aisha16
Junior Member
Assalam Allaikum article on Baba Ali,(Ummah Films guy). Masha'Allah he has great videos on Dawah for Muslims.(UmmahFilms). This is just an article I passed by.....
written by a friend of his.
Written by Dawud Israel
Thursday, 05 July 2007
From slamming poetry in coffee shops to making board games and organizing Muslim basketball tournaments-Baba Ali has come a long way. Ali came to the USA when he was four and grew up in a very irreligious family.
Having reached 20 years of age and feeling what can only be described as lost; Ali began his search for the truth. After trying out idol worshipping and reading up on witchcraft he eventually ended up continuing his search at an Islamic winter camp. There he first heard the real voice of Islam and listened with an eager ear. In less than 24 hours he had taken his Shahadah and embraced Islam.
Ali isn’t known for this but rather his runaway project-Ummah Films. So how did Ummah Films start? Mahdi Ahmad, (Ali’s partner in Ummah Films) had written two scripts hoping to bring a positive image to Islam and he spoke to Ali about it. Having recently visited and experiencing the workings of a New York film studio, Ali was inspired with the vision and soon Ummah Films was born. "One of the reason we did Ummah Films was because we were sick and tired of not only low quality videos and movies about Islam and Muslims in the English language, but how people were doing un-Islamic things like mocking Islam," says Mahdi Ahmad. Indeed, before UF the only hope of Muslim comedy was videos of Muslim who would mock Islam in order to gain a few laughs-stressing the need for a real alternative.
The biggest success story of Ummah Films remains the now world famous series entitled ‘The Reminder.’ Ali’s regular vlog (video-blog) has shown over and over again that funny can be money when it comes to Dawah. What is unique about Baba Ali is that he will not just discuss the problem simply for the sake of comedy-but he will provide alternative, practical and realistic solutions. Viewers of UF quote Ali’s quips and as unlikely as it may seem, the next time they encounter the situations Ali speaks of-they take his approach. "I have heard enough speakers who speak much better than me, show our problems, but [they] don't offer any real solutions. $25,000 wedding was funny-but it gave the audience an alternative. So was Culture vs. Islam. But at the end of each video, I try to give people a solution...an alternative." The philosophy behind ‘The Reminder’ is in Ali’s simple yet honest words: "I'm not scholar nor will I pretend to be one. My goal is to make people think. I use those relative issues because I want to capture the interest of my audience with the hope that I can show them how silly the un-Islamic things we do are, while at the same time showing them what Islam says about the solution to our problems."
The response to ‘The Reminder’ has been nothing short of amazing. Mahdi estimates 2 to 3 million people have viewed ‘The Reminder.’ Baba Ali continues to receive emails from Muslims who have decided to think twice about how they practice their faith. "One sister used to put on her hijab only at the Masjid and felt ashamed so she took it off when she drove away. Now she doesn't anymore," says Ali. So, is UF just for Muslims? No. In fact, UF has been reached the fresh eyes of 4 non-Muslims who want to embrace Islam. In Ali’s estimates approximately 20-30% of his viewers are non-Muslims.
But were you to talk to Ali and ask him how he feels regarding the success of UF he would tell you that neither him nor Mahdi deserve any credit for UF. "I don't deserve any credit from it but rather the credit goes to all the fans that emailed their friends and family and helped make Ummah Films a household name in the Muslim communities around the world," Ali says with sincerity. But Ali knows that it will have been 2 years soon since UF was launched and a film has not been released. ‘The Reminder’ was essentially a learning experience and an experiment in trying something new and trying it soon, rather than later. But the original vision of UF has yet to be fulfilled. Ali and Mahdi hope on moving into producing and releasing films for all to see-regardless of who the audience is-and to teach the beauty of Islam through visual media.
The fact remains that UF has made an impact. Ali would never have imagined he would achieve so much in such a short time, "I’m riding it like a wave. I have no idea how to predict what will happen next." But working on ‘The Reminder’ has not been without consequence. The amount of publicity UF has gained is enormous. He has spoken at conferences and Muslim events and has become so busy he has a brother who manages all his calls-because he is simply too busy. Ali has been offered money by Muslim businessman for his work-but has flatly refused. "Money doesn’t corrupt people, it exposes people. And when you are given the amount of attention that I have been given, you have remember that it is only a test otherwise it will quickly blind you," Ali explains.
It isn’t hard to sense frustration in Ali’s voice. Aside from ‘The Reminder’ and guest-speaking at events-Ali has a full-time job to handle, runs his own board-game business ‘Mecca to Medina,’ and works a part-time job as an anchor at Direct TV’s ‘The Fizz News.’ He reminds himself of the verse from the Qur’an: "Verily, with the hardship, there is relief" (94:5) and he notes that it is repeated with good reason. But Ali admits that he has considered quitting ‘The Reminder’ due to the stress he has experienced and as a result it remains a definite possibility. Whether UF succeeds or not has been a concern of Mahdi as well, "I hope we at UF set the trend and become the examples and pioneers for others to follow suit." Being in the position that he is, Ali provides unique advice to upcoming Muslim film-makers and Dawah enthusiasts: "(1) It is all a test. (2) It is all temporary. (3) The real success is not in this life but rather in the hereafter."
On a serious note: one thing cannot be ignored when reflecting on the Reminder-and that is that one person can make a difference if and when Allah so powerfully wills. When you hear stories of how the Muslims of the past were able to bring thousands to Islam-you hear comments from Muslims such as, "Oh that doesn’t happen anymore." But when you look at the number of people Ali’s videos have reached as have other viral (digital) Islamic videos on the web, you can’t help but think, "They’re wrong, it still happens. We are still reaching thousands. And we are still making a difference." As a request I would like to tell Muslims to go easy on Ali if they ever meet him in person. He’s famous and that helps his work-but with it he’s fighting his own self to keep his intention pure and that’s a fight he can’t afford to lose. If you see Ali then don’t compliment him too much-in fact a critique would be better and more constructive to Ali’s goals. Take the message of ‘The Reminder’ and apply it. Be the ‘U’ in Ummah Films and be the change that Baba Ali and Mahdi Ahmad dream of.
So what’s been happening with UF lately? Mahdi is currently working on UF’s first feature film, "Going up North" due by the fall 2007, Insha Allah. And Ali thinks he might return to poetry after Season 2. Keep these brothers in your duaas.
Reminding you just in case you forgot
Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 July 2007 )
written by a friend of his.
Written by Dawud Israel
Thursday, 05 July 2007
From slamming poetry in coffee shops to making board games and organizing Muslim basketball tournaments-Baba Ali has come a long way. Ali came to the USA when he was four and grew up in a very irreligious family.
Having reached 20 years of age and feeling what can only be described as lost; Ali began his search for the truth. After trying out idol worshipping and reading up on witchcraft he eventually ended up continuing his search at an Islamic winter camp. There he first heard the real voice of Islam and listened with an eager ear. In less than 24 hours he had taken his Shahadah and embraced Islam.
Ali isn’t known for this but rather his runaway project-Ummah Films. So how did Ummah Films start? Mahdi Ahmad, (Ali’s partner in Ummah Films) had written two scripts hoping to bring a positive image to Islam and he spoke to Ali about it. Having recently visited and experiencing the workings of a New York film studio, Ali was inspired with the vision and soon Ummah Films was born. "One of the reason we did Ummah Films was because we were sick and tired of not only low quality videos and movies about Islam and Muslims in the English language, but how people were doing un-Islamic things like mocking Islam," says Mahdi Ahmad. Indeed, before UF the only hope of Muslim comedy was videos of Muslim who would mock Islam in order to gain a few laughs-stressing the need for a real alternative.
The biggest success story of Ummah Films remains the now world famous series entitled ‘The Reminder.’ Ali’s regular vlog (video-blog) has shown over and over again that funny can be money when it comes to Dawah. What is unique about Baba Ali is that he will not just discuss the problem simply for the sake of comedy-but he will provide alternative, practical and realistic solutions. Viewers of UF quote Ali’s quips and as unlikely as it may seem, the next time they encounter the situations Ali speaks of-they take his approach. "I have heard enough speakers who speak much better than me, show our problems, but [they] don't offer any real solutions. $25,000 wedding was funny-but it gave the audience an alternative. So was Culture vs. Islam. But at the end of each video, I try to give people a solution...an alternative." The philosophy behind ‘The Reminder’ is in Ali’s simple yet honest words: "I'm not scholar nor will I pretend to be one. My goal is to make people think. I use those relative issues because I want to capture the interest of my audience with the hope that I can show them how silly the un-Islamic things we do are, while at the same time showing them what Islam says about the solution to our problems."
The response to ‘The Reminder’ has been nothing short of amazing. Mahdi estimates 2 to 3 million people have viewed ‘The Reminder.’ Baba Ali continues to receive emails from Muslims who have decided to think twice about how they practice their faith. "One sister used to put on her hijab only at the Masjid and felt ashamed so she took it off when she drove away. Now she doesn't anymore," says Ali. So, is UF just for Muslims? No. In fact, UF has been reached the fresh eyes of 4 non-Muslims who want to embrace Islam. In Ali’s estimates approximately 20-30% of his viewers are non-Muslims.
But were you to talk to Ali and ask him how he feels regarding the success of UF he would tell you that neither him nor Mahdi deserve any credit for UF. "I don't deserve any credit from it but rather the credit goes to all the fans that emailed their friends and family and helped make Ummah Films a household name in the Muslim communities around the world," Ali says with sincerity. But Ali knows that it will have been 2 years soon since UF was launched and a film has not been released. ‘The Reminder’ was essentially a learning experience and an experiment in trying something new and trying it soon, rather than later. But the original vision of UF has yet to be fulfilled. Ali and Mahdi hope on moving into producing and releasing films for all to see-regardless of who the audience is-and to teach the beauty of Islam through visual media.
The fact remains that UF has made an impact. Ali would never have imagined he would achieve so much in such a short time, "I’m riding it like a wave. I have no idea how to predict what will happen next." But working on ‘The Reminder’ has not been without consequence. The amount of publicity UF has gained is enormous. He has spoken at conferences and Muslim events and has become so busy he has a brother who manages all his calls-because he is simply too busy. Ali has been offered money by Muslim businessman for his work-but has flatly refused. "Money doesn’t corrupt people, it exposes people. And when you are given the amount of attention that I have been given, you have remember that it is only a test otherwise it will quickly blind you," Ali explains.
It isn’t hard to sense frustration in Ali’s voice. Aside from ‘The Reminder’ and guest-speaking at events-Ali has a full-time job to handle, runs his own board-game business ‘Mecca to Medina,’ and works a part-time job as an anchor at Direct TV’s ‘The Fizz News.’ He reminds himself of the verse from the Qur’an: "Verily, with the hardship, there is relief" (94:5) and he notes that it is repeated with good reason. But Ali admits that he has considered quitting ‘The Reminder’ due to the stress he has experienced and as a result it remains a definite possibility. Whether UF succeeds or not has been a concern of Mahdi as well, "I hope we at UF set the trend and become the examples and pioneers for others to follow suit." Being in the position that he is, Ali provides unique advice to upcoming Muslim film-makers and Dawah enthusiasts: "(1) It is all a test. (2) It is all temporary. (3) The real success is not in this life but rather in the hereafter."
On a serious note: one thing cannot be ignored when reflecting on the Reminder-and that is that one person can make a difference if and when Allah so powerfully wills. When you hear stories of how the Muslims of the past were able to bring thousands to Islam-you hear comments from Muslims such as, "Oh that doesn’t happen anymore." But when you look at the number of people Ali’s videos have reached as have other viral (digital) Islamic videos on the web, you can’t help but think, "They’re wrong, it still happens. We are still reaching thousands. And we are still making a difference." As a request I would like to tell Muslims to go easy on Ali if they ever meet him in person. He’s famous and that helps his work-but with it he’s fighting his own self to keep his intention pure and that’s a fight he can’t afford to lose. If you see Ali then don’t compliment him too much-in fact a critique would be better and more constructive to Ali’s goals. Take the message of ‘The Reminder’ and apply it. Be the ‘U’ in Ummah Films and be the change that Baba Ali and Mahdi Ahmad dream of.
So what’s been happening with UF lately? Mahdi is currently working on UF’s first feature film, "Going up North" due by the fall 2007, Insha Allah. And Ali thinks he might return to poetry after Season 2. Keep these brothers in your duaas.
Reminding you just in case you forgot
Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 July 2007 )