KBS

The four-part documentary ‘Sacred Relics’, part of KBS’s Founding Anniversary Special Project, highlighted the story of an 18-year-old Muslim who, after a long period of wandering, found hope for recovery through ‘Sacred Relics’.

KBS’s Founding Anniversary Special Project ‘Sacred Relics’(producers Kim Dong-il, Lee Song-eun, Kim Eun-gon)’ Part 3, ‘Word’, which aired on the 5th, began with the praise to Allah, ‘Azan(Azan)’, spreading from the early morning across Istanbul, Turkiye. When the azan that awakens the sleeping city resounds, people pray toward Mecca, where the words of the ‘Quran’ were revealed.

The vaults of the Suleymaniye Library house rare editions of the Quran. Manuscripts of the Quran adorned with beautiful miniatures and Arabic script are the essence of Islamic faith. The words of the Quran begin with praise of the merciful God, and in Islam this verse must be recited in the five daily prayers. The Quran does not remain confined to a book; it becomes sound and rhythm, permeating the daily lives of Muslims. For Muslims, the Word is a compass for life and an immortal truth.

Aziz, 18, had once been a devout Muslim who attended an Islamic seminary. Students at the seminary study Islamic theology and jurisprudence over seven years based on the words of the Quran. While at the seminary, where pious order and strict discipline prevail, Aziz recalled, “At school they said that unbelievers would burn in hell, that if you did this or that you would burn and be cast into hell. ‘Why is Allah such a frightening being?’, ‘Why must we fear Allah?’ Questions like these kept tormenting me.”

Aziz said, “The Allah I wanted and believed in is truly merciful. Because of this attitude, my friends disliked me,” and he revealed that he eventually dropped out. On top of that, after experiencing his parents’ divorce, Aziz saw his daily life collapse in an instant. He confessed, “I resented God. Why do You always give me pain, why do You not love me...” He even entertained thoughts he should not have had and went so far as to injure himself. Aziz’s mother said, “I was afraid. I held my son and we cried together. I prayed to Allah to help my child, hoping his suffering would end,” expressing her sorrow for him.

What grasped Aziz’s hand amid his wandering and conflict were the words of the Quran imbued with God’s love. Muslims believe that offering prayers on the ‘Night of Qadr’, when the first revelation of the Quran was sent down, brings grace more valuable than a thousand nights of prayer. Wanting to dispel the long-standing anger and hatred that had dominated his school years, Aziz sought out the mosque’s counseling center after the night prayer. The ‘imam’, a bearer of the Word and the spiritual guide who leads the Islamic community, empathized with Aziz’s pain and offered comfort in accordance with the Quran’s words.

For Aziz, the Quran became a hand that gently soothed his wounds. In addition, ‘Mevlevi Sufism’, one tradition of Islamic mysticism, seeks to realize God’s love through dance and meditation. Joining the Sufi community’s worship, Aziz finally realized that God is not an object of fear but the source of love. A Sufi practitioner conveyed, “Wherever you turn your face, there is Allah,” and Aziz said, “Those words move me,” regaining his smile.

He also welcomes neighbors and helps one another through weekly meal-sharing service with the Alevi community, once again engraving Islam’s precious values in his heart. In an Alevi house of worship, there is no distinction of gender or race; all sing, dance, and pray together. The community embraced Aziz warmly when he had left school and was adrift.

Within the love and tolerance extended by the Alevi community, Aziz feels at peace. Aziz said, “I used to feel lonely most of the time, but now it is no longer a problem,” feeling a sense of freedom as if his pent-up sorrow and pain had been released. He prayed, “O Allah of love and mercy. Bestow Your mercy upon all who suffer in discrimination and oppression.”

With narrator Kim Hee-ae’s voice saying, “God’s love permeates humans through pain and wounds. May God’s blessing be with the long journey of following the Word, the immortal record that bears witness to that love,” Part 3, ‘Word’, came to a close.

The final fourth episode, ‘Heart’, of the four-part KBS Founding Anniversary Special Project ‘Sacred Relics’ will air on March 12 at 10 p.m. on KBS1.