200 assalamualaikum peace be with you
thank you for turning into the D show
this week the film Noah with Russell
Crowe here on the Deen show with our
next guest coming in to discuss it to
review it to give you his thumbs-up or
thumbs-down about the film he's the star
of the show the purpose of life is not
to Harlem shake Imam John when we come
back here on the Deen show and we're
back here on the D show to talk about
Russell Crowe's film Noah and my next
guest is no stranger to the D show he's
the star of the show the purpose of life
is not to Harlem shake which is a big
hit out there he's here with us all the
way from charlotte north carolina imam
john peace be with you someone make of
me my peace and blessings and mercy of
allah be upon you how you been
i'm just praising the most time and
we're blessed now there's a big
controversy to get into the film one of
the big controversies over the film is
the substitution of the word God for the
word creators talk to the writers they
said that they replaced God with the
word creator so we're going to go over
the Islamic perspective of the film but
do we have a problem when we when we you
know use creator instead of using the
word God right some of the media outlets
and some of the Evangelic rules the
concept of a smile on his no the
beautiful titles and descriptions that
God has made about himself in the Holy
Quran and in the universality of
linguistics to describe God is that
their prophet sent to many nations and
the holy quran says one of sudden
Marisol and illa billah' san thome that
no prophet was ever sent except for in
the language talking in the language of
the people they were sent to so for us
creator and God with a capital G both
identify with the one who sent the Holy
Quran to the prophets of Allah diem so
either ones fine to us and the Koran
described him in both ways now you
describe your described as I you you
actually you saw the film and you did a
review on it an article and quoting you
you said it was often boring seemingly
long and drawn-out can you go ahead and
expound on this yeah I wouldn't advise
it for somebody looking for good
entertainment it's it's a real long
drawn-out
and the plot is very dark and shallow
and it's really you know from that
aspect obviously it's a disservice to
Prophet Noah peace be upon him but
obviously to too many Christians and to
Minnie will you call pseudo deists or
modern liberal folks they really
appreciate it the movie and they thought
it was really inspiring and it does
cover without there's some dis details
that miss but generally the plot is
quite biblical so it's not an attack on
the Prophet Noah by any means
now tell us one of the biggest concerns
that you had with the movie and
obviously we as Muslims would be the
depiction of Noah I mean we hold him to
a high regard don't we as Muslims you
you actually you cannot be a Muslim
unless you accept him along with Jesus
Moses and all the other messengers that
God had mentioned Mohammed being the
last so the way that he's depicted what
would you have to say about that yeah so
definitely Noah and all of the prophets
Department tells us we don't distinguish
amongst them and the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that
little Boehner and ba Alette do not
prefer one prophet over another many of
our scholars say that he's being humble
and he knows his special place among his
prophets but in the general texts of the
Quran and the Sunnah we know that we
should believe in all and hold all to a
high special status that we love and
respect and deep reverence for their
message and their character and so
obviously we as Muslims are concerned
about how they're depicted and not what
I found is the depiction of this in or
was by no mean a mean of jest or mocking
it was just unfortunately you know to an
extent do you know the biblical version
which which we would disagree with in
many ways now tell us what I found odd
was we know that Noah peace be upon him
he called people for over 950 years to
the pure monotheism to worship the
Creator the owner of mankind and
everything in this universe the one God
correct and he was calling people to get
on the ship but Russell Crowe was
keeping people off the ship did you find
that ironic
yeah and that's that's one of the major
differences is that the or Enic message
and and depiction of Noah is that of a
merciful compassionate diligent prophet
that's so concerned about the well-being
of his people he spent all these
centuries just trying he wasn't
integrated with his society he wasn't a
nomad guy out in the middle of nowhere
meant to bring the doom of humanity as a
matter of fact he worked hard and he did
not know until the end of his
messengership
that he was to build an ark that was
something that came as a result of him
trying and trying and trying and finally
calling upon God and asking him can you
please give me guidance and saw this I
feel like they will not believe and so
then he sent down that they will be
punished and so he built the ark so
obviously the poetic depiction is that
he's building the ark in the city and
monks people and they're mocking and
ridiculing you know this is nonsense
there's not gonna be a flood that we're
gonna die in and there were in the part
and it says that there were many
believers you have many scholarly
attempts at pinpointing it but there
were you know many believers who were
following Noah and believing in his
message and they joined him and they
were helping him build the ship not some
trapped angel rock characters as you
will see in the movie it was actually
there are some scholars that narrated
that the angels facilitated it but in
general it was Noah his family and the
believers and so they were they were on
the ship with him in the car and so this
one before we go to break this what this
wouldn't be a Judea Noah wouldn't just
fit in a judeo-christian story the the
story of Noah comes from the
judeo-christian he actually has a big
part in Islam doesn't he oh yeah I would
say if you look at the Quran the
depiction of Noah and the extensive
discussion about Noah's actually more of
that in the Bible so the Quran has a
much more special concern given to Noah
than than any other scripture on earth
yeah but he's dear to our hearts so you
can exclude the the Muslims from from
Noah can you yes we're gonna be right
back with Imam John
to continue discussing the film with
Russell Crowe Noah here on the Dean show
right back or it can't have defects in
it can it if it is literally God's Word
yes it cannot have defects I mean this
was written by men you know that this is
a collection right even if you have
Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel
according to according to right the
thing about the Quran and the biggest
and you know I'll leave you with this is
the biggest thing for me is if the Quran
is exactly what it says it is and this
doesn't matter whether you're Muslim or
not if the Quran is what it says it is
the Quran is literally the Word of God
delivered via Gabriel to Muhammad who
was an unlettered man who couldn't read
or write right and he was just told to
recite right that was the first thing
right first thing is recited right so if
it is literally the Word of God then
that's pretty important to me and before
I became most of my said if this is the
Word of God then I'm gonna follow it
because I'd be stupid not to
is life just about partying play and
getting the bling-bling
find out the purpose of life at the Dean
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the Dean show back here on the D show
with Imam John the star of the hit show
the purpose of life is not to Harlem
shake is it you this wonderful show
people can go they can see it on YouTube
they type in the purpose of life is not
to Harlem shake what an awesome show you
did you also you start in the show
clearing the many misconceptions did a
great job there and now we got you back
talking about the film with Russell
Crowe Noah so we discussed earlier that
no no Muslim we often say that no Muslim
is a Muslim unless he believes and loves
Jesus peace be upon him is that correct
and no Muslim is a Muslim unless he
believes also in Moses and Noah being
one of those messengers that carried the
same message as all the preceding
messengers which was obviously to call
in the people to worship the Creator not
the creation and we didn't see much of
that did we we didn't we didn't see I
mean tell us we you saw the film did you
see a lot of that where he was calling
people away from idolatry away from
human worship creation worship to
worship the Creator right so that's the
crux of the difference is that basically
God
time and time again makes the depiction
the far end of the problem with humanity
is some form of polytheism that people
move away from their their roots who
created them and nurtured them and
provided them and takes care of them
that is the one that we should live to
serve and be in some sort of purposeful
union with and so people that worship
rock stones people that desires money
entertainment people that the center of
their life is not that is where people
have lost their way and so historically
there was a lot of idol worship and
worshipping of the Sun and the moon and
the stars and the statues and people and
things like this and so the Quran
actually depicts that there were five
famous pious righteous people that
people really revered and they were
followers of
and the previous understanding of God
through the beginning of mankind but
after their death they erected these
statues and people started to worship
them and they used to hold them as the
most dear answer to their prayers and
giving of sustenance and things like
this so that was the most important
thing and the Quran teaches us of Noah's
mission was to remove that polytheistic
worshipping of the creation rather than
the Creator and obviously their
corruption and iniquity was also a part
of that and that's because of when you
have polytheism then it removes you the
purity of heart that one would have in
being in having that special spiritual
connection with the actual truth of
their soul that is living and causing
their body life because of the creative
mysterious divine soul that was created
there and so that's the divine oneness
of God is in that oneness and the
purpose of life that we're looking for
so in the Bible and in this movie the
the story is basically from the very
beginning Noah is being told in dreams
that you're gonna you're gonna have to
build the ship because mankind is doomed
and there is no hope there's no calling
to them there's no the problem also in
the Bible and in the movie is that it
was about iniquity and wickedness that
people have become evil and corrupt in
general by their actions there which is
also a big problem and people should
always be working to eradicate social
injustice and corruption but polytheism
is the most serious issue from Noah
spent centuries trying to eradicate
polytheism from society and he kept
telling them he will forgive you God is
forgiving and merciful
and he will remove your sins and He will
give you grace and he will not only send
down rain but he will send it down with
fruits and wealth and good for you
instead of unfortunately what happened
which was the destruction of them tell
us now the Islamic version of the Angels
you see in the film what happens is they
had the concept of fallen angels who
then they were covered up with the earth
made into like some lava rock
then they came later to help Noah what
do we say about this yeah obviously the
the N is very clear well the angels do
not have this conscious choice that they
live on they have an awareness of self
but they are programmed just like the
endnotes the build its colony and do its
job that's how the angels are they just
do what God has programmed them to do
without thinking about why should I do
this or can I do something else so there
is no such thing as a fallen angel and I
actually did a discussion with an
interfaith group about this movie and
they were struggling with this they're
saying okay what is Satan then so I
tried to explain the Satan is a jinn he
is a being that is not a human and not
an angel but has traits from both in
that they have choice but they have some
sort of supernatural existence outside
of our general realm here on earth that
isn't something we interact with
generally and so so basically the fallen
angel concept is somehow mentioned in
the Bible and this is mainly from the
concept of Satan and Lucifer and his
fall from grace but we we understand
that all angels in the fore-end do what
God tells them and they are completely
submitted to his will they are Muslims
not by choice but by the way they were
created inherently whereas people and
jinn they have to seek God they have to
choose that to struggle with their
desires to become one with God in
purpose by choosing to be a muslim a
submitter to the will of god now you
just something profound which has me go
to my next question you said the angels
were muslims and now can you connect
that with noah being Muslim Jesus and
all the other messengers and us today
being Muslims following that same way
what do you mean by that
it's see this that's what's interesting
and this is where it's very important
for Muslims to be involved in interfaith
circles because when you show people
biblical verses of Moses and Noah
and Abraham and Jesus teaching the
religion they taught which was to submit
to the will of God and to follow his law
and to connect yourself with him you
know this is the commandments and so
Muslim is one who submits to the will of
God and so everything the the earth the
moon the suns the trees the ocean is all
submitting to the will of God our bodies
regardless of what religion you want to
choose and how you want to live your
life your blood is flowing through your
body by the heart that's beating and the
food is digesting all because of a
system that was programmed by God and no
person who believes in God could deny
that so at the end of the day any
Christian and Jewish person would agree
that God was sending prophets teaching a
message of submit to the will of the one
God who created the universe and that is
what we call in Arabic Islam and the one
who does that is called a Muslim so this
is a very special unique quality of the
title that we have in our of our
religious practices that is deep that is
profound and it makes sense submission
to the will of God that's what a Muslim
is that what we're doing Jesus was a
Muslim Noah Abraham in the last and
final messenger probe Muhammad they were
all Muslim submitting to the will of God
you mentioned angels or Muslim and the
Sun and the star everything that
submitting to God is a Muslim and we'll
be right back with more with Imam John
talking about the film Noah we'll be
right back
she had often miss translated as holy
war the word jihad means to struggle
Islam does not preach violence it does
not preach vicious holy war it certainly
does not condone terror and suicide
bombing Islam preaches compassion
tolerance and justice find the truth
about Islam call toll-free 877 why Islam
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if allies by my side I am Not Afraid to
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afraid to stand
back here on the D show with Imam John
we're discussing the film with Russell
Crowe Noah and before we conclude we're
almost out of time if the few minutes
that we have less left tell us now the
next question that I want to ask you was
the part that we know in in the Quran we
believe that the the flood was more
localized and this would be more
accurate with science and the
discoveries that we have can you go
ahead and lab rate on this and the
actual movie and the the Bible talking
it being a more worldwide flood right
yes so basically right now on in the
past few decades you have a lot of
people who studying oceanography in
geology and the sciences are coming
forth and so many have a lot of people
from the Christian Jewish community that
are doubting and questioning the claim
of an international worldwide flood that
that was possible or whatever and then
you have a very reasonable response from
the religious to me that God can do
whatever he wants to do but interesting
enough something that is quite unique in
various issues regarding matters of
science and things like that is that you
will find the Quran and the Sunna of the
established teachings of the Prophet
Muhammad are all very much in tune in
and very detailed explanation of a lot
of scientific facts that are quite
interesting and so many of our scholars
a long time ago before science had
reached where it was they looked at the
story and it doesn't it doesn't say it
was a localized flood and it doesn't say
it was a worldwide flood
but they brought a few arguments to say
that it has to be a localized flood
number one being that according to our
prophet there's a thousand years between
Adam and Noah and so then him living 950
years many have ninety one thousand nine
hundred fifty years so you have the
progeny of Adam have had you know
exponentially grown across the world and
surely people didn't just live on top of
each other they moved across the earth
and so we have a principle in r4n that
says that God would never punish anybody
in this life or the Hereafter unless
they had received the message of the
messenger understood it and then they
reject
and sought to go against it so the the
paren depicts and time and time again
that Noah was sent to his people and
many of our scholars said they're only
Prophet Mohammed since he was the last
prophet was any prophet message supposed
to reach all people across the earth
that people many prophets were sent to
the for all the prophets before Mohammad
were sent to specific people and so
because of that they said that the flood
had to have been local to the area where
Noah was and not something we're plus
you have the issue of you know whatever
the Koran does not depict a miraculous
coming of all animals on planet Earth
into the ship it actually tells Moses
actually the Bible does too tells Moses
to get to bring upon the ship with you
two of the animals obviously there are
many animals that didn't exist in the
area of Noah that existed in many places
on the rest of the earth and those
animals would not have survived and we
would not see them today had there been
an international flood so these are
arguments by science and the far end has
an answer or a solution to such problem
long before modernity and the
advancement of science so that's
something about the the depth of this
famine and its seemingly compatibility
in all cases with scientific
establishment in the last century now
with our deep and profound love for all
of the prophets for all the messengers
that God sent now we know that obviously
Islam is based on five pillars the
actions that you do it now before that
you have the articles of faith what a
person needs to believe the belief in
one and wanting only one God the belief
in the angels the messenger the books
that were some of the messengers and the
the divine decree called that and the
day of judgment let's go back to the
article of faith of the messengers
believe for these messengers exclude one
exclude all you end up in the Hellfire
so when we say we really loved them we
love them and now we have a depiction of
no one you discussed this I believe you
discuss I'm not sure but you see in the
film that he's laying there butt naked
excuse my language but we would take
strong exception to him being a drunk
and also being detected like this
right right so basically the the Bible
does have this depiction I'm sorry I'm
sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry let me let me
let me just take this back because this
is really sensitive Russell Crowe was
the one who was naked we would never
ever attribute anything of the store to
this blessed man his Blessed messenger
please go ahead and continue right so
yes so basically the Bible has this
account of Noah getting drunk and ending
up naked somewhere and so this is
completely contradictory to all prophets
depiction in the holy quran and the
example of the Prophet Muhammad and what
he has told us about the prophets so
this is a clear difference that you'll
find between the biblical narrative of
it of many prophets in that there are
some very grave sins and evil and
unbecoming of a person who was sent to
be an example of guidance and to bring
God's revelation and his will to the
people so basically the part and talks
about all prophets as righteous pious
people who emulated an embodied the
message of God and were great examples
that people would not go on the day of
judgment arguing well I was bad because
so no prophet was doing this and that
and so why could I be accounted for such
things so obviously people need an
example and God touched their lives in a
special way even though they are human
beings capable human error none of them
made sins against what they knew to be
God's will and what is of good character
so that's it's a clear difference
between religion now before we come to
end I just have a couple more points
we're almost out of time tell us now I
think it's really important also this is
kind of a tangent on the side when when
we as those who are always tried to
remain chaste we're trying to made
righteous we're trying to where we make
mistakes all the time but God is the
most loving the most merciful but when
we catch ourselves let's say watching
for instance a UFC fight and you know
the ring girls come out and the brother
is you know you're supposed to be low in
your gays but you got a half a dozen or
the rooms full of brothers and they
just like hypnotized and they're not
lowering their gaze or they're watching
a film for instance what should be
should that should the remote be in the
hand quickly to fast-forward tell us
some some some tips on what you should
be doing if you're watching it even a G
or a PG rated movie but sometimes you
have a lot of even in the cartoons
you've got a lot of bad stuff coming up
should that should that gaze be draw it
drop fast yes was a Muslim number one
the first thing is we would look to
content of a movie and there's a good
app that you can have called kids in
mind that I use even for myself that
people made just so that people who plan
to have children or people who have a
moral mindset that they go and they they
hash out every possible deviance from a
morality that they could so basically
most r-rated movies have stuff that just
isn't something that a Muslim would
watch because its content is generally
the fiend in evil and corruption so
that's not something I would entertain
myself with so as a Muslim we would not
choose to watch a movie that is themed
in something filthy and immoral we would
look for something that's either a
decent acceptable humor or a storyline
that has some good meaning in it that is
a decent form of entertainment if when
you do choose something that's not fiend
and Haram it's not all about people
getting drunk or using drugs or some
horror sake murderous film or whatever
if you're watching a film where you're
walking in the street or in the mall you
know grocery shopping or whatever you
look away when you see something that is
is is uncomfortable spiritually and
that's just something where you got to
help your brothers and sisters out
because people either they're
desensitized or they just have weak
spirituality so you would advise people
to lower the gaze and look away and stop
for Allah seek the forgiveness of God
because he is greatly forgiving and
merciful
okay now tell us a recap do you give
this movie a thumbs-up thumbs-down
summarizing it before we conclude I give
the movie both a thumbs up and a thumbs
down I have to be balanced in my
approach I give it a thumbs up because I
so much more appreciated the part end
and I was so much more motivated to try
to encourage Muslims to get involved in
one way or another in film and
television and
morally sound proper portrayals of
realities and to bring a good influence
and convey a message of goodness with
our morality because it would be
enticing people will like what the Koran
teaches if they come to know it in a
modern depiction and portrayal obviously
it thumbs down and that I was very much
kind of sickened by Noah's lack of mercy
and compassion and seeking forgiveness
and no campaign to try to bring the
people to God's love and mercy as the
Koran teaches and and I just felt that
it was kind of a dark movie with you
know the way it was portrayed and it was
like I said long and drawn-out so I
don't I wouldn't go advising people to
go watch it but if somebody did and
people are curious and that's that's
another point that we just have to say
that we can't we have to stop the Haram
police attitude where everybody's out
there condemning everybody and judging
everybody
I mean if somebody's out there drinking
alcohol clearly that's Haram and there's
no question about when there's now
formatters and somebody feels like you
know that they're not doing Haram and
say some other person wants to feel like
they're preserving their religion and
being safe let's not judge everybody and
condemn them and so forth let's worry
about ourselves and matters that could
be differing about and lead the scholars
to make the decisions on those things
but yeah at the end of the day I would
have loved for some Muslim to put an
amazing well portrayed depiction of a
prophet that people could see the beauty
of the part and some film way that would
be awesome
what is it safe to say I mean clearly
this has nothing to do with our Noah
yeah the the quranic' noah the the true
noah as we know I'm from from prophecy
prophecy that was fulfilled in the
Prophet Muhammad Amir of miraculous man
and a character becoming of only a true
man of prophethood we would say that
this movie does not depict Noah may
God's peace and blessings and mercy be
upon him thank you so much and may the
Creator unite us to be with all the
prophets Noah
Jesus ISA Moses Abraham and alas the
final messenger of Prophet Muhammad to
live on this way of Islam that they
lived by the submission to the will of
the creator and not the creation so we
can be with all of them in general
paradise how's that sound eh
I'm all about it alright thank you so
much for being with us
you know strangers should a show so
hopefully we'll have you back again
God willing how's that sound and surely
some time alaikum peace be with you and
there you have it that was this week's
show I know a Russell Crowe Imam John
giving it a thumbs up that it reassured
him of his Deen of Islam of the Quran
because you have a portrayal of Noah in
Islam that makes sense and the thumbs
down let you know that has nothing to do
the film had Russell Crowe and this film
had nothing to do with the true message
and the true story of Noah who we
covered in the show letting you know
that he's beloved to our hearts just
like Jesus is beloved to our hearts and
Noah Abraham and Moses because they all
were the best of mankind they had the
best noble character they were the best
examples for mankind so you won't find
in Islam then getting drunk doing these
absurdities major sins no you won't find
that and you won't find them calling
people away from the Creator they call
people to worship the Creator they call
people not to worship a stick of stone a
bone and they warn people about what
creation worship you know you go to
Hellfire where should be a human being
worshiping the planets the Sun the stars
they warn people of this and they gave
that tender loving advice to worship
only the one who made you your Creator
that makes sense that was that one
message of pure monotheism and that's
what Noah came with and one more thing
before we conclude that Noah when he was
asked remember 950 plus years calling
people to worship the Creator another
creation to Islam he was a Muslim and I
was one another one of the things that
we did Imam John brought to our
attention that this the the Sun the
galaxies you know the creation
everything is submitting to God but we
have a choice are we going to submit to
God or to our desires
so anything that submits to God is a
Muslim that's right so Noah was a Muslim
and when Noah was asked about this life
he said how did you find it he was asked
he said I found it after living for over
950 years calling the people to Islam he
said it was
a house with two doors I came in one
door and left the other and that's what
this life is really about it's just a
day you'll feel like you've been in here
add a half a day day and a half that's
it it's gone it's over and what have you
done with it you just partied and played
just follow your fantasies and desires
and said you know what I'm just gonna
kick it life is short no man forget
about it leave all the 50 Cent's
philosophies alone man and do what Noah
did no one submitted to God do what
Jesus did Jesus submit to God do what
the last and final messenger did he
submitted to the Creator not the
creation they call people to Islam
that's what it is looking to Islam call
us at