Written by Asadullah Khan
Now-a-days in Pakistan, a Turkish television series called “Dirilis Ertugrul” has become a sensation on the PTV (Pakistan Television Network) channel. The first season began airing on the first day of Ramadan which was the 25th of April 2020. However the first episode of “Dirilis Ertugrul” was launched in Turkey on the TRT 1 channel on the 10th of December 2014, and finally got aired in Pakistan in 2020, on the request of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
This Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan said in an interview, “Ertuğrul will make our youth learn about Islamic history and our ethics!” Last October, the PM discussed how he wanted serials and films to be around Islamic history, showcasing heroes such as Khalid bin Waleed. He further added, “We’ve always had content from Hollywood and Bollywood which was then being showcased here.
A third-end culture was being promoted in Pakistan. That’s why I want our youth to know the difference between our values and theirs.”
“We have a culture with romance and history as well, however, it is also filled with Islamic values. Sadly, the content from Bollywood is full of vulgarity, which wasn’t the case three or four decades ago.” The premiere continued, “Drug culture, sex crimes are on a high. I want a different culture to be aired so our youth can know that there is a way of life apart from questionable shows that have been airing.”
Ertugrul is not a fictional character or out of someone’s imagination. It is the story of a hero from the Islamic world, who gave his entire life in the service of Islam. He made the foundation of the “Turkish Ottoman Empire” and later his third son Osman took his responsibility, and helped his father’s dream by building the Ottoman Empire. Hence, the Ottaman Empire ruled more than 600 years in history. Nowadays, this particular television series is becoming an inspiration for the people in Pakistan.
The story of Ertugrul began from a small Turkish tribe, which was known as Kai Kabila or Kai tribe. Ertugrul’s father, the great “Suleiman Shah” was also a supreme leader of Kai Kabila before Ertugrul. The journey of kai Kabila began around 1200 AD, when different Turkish tribes were moving from one place to another for living. There were some conflicts among Turkish tribes as they were not united. Ertugrul’s mission was to build an empire, where different religions, races, cultures, traditions, and customs practiced by various people live together in peace, and there would be justice amongst the people under Islamic law. He stood for their unity among Turkish tribes, and all Islamic empires.
The series of “Dirilis Ertugrul” is also dubbed in more than 700 hundred languages, and is now trending on Netflix. Almost every Islamic leader admires the story of Ertugrul. The younger Muslim boys who watched the Ertugrul series are heavily inspired by his legacy. As well as the series is now having an international audience from all over the world due to its affiliation with Netflix. “Dirilis Ertugrul,” reflects upon the real Islamic culture because the people who do not know about Islam, or think that Islam is a religion of terrorism are changing their perceptions after watching the series. In the western world, Ertugrul’s popularity is growing ever since its launch on Netflix. Since it is a PG rated program and families of all ages can sit together and watch the series, the numbers of people watching are increasing day by day.
Ertugrul married his true love, the beautiful lady “Halima Sultan”. She was a princess of the “Saljhok Empire”, but when she saw Ertugrul’s kind heart and brave personality, she fell in love with him. The supreme leaders of many tribes wanted Ertugrul to marry their daughters but he rejected all proposals for the love of his wife Halima Sultan. Ertugrul later had three sons Gunduz, Saru Batu, and Osman. All were fighters like Ertrugul but Osman, the youngest son made Ertrugul’s dream of creating the Turkish Empire come true. Like his father, Osman is known as a heroic fighter for the cause of Islam.
Ertugrul had three friends Turgut, Bamsis, and Roshan who were Islamic fighters and his companions as well and fought many battles with Ertrugul. Turgut was the commander of Ertrugul’s army. In the “Turkish Military Museum,” there are Ertugrul’s swords, bows & arrows, and many other kinds of war gears, which he used for fighting. These gears that are displayed are the source of spirit for the Turkish soldiers and military, because, by those swords, Ertugrul made the foundation of the “Ottoman Empire.”
Ertugrul’s commander “Turgut” was martyred at the age of 125 years. He was the commander of Ertugrul’s army, then Ertugrul’s son’s (Osman) army and then Ertugrul’s grandson’s army. He was the commander of the army of three generations. During his last year’s of life, Turgut fought till the end for his nation and was martyred. He was known to not fight with a sword, but he fought with his axe. He used eight axes at various battles and all his axes are now showcased in the “Turkish Military Museum.”
Here are some famous quotes of Ertugrul:
- If we are thankful for what we have, our hearts will find peace.
- I have no fear of death. If I surrender before I finish my last breath, then that breath is forbidden for me.
- May the sun not burn your skin, may the rain not make you cold, may no rock touch your feet. Go like water, return like water to your tribe. ~Halima Sultan to Ertugrul
- The real hero is one who knows how to rise when he falls down.
- Stay true to justice and the righteous, do not accept anything but freedom, may your path be open.
- The victory is not ours, it belongs to God. As long as we follow God’s path, nobody can bring us to our knees.
- The strength of our enemy is a sign of our bravery.
- I am only the enemy of oppression and betrayal.
- Do not try to ride a horse, you cannot control.
- God sees everything and he is aware of your sacrifice. We live to spread the justice of God.
- We know our dying means we come together with god but we will live for god, for the state.
- What is in our heart, we will reveal by our words and our deeds.
- My palace is your heart. ~ Ertugrul to Halima sultan
- Despair is forbidden to us. We were commanded not to despair of the mercy of God.
- If we fall, the whole Islamic world will fall. As long as we are strongly attached to our faith and traditions, our heads will not bow down and the Islamic flag will not fall.
- To those who say our power would not be enough. To those who say our life would not be enough, we will say
our history is enough.
- To those who say the universe is not the universe, we say God is enough for us.
This hero of the Islamic world lived 93 years. His tomb is situated in Istanbul, Turkey. He died in 1281. “Dirilis Ertugrul,” is a television series that one must watch to learn about the Ottoman Empire that ruled part of Europe as well as parts of Africa and Asia for 600 years.