''The Boy and the King'' is a 1992 feature-length animated film made in Egypt by the

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

film company Astrolabe Pictures. It includes a soundtrack of Islamic songs in English, performed by young Muslims.

Plot summary

The story surrounds a young boy called Obaid. He is confronted with a choice to live an easy life in this world or to struggle for reward in the

hereafter The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...

. The story takes place during the tyrannical rule of King Narsis, who controls his people by encouraging them to worship idols and frightening them with the magic of Cinatas, his evil sorcerer. Cinatas chooses Obaid to be his student, someone who will assist him in his magic. At first, the boy is tempted by dreams of the power and the influence he will wield as the king's next sorcerer. But, soon after he starts to question his priorities. He begins talking to a righteous and a very holy man, who opens his mind to the true meaning of life. This righteous man tells Obaid that there is only one God,

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...

Almighty and that He created mankind to worship Him alone. Though these words appeal to Obaid's heart and mind, he is still pretty much confused. The righteous man advises him to seek the truth on his own – and thus begins the boy’s quest for the real meaning of life.

Sources

This story is taken from an authentic narration or a

hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...

Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God in Islam, God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. So ...

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

that explains the reference to "the

people of the Ditch People of the Ditch (Arabic: أصحاب الأخدود) is a story mentioned in Surah Al-Burooj of the Qur'an. It is about people who were thrown into a ditch and set afire, due to their belief in Allah. Story in ''Suratul-Buruj'' The verses 4 t ...

" in Surat Al-Burooj from the

Qur’an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...

(85:4). The Qur'anic story is about a boy who believes in Allah Almighty, and he is blessed with divine protection from the plotting of a wicked king and a sorcerer.

External links

Domain of Islam - The Boy and the King - The Legend of Obaid

''The Boy and the King'' on Muslimville TV
1992 films 1992 animated films Egyptian animated films Islamic animated films Hadith 1990s English-language films {{1990s-animation-film-stub

Plot summary

Sources

See also

External links