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Zakāt (Arabic: زكاة‎ [zæˈkæː], "that which purifies"^[1] or "alms"), one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.^[2]

History[link]

Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history.^[3] Initially, Muhammed instituted zakat as a voluntary, individual offering, but during his lifetime certain forms of zakat have been declared obligatory. The caliph Abū Bakr, believed by Sunni Muslims to be Muhammed's successor, was the first to institute a statutory zakat system.^[4] The third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan (who reigned from 644–656) significantly altered the zakat collection protocol, by decreeing that only "apparent" wealth was taxable, which had the effect of limiting zakat to mostly being paid on agricultural land and produce.^[5] Ultimately, the practice of state-administered zakat was very short-lived, ending with the reign of Umar bin Abdul Aziz from 717–720 A.D.^[3]

Collection of funds[link]

Zakat is considered to be a religious duty, and is expected to be paid by all practicing Muslims who have the financial means (nisab).^[6] In addition to their zakat obligations, Muslims are encouraged to make voluntary contributions (sadaqat).^[7] The zakat is not collected from non-Muslims, although they are sometimes required to pay the jizyah tax.^[8][9]

The Qur'an does not provide specific guidelines on which types of wealth are taxable under the zakat, nor does it specify percentages to be given. Traditionally, the goods taxed are those that were the basis of most wealth in seventh-century Arabic kingdoms: agricultural goods, precious metals, minerals, and livestock. The amount collected varies between 2.5 (1/40. See the number 40 in Middle Eastern culture) and 20 percent, depending on the type of goods being taxed.^[10][11] Many Shi'ites are additionally expected to pay one fifth of their income in the form of a khums tax, which they consider to be a separate ritual practice.^[12] The Qur'an does not provide specific guidelines on who is to collect the tax, nor the tax was even specified.

Today, in most Muslim countries, zakat is collected through a decentralized and voluntary system, where eligible Muslims are expected to pay the zakat based on worship and love of God^[13] Under this voluntary system, zakat committees are established, which are tasked with the collection and distribution of zakat funds.^[14] In a handful of Muslim countries – including Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan – the zakat is obligatory, and is collected in a centralized manner by the state.^[13][15] In Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Bangladesh, the zakat is regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary.^[16]

Disbursement of funds[link]

There are eight categories of people (asnaf) who qualify to receive zakat funds, according to the Qu'ran:^[17][18]

1. Those living in absolute poverty (Al-Fuqarā')
2. Those who were restrained because they cannot meet their basic needs (Al-Masākīn)
3. The zakat collectors themselves (Al-Āmilīna 'Alaihā)
4. Non-Muslims who are sympathetic to Islam or wish to convert to Islam.(Al-Mu'allafatu Qulūbuhum)
5. People whom one is attempting to free from slavery or bondage. Also includes paying ransom or blood money (Diyya). (Fir-Riqāb)
6. Those who have incurred overwhelming debts while attempting to satisfy their basic needs (Al-Ghārimīn)
7. Those working in God's way (Fī Sabīlillāh)
8. Children of the street / Travellers (Ibnus-Sabīl)

According to the Hadits, the family of the prophet Muhammed should not consume any Zakat. Zakat also should not be given to one's own parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouses. It is also forbidden to disburse zakat funds into investments instead of just straight to those who are in need.^[19]

Some scholars disagree whether the poor that qualify should include non-Muslims. Some state that Zakat may be paid to non-Muslims, but only after the needs of Muslims have been met.^[19]

Fi Sabillillah is the most prominent asnaf in Southeast Asian Muslim societies, where it broadly construed to include funding missionary work, Quranic schools and anything else that serves the community (ummah) in-general^[20]

Role in Islamic societies[link]

This section requires expansion.

The zakat is considered by Muslims to be an act of piety through which one expresses concern for the well-being of fellow Muslims,^[21] as well as preserving social harmony between the wealthy and the poor.^[22] Zakat promotes a more equitable redistribution of wealth, and fosters a sense of solidarity amongst members of the Ummah.^[23]

See also[link]

• Sadaqah
• Zakat al-fitr, a different form of zakat which follows the pillar of Sawm (fasting in Ramadan).
• Khums
• Tzedakah (Judaism)
• Maaser Ani (tithing in Judaism)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Mattson, Ingrid (2003). "Status-Based Definitions of Need in Early Islamic Zakat and Maintenance Laws". In Bonner, Michael David et al. Poverty and charity in Middle Eastern contexts. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-5737-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=zBp3y5lWz58C&pg=PA31. 
• Weiss, Holger (2002). "Zakāt and the Question of Social Welfare: An Introductory Essay on Islamic Economics and Its Implications for Social Welfare". In Weiss, Holger. Social welfare in Muslim societies in Africa. Nordic Africa Institute. ISBN 978-91-7106-481-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=-JcYwpJJs8oC&pg=PA7. 
• Fiqh al Zakah (Vol. I), Dr. Yusuf al Qardawi

External links[link]

• Zakat Calculator
• Zakat Calculation
• The Zakat Pages
• About Zakat, Baitulmaal Organization

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Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Urdu: مفتی محمد تقی عثمانی) (also spelled Uthmani) is a Hanafi Islamic scholar from Pakistan who was born in 1943. He served as a judge on the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan from 1981 to 1982 and the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan between 1982 and 2002. He is an expert in the fields of Islamic Jurisprudence (fiqh), economics and hadith. He also held a number of positions on the Shariah Boards of prestigious Islamic institutions, and is one of the most influential Islamic authors outside the Middle East.^{[citation needed]} He is the brother of another notable Islamic scholar, Muhammad Rafi Usmani and Maulana Wali Razi.

Biography[link]

Taqi Usmani was born in Deoband, a city in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1943. After completing the Alim course at Darul Uloom Karachi, he specialized in fiqh under the guidance of his eminent father, Grand Mufti of Deoband school Pakistan Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani. He received his Takhassus degree in Islamic education from Darul Uloom Karachi in 1961.^{[citation needed]} He also holds a Master of Arts degree in Arabic literature from the University of Punjab and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Karachi. Usmani received ijaza to teach hadith from a number of scholars such as Sheikh Hasan Mashat, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani, Maulana Idris Kandhlawi, Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludhianvi, and Shaikhul Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi. He pioneered the concept of Islamic banking in Pakistan when he established the Meezan Bank. Usmani has authored a number of books in Arabic, Urdu, and English on Islamic topics in addition to a large number of articles on Islamic banking and finance published in a number of journals and magazines.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2004, United Arab Emirates Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented an award to Taqi Usmani in recognition of his lifetime service and achievement in Islamic finance during the annual International Islamic Finance Forum (IIFF) in Dubai.^{[citation needed]}

In accordance with the tradition of the scholars of Deoband and recognizing the importance of tasawwuf, Usmani's bay'ah was accepted by Abdul Hayy Arifi Abdul Hayy Arifi and Maseehullah Khan. Usmani is currently a mentor to numerous spiritual aspirants all over the world and delivers weekly lectures on self-improvement at Darul Uloom Karachi on Sundays between Asr Salaah and Maghrib Salaah. [2]

He currently teaches Sahih al-Bukhari, fiqh, and Islamic economics at Darul Uloom Karachi and is known for his Islahi Khutbat. He was a key member of a team of scholars which helped declare Ahmadis (Qadianis), as non-Muslims by Pakistan's National Assembly during the era of former Pakistani president, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in the 1970s. During the presidency of General Zia ul Haq, he was instrumental in drafting laws pertaining to Hudood, Qisas, and Dayiat. He strongly opposed the Women's Protection Bill. According to him, it was designed to distract attention from issues such as flaws in the law enforcement system.^{[citation needed]}

According to a comment piece in The Times, Usmani "believes that aggressive military jihad should be waged by Muslims 'to establish the supremacy of Islam' worldwide." and "Muslims should live peacefully in countries such as Britain, where they have the freedom to practise Islam, only until they gain enough power to engage in battle".^[1] On October 23, 2009, he published a response to alleged misrepresentations of his views on Jihad. To a question whether he had issued any fatwas saying “Muslims living in the West conduct violent jihad against the infidels at every opportunity.” he declared: "I never made any such statement either in writing or verbally nor issued any so-called fatwa. Nor is there any sentence to that effect in any of my writings, including “Islam and Modernism”. If this statement is attributed to me in Mr. Norfolk’s interview with me, it is not but a blatant lie, because I never said this during the interview."^[2] In Norfolk's piece in The Times this quote was not made. Usmani did write in his book “Islam and Modernism” about aggressive jihad that: “The question is whether aggressive battle is by itself commendable or not. If it is, why should the Muslims stop simply because territorial expansion in these days is regarded as bad? And if it is not commendable, but deplorable, why did Islam not stop it in the past?” and that peace agreements with non-Muslims in power is acceptable if: "If Muslims do not possess the capability of "Jihad with power" agreement may be made till the power is attained."^[3]

Associations[link]

Muhammad Taqi Uthmani is currently a member of the following organizations:

• Islamic Fiqah Academy, Jeddah (Permanent Member)
• Darul Uloom Karachi, Karachi (Vice Principal)
• Accounting and Auditing Organization of Islamic Financial Institutions, Bahrain (Chairman of Shari'a Standard Council)
• Central Bank of Bahrain, Bahrain (Chairman of Shariah Board)
• Amana Investments Limited, Sri Lanka (Chairman of Shariah Board)
• Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, UAE. (Chairman of Shari'a Board)
• Guidance Financial Group, USA (Chairman of Shari'a Supervisory Board)
• Meezan Bank, Pakistan (Chairman of Shari'a Board)
• BankIslami Pakistan Limited (Chairman of Shari'a Board), [3]
• Jamiatul Ulama USA, USA
• Pak Qatar Takaful (Chairman of Shari'a Board)
• Maldives Islamic Bank (Chairman of Shari'a Board)

Publications[link]

• Takmila Fathul Mulhim. An Arabic commentary on Sahih Muslim in six volumes.
• Ulum ul Qur'an. An Urdu work on the sciences related to the revelation and exegesis of the Qur'an. It has been translated into English under the title An Approach to the Qur'anic Sciences.
• Ma'ariful Qur'an. An eight-volume English edition of the famous commentary of the Qur'an compiled in Urdu by his father Mufti Muhammad Shafi.
• The Meanings of the Noble Qur'an. A two-volume English translation of the Qur'an with explanatory notes.
• Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter.
• An Introduction to Islamic Finance.
• Islam and Modernism, Adam Publishers & Distributors, India, May 4, 2005.

Books[link]

English books[link]

1. The Authority of Sunnah

2. The Rules of I'tikaf

3. What is Christianity?

4. Easy Good Deeds

5. Perform Salaah Correctly

6. The Language of the Friday Khutba

7. Discourse on the Islamic Way of Life

8. Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

9. The Legal Status of Following a Madhhab

10. Spiritual Discourses

11. Islamic Months

12. Radiant Prayers

13. Qur'anic Sciences

14. Islam and Modernism

15. Contemporary Fatawa

Arabic books[link]

1. Ma Hia An Nasraniyya?

2. Nathrat Abarah Haul At Ta'limi Al Islami

3. Ahkamu Al Auraq An Naqdiyya

4. Buhooth Fi Qadaya Fiqhiyya Mu'asira

5. Ahkam uz Zibai’h

6. Takmila Fath al-Mulhim (6 volumes)

Urdu books[link]

1. Tozeeh-ul-Quran (Aasan Tarjuma e Quran) (Urdu Translation of Quran e Majeed)

2. In'aamul Bari (Explanation/Commentary of Sahih ul Bukhari) (9 volumes, 3 published)

3. Asan Nakian (Easy Good Deeds)

4. Undulus Mein Chand Roz (A Few Days in Andalus)

5. Islam Aur Seasat-e-Hazra (Islam and Contemporary Politics)

6. Islam Aur Jidat Pasandi (Islam and Modernism)

7. Islahe Ma'ashara (Perfecting Society)

8. Islahi Mawa’iz (Discourses for Spiritual Perfection) (3 volumes)

9. Islahi Majalis (Discourses on Tasawwuf) (5 volumes)

10. Islahi Khutbat (Discourses on Individual Spiritual Perfection) (13 volumes)

11. Ihkami I'tikaf (The Rules of I'tikaf)

12. Islam Aur Jadeed Ma'eeshat Wa Tijarat (Islam and Modern Economics & Commerce)

13. Akabir Deoband Kya The? (The Significant Character of Scholars of Deoband)

14. Bible Se Qur'aan Tak (3 volumes)

15. Bible Kya Heh? (What is the Bible?)

16. Purnoor Dua'en (Radiant Prayers) (a collection of prayers for all occasions)

17. Tarashe (Excerpts from Islamic Works)

18. Taqleed Ki Shari'i Hasiat (The Legal Status of Following a Madhhab)

19. Jahan-e-Deda (Travelogue I)

20. Duniya Mere Aagaye (Travelogue II)

21. Hazrat Mu'awiyah (RA) Aur Tarikhi Haqa'iq (Hazrat Mu'awiyah (RA) and the Historical Facts)

22. Hujjiat Hadith (Authority of Hadith)

23. Huzur (SAW) Ne Farmaya (Sayings of Prophet (SAW)

24. Hakimul Ummat Ke Siasi Afkar (Political Thoughts of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi)

25. Dars-e-Tirmidhi (an explanation of the famous hadith collection, Sunan At Tirmidhi)

26. Deeni Madaris Ka Nisab Wa Nitham

27. Zikr-o-Fikr (a collection of articles written for Jang, a daily newspaper)

28. Zabat-e-Wiladat (Birth Control: Islamic Rulings)

29. Isayat Kya Hai? (What is Christianity?)

30. Ulum ul Qur'an (Qur'anic Sciences)

31. Idalat-e-Faisle (Court Rulings)

32. Fard Ke Islah (Individual Reform)

33. Fiqhi Maqalaat (Collection of Articles on Islamic Jurisprudence)

34. Ma'aasir Hadhrat Arifi (Sayings and Memories of Hadhrat Arifi)

35. Mere Walid, Mere Shaikh (My Father, My Shaikh)

36. Milkiat-e-Zamion Aur Uske Tahdid (Land Ownership and Its Limitations)

37. Nashri Taqreerain (Speeches Aired on Radio Pakistan)

38. Nuqoosh-e-Raftigan (Obituaries of Islamic Scholars and Other Dignitaries)

39. Nifaz-e-Shari'a Aur Uske Masaa'il (Establishment of Shari'a and Its Problems)

40. Namazein Sunnah Ke Mutabiq Parhe (Pray Salaah According to the Sunnah)

41. Hamare A'eli Masaa'il (Our Family Issues)

42. Hamara Ta'limi Nizam (Our Educational System)

43. Hamara Ma'ashi Nizam (Our Economic System)

44. Dastoor ul A'maal Baer-e-Talibeen-e-Islah (Instructions for Aspirants of Spiritual Improvement)

45. Murawwaja islami bankari

46. Gher soodi bankari

See also[link]

• Darul Uloom Karachi
• Muhammad Rafi Usmani
• Islamic Banking
• Meezan Bank
• Islamic Scholars
• Contemporary Islamic philosophy

References[link]

‎External links[link]

• Official website Darul Uloom Karachi
• [4] Bio of Mufti Taqi Usmani
• [5] Mufti Taqi Usmani's Profile
• An Introduction to Islamic Finance

Abu Usamah at-Thahabi (born March 10, 1964) is an Imam at Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, England.

History[link]

Abu Usamah, Khalifah At-Thahabi, born Frankie Lipscomb, was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey, the third eldest of four children. His siblings names include Kimberly, Sylvia, and also Daryl.

He reverted to Islam in 1986, and applied to attend the University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia, an Islamic school popular with reverts and international students. He attended the university for eight years where he graduated from the College of Da'wah and Usool-ad-Din. There he completed his BSc in Usool-Ul-Deen(theology) and learned the Arabic language. After his graduation from the University, Abu Usamah went to teach in the UK before returning to the US in 1996 in order to pursue his first position of Imam in Orlando, Florida. He was an imam at mosques in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Peoria. Abu Usamah is very engaged in the Islamic community. He has also be immensely active in the giving of da'wah within the Islamic community.

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011)

Hamza Yusuf
Hamza Yusuf at Doha Academy Education Conference in Qatar, 2010.
Born	Mark Hanson 1958 (age 53–54) Walla Walla, Washington, United States
Residence	Northern California, United States
Occupation	Islamic scholar
Religion	Sunni Islam[1][2]
Spouse	Liliana (Umm Yahya) Hanson
Website
Sandala.org

Hamza Yusuf Hanson is an American Islamic scholar^[3][4], and (with Zaid Shakir and Hatem Bazian) is co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, United States. He is a convert to Islam, and is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding. He has described the 9/11 attacks as "an act of 'mass murder, pure and simple'". Condemning the attacks, he has also stated "Islam was hijacked ... on that plane as an innocent victim".^[5] The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom reported that he "is arguably the west's most influential Islamic scholar" and added that "many Muslims find his views hard to stomach."^[6]

Biography[link]

Hamza Yusuf was born to two academics^[7] in Washington State and raised in Northern California. In 1977, he became Muslim and subsequently traveled to the Muslim world and studied for ten years in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, as well as North and West Africa.^[8] Hamza Yusuf spent four years studying in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the Middle East. Later he traveled to West Africa and studied in Mauritania, Medina, Algeria, and Morocco under such scholars as Murabit al Haaj; Baya bin Salik, head of the Islamic court in Al-'Ain, United Arab Emirates; Muhammad Shaybani, Mufti of Abu Dhabi; Hamad al-Wali; and Muhammad al-Fatrati of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.^{[citation needed]} After more than a decade abroad, he returned to the United States and earned degrees in nursing from Imperial Valley College and religious studies at San José State University.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University's Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union.^{[citation needed]} He also serves as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell's One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative that promotes pluralism and inclusion in America. In addition, he serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Abdallah Bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been an advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the "them versus us" problem is fundamentally flawed, and, in R. D. Laing’s term, a “knot” that will destroy people if they do not extricate themselves from it.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state.^{[citation needed]} He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education^{[citation needed]}, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives, and with Ibrahim Osi-Efa, he started the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims who were influenced by his call to reviving traditional Islamic studies in the West went to the Muslim lands in the nineties and early part of the current decade to study, many of who are now teachers in their own right.^{[citation needed]}

With Eissa Bougari, Hamza Yusuf initiated a media challenge to the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural religious program that he hosted for three years and was one of the most watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan.^{[citation needed]} Cambridge Media Studies stated that this program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed on BBC several times and was the subject of a BBC documentary segment The Faces of Islam, ushering in the new millennium, as it aired at 11:30 pm on December 31, 1999. Hamza Yusuf has been an outspoken critic of American foreign policy as well as Islamic extremist responses to those policies.^{[citation needed]}

He has drawn criticism from both the extreme right in the West and Muslim extremists in the East.^[9] He told The Guardian: "Many people in the west do not realise how oppressive some Muslim states are – both for men and for women. This is a cultural issue, not an Islamic one. I would rather live as a Muslim in the west than in most of the Muslim countries, because I think the way Muslims are allowed to live in the west is closer to the Muslim way. A lot of Muslim immigrants feel the same way, which is why they are here."^[10]

He and colleagues founded the Zaytuna Institute in 1996, which has established an international reputation^{[citation needed]} for presenting a classical picture of Islam in the West and which is dedicated to the revival of traditional study methods and the sciences of Islam. Hamza Yusuf currently resides in Northern California with his wife and five children.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has also authored several encyclopedia articles and research papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change our Condition (2007), and Walking on Water (2010). Forthcoming are The Prayer of the Oppressed, and The Helpful Guide.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf is the first American lecturer to teach in Morocco's prestigious and oldest university, the University of Al-Karaouine in Fes.^[11] He is married and has five children, all boys.

Critical reception[link]

Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre placed him on its list of the top 50 most influential Muslims in the world.^{[citation needed]} The magazine Egypt Today described him as a kind of theological rock star, "the Elvis Presley of western Muslims."^[12] Recently, Hamza Yusuf was ranked as "the Western world's most influential Islamic scholar" by The 500 Most Influential Muslims, edited by John Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin, (2009).^[13]

Publications[link]

Books Authored[link]

• The Burda The Burda (2003)
• Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart (2004)
• The Content of Character (2004)
• The State We Are In: Identity, Terror, and the Law of Jihad (contributing Author) (2006)
• The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi (2007)
• Agenda to Change our Condition co-authored with Zaid Shakir (2007)
• Walk on Water: The wisdom of Jesus Walk on Water: The wisdom of Jesus (2010)
• Educating your Child in Modern Times

Books with Foreword or note[link]

• Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning
• The Prophetic Invocations By Mostafa Al-Badawi

Book Edited with Zaid Shakir[link]

• Submission Faith and Beauty Submission Faith and Beauty, The Religion of Islam by Joseph Lumbard (2009)

Papers[link]

• Caesarean Moon Births Part 1
• Caesarean Moon Births Part 2
• Climbing Mount Purgatorio
• Religion, Violence, and the Modern World
• Generous Tolerance in Islam and its Effects on the Life of a Muslim
• Chess in the Light of the Jurist
• Who are the Disbelievers?

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hamza Yusuf

Websites[link]

• Sandala.org – Official website of Hamza Yusuf
• Zaytuna.org – Zaytuna College
• Sheikhhamza.com – Contains list of books recommended by Hamza Yusuf and a biography

See also[link]

• Zaytuna College
• Zaid Shakir

Zakir Naik
Born	Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (1965-10-18) 18 October 1965 (age 46) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Education	Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Alma mater	Kishinchand Chellaram College Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital University of Mumbai
Occupation	President of Islamic Research Foundation, public speaker
Years active	1991–present
Known for	Dawah
Influenced by	Ahmed Deedat
Board member of	Islamic Research Foundation
Religion	Islam
Spouse	Farhat Naik
Website
IRF.net PeaceTV.tv

Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (Urdu: ذاکر عبدالکریم نائیک; born 18 October 1965) is an Indian public speaker on the subject of Islam and comparative religion. He is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF),^[1] a non-profit organisation that owns the Peace TV channel based in Dubai, UAE. He is sometimes referred to as a televangelist.^[2][3] Before becoming a public speaker, he trained as a doctor.^[3] He has written two booklets on Islam and comparative religion. He is regarded as an exponent of the Salafi ideology; ^[4] he places a strong emphasis on individual scholarship and the rejection of "blind Taqlid", which has led him to repudiate the relevance of sectarian or Madh'hab designations, all the while reaffirming their importance. ^[5][6]

Biography[link]

Zakir Abdul Karim Naik was born on 18 October 1965 in Mumbai, India. He attended St. Peter's High School in Mumbai. Later he enrolled at Kishinchand Chellaram College, before studying medicine at Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital and later the University of Mumbai, where he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS).^[1] His wife, Farhat Naik, works for the women's section of the IRF.^[7]

In 1991 he started working in the field of Dawah, and founded the IRF.^[8] Naik says he was inspired by Ahmed Deedat, an Islamic preacher, having met him in 1987.^[9] (Naik is sometimes referred to as "Deedat plus", a label given to him by Deedat himself.)^[9][10] Naik says that his goal is to "concentrate on the educated Muslim youth who have become apologetic about their own religion and have started to feel the religion is outdated."^[11] He considers it a duty of every Muslim to remove perceived misconceptions about Islam and to counter what he views as the Western media's anti-Islamic bias in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks (also known as 9/11) in the United States.^[12] Some of his articles are published in magazines such as Islamic Voice.^[13]

Anthropologist Thomas Blom Hansen has written that Naik's style of memorising the Quran and Hadith literature in various languages, and his related missionary activity, has made him extremely popular in Muslim and non-Muslim circles.^[11] Many of his debates are recorded and widely distributed in video and DVD media and online. His talks are usually recorded in English and broadcast on weekends on several cable networks in Mumbai's Muslim neighbourhoods, and on the Peace TV channel, which he co-produces.^[14][15] Topics he speaks on include: "Islam and Modern Science", "Islam and Christianity", and "Islam and secularism".

Naik is the founder of the Islamic International School in Mumbai.^[16]

Lectures and debates[link]

Naik has held many debates and lectures around the world. One of Naik's most-cited debates was with William Campbell in Chicago in April 2000 on the topic of "The Qur'an and the Bible: In the Light of Science".^[17]

Naik has said that "despite the strident anti-Islam campaign, 34,000 Americans have embraced Islam from September 2001 to July 2002." He says Islam is a religion of reason and logic, and that the Quran contains 1000 verses relating to science, which he says explains the number of Western converts.^[18] A popular theme of Naik's is to try to demonstrate how scientific theories were prophesised by the Quran. For example, he says certain verses of the Quran accurately describe embryological development.^[19]

On 21 January 2006 Naik held an inter-religious debate with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bangalore about the concept of God in Islam and Hinduism.^[20]

In February 2011 Naik addressed the Oxford Union via video link from India.^[21]

Peace conference[link]

Every year since November 2007 Naik has led a 10-day Peace Conference at Somaiya Ground, Sion, Mumbai. Lectures on Islam have been presented by Naik and twenty other Islamic scholars.^[22]

During one of the lectures at the 2007 Peace Conference, Naik provoked anger between members of the Shia and Sunni communities, when he said the words "Radiallah ta'la anho" ("May Allah be pleased with him") after mentioning the name of Caliph Yazid I—a figure hated by many Muslims, but particularly by Shias—and said the battle of Karbala was political.^[23] Others, however, believed the comment was blown out of proportion.^[24]

Naik's views[link]

Biological evolution[link]

Naik has said that the theory of evolution is "only a hypothesis, and an unproven conjecture at best".^[25] According to Naik, most scientists "support the theory, because it went against the Bible – not because it was true."^[26]

Religions apart from Islam[link]

Naik says that Islam is the only correct religion (the equivalent of a maths teacher demonstrating that 2+2=4) while other religions are mistaken (the equivalent of saying that 2+2=3 or 2+2=6). He adds that other religions should not be allowed to propagate, and he supports banning the construction of non-Muslim houses of worship in Muslim lands.^[27]

Apostasy[link]

Naik has said that any Muslim is free to convert from Islam if the person so chooses, but added that if a Muslim converts and then speaks against Islam or propagates this other religion, it should be considered treason (as in treason to a country). Naik stated that under Islamic law this is punishable by death.^[28][29]

Terrorism[link]

Naik's views and statements on terrorism have at times been criticised in the media. In a YouTube video, speaking of Osama bin Laden, Naik said that he would not criticise bin Laden because he had not met him and did not know him personally. He added that, "If bin Laden is fighting enemies of Islam, I am for him," and that "If he is terrorizing the terrorist, if he is terrorizing America – the terrorist, biggest terrorist – I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist. The thing is that if he is terrorizing the terrorist, he is following Islam. Whether he is or not, I don’t know, but you as Muslims know that, without checking up, laying allegations is also wrong."^[30][31] When Time hinted that this remark could have inspired Najibullah Zazi's terrorist activities, Naik insisted: "I have always condemned terrorism, because according to the glorious Koran, if you kill one innocent person, then you have killed the whole of humanity".^[30]

In 2010, Naik said that he had been quoted out of context regarding the remarks on terrorism. "As far as terrorist is concerned," he said, "I tell the Muslims that every Muslim should be a terrorist. ... What is the meaning of the word terrorist? Terrorist by definition means a person who terrorises. So in this context every Muslim should be a terrorist to each and every anti-social element. I’m aware that terrorist is more commonly used for a person who terrorises innocent human beings. So in this context no Muslim should ever terrorise a single innocent human being."^[32]

In a lecture delivered on 31 July 2008 on Peace TV, Naik commented on the attacks of 11 September: "it is a blatant, open secret that this attack on the Twin Towers was done by George Bush himself".^[33]

Other countries[link]

Visit to Australia and Wales[link]

In 2004 Naik, at the invitation of the Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia, made an appearance at Melbourne University, where he argued that only Islam gave women true equality.^[34] He said the more "revealing Western dress" makes women more susceptible to rape.^[35] Sushi Das of The Agecommented that "Naik extolled the moral and spiritual superiority of Islam and lampooned other faiths and the West in general", further criticising that Naik's words "fostered a spirit of separateness and reinforced prejudice".^[36]

In August 2006 Naik's visit and conference in Cardiff caused controversy when Welsh MP David Davies called for his appearance to be cancelled. He said Naik was a "hate-monger", and that his views did not deserve a public platform; Muslims from Cardiff, however, defended Naik's right to speak in the city. Saleem Kidwai, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, disagreed with Davies, stating that "people who know about him [Naik] know that he is one of the most uncontroversial persons you could find. He talks about the similarities between religions, and how should we work on the common ground between them", whilst also inviting Davies to discuss further with Naik personally in the conference. The conference went ahead, after the Cardiff council stated it was satisfied that he would not be preaching extremist views.^[37]

2010 exclusion from the UK and Canada[link]

Naik was denied entry into the United Kingdom and Canada in June 2010.^[38][39] He was banned from entering the UK by Home Secretary Theresa May after arranging to give talks in London and Sheffield. May said of the exclusion order, "Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour".^[38] Naik argued that the Home Secretary was making a political decision and not a legal one, and his lawyer said the decision was "barbaric and inhuman". He also claimed that his comments were taken out of context.^[40] Film producer Mahesh Bhatt supported Naik, saying the ban constituted an attack on freedom of speech.^[41] It was reported that Naik would attempt to challenge the ruling in the High Court.^[42] His application for judicial review was dismissed on 5 November 2010.^[8] Naik was forbidden from entering Canada after Tarek Fatah, founder of Muslim Canadian Congress, warned MPs of Naik's views.^[39]

Reception[link]

Naik was ranked 89 on The Indian Express's list of the "100 Most Powerful Indians in 2010".^[43] He was ranked 82 in the 2009 edition.^[44] According to Praveen Swami, Naik is "perhaps the most influential Salafi ideologue in India".^[45] Sanjiv Buttoo says he is acknowledged as an authority on Islam, but is known for making negative remarks about other religions.^[38] Sadanand Dhume writes that Naik has a "carefully crafted image of moderation", because of his gentle demeanor, his wearing of a suit and tie, and his quoting of scriptures of other religions.^[46] He is also mentioned in the book "The 500 most influential muslims – 2011" under honourable mentions.^{[citation needed]}

Criticism[link]

Khushwant Singh, a prominent Indian journalist, politician, and author, says he "disagree[s] with almost everything [Naik] has to say about misconceptions about Islam". Singh argues that Naik's pronouncements are "juvenile", and said "they seldom rise above the level of undergraduate college debates, where contestants vie with each other to score brownie points".^[47] Singh also says Naik's audiences "listen to him with rapt attention and often explode in enthusiastic applause when he rubbishes other religious texts".^[48]

Yoginder Sikand wrote in 2011 that influential sections of the Deobandi community in India were beginning to hold a negative view of Naik. They said he was not abiding by ijma (Islamic consensus) and qiyas (analogical deduction of the Quran and Hadith), and therefore, in Sikand's view, was undermining their authority.^[49]

Khaled Ahmed criticised Naik for "indirectly support[ing]" Al-Qaeda by referring to Osama bin Laden as a "soldier of Islam".^[50] In 2008 an Islamic scholar in Lucknow, shahar qazi Mufti Abul Irfan Mian Firangi Mahali, issued a fatwa against Naik, saying that he supported Osama bin Laden, and that his teachings were un-Islamic.^[51]

Torkel Brekke, a professor of religious history in Norway, calls Naik a "very controversial figure" because of his rhetorical attack on other religions and other varieties of Islam.^[52] He writes that Naik is "strongly disliked" by many members of the Indian ulema for ignoring their authority and stating that anybody can interpret the Quran.^[52] Conservative Deobandi mullahs have accused Naik of "destroying Islam" by driving Muslims away from the correct religious authorities.^[52]

Praveen Swami considers Naik to be a part of the ideological infrastructure created to feed "Tempered Jihad", which he defines as Jihad calibrated to advance Islamist political objectives.^[45] He alleges that Naik's IRF has proved to be a "magnet" for figures linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, his message has mesmerised violent Islamists, and his works "help make sense of the motivations of Indian recruits to the jihad."^[45]

References[link]