Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet - Movie Review Example

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet Kevin James Kevin James story was one of the most compelling individuals within the film as his position as a Muslim American supervising fire marshal shatters numerous stereotypes individuals hold regarding Muslims. At the beginning of the film he states, regarding Islam, “Do you love your creator? Serve your fellow man first.” This goes against a great number of assumptions Americans hold toward Muslims as being in some regards an angry people out to do harm. Instead, James was greatly influenced by the Muslim faith to become a firefighter and see to it that he aided his fellow neighbors in as compelling a means as was possible for his potential. James indicates that despite being not born a Muslim, he felt a particular kinship with Muhammad. James’ family was not religious, but came from a mixed cultural background which left him wondering which direction to go with his life. James favored rationalism and was seeking a belief system that embraced humility and the right path. At one point James remarks that Islam preaches, “Saving one life is the saving of humanity.” He discusses how the profound influence of Islam, in beliefs such as this, has led him to pursue his career as a firefighter and work towards saving lives. Another element of Islam and the prophet Muhammad that greatly influenced Kevin James was the question of jihad. While many westerners understand jihad as a holy way (one which has all too often been thought of as directed against America) James’ understanding, that has profoundly influenced his life, is one of personal improvement. In these regards he states, “the most excellent form of jihad is the struggle to control the ego”. James states that for him, his personal jihad at one time became learning how to speak in public. Another persona jihad that James participated in was writing legislation for fire safety in regards to cigarette smoking, as it is a great cause of fires. He He relates his mission in this regard to the earlier quote he attributes to Islam, namely, ‘If you save one life, you are saving humanity.’ Perhaps the most compelling demonstration of this faith occurred on September 11, 2001. On this date James and another person went to the area of the attacks and helped the surviving victims. His actions in this regard are balanced with his statements on hoping that no Muslims were involved in the attacks. One sees how Islam has profoundly influenced James through these actions; it’s through James and others that one can come to gain a much better understanding of the positive ways in which Islam has affected many individuals lives. Daisy Kahn Daisy Kahn is the execute director of the Asma Society. She is an extremely compelling individual in the film, as she presents a perspective on Islam in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and attempts to offer perspective on the public’s changing perceptions. Kahn grew up in India and came to America as an adolescent. While she wanted to fit into American culture and rejected her Islamic faith, until coming back to her Islamic faith later in life. Islam has profoundly influenced her, as she works with young Islamic women in America and helps them cope with existence as an individual of Islamic faith within a western cultural context. The film contains scenes of her counseling the younger Islamic women and one realizes that for these individuals Islam has been a positive and calming influence in their lives. It’s clear that Islam has greatly influenced his in this regard and has functioned to give her a sense of purpose and meaning. It’s clear from her story that through Islam she has not simply found a religion that speaks to a minimal number of challenges, but a belief system that guides her and the individuals she counsels through the challenges they face in western society. In this regards, the influence Islam has had on Daisy is profound and can be applied to all individuals living within the United States. Jameel Johnson Jameel Johnson presents a compelling portrait of an individual attempting to make compelling changes within society utilizing his understanding of ethics from a religious perspective. Johnson is an advisor to New York politician Gregory Meeks and works within this regard to spread justice. He states towards the beginning of his segment, “If you see something wrong change it with your hands. If you are not able to then speak out against it. But that is the weakest way.” In watching Jameel Johnson within the context of his life and job, one can see how he has worked diligently to make positive change within society. The influence of Islam in Johnson’s life has also led him to lead daily prayer groups and maintain his faith through a variety of reasons. In Jameel Johnson we see that Islam has a positive influence even on the political structure of American society. Its influence on him, and through the individual he advices, the American political system, is compelling when one considers the erroneous assumption that pits western Christianity against Middle Eastern Islam. Recommendation I would definitely recommend this Muhammad: the Legacy of a Prophet to other individuals. In fact I believe this film should be required viewing in public schools, as the information it contains should be enlightening to many individuals. I do not mean this in a religious sense, but rather in the sense of giving individuals a perspective on the historical origins of Islam and help them realize that it is the holy war centric religious cult that many westerners envision it. In many regards, in supplying these individuals with Muhammad’s background they can see that he lived a virtuous life and that many of their negative perceptions of Islam are simply misconceptions. For instance, his marriage shows no signs of stringent male dominance and is in no regards sexist or misogynistic. Instead, Muhammad rejected the society as it degraded women and fought for women’s legal rights, allowed them to divorce, and generally stood up for their rights. The film is also important as it allows individuals insight into Middle Eastern heritage and belief. For instance, viewers discover that there is a stark difference between the Christian characterization of Jesus, who has been made out to be an all powerful, supernatural diety, and the Muslim characterization of Muhammad. Rather than being a god, Muhammad is known to Muslims as a prophet. In these regards, I believe the film would be greatly beneficial to other individuals attempting to gain a perspective on the nature of religion and spiritual thought in contemporary society. In addition to the background the film describes concerning Islam, through the personal interviews with contemporary Muslims it allows individuals to understand the real practice of Islam. In these regards, there are a number of themes that are central to the film’s message. Perhaps the most compelling theme is that of the concern one should have for their fellow human being. One sees this in all the stories of the individuals described; consider Kevin James selfless work as a firefighter or Jameel Johnson’s work as a political assistant to Gregory Meeks, working to achieve a greater sense of justice for society. In all of these individuals, one sees the centrality of living one’s life to accord with society and their neighbor. This makes this film highly important as it is this same core belief, ‘Love they neighbor as thy self’ that is at the core of Christian belief. I believe that if more individuals from western society viewed this film they would come to understand that the beliefs underlining their religious doctrine are the same beliefs that are at the core of the Islamic faith. Another highly compelling aspect of this film that makes me want to recommend it to others is the discussion of jihad. In a substantial segment the film addresses the topic of Jihad and shows that the typical western conception of it as a war against America, or a holy war are great misunderstood. Instead, the film reveals that most rational thinking Islamists believe that Osama Bin Laden’s actions on September 11th were unjustified and completely absurd. I believe that if more Americans were to watch this film they would come to understand that Islam is not the antagonistic religion that they have made it out to be and then come to a greater sense of understanding and peace with individuals they have previously been in conflict. Read More