“Religion should make you kind” says Zaryab. This as opposed to Abu Bakar who follows his faith in practice and spirituality, then Zamil who is just beginning to check all the boxes he deems necessary to become a good Muslim, and then Khushbakht and dadi who find their own peace in this world – one hiding a guilty past maybe, the other, fearing for the future. Dar e Nijaat gives us the many faces of Islam, each relatable to the people who follow their faith differently from the other, yet, identify as Muslims.
That’s the thing about Faith, as dada mentioned in Alif: We all have a different path towards Allah. How we get there is our journey. And that’s why, writer Umera Ahmed shows us the many paths that should eventually lead us to understanding our creator, and this world, better. It is interesting how the writer has chosen to represent those paths through her characters, each one resonating with an audience that might see a bit of themselves in them, or even, someone they know.
1. Zamil – Practicing the Rituals
Zamil seems to be struggling with his inner demons. And in him, we see a young man who has suddenly turned towards his faith, not in a quiet way, but in a desperate, loud, anxious call for help. He comes from a family where religion was perhaps not addressed or talked about much, hence he sought his friend Arham who seems to know more about Islam than most people he knows and therein begins Zamils journey. From participating in a week of tableegh (preaching the faith) to trying hard to pray 5 times a day and keep away from alcohol, addictive substances, or his relationship with Zaryab, Zamil is trying hard to draw closer to the teachings of his Faith and he begins where he knows best.
But in his journey lies a complex character who now judges others and blames them for his own failures. Zamil who struggles to find inner peace blames Zaryab for keeping him away from Islam, or walking the wrong path. Zamil is a character we might have come across in our lives – lost, vacant-eyed, troubled and restless; seeking answers and merely trying to calm the storm within. Perhaps this too is an awakening, a path to eventually embracing your faith, but it certainly carries its flaws, as many audiences have pointed out. How Zamil’s journey continues from here is what most viewers are invested in – is he a flawed face of the religion we love, or will his journey reveal more, somethiong deeper – a work in progress that still has time before he matures into perhaps, what we see in Abu Bakar?
2. Abu Bakar – Where the Spiritual & Worldly Meet
Where Zamil is possibly inspired by Abu Bakar’s calm and peaceful demeanour, it is in fact Abu Bakar who delivers a person who practices his faith mindfully. Not only does he practice the daily acts – namaz (prayers) and reading the quran, but also in his interactions with others, his respect for women, his sense of inner peace and his care for his mother, as well as his ability to bring his worldly interactions at work and home, under the same umbrella of religious mindfulness, making him a beautiful example of what religion can give to a person, if he or she reaches a stage where they give themselves up to its principles wholeheartedly.
But Abu Bakar too might have a journey, albeit one that will send out messages, as he’s about to learn about his mother’s past. How will his faith help him come to terms with the revelations is yet to be seen. But in this too, we believe the writer will have a message for audiences.
3. Zaryab – Upbringing Matters
Zaryab has a concience that prods her often enough. But before it can become really uncomfortable, she pushes the troubling thoughts away from her conscious mind, possibly telling herself, “it’s all good”. It is her dadi who’s perpetual reminders, a conversation on haya (modesty) vs mohabbat (love), pricks her conscience but then she probably reverts to what she knows best, or finds comfortabl – a home where her parents shared a positive relationship without too much of religion being a centre-stage of the family upbringing – being a good human being, providing for one’s family, etc. etc. was just as important if not more, the rest would come.
But Zaryab seems to identify enough with her faith to understand that although she might not be following it in visible actions, she does relate that drawing close to one’s faith should make one a better person, kinder, more spiritual, less angry or selfish. Zaryab’s faith might not require her to offer her prayers regularly but she does identify with the knowledge that there is goodness in those who do – one day, she might get there, possibly. And perhaps, the change will be triggered by a major change in life circumstances, or a person who will draw her closer to her Faith.
And yes there are many Zaryab’s among us. We might even be one of them. And perhaps we need not judge her for the path she’s on, for she too will carve out her own journey, when the time comes.
4. Dadi – Where Religion & Culture Meet
Dadi imbibes all the people among us who are close to their religion but have also grown up with strict cultural obligations and principles. The overlap between culture, morals and religious principles is so strong that one often fails to distinguish between them. Where dadi upholds moral guidance and tries to be Zaryab’s conscience, she also tells Faryal’s mother that a girl’s rightful place after marriage is in her husband’s home, silently implying that once she is married, that’s where she should stay. Furthermore, she also lays the entire onus of the imminent breakup on the fact that Faryal knew Shuja well before she was married and hence, she should have known better.
Dadi might suffer from tunnel vision when it comes to a girl’s upbringing, but she also seems to feel this way from a sense of fear – of the unknown, of girls being more vulnerable than boys ( acultural conditioning many of us suffer from), and of perhaps, past experiences which we might learn of later, especially with her connection to Khushbakht. There is a secret there yet to be revealed and dadi’s role in the story will come to light soon, also perhaps, making us better understand her sense of angst and constant unease about the way her grandchildren are being brought up.
Dadi might not be wrong in her religious assertions, but she too, needs to not transfer all her fears and judgements onto every situation that needs a call to action in the family. Needless to say, women have rights even after they’re married, and dadi’s not able to comprehend that Iitself has given her those rights. Ddi too has a journey (we hope), and we’re looking forward to it.
5. Khushbakht – Harbouring a Lifetime of Guilt
Khushbakht has faced a catastrophic incident in her youth and religion has possibly helped her through the storm, she has drawn strength from her faith, to move forward and to survive the storm. She also follows her faith in practice, especially in her relationships with Abu Bakar’s phoppos. The conversation on inheritance showed us how she took guidance from religion to guide her sense of right and wrong. In fact, Khushbakht is a woman who aligns towards the good, even in her dealings with Hamna to be fair – but a personal loss also guided her insistence that Abu Bakar marry her. Khushbakht still has a journey, one can see that with her presently severed relationship with one of the phoppo’s.
So even though we feel Khushbakht is all calm on the outside, there is a storm waging inside her and in time, she will have to face it.
Dar e Nijaat is certainly an apt title for the drama as each character strives to seek acceptance, salvation, deliverance and repentance from past deeds. And for those judging Zaryab’s journey or Zamil’s complex and desperate turn towards religion, or even applauding Abu Bakar’s calm persona, there seems to be more to uncover in every character – their journey is far from over. And it is perhaps our journey too as viewers, to be able to witness theirs without judgement – everyone has their own path towards God – in treading their own path, will the drama or the characters within help us find ours?
And on that note, we leave you to much to contemplate on. Drop us a comment if you have something to add on Dar e Nijaat. Join the conversation in comments below!
Dar e Nijaat is penned by Umera Ahmed, directed by Saqib Khan and features Nameer Khan, Shehryar Munawar, Dur e Fishan, Saba Hamid, Sania Saeed, Faran Agha among others.
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