https://www.ted.com/talks/naif_al_mutawa_superheroes_inspired_by_islam?language=en#t41555 MUSLIM SUPER HEROS AND THEIR HISTORY Naif Al Mutava/Mutawa did a great job by creating new Charactors of Super Heros. But Muslim Super Heros are found in history and great heros were probebly the first heros of their kind. They were more or less like the super men like Batman, they have super natural gifts which always helped them to combat Super Human Villians like Giants,Monsters, Witches and Sorcerers and other magical beings with Super Powers. The first of them was probebly Sindbad The Sailor in "Arabian Nights". An other well known Character is Prince Ismail of Bostaan e Khial by Meer Taqi Khial. Next we find Amir Hamza of Adventures Of Ameer Hamza. "Amar "Aiyar is a character of Adventures of Amifr Hamza yet his own adventures is found in Hoshruba or Tlism Hoshruba [Magic which negates Rationality]. In some regards Amar Aiyar resembles Diana he wonder woman, since some of his gifts and powers were bestowed to him by Hebraic Prophets. For example the Danial bestowed him a sheet of cloth which when put on by him turns him invisible, He was said to be bestowed by Zanbeel a Miraclous Bag which was untangible to any one except him.Also it was unfillable since an if all the things regardless of their size were put in it they would dissapper in it as they have become infinitestimal and has gone to an other dimension. Not only non living things but Super Villians can also be put in it. There characters were perfect humans yet could combat with Super Human Beings. Amar Aiyar is well known for his greed , probebly the most greedy rather Super Greedy person. He was a fst runner more fast then Flash ,Super Man , Wonder Woman of DC, Quick Silver of Marvel etc. So fast that he was unable to be cought by the Angel Of Death, and the Angle had gto trick him using his Immense Greed to take his soul out of him at the time of his death. In recent times we find a Pakistani Version of SuperMan namely Arzhang. The series was written by Muhammad Yunus Hasrat. He diviced the word Qartan/Qurtan for Krypton in AFU languages and Qarnatees for Kryptnite. His work consists of three volume.
Published by Firoz sons. Next we have a Yogi character named Annu Sha who lived for about 2000 years or more. He got super natural powers due to Yoga and his teacher Sarang Baba. The auther of this seires claimed that his grave is in Malabar India. So in this context Naif have done a very good job to provide children a new set of Super Heros. Althouth he is inspired by DC and Marvel groups but no one has done what he has done . Objections on Naif. There are two objections from the Muslim world. First One: He use Comical Pictures which are not allowed in Islam. But this objection is very strange. In Muslim world a lot of comics and stories are published with pictures. So to criticise him specifically is just like to chose a person from a large number of persons commiting one and same crime arbitrarily and to punish him/her while leaving all others as if they are innocent. So this is Unjust and this type of Injustice is just due to the reason that a number of persons are still not prepare to see Muslim Super Heros. Thosands of copies of News Papers with Pictures are published daily in Muslim World, so it is rediculous and unreasonable to criticize Naif just for his some characters in picture form. Are we going to hear a demand of ban of pictures in News Papers through out the Muslim World? Is this a sensible demand? Second Objection: Naif uses religion to enpower his character. Actually there is a sect which perputs to be Sunni sect yet believes that Saints have Super Natural Powers. Actually the true Sunnites do not believe that saints have extra ordanary powers , how ever they do believe that Some time God Himself Sheweth some super Natural Events upon their request, yet they do not Have Super Natural Powers. This may be a point of sectarian differences. But as we have seen that in old characters like Amir Hamza or Amar Aiyar etc there is a portion of religion always involved in some super natural powers in stories like reciting of Divine Nouns to Combat Giant and other Magical Super Beings, Naif have done nothing new.How ever I do suggest that Naif should try to find Scientific Origins of His Characters lioke Alien Origin of Super Man or Accidents which scientifically empowers his Muslim Super Heros/Heroines or Armors of
Iron Man or Doctor Doom or Battle Suits of Luther etc. This will help to minimize this objection. The only thing which I can do is to wish him success , and we should inform our children that there are stories and just be read as stories and not to be studied as school books. Once again Naif must be thanked for his works.