Why Zakir Naik is a hit with Malaysian Muslims

Sheridan Mahavera Sheridan Mahavera Updated 5 years ago · Published on 4 Dec 2018 7:00AM · 16 Comments

Members of the Mehdi Foundation International interfaith spiritual association taking part in a protest denouncing Islamic scholar Zakir Naik in New Delhi, India, in July 2016. Zakir, the founder of Peace TV, is accused of spreading hate but his followers say he does not run down other religions but is merely engaged with them. – EPA pic, December 4, 2018.

LOGISTICS company clerk Mohamad Nor Mohamad Jaafar spent a three-day weekend in Perlis just so that he could listen to Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik in the flesh.

The 30-year-old has followed Zakir’s web videos and listened to his recorded talks but when he found out that the missionary from India was on a tour in Perlis, it was opportunity Nor could not pass up.

“I stayed at my in-law’s house over the weekend and took Monday off so I could listen to all the lectures,” said Nor, who took leave yesterday so that he could attend Zakir’s talks over the weekend.

Nor was one of about 500 attendees at last night’s lecture at the Al-Rahmaniah mosque in Kuala Perlis, the third in a four-part series in Zakir’s Perlis tour.

Just like the other lectures, the crowd consisted of a mix of former government officers from Perlis, English-speaking Malay-Muslim professionals who teach at the state’s universities and colleges, teachers and pupils from local tahfiz as well as local and foreign students from Universiti Malaysia Perlis.

Nor is representative of Zakir’s middle- and upper-middle-class fan base in Malaysia, despite the fact that the 53-year-old is equally distrusted by non-Muslim Malaysians.

Christian and Hindu leaders, as well as human rights activists have waged an unsuccessful campaign to get him deported to his native India, where he is wanted on a string of criminal charges.

In February, the high court threw out a suit by activists who attempted to get the government to declare Zakir a threat to national security and to arrest and deport him immediately.

When Pakatan Harapan took over the government after the 14th general election, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Zakir could stay as long as he did not cause any trouble.

Nor did not believe Zakir’s controversies with non-Muslims.

“I have seen his videos on the internet. He does not run down other religions. He talks about them but it’s based what is written in their scriptures.

“I’ve never seen him condemn other faiths. If he did, I myself would not watch them, as Islam teaches us not to insult other faiths,” said Nor.

Last night, Zakir focused on how Muslims were weak and divided because they had strayed from the central tenets of Islam.

Zakir said Muslims were divided as they fell too easily for money, power and fame.

For Nigerian PhD student Shamsuddeen Mohamad, Zakir’s memory of the Quran and hadith (sayings of the Prophet) impressed him.

“He delivers his lecture well and backs up his arguments by referring to proof in the Quran,” said the 33-year-old from Universiti Malaysia Perlis.

Al-Rahmaniah mosque committee member Ramli Berahan said Zakir was the mosque’s first religious figure of international standing.

“When it first started raining before our programme, we became worried that only handful of people will show up. But as the night wore on, the main hall became packed with people.

“There were local residents in the audience but also his fans, who followed him from Kangar. He spoke in English but still people wanted to stay and listen.”

Physician Maryam Abdullah caught a ferry with a friend from Langkawi to see Zakir in Perlis.

“I think he is a good teacher, as he is broad-minded and wants Muslims to engage with the outside world,” said Maryam, who is originally from Germany.

“Muslims in Malaysia tend to be inward looking but Zakir wants them to look outside and engage with the modern world. I find that attractive.” – December 4, 2018.

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Comments

  • Indian snake oil salesman is equally impressive. If many of the Muslims can believe in one incapable person called Hadi, Zakir Naik can even promise them the sky and heaven.

    Posted 5 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

    • Zakir has travelled far and wide but finally he has managed to find a home where he can inject his toxic dose to one unsecured human race who dwelled there.

      Posted 5 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

  • Very good write up Malay Islam are happy with Zakir bcoz he is spreading their teachings. Non Muslims are NOT HAPPY with him bcoz he cause HARM TO OTHER FAITHS. What SURPRISES is that why Malay Islam choose a Terrorist to be their Teacher Why not choose a peace loving teacher. There a numerous good proffesor who preach islam to the dot correctly .Does ur comunity have only one teacher Zakir has been BANNED from few countries Does that not speak for itself Well Malaysia under BN UMNO it was BOLEHLAND Under PH yet to get the word

    Posted 5 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply

  • Look at New Pakistan With the dynamic Leader Imraan Khan. He is a muslim also For me i would say A Very Well Respected Muslim

    Posted 5 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply

    • Well you are entitled to your opinion sir. Have a nice day ahead

      Posted 5 years ago by Zaharadeen abubakar · Reply

  • I think he is a good teacher, as he is broad-minded and wants Muslims to engage with the outside world...Really?
    He once said Muslim must vote for Muslim leader even if the leader is most corrupt no matter how good a non Muslim opponent is.

    Posted 5 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

    • CheeYeeNg,CheeChongFan or whatever your name is, look how U twist facts & spin stories around 180, what DrZakirNaik said was between a corrupt leader (if he is in the 1st place, not according to your hypocritical judgement) and a non-corrupt leader but 1that colludes with evil racist bigoted parties like DAP who only have the goal of oppressing Muslims & slandering Islam because like U lot they are afraid Islam will open the eyes of more people to the truth & expose U lot as the hypocrite liars U are, then the choice is clear: the corrupt leader will get it in the here after but the leader that colludes with the enemy of Islam is worse & will do more evil on this Earth

      Posted 5 years ago by Ayrton Senna · Reply

    • Please am sorry but if i may ask, can you provide me with the lecture where he said that? thanks

      Posted 5 years ago by Zaharadeen abubakar · Reply

    • Yes, it's online somewhere where he spoke to a Malaysian audience where a young lady asked him if given the choice of a corrupt leader & another who is worse who colludes with corrupt racist bigot parties (like DAP), what should we do...his answer was more complex than the twisted version CheeYeeNg wrote and in his own corrupt twisted comment of pure story-spinning

      Posted 5 years ago by Ayrton Senna · Reply

  • I give up commenting on this devil disciple. He is not worth a pinch of salt. Perlis is now a haven for extremes , terrorists and all syaitan followers. Let it be they will start behaving like in ME where they start eating up on one another.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • LeeLee if U give up commenting then you wouldn't be commenting but the fact that you're still WHINNING proves what a hypocrite YOU ARE! So clearly YOU are the devil's deciple coz you're following the devil's path of hatred instead of engaging in meaningful discussions about religion obviously because U lot feel threatened by the truth , that you'll actually see the truth that has been staring at your faces but U choose to deny it. And btw, when U point your evil finger at others 4fingers of your own are pointing back at U, U just live in denial & hatred!

      Posted 5 years ago by Ayrton Senna · Reply

    • Yes i strongly agree with you, HATRED won't lead us anywhere but yes dialogue will definitely save us from doing EVIL, so please is good to comment and have your say, as the saying goes " YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION"

      Posted 5 years ago by Zaharadeen abubakar · Reply

  • All you poisonous snakes condemning DrZakirNaik are just sour sore losers coz he speaks the truth & you lot are afraid that many people will leave your religions & become Muslims whichwhich means to submit to the one & only creater ALLAH SAW.... so U slander him by calling him a terrorist when he has bombed or shot anyone, the only terroriss are U lot like TharanSingh & JackassaWay who only know how to bully people. And

    Posted 5 years ago by Ayrton Senna · Reply

    • Yes they hate the TRUTH but they fail to realize that TRUTH may take time to reveal itself but ones it is out it destroys FALSEHOOD

      Posted 5 years ago by Zaharadeen abubakar · Reply

  • Dr. Zakir Naik as an Indian you will expect the Hindus to kill him, because india is a hindu majority country, where hindus call the shots, so is not surprising seeing hindus calling him "Terrorist, Bad teacher" and what not, they claim to be secular but the truth is they are "HINDU" they will only accept hindus among them, so when you wrote that "Christian and Hindu leaders, as well as human rights activists have waged an unsuccessful campaign to get him deported to his native India, where he is wanted on a string of criminal charges". Is understandable that this charges are all lies, no proof, all are baseless accusations without any proof. And they will continue this way, most of them they don't read their scriptures else there won't be need to quote it using it as a proof, and some of them knows but due to sentiments they tend to ignore and use falsehood to attack, So all i have to say is that "May God protect us:. Amin

    Posted 5 years ago by Zaharadeen abubakar · Reply

  • I have seen his videos on the internet. He does not run down other religions. He talks about them but its based what is written in their scriptures.

    My Friend Nor, what Zakir does is to twist the Scriptures of other faiths

    Posted 5 years ago by Julian Nagelsmann · Reply