Resurrection: Ertugrul
The three of us were having dinner at Zamzam, a popular 24-hour restaurant just around the corner of Sultan Mosque.
From this perspective, the golden dome looks splendidly shiny in the January night sky while the faithful congregants busied themselves out of the exits while searching for their footwear.
“You should watch Ertugrul on Netflix! I highly recommend it.”
Azlan responded in excitement when I asked them what they are discussing about.
I got curious.
These blokes aren’t really into dramas. Like me, they abhorred never-ending episodes of love triangles and shallow plotlines with little to no enrichment for the mind.
Khanafee continued to lead me on,
“ It’s about the history of the Ottomans and the medieval age during the crusades. Oh, there’s also the Mongols and the Byzantines…”
“you don’t say…”
I am now at episode 20.
Out of 70 plus episodes, and that is only for Season 1.
I know.
The Turkish film industry must be quite serious about their entertainment value. I wonder how much their budget is for the entire season.
But I must admit — although I’m neck deep in the Netflix hole , the drama is well-executed, with decent scenes of betrayal and love.
The recurring theme about abiding the customs and knowing that God exists are evidently portrayed in the entire storyline.
Ok ramblings aside, these are the things that I learned up until now:
A strong belief in God and tribal customs.
The tribe (the Kayis) is made up of the same Islamic belief that Allah watches over them, provided they strive in the Straight Path.
I liked the way that their lives are guided by a set of customs e.g. honor thy guests, pledge your loyalty and respect to their leader (Bey Suleiman) and their holistic approach towards managing difficulties.
The main protagonist (Ertugrul) is a God-fearing warrior despite his courageous acts of bravery, which is well-known in his tribe and the Crusaders.
Preparation is everything.
A well-prepared enemy is stronger than a faithful servant of God who only relies on prayers.
That being said, The Kayi tribe understand that all prayers are heard. But, they are only answered if one is willing to put the necessary work into it.
After all, nobody wants to assist you if you never help yourself out of a situation, let alone God.
Trust and cooperation are necessary for survival.
Most of the scene comprises about building an alliance with one another. Although treachery and mistrust are rife, there are still some form of dynamic cooperation that can exist to turn the tides for success.
It teaches us that no matter how strong you are, we still need someone on our side to achieve our objectives.
Everything in life has to be tested in order to bring out its true worth.
As Ibn Arabi (An influential scholar) mentions in one of the scenes — and I’m paraphrasing,
“A piece of leather needs to be hammered and treated in order to be malleable and flexible, else it will simply decay. The weapon you hold may not materialize if the metals are not dug out and forged by the blacksmith.”
Likewise, a person needs to be tested to a certain degree to harness its true potential. Some are tested with wealth, others with families, and the pious to their religion.
And every single one of us are all being examined by the Creator himself to bring out our worth.
Nobody knows what is in their hearts.
At the end of the day, nobody knows who is truthful as matters of the hearts are concealed except for the All-Knowing.
Even the good guys backing Ertugrul has their own personal agenda and yet, they are promptly reminded to always seek divine guidance or from their tribal customs.
The same goes for life.
But instead of being cynical, accept the fact that everyone has their own flaws. Have faith that people have that sliver of goodness within and remind one another instead of succumbing to one’s selfish desires.
Thank you for reading and May Peace be upon you.
