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The award-winning Indian Music composer, A.R Rahman who composed Music for the film based on Prophet Muhammad directed by award-winning Iranian director Majid Majidi, has been issued a fatwa by Mumbai-based Raza Academy (a Sunni organization of Indian Muslims that aims to promote hardline Islamic beliefs through publications and research works.)
They also demanded that the government file a case against Mr. Rahman for hurting the feelings of Muslims and want the film banned.
The composer in his defense said, "What, and if, I had the good fortune of facing Allah and He were to ask me on Judgment Day: I gave you faith, talent, money, fame and health... why did you not do music for my beloved Muhammad film? A film whose intention is to unite humanity, clear misconceptions and spread my message that life is about kindness, about uplifting the poor, and living in the service of humanity and not mercilessly killing innocents in my name."
The Academy also issued 'fatwa' against Majid Majidi and all those who were engaged in making the film on Prophet Muhammed for 'any visual depiction of the Prophet is not allowed in Islam'.
"We are against the title. People may use it in a bad manner if they don’t like the film, which will mean an insult to the Prophet. The actors have charged money to act in the film and they may have dubious character in real life. How can we Muslims allow such things to happen?" asked Saeed Noorie, chief of Raza Academy, which initiated the fatwa that was issued by Muhammad Akhtar – the chief mufti of Mumbai.
The fatwa declared them to read kalma again and solemnise their marriage once more. “They have erred and they must apologise,” he said.
When pointed out that most members of the film’s crew were Muslim, Mr. Noorie said that it was more important to make them realise their mistake. “We would have been criticised if we had condemned American or Danish filmmakers. If it’s an insult, then it is an insult and the person’s religion doesn’t matter,” he said.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s Council of Senior Scholars has denounced the release of the movie.
Earlier this week, the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh said the film “is a mockery of the Prophet(peace be upon him) and a degradation of his status.”
The Muslim World League and Egypt's Al-Azhar University scholars have slammed the decision to release the film. Al-Azhar University said “it is not permitted under Shariah to embody the prophets.” and "what if the actor playing the prophet might later portray a criminal, leading viewers to associate Islam with crime."
Majidi’s film 'Muhammad: The Messenger of God'(the first part of a trilogy), is the first on the subject since Moustapha Akkad’s 1977 film 'The Message', and the first to visually depict the prophet from the back as a child.
A scene from the film 'Muhammad: The Messenger of God'.
Nearly 140 cinemas in Iran began showing the $40 million film, the most expensive in Iranian history, this week. According to the film’s director Majid Majidi, the 171-minute production is “to promote Islamic unity.” Majidi said the aim of his work, is to reclaim the rightful image of Islam, which he said, extremists have distorted.
The 56-year-old Majidi, one of Iran’s celebrated filmmakers along with Mohsen Makhmalbaf, has directed films like Children of Heaven, which was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 1998 Academy Awards, The Color of Paradise, and Baran. He is also currently working on a film on Kashmir.
A R Rahman responds to Muhammad: Messenger of God fatwa | Film | The Guardian
Fatwa against A.R. Rahman for film on Prophet - The Hindu
They also demanded that the government file a case against Mr. Rahman for hurting the feelings of Muslims and want the film banned.
The composer in his defense said, "What, and if, I had the good fortune of facing Allah and He were to ask me on Judgment Day: I gave you faith, talent, money, fame and health... why did you not do music for my beloved Muhammad film? A film whose intention is to unite humanity, clear misconceptions and spread my message that life is about kindness, about uplifting the poor, and living in the service of humanity and not mercilessly killing innocents in my name."
The Academy also issued 'fatwa' against Majid Majidi and all those who were engaged in making the film on Prophet Muhammed for 'any visual depiction of the Prophet is not allowed in Islam'.
"We are against the title. People may use it in a bad manner if they don’t like the film, which will mean an insult to the Prophet. The actors have charged money to act in the film and they may have dubious character in real life. How can we Muslims allow such things to happen?" asked Saeed Noorie, chief of Raza Academy, which initiated the fatwa that was issued by Muhammad Akhtar – the chief mufti of Mumbai.
The fatwa declared them to read kalma again and solemnise their marriage once more. “They have erred and they must apologise,” he said.
When pointed out that most members of the film’s crew were Muslim, Mr. Noorie said that it was more important to make them realise their mistake. “We would have been criticised if we had condemned American or Danish filmmakers. If it’s an insult, then it is an insult and the person’s religion doesn’t matter,” he said.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s Council of Senior Scholars has denounced the release of the movie.
Earlier this week, the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh said the film “is a mockery of the Prophet(peace be upon him) and a degradation of his status.”
The Muslim World League and Egypt's Al-Azhar University scholars have slammed the decision to release the film. Al-Azhar University said “it is not permitted under Shariah to embody the prophets.” and "what if the actor playing the prophet might later portray a criminal, leading viewers to associate Islam with crime."
Majidi’s film 'Muhammad: The Messenger of God'(the first part of a trilogy), is the first on the subject since Moustapha Akkad’s 1977 film 'The Message', and the first to visually depict the prophet from the back as a child.
A scene from the film 'Muhammad: The Messenger of God'.
Nearly 140 cinemas in Iran began showing the $40 million film, the most expensive in Iranian history, this week. According to the film’s director Majid Majidi, the 171-minute production is “to promote Islamic unity.” Majidi said the aim of his work, is to reclaim the rightful image of Islam, which he said, extremists have distorted.
The 56-year-old Majidi, one of Iran’s celebrated filmmakers along with Mohsen Makhmalbaf, has directed films like Children of Heaven, which was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 1998 Academy Awards, The Color of Paradise, and Baran. He is also currently working on a film on Kashmir.
A R Rahman responds to Muhammad: Messenger of God fatwa | Film | The Guardian
Fatwa against A.R. Rahman for film on Prophet - The Hindu
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