Islam inspires Ms. Marvel’s show and comics in different ways

Kamala Khan, who debuted on the scene in 2014 has always been explicitly Muslim and incorporates Islam into her heroism. After she had Terrigenesis, and got her polymorphic abilities in her second issue, Kamala Khan recited an Ayah from Quran every time her father sees harrowing news stories. “Whoever kills one person, it is as if he has killed all of mankind — and whoever saves one person, it is as if he has saved all of mankind.” Even though she has no idea what her new powers even are, this inspires her to save someone with them, her first act of superheroism.

Many of Kamala’s comics depict the importance Islam plays in her life through her brothers, parents, masjid communities, and best friend Nakia. Kamala is a proud Muslim, who incorporates her religion into her heroics, thanks to her direct Islamic inspiration and her love of Jersey City. While her new MCU show does convey the importance of Islam in her life generally, it doesn’t quite meet the bar set by her first comics — at least not yet.

Image: G. Willow Wilson (Marvel), Adrian Alphona/Marvel

Image by G. Willow Wilson/Marvel

Six episodes into the season have just been completed on Disney Plus. The episode does contain a handful of instances which resemble Kamala’s Islamic inspired to heroism. Islam is clearly an important daily presence in Kamala’s (Iman Vellani) life. With her brother, Aamir (Saagar Shaikh), reciting Quranic verses, Kamala praying at the masjid with Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) or celebrating Eid, and a beautiful Muslim wedding where the words “Allahu akbar” were said in a wonderfully joyous tone, the Muslim joy shone throughout the series. But the show seems tentative to get more direct than that, namely with Sheikh Abdullah (Laith Nakli) and her father, Yusuf (Mohan Kapur), who vocalize Islamic teachings to her, although the show doesn’t explicitly say as much. When her father says the ayah at the end of the season, it’s not made clear this is an ayah or even Islamic.

By contrast, her Islamic inspiration in the comics is very clear, going all the way to her iconic catchphrase, written by G. Willow Wilson: “Good is not a thing you are, it’s a thing you do,” which resembles Quranic verses pertaining to doing good deeds. As Surah Al-Maidah 5: Ayah 9 says, “Allah has promised those who believe and do ‘His’ forgiveness and a great reward,” inspiring Muslims to actively practice good deeds for humanity.

In the show, Kamala’s inspirations from Islam are less explicit, and more about tying her to her broader community and cultural identity. In episode 3, we see another touching scene between Kamala, Sheikh Abdullah and the Khan family at their pre-wedding event. As Kamala expresses doubt about the new hero (herself) being a net good for their Muslim community, based on the worries she heard expressed from Nakia and others about making them more of a target, Sheikh Abdullah (who probably has inferred she is this new hero) gently reminds her that “Night Light” still saved a young boy from falling from the minaret. Kamala then asks how the new hero can convince everyone that she’s good, and he simply responds with Ms. Marvel’s iconic catchphrase. It’s key, but it’s brief — especially considering how he plays a more active role in her heroic tutelage in the comics, even if he doesn’t explicitly know she’s Ms. Marvel.

Sheikh Abdullah is a consistently kind presence in Kamala’s life in the comics, one who helps guide her, Nakia, and others through life and its tribulations as a mentor who can naturally relate to the younger members of his congregation. This makes him a shining example of an Islamic religious leader in Western media. It shows how Islam is truly a guiding force of morality, as well as the determination to help Muslims all over the globe. After her father thinks she’s acting out, her father asks her to meet with the Sheikh. The young hero is more open-minded than she thought and finds the religious leader much more sympathetic. Kamala finds Sheikh Abdullah more encouraging her to be a hero and to develop the qualities he believes she is capable of.

Grid View

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  A scene of Sheikh Abdullah counseling Kamala through a superhero hiccup (though he doesn’t know it).
  
  
  Image by G. Willow Wilson/Marvel
  

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  Image by G. Willow Wilson/Jake Wyatt/Marvel
  

It’s through these teachings we come to understand Kamala Khan as not just a force for good, but a Muslim one through and through. Other media haven’t quite explored this in depth, but the comics medium gives the creators the groundwork to do so. Even while she’s not as vocally religious as, say, Aamir, who constantly recites surahs and has the express aim of becoming a religious leader in their community, she carries her religion in her heroism.

This is her core calling to action. She perseveres in her fight against the bad guys she faces and protects Jersey City from corrupt capitalists and gentrifiers. Kamala’s home is loving and her parents clearly taught her how to be strong and capable young heroes. Along with her best friend, Nakia, Kamala’s love of her broader community has a core root in her Muslim community, which is simply a part of Jersey City along with everyone else. This is what her comics always touch upon and how Ms. Marvel can build unity.

It’s unfortunate that we don’t have this as much in Ms. MarvelIt was difficult to squeeze so many things into six episodes. While the show still did demonstrate Islam as a guiding force for Kamala’s heroism, it was relatively succinct compared to its comics source. The best news for Kamala, though, is that she is just at the beginning of her heroic journey through the MCU. If you are interested, please let us know. Ms. MarvelIf there is a second season, it will show more about Kamala’s relationship with her faith. It can also show how she interprets Quranic verses to guide and teach her. Western media has portrayed Muslims as villainous or morally dubious for far too long, and it’s about time that we have far more proudly Muslim heroes just like Kamala Khan.