When Islam makes the evening news, it is usually in regards to bombings, oppression of women, and frightening religious extremism. Stories like Teshkeel and The 99 are not often heard, so Tribal Truth would like to shine a light on activists who are promoting the true teachings of Islam and providing positive role models to children all over the world.
The 99 is a comic book series based off of the 99 teachings of the Qur’an. These teachings are universal to all people of all faiths like honesty and kindness. In the story, there are 99 stones representing the 99 teachings, and each stone possesses a superhuman power. The stones are scattered all across the world and are discovered by various different people from all walks of life.
Not all people who find the stones are able to possess the stones’ powers. Each person must be chosen by the stone. Also, each person has free will and can use their power for good or for evil in much the same way that people use the teachings of Islam for good or for evil.
Another parallel between Islam and the stones is that the stones are updated over time. Moderate Muslims believe that Islam is for all times and all places, but Muslims’ understanding of it needs to be constantly challenged and reexamined. Some past interpretations of the Qur’an might be completely wrong, so like the stones, Muslims need to be constantly updating and rethinking how they view their faith.
The 99 has been successful as a comic book series, and the books have been translated into eight different languages including Chinese, Indonesian, Hindi, Urdu, and Turkish. Currently, the books are being adapted into an animated series, and there is now a theme park based on The 99 called The 99 Village.
Perhaps The 99’s biggest step has been their cross-over mini-series with the Justice League of America. The 99 will be teaming up with Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Iron Man, some of the best known superheroes in the world. The cross-over miniseries will be released by DC Comics and will hit bookshelves near the beginning of October.
To learn more about The 99 and see a preview of their upcoming animated series, check out their website at http://www.the99.org.
