Abdullah Is Your Go To Reminder For Bite-Sized Messages On Humanity!
Hello folks, Ramazan Dramas getting too much for your soul? Overwhelmed by the cute romance and comic relief (can we ever), and wondering how to fit in spirituality in Ramazan as well as handing out life lessons to the next generation? Oh well, Abdullah is here to save the day!
And we’re giving you three reasons why!
1. Log Kya Kahenge – throwback to the values we once held dear
Abdullah is structured around the thoughts of a young person who speaks his mind, unchecked by societal restrictions and the log kya kahenge syndrome. When Abdullah brings home a homeless person and gives him the same respect we would give a guest in our home, when he addresses our tendency to naturally suspect a robbery towards the helpers in our home, when he addresses punctuality or giving a present that we deem worthy for ourselves as well, he highlights the good we all know we must practice, yet ignore or forget often, due to conditioning in our adult life.
Or rather, who does that nowadays? Who brings a homeless man home? What will people say if we spend so much on a present for our helper?
It is very easy to dismiss the narratives in Abdullah as pure idealism and just good to watch on a TV show, but perhaps Ramazan is the time when we can truly pay heed to our conscience and remind ourselves that these are the teachings of the Faith we follow. A drama can do only so much, the rest is really how much we choose to learn from it.
2. 20-minute episodes are great for young minds
Abdullah allows us to engage young minds in the family as they receive a simple life lesson with each new episode. Be it caring for elders, observing hygiene and cleanliness in our daily lives, establishing a regular routine, looking after one’s life partner, informing on the practice of Jahez, helping others, or just being patient, each 20 minute episode presents a problem and solution that is simple, effective and wraps up the story to send out an equally simple message.
Less is more in this case.
The makers have not tried to do too much, lest they lose young audiences in the process, and just enough to deliver a simple example that might stay with them well past the 20 minutes of watch time.
3. A break from the adult world
Abdullah reminds us that our children are, as yet, untarnished from the grown-up world where they view everything in black and white. Abdullah’s daadi ensures that he doesn’t grow up too fast and retains a hint of idealism, the key nurturing factor perhaps, that distinguishes ‘do gooders’ in our society from others who feel it is too idealistic and bookish to think of others first and do good without a personal agenda.
Children are capable of doing just that. Doing good without a personal agenda.
And not only do they set examples but also remind us of some childhood lessons
we learnt when we were young and have since, relegated to a hidden corner in our hearts, not because we are bad human beings, but only because, we allow sense and logic and reasoning to dictate our choices.
In Abdullah’s world, good dictates everything. All else comes later.
Although the show might have been criticized for coming across as too preachy at times, the messages it sends out are meant to make us pause and think. Although the stories are made for children, many grown-ups, watching along with children at home, have appreciated the narratives. And although Abdullah has been aired in Ramazan, its many short, bite-sized narratives can be watched throughout the year for a dose of honesty in our lives.
And although you might not be watching Abdullah yet, you might want to give it a try. It is a first in breaking away from merely screening comedy and family entertainment to deliver a message every evening.
More On Abdullah
This 20 minute show airs daily in Ramazan. It is meant for both children and adults and serves to remind us of doing good and acting responsibly in simple ways. Great to watch when you’re preparing iftari in the kitchen or even while you sit down with family after iftari preps. 20 minutes is all you need.
Abdullah is a Ramazan special drama created by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi. The show stars Haroon Shahid, Sumbul Iqbal, and child actor Shehryar Haider in prominent roles, along with several supporting actors. The direction of the drama was overseen by Shahid Younus, while the writing was done by Amber Azhar & Nadeem Asad, and the entire production was handled by 7th Sky Entertainment.
Abdullah is broadcast daily on Har Pal Geo at 5:30 pm and focuses on the significance of small but impactful acts in Islam. The show aims to promote the value of performing good deeds, both for personal growth and as a means of benefiting society.
