILM EVENT OF 2015 TO HAVE WORLD PREMIERE AT THE MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL|work=ffm-montreal.org|access-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722160228/http://www.ffm-montreal.org/en/press-releases/104-muhammad-the-film-event-of-2015-to-have-world-premiere-at-the-montreal-world-film-festival.html|archive-date=22 July 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===''The Lady of Heaven''===
{{main|The Lady of Heaven}}

In June 2020, [[Deadline Hollywood]] announced that Enlightened Kingdom were producing ''[[The Lady of Heaven]]'' which would be the first film that shows the face of Muhammad.<ref>{{Cite web|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=2020-06-29|title=Enlightened Kingdom Sets 'Lady Of Heaven'; Feature About Lady Fatima, Daughter Of Muhammad|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/lady-of-heaven-enlightened-kingdom-lady-fatima-daughter-of-muhammad-movie-1202973314/|access-date=2020-06-29|website=Deadline|language=en}}</ref> In order to respect [[aniconism in Islam]], Muhammad was portrayed by light and cinematic effects as opposed to being portrayed by an actor or single individual.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Al-Habib|first=Yasser|title=The Lady of Heaven|url=https://alhabib.org/en/the-lady-of-heaven/|access-date=2021-02-15|website=Alhabib.org|language=en-US}}</ref> The producers of the film also discussed how they tackled the very challenging aspect of depicting a Muslim holy personality.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Blyth|first=Antonia|date=2021-07-14|title=How 'The Lady Of Heaven' Producers Tackled The "Very Challenging" Aspect Of Depicting A Muslim Holy Person – Cannes Studio|url=https://deadline.com/video/the-lady-of-heaven-producers-cannes-interview/|access-date=2021-07-16|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}</ref> A trailer for the film was released on 23 December 2020 followed by a US theatrical release date a year later on 10 December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Lady of Heaven, The Untold Story|url=https://kinocheck.com/movie/tc2/the-lady-of-heaven-2021|access-date=2021-07-16|website=KinoCheck|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Lady of Heaven|url=https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/the-lady-of-heaven-68145|access-date=2021-10-28|website=AMC Theatres}}</ref>

=== Later projects===
There are some new films currently being produced about Muhammad, considered the "second of their kind" (referring to Western films respecting the portrayal of Muhammad).<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/mar/15/qatar-iran-films-prophet-muhammad|title=Qatar and Iran on rival missions to make films about prophet Muhammad|first=Ben|last=Child|date=March 15, 2013|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="reutars1" />

In October 2008, Producer Oscar Zoghbi, who worked on the original ''[[Mohammad, Messenger of God|The Message]]'', stated that he would shooting a remake called ''The Messenger of Peace'', to be shot around the holy cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]].<ref name="reutars1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE49Q3N520081027|title=Movie planned on life of Mohammad|date=Oct 27, 2008  |access-date=2009-01-29 | work=Reuters}}</ref>

Film producer [[Barrie M. Osborne]] has been hired as an adviser on a possible series of epics about Muhammad. The films, which are financed by a [[Qatar]]i media company and will be supervised by the Egyptian cleric [[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]], are unlikely to depict Muhammad at all on screen as per Sunni tradition which sees all renderings of the prophets as blasphemous.<ref name="guardian" /><ref>[http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/11/02/matrix-and-lord-of-the-rings-producer-to-make-movie-about-the-founder-of-islam/ MTV]</ref>

==List of films==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width="200"|Date
! Production company
! Title
! Country of origin
! class="unsortable"|References
|-
|Unknown
|[[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]
|''[[Muhammad: Biography]]''
|UK
| align="center" |<ref name="History Channel Asia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.historychannelasia.com/synopsis.aspx?libId=47&sId=85&sTime=1140|title=The Prophet Muhammad|publisher=History Channel Asia.com|access-date=2008-12-31}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
|Unknown
|Unknown
|''[[Muhammad: A Mercy to Mankind]]''
|
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|1911|03|10}}
|[[Milano Films]]
|''[[L'Inferno (1911 film)|L'Inferno]]''
|Italy
|align="center"|
|-
| {{dts|1977|9|3}}
| [[Moustapha Akkad]]
| ''[[Mohammad, Messenger of God|The Message]]'' (or ''Mohammad, Messenger of God'') 
| UK, USA
|align="center"| <ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/33045/Mohammad-Messenger-of-God/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201132518/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/33045/Mohammad-Messenger-of-God/overview|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-02-01|title=Mohammad Messenger of God (1976) Alternate Titles: The Message, Mohammad: Messenger of God, Al-Risalah|access-date=2008-12-31 | first=John |department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2008| last=Kifner}}</ref><ref name="tcm.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=83810|title=Overview for Mohammad Messenger of God (1976) |publisher=tcm.com|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref>
|-
|{{dts|2000}}
|PBS
|''[[Islam: Empire of Faith]]''
|USA
| align="center" |<ref name="The Making of Islam: Empire of Faith">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/film.html|title=The Making of Islam: Empire of Faith|publisher=PBS.org|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref> <ref name="Islam: Empire of Faith Homepage">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/index.html|title=Islam: Empire of Faith Homepage|website=[[PBS]] |access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref>
|-
|{{dts|2002|3|12}}
|Mpi Home Video
|''[[Story of Islam]]''
|USA
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|2002|12|17}}
|[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]
|''[[Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet]]''
|USA
| align="center" |<ref name="MLOFP">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/muhammad/|title=Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet PBS Homepage|publisher=PBS|access-date=2009-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396743/|title=Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (2002) at IMDb|website=[[IMDb]] |access-date=2009-01-01}}</ref> <ref name="Unity Production Foundations1">{{cite web|url=http://www.upf.tv/upf06/Films/MuhammadLegacyofaProphet/tabid/75/Default.aspx|title=Unity Production Foundations - Details (SYNOPSIS)|access-date=2009-01-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080730234527/http://upf.tv/upf06/Films/MuhammadLegacyofaProphet/tabid/75/Default.aspx  |archive-date = 2008-07-30}}</ref><ref name="Islam Project.org1">{{cite web|url=http://www.islamproject.org/muhammad/muhammad.htm|title=Islam Project.org|access-date=2009-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212204740/http://www.islamproject.org/muhammad/muhammad.htm|archive-date=2008-12-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="20,000 Dialogues">{{cite web|url=http://www.20000dialogues.org/film.aspx|title=20,000 Dialogues|publisher=20,000 Dialogues|access-date=2009-01-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207151518/http://20000dialogues.org/film.aspx|archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref>
|-
|{{dts|2004|5|2}}
|BBC
|''[[A Muslim In The Family]]''
|UK
| align="center" |<ref name="RogerChilds1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/3663771.stm|title= BBC News article "A Muslim in the family" |last=Childs|first=Roger|date=1 May 2004|publisher=BBC|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref><ref name="A Muslim in the family1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/conversion/family.shtml|title=BBC (Religion & Ethics: Islam) Essay: A Muslim in the family|last=Omaar|first=Rageh|publisher=BBC|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref> 
|-
| {{dts|2004|11|14}}
| Fine Media Group
| ''[[Muhammad: The Last Prophet]]''
| USA
|align="center"| <ref name="Yahoo!.com">{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808614592/info|title=Muhammad, the Last Prophet (2004) Profile|work=Yahoo|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref> <ref name="Birth of Islam (Film Review)">{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2004/11/13/movies/13prop.html?_r=1|title=Animated Retelling of the Birth of Islam (Film Review)|last=Stevens |first=Dana |date=November 13, 2004|work=The New York Times|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/muhammadthelastprophet|title=Muhammad: The Last Prophet Metacritic.com reviews|author=Metacritic.com|work=Metacritic.com|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref> 
|-
|{{dts|2004|10|21}}
|[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]
|''[[Inside Mecca]]''
|USA
|align="center"|
|-
|{{dts|2005}}
|[[BBC]] ([[BBC Four]])
|''[[An Islamic History of Europe]]''
|UK
| align="center" |<ref name="Rageh Omaar">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/islamic-history-europe.shtml|title=An Islamic History of Europe|last=Omaar|first=Rageh|work=Rageh Omaar |publisher=BBC|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref><ref name="BBC Educational Archive1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbcactive.com/BroadCastLearning/asp/catalogue/productdetail.asp?productcode=21854|title=An Islamic History of Europe BBC Educational Archive|access-date=2008-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023210716/http://www.bbcactive.com/BroadCastLearning/asp/catalogue/productdetail.asp?productcode=21854|archive-date=2007-10-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="MuslimHeritage.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?articleID=891|title=Bringing to Life the Islamic History of Europe: A Video Documentary Testimony|work=MuslimHeritage.com, [[BBC Four]], Rageh Omaar|access-date=2008-12-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104164055/http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?articleID=891|archive-date=2013-01-04}}</ref>
|-
|{{dts|2005}}
|BBC
|''[[The Smell of Paradise]]''
|UK
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|2006|03|02}}
|Towers Productions
|''[[Secrets of the Koran]]'' (''[[Decoding the Past]]'')
|USA
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|2006|9|25}}
| Quantum Leaps; EDS
|''[[Understanding Islam: The Signs of the Last Day]]''
|Turkey
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|2011|07}}
|[[BBC]] ([[BBC Two]])
|''[[The Life of Muhammad]]''
|UK
|align="center"|<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/06_june/20/muhammad.shtml|title=Rageh Omaar to present The Life Of Muhammad for BBC Two|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2011-06-20|access-date=2013-02-01}}</ref>
|-
|{{dts|2012|07}}
|[[Nakoula Basseley Nakoula]]
|''[[Innocence of Muslims]]''
|US
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|2012|12|10}}
|Enlightened Kingdom
|''[[The Lady of Heaven]]''
|K
| align="center" |
|-
|{{dts|2015|03}}
|Nurtaban Film Industry
|''[[Muhammad (2015 film)|Muhammad]]''
|Iran
|align="center"|
|-
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Islam|Film}}
* [[List of Islamic films]]
* [[List of animated Islamic films]]
* [[Depictions of Muhammad]]
* [[Historicity of Muhammad]]
* [[History of Islam]]
* [[List of biographies of Muhammad]]
* [[Muhammad in Islam]]
* [[Prophetic biography]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Bakker, Freek, Cinema, in ''Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God'' (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014. {{ISBN|1610691776}}

{{Islam topics}}
{{depictions of Muhammad}}

[[Category:Films about Muhammad| ]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Muhammad|Films]]

Muhammad in film - Revision history

Dan: updated page

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article