Thus, much of what is known about Muhammad was originally told through the eyes of a woman. While men authored all of the chronicles on the life Muhammad, the source of their information, most often, was a woman (Roded 335). Not only did they play a direct role in the growth of the religion but also in advancing Muhammad’s profile as the Prophet. According to this biography, Muhammad’s wife Khadija was actually his first follower who, according to the source, assisted Muhammad both by strengthening him and by bringing down those who opposed him (Guillaume 155). This is evident in the Life of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, a biography of the Prophet that Akkad relied on heavily when filming The Message. Women played an integral part in the beginning of Islam. This decision to adhere to these religious prohibitions had several unintended consequences on the story in the film, one of which was the limitation of the roles women play in The Message. In order to try to avoid this predicament, “Akkad decided to concentrate the film on the person of Muhammad’s Uncle Hamza ” (Bakker 78). The Message was extremely controversial when it was first being made because it was attempting to tell the story of Muhammad on-screen when there were (and still are) religious restrictions on the depiction or portrayal of the Prophet, his family, and many of his closest associates.
#THE MESSAGE 1976 MOVIE#
Most of the conflict throughout the movie comes from people either giving Islam a chance, similar to the Emperor of Byzantium, or rejecting Islam, similar to the actions of the ruler of Persia.
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The movie, as a whole, depicts the ascent of Islam, beginning with the growth of Islam within Mecca, the hardships endured during the Muslim exile from Mecca, the establishment of the first mosque in Medina, and the military campaign against the pagans to return to Mecca in the early seventh century. It shows the ruler of Persia tearing the messengers’ note and rejecting the Message, while the Byzantine Emperor is shown giving the Message more consideration, even equating Muhammad to John the Baptist. This opening scene works as a summary of what the movie is all about.
![the message 1976 the message 1976](https://images.kinorium.com/movie/shot/69391/p520_38272637.jpg)
It opens with messengers riding through the stark landscape of the desert to bring the word of Muhammad to rulers outside Arabia so that they may ask that these powerful men convert to Islam. The film The Message, directed by Moustapha Akkad and produced by Filmco International Productions, was released in 1976 ().