Staff Note: Documentaries are meant to be thought-provoking, and bring critical new information to the general populace. These documentaries were not chosen to espouse specific views; rather, they are included on this list in order to provoke reflection and discussion. The documentaries where chosen by the author and do not necessarily represent the views of virtualmosque.com.

I’ve gathered a list of some of the best documentaries I’ve seen. While these films may not have been made with a Muslim audience in mind, both student and Imam will appreciate the eye-opening details each film has to offer. As a community, I believe we need to be more informed of the history behind the realities and societal ills taking place before us.

Before you delve into these documentaries, there’s one more thing I should mention. Though I believe it’s important for us to be aware of our surroundings, and more so for the community’s leadership, we must never forget that the best source of guidance is the speech of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) – the Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him), and the knowledge of the scholars (may Allah preserve the ones alive and have mercy on the ones that have passed). Above all, we should turn to the Qur’an for enlightenment and guidance. A truly successful personality and truly successful society can only be built via the lessons and implementation of the concepts outlined in the Book of Allah. Without true internal direction from the heart, there can be no true external direction for society. And Allah knows best.

Note: Clicking on the title will open up its trailer or short preview. You can find many of these documentary films at your local video store. Others that are not copyrighted can be seen free at: www.topdocumentaryfilms.com

POLITICS AND HISTORY

1. “Why We Fight” (BBC, 2005)
2. “Fahrenheit 9/11” (Michael Moore, 2004)
3. “War on Democracy” (John Pilger, 2007)
4. “Hijacking Catastrophe” (Sut Jhally, 2004)
5. “Breaking the Silence” (John Pilger, 2003)
6. “Fog of War” (Robert McNamara, 2003)

HEALTH, FOOD, AND NATURE

1. “Food Inc.” (Robert Kenner, 2008)
2. “Super Size Me” (Morgan Spurlock, 2004)
3. “Planet Earth” (Discovery Channel, 2006)

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

1. “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People” (Jack Shaheen, 2006)
2. “Control Room” (Magnolia Pictures, 2004)
3. “Hearts and Minds” (Peter Davis, 1974)
4. “Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media” (Herman, 1992)
5. “Weapons of Mass Deception” (Danny Schechter, 2004)
6. “The War You Don’t See” (John Pilger, 2010)

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

1. “The Century of the Self” (BBC, 2004)
2. “Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech” (HBO, 2009)
3. “Debate: Political Islam – Is it a threat to the West?” (Doha Debates, 2009)
4. “Bowling for Columbine” (Michael Moore, 2002)
5. “Hamza Tzortzis: Liberalism & Islam” (LSESU, 2011)
6. “Jesus Camp” (A&E Indiefilms, 2006)
7. “A Time for Burning” (William C. Jersey, 1966)
8. “Malcolm X: Make it Plain” (AE, 1994)

PALESTINE

1. “Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land” (Sut Jhally, 2004)
2. “The Israel Lobby” (Stephen Walt, John Mearsheimer)
3. “Defamation” (Norman Finkelstein, 2009)
4. “Palestine Is Still the Issue” (John Pilger, 2003)
5. “Occupation 101” (Abdallah Omeish, 2006)

HUMAN RIGHTS

1. “The Road to Guantanamo” (Michael Winterbottom, 2006)
2. “Taxi to the Dark Side” (Moazzam Begg, 2007)
3. “Fallujah, The Hidden Massacre” (Italy, 2005)
4. “Generation Kill” (Journeyman Pictures, 2004)
5. “The War Tapes” (Deborah Scranton, 2006)

ECONOMICS AND GLOBALIZATION

1. “Commanding Height: Battle for the World Economy” (PBS, 2002)
2. “The Corporation” (Noam Chomsky, 2003)
3. “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices” (Brave New Films, 2005)
4. “Money as Debt” (Paul Grignon, 2006)
5. “Darwin’s Nightmare” (Hubert Sauper, 2004)
6. “End of Suburbia” (Gregory Greene, 2004)
7. “Life + Debt” (Stephanie Black, 2001)
8. “Smartest Guys in the Room” (Alex Gibney, 2005)

MISCELLANEOUS

1. “Inside Islam: What a billion Muslim really think” (Dalia Mogahed, 2009)
2. “Islam: Empire of Faith” (PBS, 2000)
3. “Inside Mecca” (National Geographic, 2003)
4. “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” (PBS, 2006)
5. “Death of the Freedom Fighter” (Al Jazeera, 2009)
6. “The Trouble With Atheism” (Dimitri Collingridge, 2006)
7. “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” (Premise, 2008)
8. “To Catch a Predator” (Dateline, NBC)
9. “An Islamic History of Europe” (Omaar Rageh, BBC)
10. “Free Fahad” (Siraj Wahaj, 2008)
11. “Entrapment or Foling Terror?” (Amy Goodman, 2010)