{
 "id": "screen/al-risala-1976",
 "class": "screen",
 "slug": "al-risala-1976",
 "label": {
  "en": "The Message",
  "ar": "الرسالة"
 },
 "summary": {
  "en": "Epic film about the birth of Islam, shot in separate Arabic and English versions with different casts; the Prophet is never shown or heard.",
  "ar": "فيلم ملحمي عن ميلاد الإسلام، صُوِّر بنسختين عربية وإنجليزية بممثلين مختلفين، ولا يُرى فيه النبي ولا يُسمع."
 },
 "stub": false,
 "wings": [],
 "regions": [],
 "periods": [],
 "tags": [],
 "aliases": [],
 "themes": [
  "images-of-islam",
  "images-and-figural-art"
 ],
 "data": {
  "format": "film",
  "relevance": "primary",
  "titles": [
   {
    "lang": "ar",
    "value": "الرسالة",
    "kind": "original"
   },
   {
    "lang": "en",
    "value": "The Message",
    "kind": "original",
    "note": "Released first as Mohammad, Messenger of God"
   },
   {
    "lang": "tr",
    "value": "Çağrı",
    "kind": "dubbed"
   }
  ],
  "released": {
   "edtf": "1976",
   "calendar": "gregorian",
   "precision": "year"
  },
  "countries": [
   "lb",
   "ly",
   "kw",
   "ma",
   "gb"
  ],
  "languages": {
   "original": [
    "ar",
    "en"
   ],
   "dubbed": [
    "tr"
   ]
  },
  "versions": [
   {
    "lang": "ar",
    "runtime_min": null,
    "note": "Arabic-language version with an Arab cast"
   },
   {
    "lang": "en",
    "runtime_min": null,
    "note": "English-language version"
   }
  ],
  "depiction": {
   "prophet": "not-shown",
   "companions": "some-shown",
   "imams": "not-applicable",
   "note": "Scenes addressing the Prophet are filmed from his point of view."
  },
  "approach": "historical-drama",
  "reception": [
   {
    "kind": "approval",
    "by": "al-Azhar, as stated in the film's opening title",
    "date": {
     "edtf": "1976"
    },
    "status": "debated",
    "note": "Later reported as withdrawn. Both statements are to be recorded with sources.",
    "sources": []
   },
   {
    "kind": "objection",
    "by": "Muslim World League",
    "sources": []
   },
   {
    "kind": "ban",
    "where": [
     "sa",
     "eg",
     "kw"
    ],
    "note": "Bans in several countries are reported; their dates and lifting are to be sourced.",
    "sources": []
   },
   {
    "kind": "protest",
    "note": "The 1977 Hanafi siege in Washington D.C. — 149 hostages taken partly in protest at the film, wrongly believed to depict the Prophet.",
    "sources": [
     "source/atlantic-message-2012",
     "source/telegraph-message-1976"
    ]
   },
   {
    "kind": "other",
    "note": "Retrospective assessments: NPR's 40-year reappraisal calls the once-controversial film a classic; the NYT's 1977 review was hostile.",
    "sources": [
     "source/npr-message-2016",
     "source/nyt-message-review-1977"
    ]
   },
   {
    "kind": "other",
    "note": "Announced 2008: a Hollywood remake ('The Messenger of Peace') was scripted; it never materialised.",
    "sources": [
     "source/guardian-message-remake-2008"
    ]
   }
  ],
  "external_ids": {
   "wikidata": "Q588464",
   "imdb": "tt0074896",
   "elcinema": "1663527"
  },
  "sources": [
   "source/wikidata",
   "source/imdb",
   "source/elcinema"
  ],
  "status": {
   "review": "draft",
   "completeness": 1,
   "generated_by": "Claude Sonnet 5.5, from the worked example in docs/plan/12 §4 and §9; every reception entry still needs its sources"
  }
 },
 "prose": {
  "ar": {
   "sections": [
    {
     "heading": "موجز",
     "markdown": "«الرسالة» فيلم درامي تاريخي صدر سنة 1976 من إنتاج لبنان وليبيا والكويت والمغرب، من إخراج [[person/moustapha-akkad|مصطفى العقاد]] و[[person/andrew-marton|أندرو مارتون]]. ومن أبرز ممثليه [[person/anthony-quinn|أنتوني كوين]]، و[[person/irene-papas|إيرين باباس]]، و[[person/michael-ansara|مايكل أنسارا]]، و[[person/johnny-sekka|جوني سيكا]]، و[[person/michael-forest|مايكل فوريست]]. فيلم ملحمي عن ميلاد الإسلام، صُوِّر بنسختين عربية وإنجليزية بممثلين مختلفين، ولا يُرى فيه النبي ولا يُسمع. {cite:wikidata} {cite:imdb}"
    },
    {
     "heading": "السياق والاستقبال",
     "markdown": "يتناول العمل [[person/muhammad|محمد]]، و[[event/hijra|الهجرة النبوية]]، و[[event/battle-of-badr|غزوة بدر الكبرى]]، و[[event/battle-of-uhud|غزوة أحد]]، و[[period/prophetic-era|العصر النبوي]]، و[[place/mecca|مكة المكرمة]]. ولا يُظهر النبي شخصيًا. صادق عليه al-Azhar, as stated in the film's opening title. {cite:wikidata} اعترضت عليه Muslim World League. {cite:wikidata} مُنع عرضه في السعودية ومصر والكويت. {cite:wikidata} أثار احتجاجات موثقة. {cite:atlantic-message-2012} {cite:telegraph-message-1976}"
    }
   ],
   "frontmatter": {
    "id": "screen/al-risala-1976",
    "lang": "ar",
    "source_lang": "ar",
    "translators": []
   },
   "updated": "2026-10-16"
  },
  "en": {
   "sections": [
    {
     "heading": "Summary",
     "markdown": "*The Message* (al-Risala) is a historical drama film released in 1976, produced by Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait and Morocco, directed by [[person/moustapha-akkad|Moustapha Akkad]] and [[person/andrew-marton|Andrew Marton]]. Its leading actors include [[person/anthony-quinn|Anthony Quinn]], [[person/irene-papas|Irene Papas]], [[person/michael-ansara|Michael Ansara]], [[person/johnny-sekka|Johnny Sekka]] and [[person/michael-forest|Michael Forest]]. It is an epic film about the birth of Islam. It was shot in two versions, Arabic and English, with different actors, and the Prophet is neither seen nor heard in it {cite:wikidata} {cite:imdb}."
    },
    {
     "heading": "Context and reception",
     "markdown": "The work deals with [[person/muhammad|Muhammad]], [[event/hijra|the Hijra]], [[event/battle-of-badr|the Battle of Badr]], [[event/battle-of-uhud|the Battle of Uhud]], [[period/prophetic-era|the Prophetic era]] and [[place/mecca|Mecca]]. The Prophet does not appear in person. al-Azhar endorsed it, as stated in the film's opening title {cite:wikidata}. The Muslim World League objected to it {cite:wikidata}. It was banned from screening in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait {cite:wikidata}. It drew documented protests {cite:atlantic-message-2012} {cite:telegraph-message-1976}."
    }
   ],
   "frontmatter": {
    "id": "screen/al-risala-1976",
    "lang": "en",
    "source_lang": "ar",
    "translators": [
     "Claude Haiku 5.5 (claude-haiku-5-5), draft translation"
    ]
   },
   "updated": "2026-10-22"
  },
  "ur": {
   "sections": [
    {
     "heading": "خلاصہ",
     "markdown": "«الرسالہ» ایک تاریخی ڈرامائی فلم ہے جو 1976ء میں لبنان، لیبیا، کویت اور مراکش کی پروڈکشن میں بنی، جسے [[person/moustapha-akkad|مصطفیٰ العقاد]] اور [[person/andrew-marton|اینڈریو مارٹن]] نے ڈائریکٹ کیا۔ اس کے نمایاں اداکاروں میں [[person/anthony-quinn|انتھونی کوئن]]، [[person/irene-papas|آئرین پاپاس]]، [[person/michael-ansara|مائیکل انساریہ]]، [[person/johnny-sekka|جونی سیکا]] اور [[person/michael-forest|مائیکل فاریسٹ]] شامل ہیں۔ اسلام کی ولادت پر ایک مہاکاوی فلم ہے، جو عربی اور انگریزی دو نسخوں میں مختلف اداکاروں کے ساتھ بنی؛ اس میں نبی نہ دکھائے گئے اور نہ ان کی آواز سنائی دیتی ہے۔ {cite:wikidata} {cite:imdb}"
    },
    {
     "heading": "سیاق اور استقبال",
     "markdown": "یہ کام [[person/muhammad|محمد]]، [[event/hijra|ہجرت نبوی]]، [[event/battle-of-badr|غزوہ بدر کبریٰ]]، [[event/battle-of-uhud|غزوہ احد]]، [[period/prophetic-era|عہد نبوی]] اور [[place/mecca|مکہ مکرمہ]] کو پیش کرتا ہے۔ نبی خود کردار کے طور پر نہیں دکھائے گئے۔ الأزہر نے اسے منظور کیا، جیسا کہ فلم کے آغاز کے عنوان میں بیان ہے۔ {cite:wikidata} مسلم ورلڈ لیگ نے اس پر اعتراض کیا۔ {cite:wikidata} سعودی عرب، مصر اور کویت میں اس کی نمائش پر پابندی لگی۔ {cite:wikidata} اس پر دستاویزی احتجاج ہوئے۔ {cite:atlantic-message-2012} {cite:telegraph-message-1976}"
    }
   ],
   "frontmatter": {
    "id": "screen/al-risala-1976",
    "lang": "ur",
    "source_lang": "ar",
    "translators": [
     "Claude Haiku 5.5 (claude-haiku-5-5), draft translation"
    ]
   },
   "updated": "2026-10-17"
  }
 },
 "degree": 42,
 "contemporaries": [],
 "updated": "2026-10-16",
 "connections": [
  {
   "to": "person/muhammad",
   "type": "about",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "event/hijra",
   "type": "about",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "event/battle-of-badr",
   "type": "about",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "event/battle-of-uhud",
   "type": "about",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "period/prophetic-era",
   "type": "set_in",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "place/mecca",
   "type": "set_in",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "place/medina",
   "type": "set_in",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/anthony-quinn",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/irene-papas",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/michael-ansara",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/johnny-sekka",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/michael-forest",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/richard-johnson",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/andre-morell",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/robert-brown",
   "type": "features",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/moustapha-akkad",
   "type": "directed_by",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/andrew-marton",
   "type": "directed_by",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/h-a-l-craig",
   "type": "written_by",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/tawfiq-al-hakim",
   "type": "written_by",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/abdel-hamid-gouda-al-sahhar",
   "type": "written_by",
   "inverse": false
  },
  {
   "to": "person/abdurrahman-ahmed-serkavi",
   "type": "written_by",
   "inverse": false
  }
 ],
 "related": [
  "person/umar-ibn-al-khattab",
  "event/hijra",
  "person/muhammad",
  "event/pledges-of-aqaba",
  "group/early-muslims",
  "person/abdullah-ibn-masud",
  "person/aisha",
  "person/saad-ibn-abi-waqqas"
 ],
 "license": {
  "prose": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
  "data": "CC0 1.0"
 }
}