A Project of Inzaar Education and Charitable Trust

“Insaan Ki Kahani” is a documentary series created by Dr. Rehan Ahmed Yousufi, also known with the pen name Abu Yahya. The author is a learned scholar and author of many books on Islam, character building, social reforms and highlighting the moral issues in a Muslim culture, especially in Pakistan where he currently lives.

The author had written academic books contributing scholarly to theory of civilizational decline and Islam’s position on human slavery, both at individual level and collective level in the form of dynastic and authoritarian rule. In his later part of life, the author has shown a sublime way of writing which emphasizes the moral conduct in personal and social choices.

With both an inclination as well as proficiency in literary writings, the author has produced life-changing novels in Urdu which have been translated in English as well. These novels are not only a unique addition to the propagation of Tawheed, but also are a unique addition to Urdu literature where the genre of novel is limited to romantic and thriller storytelling.

In his regular writings, the author is an expert writer in producing short and crisp inspiring articles in one-page length taking reflections from everyday events, travel, exploration and developments in the world in the field of science, technology and politics.

In this documentary, the author uses the medium of storytelling in a documentary while visiting key religious sites in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and other places. The language is easy to understand, the choreography is excellent and the delivery is illuminating and thought provoking. Unlike the other religious documentaries, this documentary does not attempt to merely create sensation and telling unprovable prophecies about the end of times and the fate of this world.

The information presented in the documentary is rooted in the Qur’an, the last authentic word of God available on this earth till the end of times. The documentary presents the Islamic worldview from the Qur’an itself.

It aims to present the proofs of Islamic articles of faith, such as the Oneness of God, Prophethood, and the Hereafter, through a narrative presentation. The documentary contributes in providing compelling reasoning to solve the problem of evil, confusion about simultaneous functioning of God’s attributes, role of fate and free will, meaning of life and afterlife accountability to establish absolute justice.

The documentary presents historic and scientific information that is easy to understand and taken from authentic and established sources. Instead of over-arguing the case for religion from science and unproven archaeology and historical records, it limits the attention to focus on Qur’an, established scientific facts, established archaeological evidence and universally well-established historical records. In essence, it seeks to bridge the gap between faith and reason, presenting Islamic teachings in a modern and engaging way.

The documentary is titled appropriately. It is not a story of Muslims, but a story of humans. In presenting the Islamic worldview, it explains that Tawheed is the basis of all divine religions. Tawheed-based worldview not only unites every sect within Islam, but also transcends and encompasses all monotheistic religions including Judaism and Christianity.

The documentary also includes explanatory comments by religious scholars of different sects in Islam. It shows that when it comes to the message of Tawheed and afterlife accountability, there is a universal consensus.

In Pakistan, the documentary was finally released and telecasted on Hum TV. This season, nine episodes had been released. Each of the episodes include one or more chapters. Even though, the story is moving linearly, the content is engaging and well structured so that it can be followed even if the sequence is missed.

The use of examples and animations keeps the audience engaged and simplifies complex scientific facts for the non-scientific audience. Rather than using the single medium of communication, the documentary uses monologue, dialogue, questions and answers, inquisition, introspection or simply silent reflection over the prominent historical sites of religious significance. It is an engaging way of keeping the mind active towards the goal of pondering over existential questions, i.e. who we are, why we are here, and what our purpose is. The documentary examines humanity’s quest to understand its own existence and purpose through profound questions about creation, spirituality, and morality.

For presenting the arguments of the atheistic worldview, the author also selects the most prolific thinkers who had not used abusive language like the New Atheists of today. Carl Sagan and Bertrand Russel are quoted and their apprehensions are answered.

The documentary does an ingenious job of explaining the scheme of life and its nature as a trial. It creates a separation between biological evolution and evolution as a basis of naturalistic philosophy and worldview. It explains the scope and limitation of the scientific method.

The documentary differentiates between our animalistic essence and spirituality, highlighting the importance of understanding these elements in shaping our moral and ethical framework. Humans have been given a level of authority on earth, and that authority should be used with moral responsibility that comes with human authority.

It answers the apprehensions about problem of evil, predestination and human conception of God. The documentary explains how polytheism is a discredit to the Creator without evidence from science, rationality and revealed knowledge.

It explains that humans are just a guest in this universe. A guest that has arrived in the universe just now. A guest who is well served like no other guest. A guest who is absolved of responsibilities like no other guest. A guest who is not only served by the host, but by the other guests. Yet, if human, as a guest, does not acknowledge and thank the Creator, then it is an immoral attitude. The vastness of the universe and its long life highlights humanity’s unique position on earth in a 13.8 billion years old universe.

The documentary is available with English subtitles on the You tube channel of Inzaar. It is highly recommended to watch the nine episodes and also arrange collective viewership in schools and colleges. Besides religion, those interested in science, history, philosophy, archaeology, travel and cultures would also find it very interesting. Link of the episodes is given here: Insaan Ki Kahani.