#Culture

Why I Walked Out Of The Film, Bilal

Published

February 5, 2018

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By Umm Muhammad

As a mother of a preteen, who gets easily hooked on cartoon characters and conventional superheroes, I not only wanted, I needed the movie, Bilal: A New Breed of Hero, to work. I desperately wanted the hero in the film to replace his constant chattering about Superman, Dragon Ball Z, and Ninjago. I was looking forward to the lively discussions that this highly anticipated, animated masterpiece would spark. It would be magical. My son, who has been fixated on Captain Underpants and Lego characters in recent weeks, would finally have something more positive to obsess about.

Before you digress to judging my parenting, rather than understand my review, I want to offer some points for clarity:

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No, we don’t allow TV at home. Whatever my children watch is limited and monitored.

No, my son does not play videogames.

No, my son does not own a smartphone, or any phone for that matter. Neither does he have a tablet nor any type of computer. His computer use is for school assignments only, with parental controls in place.

No, he does not spend days and nights at strangers’ houses or unsupervised where he has access to these things. Mostly, he has learned about mainstream cartoon characters at Islamic school.

We consider ourselves a moderately religious Muslim family; we believe in the Oneness of Almighty God, we pray, we fast Ramadan and some extra, we give in charity, and insha’Allah we will go for Hajj when we can afford it. When I say moderate, I mean we try our best, but we don’t consider ourselves perfect and acknowledge that there is always room for improvement.

Now, with all this in mind, let’s get back to the movie, Bilal: A New Breed of Hero. It filled me with excitement to think about watching it with my family. As soon as I saw the trailer, some time ago, it sparked my interest. I was only slightly skeptical about what I felt may have been the deliberate whitewashing of Bilal ibn Rabah, with his character’s soft, flowing cornrows of hair, light complexion, and honey brown eyes, he didn’t seem to be what I had envisioned Bilal to be; but admittedly, I don’t know how dark or light-skinned he really was. I only assumed because of previous portrayals of Bilal in films I had seen and ahadith that I had read.

I knew that there would be fictional elements in the film. This movie was made for a larger audience and with a more generally acceptable theme of racial equality, a lesson we all need now during these controversial times. However, I did not expect it to be completely disconnected from Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as it would be impossible to highlight the historical value and status of Bilal ibn Rabah without speaking about the very person who helped raise him to that rank.

Before purchasing our tickets, we read other reviews which provided some insight and fair warnings about the absence of the Prophet in the movie, and the benefit of teaching our children about the real history prior to viewing the film. I also knew that the film was rated PG-13, and I honestly thought that it was just due to the battle scenes, which were nothing new to us, after having already learned about and seen countless portrayals of famous battles between the Muslims and their opponents. Regardless of all of this, we were still amped to watch the movie because, whether Bilal stayed true to historical facts or not, it was still about Bilal, an unconventional Muslim hero of color.

After hurrying to buy our popcorn, pretzels, candy and drinks, we rushed to grab our seats, expecting a full house, but luckily, there were only a handful of people in the theater room for the 2pm showing. The kids knew that they may see things in the movie that differed from what they saw in the cartoon, Muhammad: The Last Prophet (Badr International, 2002), the movie, The Message (Akkad, 1976), and others. They were just happy to be at the movie theater and ready to see the famous Bilal from a whole new perspective. After enduring some grueling previews of mostly British family films, with some odd comedy which seemed inappropriate for children, it finally began.

My excitement turned into anxiety with the first scene. Huge, dark, red-eyed horses glared through a black night galloping wildly and viciously towards some unknown target. Their riders, ominous figures, clad in heavy armor seemed to have ill-intentions. It was an opening that I had not expected. I became uneasy and glanced at my children. They seemed fine so far. Then suddenly we got a glimpse at a young Bilal, pretending to be a brave warrior on a wooden horse. He and his sister play happily and their mother steps in when they get into a squabble. “Masha’Allah, just like my kids,” I thought, and I shot another glance at them, smiling. But then the shadowy horses took over the screen again, and the bright day became gloomy. Bilal’s mother instinctively runs and hides her children and then, we are given the impression, through sounds of her shrieking and the children’s looks of horror, that she is violently killed. Bilal struggles and breaks free from his hiding place, only to be snatched by the irate soldiers.

After this disturbing scene, we find ourselves in Makkah, getting a glimpse of the Arabian city in pre-Islamic times. We come to understand that this is a new home to a slightly older Bilal and his sister, where they are now living as slaves. The depiction of Makkah is darker than in other films, with demonic looking characters, and one of the things I found most thought-provoking was that some of the characters use wooden tribal masks, which resemble those used in African religious ceremonies. These masks are often used to represent spirits and demons, and to my knowledge, they were not part of Arabian culture. One character, apparently some type of soothsayer, is shown using one of these costumes with an evil-looking wooden mask and matching sharp nails, surrounded by the people in the marketplace urging them to give their money to the idols. His mysterious nature and eerie voice made me feel uneasy, and both my husband and I were convinced it was a representation of none other than Satan, himself. That was a turn-off.

Nevertheless, we endured, watching as they zoomed in on the Kaabah and its surroundings. Not surprisingly, it was encircled by the familiar idols we have all learned were revered during that time, but one stood out. It was a peculiar sight, for it stood not around or near the Kaabah, but on top of it. It was the most offensive thing that I saw during this whole experience. A statue of a bearded man, of muscular build, with the horns of a ram twisted around the sides of his head, sitting menacingly on top of the Kaabah, overlooking the city. The statue is very similar to what is known as Baphomet, a deity that the Knights Templars, better known as the Crusaders, were accused of worshipping in the 14^th Century. It was, to us, a blatant and very deliberate Satanic symbol on what is the holiest place on Earth, the House of Allah. It is an utterly disrespectful image that I would not expect to see from an enemy of Islam, much less in a film produced by Muslims. As distasteful as it was, I continued to watch, hoping for something better to come, so as to outweigh the bad.

The straw that broke the camel’s back came when we were introduced to the character of a young Safwan ibn Umayyah, the son of one of the staunchest opponents of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and cruel slave master to Bilal ibn Rabah. Although he is a youngster, his appearance is sinister, and his personality is sadistic. His skin is pale and grayish and his eyes, black and full of malice. I found this to be offensive to the legacy of Safwan , who becomes a Muslim after the conquest of Mecca, and later lives on to wholeheartedly support Islam. Depicting him in his earlier years as a repulsive sociopath as this film does is detrimental to his reputation and character as a defender of the faith and an insult to any Muslim who respects the companions and their contributions to Islam. This is why scholars have warned against depictions of the companions, but unfortunately, we stubbornly continue seeking this type of halal “edutainment.”

When the young, gothic-looking Safwan and some of his friends, one of which is also wearing one of the mysterious wooden tribal masks, begin attacking Bilal’s sister for no apparent reason, Bilal steps in to help. A fight ensues and news of this reaches Umayyah, the father, who decides to punish both his son and Bilal. His words are severe and abusive to both children, which I also found very distressing and unsuitable. However, it was the physical punishment that finally led me to lean over to my husband and ask him if we could leave. The character of Umayyah throws Bilal to the ground in a manner so vicious and unexpected, that I had to look away.

I had hoped that the violence in the beginning minutes of the film would be the worst of it until they showed the torture of Bilal, something we were more familiar with, but unfortunately, it was only the beginning of the disturbing imagery that we would be subjected to. I find that 3D computer animated characters are so humanlike that our response to them is different than if they were a more traditional cartoon. It was almost as if I was seeing a real adult male brutally beating a young child, without being able to react. I feel like someone who has suffered through physical or verbal abuse or any childhood trauma may be sensitive to some of the content in this film.

When I whispered to my husband, “Should we go?” He immediately said, “Yes,” as if he had been hoping I would ask for some time. I looked over at the kids, and they looked pained and confused. This is what I had feared; they saw too much already. It was time to go. I quickly grabbed our belongings and told them to step outside. They followed us out of the theater, and when they asked us why we were leaving, we explained that the movie was too violent and it was not a good depiction of the companions. They didn’t complain.

I immediately wanted to warn others on Islamic forums not to make the same mistake I had, but I was met with resistance from families that have sat through the whole film and enjoyed it. As with all things in life, people have their own opinions and reasoning. However, all I can say is walking out of the movie was my own personal, quiet protest. I felt a sense of pride when my family and I stood together, mid-film, and walked away while others sat bewildered. Despite spending our money on tickets and popcorn, despite taking time out of our Saturday and driving all the way to the theater, and despite what anyone says about how great it may be to them, we could not sit through a movie that, just within its first 15-20 minutes, insulted the legacy of the companions and our beloved holy site, thus disrespecting Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, and Islam, itself.

And as the legacy of Bilal ibn Rabah’s life teaches us to never back down and to be proud of who we are, thus we celebrate our hero and stand to protect his honor.

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49 Comments

Muhammad

February 5, 2018 at 4:37 PM

While I did not like the Bilal movie entirety either (I do overall think it’s a better movie for our kids to be watching then most movies out there now a days), I honestly can’t believe your gripe is with the violence of pre-Islamic Arabia. If anything, that was the most accurate part of the movie. We cannot sugar coat our history and claim that the same people who shoved a spear through the private area of Summayah (R), threw camel insides on the Prophet (SAW), and boycotted their own cousins to the point of starvation would not shove a child slave to the ground and beat him up. That is how it was for the companions of the Prophet (SAW), especially for the ones in the lower class standings. The times we’re times of war, with brother torturing and killing brother (Musab (R) was chained down in his own house by his own mother!). I think it only adds to our respect and admiration of the companions to see what they went through and how far they went for the sake of Allah (SWT), and that’s what we should be teaching our kids.

And Allah (SWT) knows best

Reply
Hina

February 5, 2018 at 8:52 PM

What bothered me the most was the essence of Tawheed was almost completely missing from the movie. If I recall correctly there were o Lya one or two scenes that talk about the oneness of Allah SWT. It’s obvious that this film was made to a secular audience.
Sister, had you stayed and seen the entire movie you would have seen how they show the softness , mercy and change in Safwan bin Ummayah’s personality – it was one of the most touching and emotional scenes

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Ilikedthemovie

February 5, 2018 at 9:36 PM

Really? The movie was not intended for young children, hence the rating.

The kaba was adorned with/surrounded by idols in pre-Islamic Arabia. Why would a depiction of something historical offend the author? Once Mecca was under Muslim rule, the kaba was shown as cleared of all such idols. As for, horns of rams vs. whatever idol the author would rather fancy–really? Let’s give some creative license. The shape and look of the idols aren’t central to the movie.

She and her husband are not “moderate,” they sound rigid. I wish they’d loosen up for their kids’ sake.

Only valid point: what’s up with the light brown skin of Bilal?

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مسعود یونس

February 5, 2018 at 11:01 PM

Why I Stayed and Actually Enjoyed the Movie with My Family

I do not recall when was the last time my kids had watch an animated movie with this interest. All the stories we have been telling them, the narrative of Islamic history that they heard and watched in the Omer Series, played out in front of them yet again.

My 10 year and 7 year old actually would like to share this movie with their friends as they found it inspiring. Yes, INSPIRING.

The movie has a story that is very close to actual events, though sometimes dramatized extensively, still not come across as way too off from any actual narrative. For kids growing up in the west, this is one of the best video in their video library.

The movie will connect will audience of all kinds. After all it is an animated movie and targeted towards broader population so the religious narrative is in the backdrop but still leaves a powerful impact as the story telling is all about the “impact” of the deen on Bilal and other muslims. It had that impact on my family.

I chose to stay in the movie and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I recommend others also take their families out and enjoy this masterpiece and show SUPPORT. We need more of these narratives and cannot afford to stereotype these efforts with dramatic article headlines like. Our kids need better stories to see and hear that Captain Underpants.

BILAL: A NEW BREED OF HERO is the fresh air that our kids need today. Don;t demonize it. Appreciate it and provide constructive feedback so more of our brothers and sisters can take similar initiatives and help educate and inspire the next generation of ummah through creative story telling of stories that are still told in a very traditional manner.

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Gina Thunder

February 6, 2018 at 11:38 AM

Wait, Sister. I don’t understand. Why would you say “until they showed the torture of Bilal, something we were more familiar with”? You knew he was tortured, but it was so humanlike you connected with the pain of Bilal and that was too much for you and your children were distressed. That’s the point isn’t it? Aren’t we to connect with one another, to have empathy? Through that connection we make the case for justice, peace, solidarity and inalienable freedoms. That was a teachable moment.

Why would you want the movie to leave out the idols, the beatings and Safwan’s hard heart? You mentioned white-washing of Bilal’s skin color, but what seems to offend you more is the creators didn’t “Walt Disney-ify” it. I’m Christian and even I know that lieing about historical truths is not haram. Safwan was evil, but look what God did for him to soften his heart and turned his face to worship Allah. That’s a teachable moment. Look at how the people and city were uplifted after they bent their knees not to idols but to God. Teachable moments.

I’m looking forward to taking my family to see this movie. We’ve been connecting with another family who is Muslim to find additional resources to learn about Bilal. Every movie where people of color are the heroes and victors like Bilal and Marvel’s Black Panther we are grabbing on to them with dear life. There is no where else our children can go to see such diversity, courage and strength. I’m about sick of Doc McStuffins, Avatar the Last Airbender cartoon and Bino & Fino (the only cartoons my children are allowed to watch).

Peace be unto you my dear Sister. Please forgive me if I said anything that was offensive to you or any other reader.

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- Rehana
  
  April 4, 2018 at 3:07 AM
  
  Sister if you wanted to shield your children from the brutality sahabas (companions) had to endure to lay the foundation of Islam then you should have taken them to a Walt dine movie. Don’t even bother reading to them the sirah because guess what, its the same brutality, hardship and suffering. The Kabah had 300 idols in it in the time of the prophet, and he (S.A.W) and his companions cleansed it from them on the day of fath makkah (when they conquered Makkah). As to the reason why Bilal was depicted lighter is because the muslim world is so racist that they would not be able to empathize with the character if he was any darker. sad but true. If he was depicted as a “black” person they would have said something along the lines of “oh its ok, those people are used to such a hard life”. so they made him lighter and luckily the effect has stuck. Next time check the PG rating and the advice at the start of the film and FOLLOW it instead of craping all over hard work of brilliant people to get people to read your post. If we put as much effort in supporting each other as we do in putting each other down to make ourselves look good as you and those with you then maybe our children could look up to us, the parents, for inspiration not a quick fix movie. May ALLAH guide us and you.
  
  Reply
Shafkat

February 6, 2018 at 8:52 PM

The movie was great.

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Siraj

February 6, 2018 at 11:19 PM

Sister, couldn’t you have watched the movie first before taking your kids?

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Sarah

February 7, 2018 at 12:23 PM

I don’t get why people are so upset about this movie. So what if he was white washed? So what if there was no message of Tawhid. This movie wasn’t made just for Muslims. The fact that a movie about Bilal came out and is playing in theaters all across America is a big deal. It takes baby steps to get the message of Islam across in the media. A message that isn’t just about terrorism. We should support the people who made this movie and show our kids that yes, they belong and can have relatable characters in the media. I wish I had movies like this and hijab wearing advertisements and barbie dolls when I was growing up. Our kids are lucky that even with all the hate, there is still the celebration of diversity that we lacked growing up in America.

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Yusuf Smith

February 7, 2018 at 12:39 PM

As-Salaamu ‘alaikum,

I always thought it was haraam to depict or play-act the Prophet (sall’ Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) or the Sahaba. It’s not part of any Muslim tradition (it’s a strong tradition in Christianity) and none of us is worthy to be seen as one of them. Worse, this uses computerised images, and drawing images of humans or animals is haraam, yet Muslims think they are serving the Ummah by doing these things.

I’ve seen The Message on video many years ago, and that film also cast as the villain Abu Sufyaan (radhi Allahu ‘anhu) who also later became Muslim and was a Sahabi. And although it did not depict the Prophet (sall’ Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) or the ‘inner’ Sahaba, it made the mistake of assuming that the people depicted, including Bilal (radhi Allahu ‘anhu), were also-rans which they certainly were not.

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Nadia

February 8, 2018 at 6:01 AM

Assalaamu’alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

First of all I would like to congratulate you for setting up those rules for your children. Indeed, we live in a dangerous era that such restrictions are necessary to ensure the safety of our children, particularly their deen. Seriously I would rather have my kids lead a “miserable” life in this temporary world we live in, but they are steadfast upon the deen and uphold the Tawheed. I’m glad you and your family walked out from the film. The best source for us muslims to learn about our beloved Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and his companions radhiyallaahu ‘anhum is by studying the authentic hadeeths and seerah. The film only focuses on the slavery. Nothing about Islam in it, let alone Tawheed as the foundation of Islam. The film was made by a secular for secular audience. Allaahu yubaarik feeki.

Wassalaamu’alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

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Rizwan

February 8, 2018 at 10:37 AM

I wouldn’t lean on feature movies to learn about Islam, let alone try to teach kids about Islam as their young minds are very impressionable. From the trailer, it’s clear that it’s a movie for older teens and adults and only for entertainment purposes. Thanks

Reply
- Usman
  
  February 9, 2018 at 7:08 PM
  
  Thoughtful comment. Agreed 100%
  
  Reply
Katie Capone

February 9, 2018 at 11:40 AM

The truth will always survive. And you don’t want that, do you? No human being that has ever been born is perfect. Perfection is god God GOD Allah whatever. Never shield your children from the truth. It weakens them. Let them see what the truth is and let them think on their own. Stop manipulating your children into believing some man-made testament about the glory of god. His glory is all around us. Use the truth to educate. Do not shield the young from the world they are our future.

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just think

February 15, 2018 at 8:13 PM

when major american theaters allowed this movie then you should be alarmed and know there is something wrong.

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Monique Hassan

February 19, 2018 at 2:10 PM

Assalamu alaikum.

The violence that happened was real, he amongst others were tortured and killed.

I don’t hide this reality from my kid, they need to know what the sahaba endured, what the Prophet (saws) endured.

I respectfully disagree, if they understand how violently they were treated they will have greater respect for their ability to stand firm in their faith and the fact he yelled out “ONE GOD” while being tortured as an adult.

I would let kids watch the Omar series that shows this torture more life like. That is the reality and that harsh reality needs to be honored and understood, not sugarcoated.

Just my humble opinion.

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Monique Hassan

February 19, 2018 at 2:14 PM

astagfurallah.

How dare anyone say that to a Mother in Islam?!

“The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe” You don’t know her situation and family, even I don’t agree with her post at all, but she is a believer, she is your sister!

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Arif

February 20, 2018 at 11:49 AM

Being brutally honest, this is the worst review one can read trying to get a sense of the pros and cons of this movie. I came here to see if there were some honest critique. After reading this, all I got was a personal insensitive reaction to a cartoon. And the fact that the reviewer did not even watch the entire film to come and comment on it. This is one of the worst reviews I have ever read.

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razzaq hamdani CEO

March 25, 2018 at 12:12 AM

Islam described great reward to free a slave , it was not possible in early islam to abandon slavery. but rewards and virtues are described if you free a slave.

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jo

April 22, 2018 at 1:10 AM

The film is just awesome. A piece of art on every level.
p.s. If you walked out, then how come you give yourself the leave to write a “thoughtful” critique about it?!!

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What is wrong with you

May 10, 2018 at 12:58 PM

I’m sorry but how do you not let your children watch TV or play video games? Are they just boring husks of people!

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Bilal

July 6, 2018 at 12:18 AM

Salaam. I respectfully disagree with you. The movie was excellent and it’s hard to take the wickedness out of slavery and idolatry. And I feel like the movie did a good job in depicting those things. As for the statue, yes the arabs worshipped those, even the horned guy on top and even worse than that. It wasn’t until Imam Ali (Pbuh) climbed onto the roof of the Kabaa and destroyed them. As for safwan, he wasn’t the holiest guy on earth, and he did do some pretty bad things. Some may argue that the only reason he joined the Prophet (Pbuh) is because he had no other choice.

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- Zayna
  
  October 16, 2019 at 1:40 PM
  
  Assalaamu alaikum akhi, the correct terminology to refer to Ali ibn Abi Talib is Radhiallahu anhu, not Peace be upon him.
  
  Also please refrain from making such silly assumptions about Safwan radhiallahu anhu and his intentions at his conversion to Islam. Barakallhu feek :)
  
  Reply
Mahfuz

July 9, 2018 at 10:59 AM

This is based on true events, and before Islam Arabia was a violent place. I have watched the whole movie and I thought it was great. I really loved it. Surely it couldn’t bring every aspect of his life in 1 hr 40 minutes but nonetheless it was a great one. Way better than most animated movies I see which makes no sense at all…. Very well done

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Ammar

July 11, 2018 at 5:22 PM

Thank you for posting this sister.
I think the movie was alright but as others have said you missed the rating PG-13; children should not watch it without parents which for us muslims mean children should not see this at all until they reach the age of teens atleast.
Other than that I think you made great points.
For those that are criticising her that she should not be reviewing because she did not watch the whole movie are missing the fact that she is not a professional critic.
More importantly, it’s even in the title…”Why I walked out of the Film”
It assumes that she walked out of it in middle.

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Mohammed

July 12, 2018 at 7:08 PM

It’s actually well done.
The direction this film takes and it’s intent is definitely in the right place.
While the film makes no explicit reference to Islam and Muhammad (pbuh), key word being explicit. It still contains enough of the core message of Islam and is still interesting and inspiring enough to non-Muslim audiences. Yes the Prophet (pbuh) part in the story was kinda not there or severely downplayed which is unfortunate but the non explicit mentioning of Islam will also aid non-Muslims is realising what Islam really is without first judging it on their preconceived notion of what Islam is. Thus will help people learn about the true Islam.

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Dewi

July 13, 2018 at 1:28 AM

I think its a good movie, if you watched it till the end. How people and mecca changed after moeslem wins, its so different with the begining of this movie. Its way better??

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Linda Smith

July 17, 2018 at 10:41 AM

What amazes me the most is the fact that people actually believe that “they” are all good. My belief is better for the world and we look for love and peace. Muslims matter is no different than christians matter. It is a religion. It is a belief. When you are born you are born as a human being. Anything added is what you as a human being has added. What the Creator of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE has created is male and female. When you force your belief and your culture on someone else, IT IS EVIL. It was evil of Bilal and his sisters to be taken unto slavery by the good ole muslims. Open your eyes. Perhaps this story was told from the eyes of an African. And by the way, learn your history about the “middle east”. You will be surprised to learn that your presence wasn’t always there. Evil flows down and that evil interrupted culture that was already there. If you think about it, both religions flowed down into other cultures.

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Maleka

August 7, 2018 at 2:38 PM

I feel so bad that you have posted this article on a website that is well known and so many people can actually read it. There is so much wrong in this article. Nowhere in the movie, they have mentioned that this is the Kaaba, or this is any specific prophet. They did not even use the names of any religion. It is free from any insults or hidden meanings towards Islam. Most of your article is based on what “you thought” of the movie. The movie shows how and what people went through those times. Makkah was once a place where idols were worshipped. Before Islam that is how slaves were treated, that is what they have shown in the movie. For me, whenever I listen to the stories of Islam, I always think how I wish I was able to see it in real life, how I wish I could see it as a movie and this movie has done justice to that wish of mine. I could literally feel the pain and hardships that people went through for our deen. And there is another message in the movie for a greater audience (message of equality and message about racism). If someone did something good out there (keeping it safe, not using any names or relating it in anyway to our deen directly), praise it so that people can get o see more of our stories instead of putting it down.

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Mehmet Kaan Ulker

September 1, 2018 at 7:09 AM

I find this article null & void.

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saqib

October 27, 2018 at 12:01 PM

I agree you um muhammad thanx for giving time to represent your feeling to others on this movie.
I was on starting when I felt they want to drive our thoughts to somewhere other side from Islam’s core values.
when a “wiseman” come to bilal in front of holy Kaba and told him that “this holy place were built to live all humans together with peace here”.
Yes, we should live together with peace but all human cannot live in makkah but muslims, because Allah ordered( al tobah) the Prophet MUHAMMAD peace be upon Him
to restrict nonmuslims in makkah.
And that statue placed on the top of the holy kaba is very offensive.
I recommend to not let your children to see this kind of things so that thier faith would not ridden by nonsense people.

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Yahya

November 16, 2018 at 3:12 PM

I would like to start by saying that I watched the entire movie. Was it worth the time and hype? I would have to say no. It has some interesting points to be taken as a fictitious story based loosely on the life of Bilal.
To begin with, there is factual inaccuracies. Bilal was not born in africa, he was born in mecca to slaves that were brought over (his parents) after the attempt by invaders to destroy the kaaba, and was born a slave already.
There is no mention of a sister as far as I have looked into the life of Bilal. However he was considered one of the best slaves, and given the keys to the idol alter. He was caught by ummayah practicing islam and was indeed dragged through the streets, and tied down with a heavy stone on him.
It was the prophet, who when he heard about Bilal’s torture sent Abu Bakr to negotiate for his release which by some sources was 3 slaves in return for Bilal (A pagan family).
It was islam that preached equality, tolerance, justice, and fairness which was completely missing from the film. So is the fact that Bilal was the first caller to prayer due to the prophets appreciation of Bilal’s position as a former slave in promoting equality among islam’s people and his voice.
Sufyan was a trader by nature and not a bad man. Look up his history before and after his conversion. Mecca was never burned to the ground like the movie, the followers of islam had their property burned, and they were exiled to medina.
Perhaps the biggest disrespect in the show was showing the prophets nephew, Ali’s face. He is revered in Islam and his face is never shown.
To a muslim believer this movie is sacrilege, and I’m surprised muslims defend it. As a fictitious movie sure it was nice, as a story of Bilal it was an affront to my faith.

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Ibrahim Ahmed

November 20, 2018 at 4:11 AM

Very well written article and excellent points. I was hyped for this so much and having just watched it, I could say the last third I felt disconnected and started looking at my phone. Very shocked at the blatant satanic symbolism and portrayal of the baphomet. I was left wondering throughout the whole movie how historically accurate this actually was. If its a means to propagate the values of Islam to a secular audience, then don’t defeat the purpose by censoring it. So awkward. Very violent, so no way my little nephews would be able to watch without getting afraid.

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DolceVita

January 4, 2019 at 1:51 PM

I don’t know what to say. All the historic accounts in the movie were fairly accurate. Why did u not stay until the end of the movie, it showed Safwan’s conversion to Islam and Bilal giving the Adhan for the first time. You are ok with ur kids watching all that violence with superman, batman, and all those other super heroes but u pull your kids out of the theater when it shows people fighting for equality and freedom. I seriously do not understand ur logic. It’s because of people like u, the movie went out of theater early when I was trying hard to find time to watch it in theaters with my kids. I had to wait till I could watch it on Amazon prime. How can u judge a movie when u haven’t watched the entire thing. It’s like judging a person without listening to the whole truth. Was extremely disappointed with ur review.

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Abdallah

January 18, 2019 at 2:00 PM

It seems that the people who made this movie where trying hard to appeal to western audience so they sacrificed the historical accuracy

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Logic works

May 24, 2019 at 2:23 PM

I don’t understand the point of this article or your style of parenting
1. The movie is PG – 13, meaning, don’t bring your KIDS
2. It’s extremely hard to sugar coat slavery and idolatry, you were offended that the kaba was adorned with idols? Are you offended by every history book you come across? These are facts, the kaba WAS adorned with idols. Why are you offended by facts
3. Why leave a review on a movie you didn’t even watch?
4. you stated you were already aware of violence about Bilals story but then were offended and offput when you saw the violence, but you expected it?! You sound dense and hypocritical.

Also, please get a grip and have some real fun with your family and loosen up on your kids before they grow up feeling suffocated by their own mom

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Hinton

January 14, 2020 at 8:29 PM

I just what to say that, I am glad this film was made. I had no clue about these individuals in history or their religious connection to Islam. I decided to play this movie for my two boys (8 and 4) and they REALLY liked it. Even my 8 year old was upset at how the characters were being treated and was asking me so many questions about slavery. We are not a religious family, but have a christian background. I hope to see more films (animated or with actors) about Islam history and even other religions. We really enjoyed it.

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Hafith Mustafa Saeed

April 1, 2020 at 12:48 AM

Allah u guys all sound very much more than moderate. Rather than not giving ur children any freedom, give them freedoms with explaining right and wrong. As a child in 21st century America, most of my friends who’s parents did this became rebellious and I even know some who are closeted ex-Muslims. And the part about the Bilal movie not relating to Islam at all, it was partially related to
Islam but I believe the main reason they chose not to fully show it as an Islamic movie was because they want to slowly show the world Muslims aren’t terrorists rather than shoving in their faces because then people might say, “Oh they are just trying to make us believe they are good”. By showing it slowly, they are showing that we are peaceful people and maybe with the hidaayah and guidance of Allah, they will embrace Islam one day, you never know. Jazakallah Khair for listening. I was blessed to have a solid good Islamic foundation and have completed hifth with Shaikh Ismail Al-Qadi. With my little knowledge this is what I have reasoned. Please feel free to Forgive and correct me on any shortcomings I may have had. One again جزاك الله

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Hunzla Naveed

May 24, 2020 at 12:45 PM

This is the history of Islam and the violence shown in this movie is the appreciation of the miseries and suffering of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, we don’t just label our kids as muslims and prevent them from learning the essence and what it takes to be a true believer and keep them in the comfort of kids zone.

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Briana

August 10, 2020 at 11:31 AM

I am a Catholic, just in case that matters. I watched the Arabic version of Bilal with English subtitles and it had slightly more obvious references to the Prophet than the Western version did: like when Bilal climbs the Kabba and put his fingers in his ears to start the call to prayer—the Western version does a full-stop right there. But the Arabic version cuts to the call to prayer and beyond (sorry, I’m not sure if he is singing Quranic verses, but maybe he is?), so I prefer the Arabic version. I was a little disappointed that they did not make the Islamic aspect more prominent, especially when we have such movies as The Prince of Egypt. But as was already stated, this was a secular movie and probably wanted to be more accepted in a Western audience where people, sadly, are still uncomfortable with Islam because they choose to be ignorant.

What this movie made me do was immediately contact three of my Egyptian friends and ask them to watch it and let me know what they think. Two of them had time to watch and they both liked it generally and appreciated that the filmmaker made it clear it’s an adaptation, not an exact copy. And they then told me the more accurate version. So for me, it inspired me to learn more, and also now I want to name someone Ghufaira because that’s the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard. Maybe my next cat, because I’m not having any kids.

I don’t really see how the creepy pagan dude was Satan. More like a personification of corruption and decadence, but I guess that’s in the realm of Satan. I actually saw it more like how when Moses & Hod get angry that the newly freed Jews from Egypt are partying around an idol. It’s not godly, but it’s also not Satanic. Or how the Romans in Jerusalem and environs are not good to be able around because they are pagan.

I thought Bilal and Ghufaira are actually darker than everyone else in the film, which makes sense because they were mixed race, right? The villains all were white, however. And Safwan does change in the end. It doesn’t show him converting, but it shows that he was not actually an evil monster. Or rather stopped being an evil monster.

The animation was the most amazing to me. It is so innovative, like Into the Spiderverse. The attention to detail was stunning and the creepy dude was successfully creepy haha! He made me uncomfortable, but that’s the point. Did you at least get to the part where Bilal sings? I have watched this movie like 4 times and I replay that scene over and over for the song. Lastly, and apologies if this is sacrilegious, but they made Hamza look super fine. He was so cool. I was sad when he died.

I think, given the state of the Western world, this movie is a huge success for the Arab and Muslim worlds. In the US we are so behind that we only just recently had a cartoon about Mexican culture (Coco).

Well, that’s my two cents, not that anyone asked lol. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your interesting perspective.

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Sakina

August 24, 2020 at 9:38 PM

They show Imam Ali’s face in this too. My heart hurts, I literally just bought the movie online after looking at the reviews now I don’t know what to do.

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Sunsu

December 20, 2020 at 9:18 PM

It doesn’t make sense for someone who never watches movies to review a movie. It’s like someone who doesn’t know anything about cars, never driven a car to review the latest Jaguar.

It has to be understood that the movie was not made only for Muslim audiences, it was made to make Islam and the concept of monotheism and the early Muslims tne amazing people that were more relateable to anyone in the 21C or in any century for that matter. You can’t expect non Muslims to come in and watch a movie filled with all Islamic practices, Adnan etc and not feel like the movie was not for them. Its about slowly introducing rather then overwhelming someone.

This review seems wholly unfair, especially if you don’t watch TV and movies often, for you to complain about violence in a movie that depicts the life of an amazing individual who was unfortunately plagued by violence doesn’t make sense. You can’t shield your children from the history of Islam and the fact that it was unfortunately filled with much strife and hardships.

Furthermore the Prophet Muhammad pbuh is not mentioned by name but he is mentioned in the movie, so is the concept of monotheism and not worshiping other than one God, which is the most important message to send.

Personally I love the movie, it was a balanced take on a beautiful and often heartbreaking story, I definitely recommend it over all the other non sense out there. I suggest next time someone who has more knowledge and experience of movies reviews a movie. You can’t expect someone whose never driven a car to suddenly review cars.

ALSO HE SAYS ALLAH HU AKBAR.

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Wasim

February 23, 2021 at 12:33 AM

Movie was super fine and the best so far I have seen on topics connected with our history. It was way better than other evil stories available so easily to our children in name of comic and fiction books. I don’t get what kind of mental approach you possess as parents. You can not spend life like pigeons and you need to accept that these and more were the real lessons of life our history has faced during spread of religion. What a non sense article!

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- Wael Abdelgawad
  
  February 25, 2021 at 1:23 AM
  
  Wasim, I have to ask, how do pigeons live?
  
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Lailah

December 23, 2021 at 4:11 AM

My first instinct was to search the internet for reviews of Bilal after watching it on Netflix, I was a bit uneasy after it because I expected so much more. When he had the stone on him, I remember in history we were taught he kept saying “ahad” meaning one, and secondly at the scene where he was about to make the first call to prayer I even sat up with expectation but I was let down. however I think it was a very good movie and knowing now that it wasn’t meant for me, I find it easier to accept that it has achieved its purpose by making you interested enough to google who was Bilal Ibn Rabah and get the whole story yourself.
We tend to get too critical about subjects revolving around our faith but we fail to understand that there are different ways to approach communication. I don’t know the intention of the producers of this animated series but may Allah accept their work because at least they are able to reach wider audiences with the beautiful message of Islam without explicitly talking about it.

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Umm Afraz Muhammed

February 27, 2022 at 9:46 AM

SubhanAllah!
Jazakillahu khayran katheeran for sharing your review, dear sister.

It is one thing to read the Seerah where it is only up to our mind’s imagination, and it’s totally on another level to ‘watch’ the Seerah whereby another person’s imagination and the subtleties that come with it get etched in our minds.

Bravo for your decision to walking out of the theater. I can only imagine your heart filled with pride for Islam.

May Allah guide us all, grant us hidaya, and istiqaamah in His deen. Aameen.

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Hany

March 25, 2023 at 6:07 PM

Jazak allah khyier sister and i aslo felt not right while watching and stopped immediately and the stupid people who enjoyed the movie i would say fear allah in your kids and read more about al sahaba and dont be a sheep

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Azim

December 18, 2023 at 3:50 AM

Umm, you clearly did not comprehend the reviews. As soon as you read “based upon” you should have been well aware that the film was a story, and in no way presented as historical.

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Carolyn Moussa

April 6, 2024 at 7:31 PM

Interesting enough when I saw the movie I was the only one in there because the churches in the area were banning the movie. When two people showed up and sat in the front. Turned out these two were my old minister and his wife who had baptized me when I was very young and when they found out I had become a Muslim when I became older they tried so hard to get me to come back to the church. I sat at the top watching down at their expression and ya in the beginning the horses with the red eyes I was like shocked but so glad I stayed and watched it till the end. As I came down those stairs from the top seats I made sure to walk past my old minister proudly, he recognized me and as I was hoping him and his wife stopped me and the first thing they said was they didn’t realize all that this writer disliked happened. He thought he was walking into a movie that would force him to be a Muslim and he said how him and his wife teared up when they saw Bilal being tortured and in the end when the statue was pulled off of the Kabba and Bibal was on top calling out the Azan my old minister wanted a Quran to know more for he said all that he had heard was wrong. We all have our OPINIONS about this movie but if it leads even one towards curiosity of Islam I give this movie thumbs up

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