Koran By Heart, By Greg Barker

The HBO Documentary, Koran by Heart, directed by Greg Barker, further reiterated the importance of the Quran on the daily lives of Muslims. Though in the past we have learned that the Quran is the holy text of Islam, comparing it to the holy texts of other Monotheistic religious such as the Bible for the Christians and the Torah for the Jews, but in retrospect the Quran delves into other matters beyond just religion. Dr. Salem Abdel-Galil, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Religious Affairs, says that the Koran for Muslims is not just a book of worship, but it serves as a guide for life. What this means is that the Quran is not just a compilation of religious accounts; rather it holds information to further develop a follower’s intrapersonal and
The documentary style of the film was well suited for the context of the story the director was filming. The format of the film allowed for more insight into the children’s personal lives by allowing the director to ask personal questions about how they are feeling in the present moment, obstacles they have faced, effects of their country’s political climate, and their hopes for the future. Also, because of the documentive nature of the film, the director was able to include interviews to increase the film’s credibility. The interview with the musicologist, Kristina Nelson, explains to the audience the “Rules of Tajweed”, which is important for the audience to understand as it plays a vital role in Quran recitation and how participants are scored in the competition. The interview with Dr. Abdel-Galil, also helps provide the film with a source of credibility as he is the individual who oversees the Quran event in
Barkers main message was to represent the unification of the Quran and he reveals this by reporting on the Quran competition and teaching the audience the level of accuracy that is needed. Similarly, Sells describes the unification of the Quran through a personal experience he had in a visit to Egypt, where everyone in his hotel lobby, Muslim and non-Muslim, gathered around to hear a well-known Quran reciter (in text citation, pg. 1). Sells also speaks about the Quran’s beauty and how Qur’anic recitation can bring any one to tears, from “Umar, the powerful second Caliph of Islam, to the average farmer, villager, or townsman” (in text citation, pg. 3). We witness this beauty of Quran recitation and it’s ability to move people to tears in Koran by Heart. While each participant is reciting, the camera turns to the audience and we find each member focused on the reciter. Nabiollah’s recitation was so powerful, his words, though the judge had heard them before, was brought to tears upon hearing Nabiollah’s Qur’anic