The series was the first time that a British television network has screened a programme about the life of Muhammad, and the first full account of the history of Muhammad's life to have been shown on "Western television". It charts the life and times of Muhammad, a man whose name is invoked in reverence by the billion and half Muslims across the globe as the messenger and final prophet of God. In a journey that is both literal and historical, Rageh Omaar travels to the place of Muhammad's birth to re-trace his actual footsteps; from humble beginnings in Mecca, his struggles with his prophetic role and divine revelations, his migration to Medina, to the establishment of the first Islamic constitution, and his subsequent military and political successes and failures, before his final return to Mecca following armed conflicts through to his death and his legacy. It also raises questions about Islam's role in the world today and explores where Islam's attitudes towards money, charity, women, social equality, religious tolerance, war and conflict originate.
Production
The trio of hour-long films were directed and produced by Faris Kermani. The series is a Crescent Films production for BBC Two, and was commissioned and executive produced for the BBC by Aaqil Ahmed. The executive producer for Crescent Films is David Batty. In line with Islamic tradition, the programme does not depict any images of the face of Muhammad, or feature any dramatic re-constructions of Muhammad's life.
Appearances
The series was filmed on location in Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Turkey, Syria, United States, United Kingdom and Jordan. It drew on the expertise and comment from some of the world's leading academics, specialist thinkers and commentators on Islam including:
The Iranian minister of cultural and Islamic guidance, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, said: "What the enemy is trying to do in ruining the Muslims' sanctity is definitely much more than causing us to react and unfortunately, some Islamic countries are not taking this issue seriously. One way to show objections is to express condemnation of the West over their despicable actions."
