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Revision as of 08:13, 13 March 2007 by Fullmasti (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Zakir Abdul Karim Naik | |
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| File:Zakirbooks.jpg | |
| Born | October 18, 1965 Mumbai |
| Occupation | Islamic Da'wah |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Website | |
| www.irf.net | |
Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (born October 18, 1965) is an Indian public speaker, debater and writer on the subject of Islam and comparative religion. By profession, he is a medical doctor, but since 1993 he has focused on preaching Islam. According to Naik, the goal is to "concentrate on the educated Muslim youth who have become apologetic about their own religion and have started to feel that their own religion is outdated." Topics he speaks on include: "Islam and Modern Science", "Islam and Christianity", and "Islam and secularism", among others.
Dr. Zakir is popular for his critical analysis and convincing answers to challenging questions posed by audiences after his public talks. In the last 10 years (by the year 2006), Dr. Zakir Naik has delivered more than 1000 public talks in the U.S.A., Canada, U.K., Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, South Africa, Mauritius, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hongkong, Thailand, Guyana (South America) and many other countries, in addition to numerous public talks in India. 09zakir.jpg
He has successfully participated in several symposia and dialogues with prominent personalities of other faiths. His public dialogue with Dr. William Campbell (of USA), on the topic, “The Qur’an and the Bible in the light of Science” held in city of Chicago, U.S.A., on April 1, 2000 was a resounding success.
Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, the world famous orator on Islam and Comparative Religion, who had called Dr. Zakir, "Deedat plus" in 1994, presented a plaque in May 2000 awarded to Dr. Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik for his achievement in the field of Da’wah and the study of Comparative Religion with the engraving "Son what you have done in 4 years had taken me 40 years to accomplish, Alhamdullilah.”
Dr. Zakir Naik appears regularly on many international T.V. Channels in more than 100 countries of the world. He is regularly invited for T.V. and Radio interviews. More than a hundred of his talks, dialogues, debates and symposia are available on video cassettes, video CDs and audio cassettes. He has authored books on Islam and Comparative Religion.
One example of his abilities was revealed during an airport incident in Los Angeles.
Where the security precaution post-9/11 has spawned complaints by visiting Muslims about harassment, especially over their inability to express themselves well enough to give convincing answers. But not for Dr. Zakir Naik, , who landed in Los Angeles airport on October 12 for a day's visit to receive an award for Service to Islam and humanity given by the International Islamic Internet University in Los Angeles.
When he was asked about his treatment by immigration officers he replied
“For me there was no problem and the people's behaviour was very nice”
Well when a Saudi newspaper interviewed him and investigated further, it was found that With his beard and Islamic skullcap, Dr. Naik did not escape notice at Los Angeles airport and so was immediately hauled in for questioning. After he was taken to the investigation room for question and answers, the custom officers started asking the question about different topics and also asked about his views on Sep 11 attacks he condemned the attacks ,then the officers asked about the Word “JIHAD”, he started quoting from several versions of the Bible, the Holy Quran, the Talmud and the Torah (the Jewish scriptures), the Mahabharata and the Bhagwat Gita (the Hindu holy books), and other scriptures he know by heart. And he proved that the concept of true “JIHAD” is not only Islamic but universal. Custom officers became curious and started putting more and more question, he continued to reply with his wisdom, knowledge and Logic, an hour passed, a long line of people were waiting for questioning ,so he was allowed to go and when he got up and left room about 70 officers from the airport surrounded him started following him to know about their own religion and Islam. After wards custom officers told that they were just astonished and they had never seen a person with so much knowledge.
Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, the world famous orator on Islam and Comparative Religion, who had called Dr. Zakir, "Deedat plus" in 1994, presented a plaque in May 2000 awarded to Dr. Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik for his achievement in the field of Da’wah and the study of Comparative Religion with the engraving "Son what you have done in 4 years had taken me 40 years to accomplish, Alhamdullilah.”
Thomas Blom Hansen, a sociologist at the University of Edinburgh, has written that Naik's style of memorizing the Qur'an and hadith literature in various languages, and travelling abroad to debate Islam with theologians, has made him extremely popular in Mumbai. Although he usually speaks to audiences of several hundreds, it is the videotapes of his talks which are widely distributed. His talks are usually recorded in English, to be broadcast at weekends on several cable networks in Mumbai's Muslim neighborhoods.
Notes
References
- Hansen, Thomas (2001). Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay P177. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-08840-3.
External links
- Zakir Naik Official Website
- Islamic Research Foundation
- Zakir Naik Audio Links Directory of Naik's Lectures
- Naik on death penalty for Apostates. {Brief Video}
- Naik on terrorism and Ossama Bin Laden. {Brief Video}
- Naik's views regarding rights of Non-Muslims in an Islamic State. {Brief Video}