There are worries that the release of the movie ‘Lady of Heaven’ will stoke tensions between Sunnis and Shias the two largest sects in Islam.
These two sects were formed after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) around the issue of who should be the Prophet’s successor and to this day they disagree with each other about this schism. According to estimates around ten percent of the Muslim world belong to the Shia sect and the remaining 90 percent are Sunni.
Protests have taken place in some towns and cities in the UK where Muslims are highly offended at the portrayal of many of the greatest of the Prophet’s companions.
The movie has even been banned in Shia majority Iran , Pakistan and Egypt. The depiction of the Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and the Prophet’s wife Aisha are unacceptable and highly offensive and present a distorted view of history.
The movies message is that leadership was usurped from the family of the Prophet by these highly respected and loved figures in mainstream Islam. The film has also been deemed to be racist in its portrayal as the main negative characters - who are the Prophet’s closest companions- as they are portrayed by solely black actors.
Sunnis love the family of the Prophet and also the Companions of the Prophet too. The film had a budget of 15 million dollars and was released in the UK on 3 June.
The image of the Prophet was depicted in the movie which is not allowed in Islam and is deeply offensive to mainstream Muslims.
It was Abu Bakr who supported the Prophet through thick and thin when the pagans would torture and abuse the followers of Islam. It was Umar who brought strength to the weak Muslim community. Aisha was the Prophet’s favourite wife.
The film was written by Yasser Al Habib, who was granted asylum in the UK where he presently lives. He is a Kuwaiti Twelver Shia scholar who some feel propagates questionable views about the companions, especially Abu Bakr and Umar. In the movie, these two early leaders are shown to be scheming and wicked.
Al Habib is considered to be a marginal figure among mainstream Shia – Islam. Sunnis and Shias alike need to come together and condemn and boycott such views.
As a Muslim I revere the family of the Prophet (Ahlul Bait) which included Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain and the mothers of the believers – the holy wives of the Prophet.
But along with them I also love and respect the likes of Abu Bakr and Umar who proved many times while the Prophet was alive that they should succeed the Prophet.
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