An intelligent and sensitive portrayal of Islamic beliefs and practices.

Publisher: Sound Vision
Suitable Age: 7 - Adults
Length: 30 mins
ISBN: 1-59011-079-X

This documentary is for anyone interested in the true teachings of Islam. An intelligent and sensitive portrayal of Islamic beliefs and practices.

Islam: A Closer Look, clearly and concisely explains wide range of important concepts such as the Unity of God, the Quran, Prayer, Fasting, Zakat, the Pilgrimage, Islamic sciences, the role of the Masjid, Islamic family values and the importance of acquiring knowledge. Most non-Muslims think that all Muslims are Arabs, but Shaikh Abdullah Hakim surprises the viewers in this documentary by telling them that there are only 15% Muslims who are Arabs and the rest, 85%, are non-Arab. Sr. Besa Karsingi challenges the non-Muslim ladies to wear hijab as an experiment, and then they would not want to take it off.

A series of well-known guests share their insight and experiences on this program: Imam Hamza Yusuf, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaikh Abdullah Hakim, Dr. John Esposito, Sr. Nancy Ali, Sr. Audrey Shabbaz, Sr. Rubina Khawaja and Sr. Besa Karsingi.

Imam Hamza Yusuf in this video talks about family, and he says that family is the root of human society. He also says that mercy is the important element for running a successful family and quotes a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), He who does not show mercy, is not shown mercy.

Dr. Abdullah Hakim brings an important point about male and female equality in Islam: He points out that in Islam we believe that a male or a female child are equal. Adam and Eve both committed sin and then both were forgiven by Almighty. when I go out in my hijab, people stare at me, but hijab is my armour, says sister Nancy Ali, a former Roman Catholic nun. She is actively involved in Dawa and goes to different schools and churches for that purpose. She also mentioned that for a good family, piety should be the focus.

Sr. Audrey Shabbaz is the Director of 'Arab World And Islamic Resources.' Her organization works with teachers in the state of California. AWAIR arranges workshops and seminars on Islamic issues.

Professor John Esposito is a professor of religion and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. He has written several books on Islam and the Islamic world. In this video, professor Esposito points out that Zakat and Ramadan both enforce a strong sense of community.

Hakeem Olajuwon is the famous basketball player of the Houston Rockets. He has won two championships and also the title of Most Valuable Player of 1994. Hakeem is originally from Nigeria, he was in school when he was picked up by Houston0 University because of his talent in basketball. He is loved and respected by his team, the NBA and his fans.

Islam: A Closer Look is an ideal for Dawa. It is about 30 minutes long.