Film : Ayat Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love)

Well, still remember about this film i talked about? Frankly I like it a lot, so i guess i will blog about it here, so that in case you don't have the chance to watch it, you still know what is it about.

The Characters (According to the appearance in the movie)

Fahri - A muslim guy, who is currently studying at Al-Azhar University of Cairo. To me, Fahri is like the last of his kind. He is very pious, but at the same time has the "modern" mind, whereby enable him (and his religion) being accepted without prejudice. He came from a poor family in Indonesia, and came to study with a lot of ambitions in his mind. Fahri does not has any girlfriend, but he has a special friendship with Maria, his neighbour in Cairo. In university, Fahri had many admirers due to his attitude. =_=

Maria - A Christian Coptic girl, who lives with her mother in the same building with her bestfriend, Fahri. In her diary, Maria wrote that she truly admire Fahri's attitude, and at the same time her admiration had turned into love and devotion. Maria is a nice girl, opinionated and well-knowledge.

Nurul - A muslim girl, also came from Indonesia. She's a daughter of a well-known Kyai (religion leaders - sort of high position in religion structure). Silently, Nurul has become Fahri's secret admirer. Fahri likes her too, but dare not proceed with his feeling towards her due to her family position.

Noura - An Egyptian girl, who is enduring endless abuse from her father (who then being revealed as not her real father). Fahri had once saved her from her misery, and this had touched Noura's heart. She fell in love with Fahri, but her love is not being answered. Broken-hearted, Noura had framed Fahri and accused him of raping her, thus sending Fahri to prison.

Aisha - A German girl, who currently studying at Cairo. She first met Fahri in a train, where Fahri had saved her from being hurt by a an anti-America guy. They both fall for each other. They had get married by family arrangement. It was then revealed that Aisha is an heir of a very wealthy family, ths making Fahri feeling inferior. Their love had also being put into hard times when Fahri was sent to jail.

So, it's basically a story of a guy, with four prospecting wife-to-be. Intriguing?

My point of view

To me, this story is a very simple, yet strong storyline that manage to portray many issues in Islam. Many sensitive issues, I would say. I'm not going to preach here anyhow, but let me just point onto the issues that being filmed.

Marriage/Wedding
Fahri made it as one of his objective in life, to get married. Now you may think that he's desperate and all, but let me explain further. Remember i told you before, on why there are many young Muslim couples get married? I said before that it is one of a way for them to do what they cannot do if they are not married. True enough. But marriage does not only covers on that. It is also as a shield to avoid a person from "fitnah", as in, people will not say anything if you hold your wife's hand in public, or you went into the hotel together, right? Other than that, another reason is because it is written in the Quran that when a person get married, he/she is like completing half of his duty towards the religion. This one is a bit on a higher level i guess. (Truly, I wonder how many of those who gets married really remember this last point, which is why i had never tell you about it.)

Polygamy
You've sure heard it before right, that in Islam, a guy is allowed to married up to 4 wives. It sounded as injustice, especially for women. However, this concept has been abused by many cowards who only get married because of lust. Actually, the one written in Quran is something like, "you can marry one, two, three or four, and you must be fair. but if you can't, then just stick to one". Most people take the part where they can marry to 4 women, but neglecting to the "being fair" part. And by right, the marriage is not out of lust, but due to things like, if you marry the woman, you can be a good leader to her and avoid her from "fitnah". It is sad on how this rule being abused by people who gets married out of lust.

Love and religion
In this film, it portrays an inter-religion love between a Christian and a Muslim, when in the end, the Christian girl converted herself to Muslim. Now this is a very tricky issue. I had often being questioned with things like, "who can control love. why must religion being the barrier?", and some sort of that. I dare not say so much about this, but to me, religion should not be in questioned. Yes, love is blind, but..ok, I will not comment on this.

Anyhow, I'm just talking from my own opinion. I'm not perfect either. We are all just human who made mistakes.

Scenes that I like in the movie

There are many scenes that I like, so here are some of it.

Fahri and Maria looking at the Nile River.

Fahri : Maria, you know, before I came to Cairo, there's only two things that I'd admired about this place. One, is Al Azhar University, and then the other one is Nile River. If there's no Nile, there will be no Cairo, then there will be no Al Azhar.
Maria : Yeah, I admire Nile too. Because if without Nile, Cairo will not exist. No civilisation.
Maria : Fahri...do you believe in destiny? (Jodoh, Yin Feng)
Fahri : Yes, everyone has their own...
Maria : ...pair. That's what you'd always say. I think...Nile and Cairo, that's destiny. Hmm..how nice if we can meet our destiny, the one that's created for us from heaven.
Fahri : Not from heaven Maria, but from the heart. Very near.
*Fahri then look into Maria's eyes for a moment~
Fahri : I'm sorry Maria, I had to go.

Fahri getting a love letter from a girl, accidentally seen by Nurul

Nurul : Hmm...what's that Fahri?
Fahri : Eh..Nurul. It's nothing...err, i don't know.
Nurul : Wah, never know you're so popular. (sarcastically haha)

Fahri saving Aisha from the violent in the train.

Aisha gave her sit to an American tourist who was sick due to the hot-humid weather in Cairo. A Muslim guy then scolded Aisha, saying that as a Muslim, she should not tolerate with Americans, due to all the violence done at Afghanistan, etc.

Muslim Guy : Why did you do that? Don't you know that Americans call us terrorist, and was being very cruel towards Afghanistan, Iraq..etc.
Aisha : I don't care about all that. Her mother is sick. They are in our country now, they should be protected.
Muslim Guy : We cannot do like that.. *want to slap Aisha, but was stop by Fahri*

When Fahri first seen Aisha's face without her 'purdah' (the face veil).

Noura's love letter to Fahri

Which reads: (translated)
"Dear human with a soft heart, it's been a long time that I have tasted bitterness in life. I had no one but God. But you came with radiance. I want to be the person whom you loved, whom you wiped away her tears, and whom you protected. From a person who had always missing your radiance, Noura"

Nurul with Aisha, clarifying about her relationship with Fahri

Aisha : So, is there unfinished business between you and my husband?
Nurul : No, nothing unfinished. Nothing gets started either.

Fahri and Aisha, when Fahri refused Aisha's sugesstion on him marrying Maria.


Fahri : No Aisha, I will only marry one girl, and the girl is you. I love no one else.
Aisha : Please Fahri. Maria needs you, and the baby in my womb needs her father.
(Maria was in coma, due to her accident and also her unwillingness to continue with life when it is without Fahri. They had to save her, and also has her testify in court as she was the only person who knows the truth about Noura's conviction. )


Some of the photos from the movie, randomly.

Fahri had cried hastily in jail. He was being accused as a rapist, kicked by Al Azhar University and had also raised some doubt in his beloved wife heart, due to his many connections to girl. (Which he unintentionally got it ;P)

Maria is trying to "touch" Fahri, when he fell asleep during their time spending together finishing the school assignment.

A very uncomfortable situation, with two wives. =_=


I read a lot of websites that is talking about Aisha (Rianti) who was not as 'pure' and innocence as it seems in the movie. Well, to me, we should not judge them by that. They're just actors and actresses anyhow. She look pretty though.


Fahri in real life is also a singer and has a band, named Garasi.


She's the only woman in the movie who actually wear tudung in real life. In that movie, people will surely hate her (she had accused Fahri!), but actually she's said to be a very soft-spoken girl.

Beautiful Maria~ She's a new-comer in Indonesian film.

Nurul. She was once Indonesian Ratu Cantik, of some sort.

This movie is actually written from a novel. Here's the book cover.


Well, some friends said that this movie is ridiculous. Some friends said that I'm being stupid to like this movie since it brings no good meaning. Some said that I'm too easy to be influenced.

Well, to me..one thing. I don't care what people like or what people don't like. I like what i like, and that's the only thing that matters.