| | Approx. Running Time | Language | English Subtitles? | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | English Version | 178 minutes | English | Not required | The international version, with Anthony Quinn. | | Arabic Version | 207 minutes | Arabic | ✅ Yes | The authentic version, with an Arab cast. |

In an unprecedented move for cinema history, Akkad shot two entirely different versions of the film simultaneously: an English-language version starring Anthony Quinn and Michael Ansara, and an Arabic-language version featuring a prestigious cast of Arab world actors, including Abdullah Gaith and Muna Wassef.

If you can find it, and if you can watch it with English subtitles that do justice to the original dialogue, do not hesitate. Ignore the shorter, more convenient English cut. Set aside the version that saved a few minutes of runtime. Watch Ar-Risālah . Hear the Arabic. Read the English. And see the film as Akkad always meant it to be seen: not as a translation, but as the message itself.