I didn’t intend to watch it when it was released. It kind of flew under my radar. But after all the controversies and a dozen people asking about it in person & inbox, I decided, what the hell, let’s see what all the fuss is about.
Basically, the series is named Messiah and the main character’s name or what he likes to be called is Al Masih. In the Islamic faith, they contradict. In Islam, Messiah (Arabic of Messenger or Preacher or Prophet or something along the line) in the series context is used to refer to Isa (PBUH) Returned or the second coming of Jesus (PBUH). But Al Masih is used to indicate the false Prophet Dajjal who is comparable to the Antichrist of the Christian faith. So, calling the main character both Messiah and Al Masih made this whole thing complicated.
Why a big group of people are hating Netflix’s Messiah?
This is where most hate towards this series comes. Muslims thought Netflix was making Dajjal or Al Masih and Isa (PBUH) Returned the same character. And to be honest, most hate came from people who didn’t even watch the series. Since I watched it, I can say with confidence that this is not the case.
If you know the Islamic scriptures (Quran & Hadith), you’ll realize this is indeed the story of Dajjal and not Isa (PBUH) returned. But if you are not clear about the concepts of Isa (PBUH) and Dajjal in the Islamic faith, you might feel free to choose either of them as the core character of this series.
I know that some aspects or traits of Al Masih were overlooked and changed (namely, the damaged eye, text on the forehead, etc.) but you have to understand that it is indeed a Netflix series with a slight hint of what could happen. This is not an adaptation of any form. Besides, creative changes in narration are a big part of the entertainment industry. Just think about Marvel’s Thor. He is indeed a Norse God but in Marvel Comics and movies, he is depicted as a fellow Avenger who fights alongside Iron Man, Cap and Hulk which is not even remotely related to Norse Mythology. These are creative changes to a character or figure and you can’t blame them for changing a few things to make it more interesting. Another good example is DC Comics’ Lucifer.
Why the “Messiah” is about Dajjal & Not Isa (PBUH) Returned?
The signs are obvious. In the last episode, he “seemingly” makes people alive. In another episode, he is shown to “not pray” and at all, as far as praying in the Islamic faith goes. These are the two main traits of Dajjal. Dajjal will seemingly make dead people alive to impress his following and he will not worship Allah. But if I’m being honest, I knew he was Dajjal from the very first episode where he angrily kicks a man. The very scene is enough to tell you this is no Prophet of Allah. Besides, IMDB literally said the character to be Al Massih Ad-Dajjal until people stormed Twitter and they changed the name to just Al Masih.
Should you be angry at Netflix for this depiction of Al Masih?
I don’t think so.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, the Entertainment industry can take any concept and make creative changes to it. So, legally, you can’t be mad at them. As for people with the Islamic faith, I’ll say one thing – An online streaming service series should not be your reference to Dajjal or Isa or Jesus (PBUH). Quran & Hadith are the only reference books in Islam. So, don’t stress yourself over a Netflix series. I’ll even say, watch it, it’s enjoyable. Maybe you’ll laugh a little, seeing how obvious it is that Al Masih is indeed Dajjal.