Acclaimed actor Hamza Ali Abbasi, who has given hit drama serials like Pyarey Afzal and Mann Mayal along with blockbuster films like Jawani Phir Nahi Aani and Parwaaz Hai Junoon, finally announced on Thursday night that he has made up his mind to leave/take a long break from the showbiz industry and would spend his life to spread the message of Islam. The reality of man’s mortality and ultimate death, he said, is what is guiding him in everything he does.
In October, Hamza shared on social media that he will make a big announcement by the end of the month. And though a little late, but as predicted, the actor spoke at length about his decision to take a break from acting. In a video titled From Atheism to Islam: Hamza Ali Abbasi, he discussed how this decision comes after a lot of thought and how he was always inquisitive about religion, the existence of God and afterlife.
“When I wasn’t satisfied with the answers that were given to me at the age of 14, I became an atheist. Later I moved to the US and through science I found my way back to religion. I learned more about various cultures and religions, and I got rid of my cultural and social biases. It was then that I found the Almighty and realized the final divine message to mankind,” he shared.
Read: Hamza Ali Abbasi confirms wedding rumours in a baffling post
A few months ago, prior to his wedding to Naimal Khawar, Hamza also revealed his reasons for getting married and they had a religious background as well. At that time many people weren’t happy with the ideas he was propagating but this time around, Hamza’s choice seems reasonable. Here’s why:
Tone matters
Hamza has made a decision for his life and he has a right to it. What’s commendable here is he in no way implies that acting (as a profession) or being associated to performing arts should be looked down upon. He didn’t criticize artists or the craft but only chose a different path for himself; he wants to dedicate his life to speaking about God and spreading the message of Islam and that’s completely fine.
The right to chose
The message of ‘to each his own’ was evident in his video and that’s rare when it comes to moral policing in our part of the world. At one instance while talking about his teenage life, he clearly said that he would talk about ‘the divine message’ later as there’s plenty of time to elaborate on it but ‘jo sunna chahe unke liye’Â [for those who want to listen].
The right stance
Though he left us a little confused when he said he is taking a “break from acting for some time,” Hamza also clarified that he sincerely believes Islam doesn’t prohibit you to act, perform or paint a picture. “I would like to spend a good part of my life justifying the fact that Islam doesn’t forbid you to act in a drama and film or paint a picture. But it’s rare to find the kind of work I want to do in our industry and hence I’ve made this decision,” he said.
Change in perspectives
He also emphasized on not categorizing religion into boxes and complicate it. “I don’t want to debate and convince people. It’s not a competition,” he said adding, “There are certain concepts in our religion that confuses cultural values as religious teachings especially about women and I want to explain them.” We’d like to hear what he has to say.
Bearing similarity to his character in Alif (Qalb-e-Momin), Hamza also announced that he will be making films or dramas however, he will strongly make a point that they will be morally sound.
You can watch the full video here:
