Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — Hollywood superstar Will Smith shared his profound admiration for the Holy Qur’an, especially its simplicity and narration of stories referring to the Prophet Moses. In an interview on the “Big Time Podcast” program, Smith said he had completed reading the entire Qur’an during the holy month of Ramadan.

Smith revealed his deep connection to spirituality and contemplation during challenging periods. He pointed out that he had been going through a difficult time over the past two years, which prompted him to search for his inner self. During this period, he read all the holy books, including the Holy Qur’an. “It was a period of my life when I wanted to expand my heart as much as possible so that I could embrace the largest number of people.”

Smith expressed profound admiration for the Qur'an’s simplicity and recounted how the narrative of the Prophet Moses resonated deeply within him. He emphasized the seamless connection among divine scriptures, reflecting on their profound message. “I was amazed to go through plenty of references about the Prophet Moses (may God be pleased with him) in the Holy Qur’an,” he said while noting that this is an interesting matter.

He said the story of Moses had an electrifying impact on him. “I love the simplicity of the Qur’an; it is very simple and things in it are very clear, and so it is very easy to finish reading without any misunderstanding. I was surprised that everything seemed like one story... from the Torah to the Bible to the Qur’an,” he said while emphasizing that he did not have any understanding of this seamless series before.

“The connection between these narrations was not broken,” he said while referring to the Abrahamic lineage, and how the Prophet Ibrahim is the father, and from him came his descendants — the prophets Ismail and Ishaq. He said it was nice to see the integrated concept of it.

In the interview, Smith said that he loves living in Saudi Arabia. “This was my third visit to Saudi Arabia, and I visited the city of Jeddah, and also went on a tour of the NEOM project, and visited Riyadh two times. I feel a sense of belongingness and I love the life here.”

Smith, one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars with his films grossing over $9.3 billion, also spoke about his wealth during the interview. Smith said that he felt that the first half of his life was part of accumulating wealth and that the second half was spending it. “Money is not the thing that people need most, and hence at this stage in my life, I want to give my knowledge and experience. Love and friendship are the only way for us to be here happily.”

Hosted by Amr Adib, ‘Big Time’ serves as a platform for renowned personalities attending the recently concluded 4th Riyadh Season. It was shown on the MBC network channels and the Shahid platform.

Renowned Arab singer Assala participates with Adib in some of its episodes. Here, these celebrities engaged in warm conversations, discussing their accomplishments, challenges, and life experiences in a congenial atmosphere. The episodes are readily accessible on the Shahid platform, providing audiences with enriching content and insights into the lives of their favorite celebrities.