(Duration – 3 hour 35 minutes)

Mohammad Naik: Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu! On behalf of the Islamic Research Foundation, it’s my pleasure to welcome all of you to this 9th day evening session of the 10-Day international Conference and exhibition on ‘Peace – The Solution for Humanity’.

We begin today evening’s session with the Qiraat by Shaikh Salaah ibn Mohammad Al Budair, the Imam and Khatib of Masjid Al Nabwi, Madinah. Brothers and Sisters please welcome Shaikh Salaah Al Budair…

Shaikh Salaah Al Budair: Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu! [Qiraat]

Mohammad Naik: JazakAllah Shaikh Salaah Al Budair for your lovely Qiraat. Before we have the translation of the Qiraat, we have a short program in between where we would like to encourage some of the students who have been very excellent in the Hifz of the Quran at the hands of Shaikh Salaah Al Budair.

hese awards are being presented to the Huffaaz and the Hafizaat of Islamic International School, Mumbai at the hands of the Imam and Khatib of Masjid Al Nabwi, Shaikh Salaah Al Budair.

Now out of the 60 Huffaaz that we have and the Hafizaat at the Islamic International School, Mumbai. I would like to point out that most of them have become Hafiz-ul-Quran, that’s memorizing the Glorious Quran, approximately over one hour, 5 days a week over 9 months a year for 2 and a half to 3 years while pursuing their regular studies and extra-curricular activities at school.

Amongst these we have chosen, the best among these, we have in the boys, the 5 best Huffaaz of IIS, namely

Fariq Naik of the 9th Std.

May I call upon Abdul Hafiz Mullah of 6th Std.

Labib Ansari of 7th Std.

Faisal Kokni of the 9th Std.

Mohammad Memon of 9th Std.

To receive the awards on behalf of the girls’ students, the Hafizaats, we have their fathers or brothers receiving the same on their behalf.

The 5 best Hafizaat are

Samira Shaikh of 9th Std., may I request her father to receive the same. Incidentally may I mention that Samira is currently authoring a book on the topic Tafeez-ul-Quran

The next award is for Shumaila Quershi of the 9th Std., her brother is receiving the same.

Next we have Misha Gazdar of the 9th Std., that’s her father receiving the same.

Then we have Nehal Devji of the 9th Std., may I request her father to receive the same.

And lastly we have Uzma Naik of the 9th Std. which incidentally I would have to walk up and receive.

These students have also led the Taraweeh Salaah this Ramadhaan too. Very well so much so we had some of the people who followed them in Salaah crying out for them, making dua’s for them and I hope most of our audience present here would appreciate that at such a young age we are developing not only Haafiz-ul-Quran but many of them also can translate the Glorious Quran into English whenever they recite the verses, that is also an added plus point in their character and growth and as well as InshaAllah better Muslims facing challenges of this world.

Now may I call upon Brother Jamaal Richards from London, United Kingdom to present the translation of the Qiraat. Brother Jamaal Richards…

He will present before us the translation of the Qiraat just recited before us by Shaikh Budair

Jamaal Richards: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent

He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, and Forgiving

And who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return your vision to the sky; do you see any breaks?

Then return your vision twice again. Your vision will return to you humbled while it is fatigued.

And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with lamps i.e. stars and have made from them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.

And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination.

When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a dreadful inhaling while it boils up.

It almost bursts with rage. Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them, “Did there not come to you a warner?”

They will say,”Yes, a warner had come to us, but we denied and said, ‘Allah has not sent down anything. You are not but in great error.’ ”

And they will say, “If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.”

And they will admit their sin, so it is alienation for the companions of the Blaze.

Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and great reward.

And conceal your speech or publicize it; indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?

Mohammad Naik: JazakAllah Brother Jamaal.

Before we start our formal program of the day, Fariq Zakir Naik would be presenting before us a rap song which has been scripted by his mother, Farhat Zakir Naik. Usually rap is associated with much that would call Haraam. In this we don’t have any musical instruments neither do we have content or lyrics which go against the message or the very essence of Islam. Brothers and sisters, please welcome 14 years old, Brother Fariq.

Fariq Naik: Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh! I am going to sing a song on the theme of this conference which has been written by my mother. Bismillah…

[Rap song]

JazakAllah.

Mohammad Naik: JazakAllah Khair Brother Fariq Naik for your lovely song. Now we begin the formal program of the evening and the formal introduction which is my duty, I start with that. The key note and the main speaker for today, InshaAllah, is Dr. Zakir Abdul Kareem Naik. He is the President of Islamic Research Foundation, the organization behind this whole conference going on before you for the last nine days with only one day balance that’s tomorrow.

He is renowned as a dynamic international orator on Islam and comparative religion mainly because he clarifies Islamic view points and clears misconceptions about Islam using the Quran, authentic Hadith and other religious scriptures as a basis in conjunction with reason, logic and scientific facts.

Dr. Zakir is popular for his critical analysis and convincing answers to challenging questions posed by audiences after his public talks, the reason we are exclusively having this session today evening.

In the last 13 years Dr. Zakir has delivered more than 1300 public talks worldwide in addition to many talks in India. He has successfully participated in symposia and dialogues with prominent personalities of other faiths and religions.

His public dialogue with Dr. William Campbell of USA on the topic ‘The Quran and the Bible in the Light of Science’ held in Chicago, USA on April 1st 2000 was a resounding success in proving the compatibility of Quran with established science.

Similarly his interfaith dialogue with the famous Guru Shri Shri Ravi Shankar of India on the topic ‘The Concept of God in Hinduism and Islam in the Light of Sacred Scriptures’ held in Bangalore on 21st January 2006 was highly acclaimed for his propounding the concept of oneness of God All Mighty.

Dr. Zakir Naik recently stood out most eloquently for Islam and Muslims on one of the leading News Channels of India, NDTV 24/7 in the interview ‘Walk the Talk’ conducted by host Shekhar Gupta who is the editor-in-chief of Indian Express. And this was telecast on the 7th and 8th March 2009 on NDTV.

Dr. Zakir appears regularly on many international TV Channels in over 200 countries worldwide. Hundreds of his talks, dialogues, debates and symposia are available on VCDs and DVDs. He has authored many books on Islam and Comparative religion.

Peace TV…and I am sure there are hundreds of millions of people watching this very program on Peace TV. And I take this opportunity to welcome them on behalf of the organizers here in Mumbai. Yes, Peace TV is his brain child and it has become his most far reaching, unmitigated, impactful phenomena worldwide in creating a better awareness of Islam and removing misconceptions about Islam. The ever-increasing this very over hundred million avid viewers of Peace TV worldwide are evolving into mass base of defenders of the true just and peaceful Islamic message for humanity at large and they are challenging the negative stereotyping of Islam and Muslims by some powerful co-operate media and wasted interest worldwide.

Today’s evening session has exclusively been reserved only for the open question and answers with Dr. Zakir Naik called ‘Ask Dr. Zakir’.

Feel free, feel confident, feel at your right to ask questions to Dr. Zakir that you dare not ask others for fear of being ridiculed or blamed for criticizing Islam. I, Dr. Mohammad Naik, I am your host and coordinator, InshaAllah, fair and caring too for this session in which is enshrined your right to ask Dr. Zakir and his duty to answer to the best of his knowledge and understanding.

Brothers and Sisters to answer your questions in this exclusive session please welcome Dr. Zakir Naik…

Before we start, may I kindly request our large audience collected here to kindly maintain the due decorum this program deserves. The rules for the question and answer session is you may ask any question on Islam and comparative religion, your question should be brief and to the point. Only one question at a time may be asked by you for your second question you would have to go back and line up again in the queue and await your chance.

We have microphones placed in various sections in our audience. There are 5 microphones, 3 for the gents and 2 for the ladies section. One microphone is there in front of the gents section and the other 2 in the rare sections. You may line up at any of the microphones that’s for the gents and we have 2 microphones here for the ladies, one in the front and one in the rare section.

Non-Muslims will be given preference to ask questions first and if time permits Muslim brothers and sisters would, InshaAllah, be offered their chance. Volunteers at the mike are requested to kindly and firmly to ensure the same.

The questioners are kindly requested to please state your name clearly as well as your profession before putting forward your question so that Dr. Zakir can give you a more appropriate answer.

May I request Dr. Zakir to please present his initial comments for one or two minutes before we start the session. Dr. Zakir Naik…

Dr. Zakir: Alhamdulillah was salaatu was salaam ala rasoolillah wa ala aalihi wa ashaabihi wa ajma’een, amma baad.

A’uzu billahi minash shaytan nir-rajeem, Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem

“Ud`u ‘Ila Sabili Rabbika Bil-Hikmah Wal Maw`izatil Hasanah Wa Jaadilhum Bilati Hiya ‘Ahsan”

Rabbish rahli sadri Wa Yassir Li ‘Amri Wa Ahlul `Uqdatan Min Lisani Yafqahu Qawli

My respected elders and dear brothers and sisters, I welcome all of you with the Islamic Greetings, Assalaamu Alaikum Wa
Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu, May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) be on all of you.

There have been requests since several years that since normally I give a talk for approximately 1 hour to 1 ½ hour and the question and answer session goes for more than 2 to 2½ hours. There was a request always by people for many years that why don’t you have an exclusive only question and answer session so that the audience at least they are satisfied in quenching their thirst. So on the request and public demand this year we thought lets have one evening at least more than 3 hours only for question and answer session. So on the request of the various audiences that we have had this is the first time we will be having an exclusive question and answer session and as the coordinator has mentioned that first we’d like to give chance to the non-Muslims so I request my non-Muslim brothers and sisters that if you have any questions regarding Islam and comparative religion. If you have any query, if you have any misunderstanding even if you do not agree with a single teaching of Islam, this is your opportunity to question. And, InshaAllah, I am young, I can take your questions and I‘ll try my level best with the limited knowledge that I have that I will try and reply to your questions. So I’d request the Muslim brothers and sisters to first give the chance to our non-Muslim brothers and sisters and after they have quenched their thirst we would allow the Muslim brothers and sisters. JazakAllah, Shukran.

Mohammad Naik: If the questioners are ready at the mike we’ll start. We have one mike in the front for the gents there, one in the middle and one in the rare section. Three, if you can see, first, second, third.

For the ladies we have one mike in the center, right in front of me for the ladies and one on the right hand side, both are in the front.

May we start with the first question on the mike on my left…

Questioner: Ya Dr. Naik, first let me just say that I am very honored to be standing in front of you. I have watched your programs on Peace TV a lot and I really think you are great. So…

Mohammad Naik: Can we have your name?

Questioner: My name is Mahesh Ursekar and I am a PhD student in the department of Philosophy of Mumbai University. My question is a little technical. I would like to know what the concept of soul is in Islam? As you know in lot of Indian philosophy soul and mind are taken as different whereas in western philosophy soul and mind is considered as the same. So my first question is what is the concept of soul in Islam and the second question is what is the relationship of the soul to the body so that after death you know does the soul leave the body and you know, things like that. So it is a 2 part question, what is the concept of the soul and how is it related to the body and what happens to it after death? Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: Brother Mahesh has asked a question that what is the concept of soul in Islam and what is the relationship of the soul and the human body and what will happen to the soul after death. That’s the basic question.

Questioner: That’s correct.

Dr. Zakir: As far as the soul is concerned the soul is the essence of the human body. The main importance as compared to the otter creations of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala), creation of All Mighty God, the major difference in a human being, it is the soul. And it is the essence which will remain even after a person dies which I will discuss later on. As far as science is concerned, science does not speak about soul. Science hasn’t reached that level where it can decipher what is the exact essence of the soul. But there have been researches done that when any living creature dies for example an animal when he dies as compared to a human being, when an animal dies immediately after he dies there is no difference in the weight but when we analyze the weight of a human being, the moment he dies and he ceases life, immediately there is loss of weight. That means there is something that the human being is loosing, the moment he dies but science hasn’t reached that level so far to decipher what exactly is soul. Soul is the essence of the human being and the Quran says in

Surah Al Imran ch. no. 3 verse no. 185, Allah says

“Kullu nafsin Zaiqatul Mawt”

“Every soul shall have a taste of death”

In this world, this life is a test for the hereafter, Allah says in the Quran in

Surah Mulk ch. no. 67 verse no. 2

“Allazee khalaqal Mawta wal Hayata”

That “Allah has created death and life to test which of you is good in deeds”

So this life is a test for the hereafter and every soul shall have a taste of death. Once a person dies his soul is not there but on the Day of Judgment when he will be resurrected then depending upon the good deeds and bad deeds he has done, All Mighty God on the Day of Judgment, He is ‘Maliki Yawmid Deen’, He is the Master of the Day of Judgment depending upon how you have faired the test in this world, depending on that then your result will be whether you go to paradise or hell. So the soul lives, soul doesn’t die, it only has a taste of death when a person’s body dies. So the relationship when the body and life put together you have the human being here but in the hereafter there will be absolutely a new body given and the souls will survive and then depending upon how you have faired the test you will go to heaven or hell. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Is the soul the same as the mind?

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked the question that is the soul same as the mind, no. again mind is abstract. If I ask you where is your mind? So people will say okay fine you know, mind is it in the brain so this is an abstract word… like how we say “mind your own business”. So mind when we say people start thinking of the brain but that doesn’t mean that the mind is in the brain but it is different. So mind is again abstract word. I do not know whether mind is placed but when we talk about the mind we normally think about the brain but that’s an abstract word. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Yes brother…

Questioner: Hello my name is Mahesh Mehta, I am retired person. I visited 15 Islamic countries Salaah area for men-women are different everywhere even Masjid-e-Nabwi Salaah area for men and women is different. Karbala, Najd, Kajmein, Samara, Damascus, Massa men and women Salaah area are different but during the Hajj time Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat, Safa, Marwah and when doing Tawaf in Kaba Sharif men and women are together and dome of the rock in Al Aqsa Masjid, Bait-ul-Muqadas in Jerusalem men and women are together, why?

Dr. Zakir: Brother Mahesh Mehta has asked a very good question and we know, Mahesh Mehta since several years since the conception of IRF, MashaAllah, he is the person who is a non-Muslim who used to take video cassettes when we started in 1991 and maximum cassettes he has taken and I feel that he has seen more cassettes of IRF than any other Muslim also. He has asked the question that when he has been to many mosques throughout the world, most of the places, the prayer area for men and women, it is separate but when he went he went to Hajj and when he went to Makkah and Mina, Muzdalifah, the prayer area is the same, the men and women are mixed, they aren’t separate. What brother fails to realize that everywhere even in Makkah and in Muzdalifah and Mina the prayer area is same but because of the situation.

For example when we go to Makkah and there one of the important pillars is you do Tawaf. Now when you do Tawaf, you can’t have separate area for Tawaf that’s the reason while doing Tawaf we can’t have separate spaces but after they finish Tawaf, normally, men and women have got different designated areas even in Makkah but while they are doing Tawaf if the Salaah time takes places some women may not reach the designated place so there are occasions when they stand in areas which are not designated for the women. So because of this there are occasions when we find, when we see, there may be some women mixed up in the gent area but ideally you see when you come at the rare side, not at the Mutaff and the other part you find that there are separate designated area for the women and separate for the men.

In normal mosque that we have, the entry gates of men and women are separate. In Haram there are even separate areas even for women to enter but because when they go for Tawaf there is bound to be that they mix but when they pray, they are suppose to be at different areas but because the time may not permit them to reach the area there are occasions when you may find that there may be certain mixing on certain areas. Same thing in Mina, same thing in Muzdalifah. Even in Muzdalifah and Mina you will never find men and women standing in the same row. Because they are scattered, it’s a very big area because they come with their families same when they come for the Haram in Makaah, they come with their family so here because they come with family to have separate segregation… suppose it may be 100 acres so half for gents, half for ladies then the family cannot stay together. In all the other mosques because the mosque is small you can easily have separate area for Salaah, separate for entry, separate for exit and they can meet their family outside. Here because Muzdalifah, Arafat is hundreds of acres and the family come together to do Hajj while they stay in Arafat, Mina, Muzdalifah so at that time even when they pray men and women don’t stand in the same row. There is separate area but their areas are scattered because of that it may not look that they are separate but if you go to Masjid-e-Khaif, that’s in Mina or in Arafat, Masjid-e-Namra there, there is separate segregation just like any other mosque. Because when they pray in a large gathering… In a large area, it is difficult when families come together otherwise always men and women, they are suppose to be separate, separate but equal facility, why? The reason is so that they can concentrate on Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) better and there is no intermingling of sexes. Hope that answers the question brother.

Mohammad Naik: Yes brother..

Questioner: Before posing my question, I would like to thank the organizers for making such a brilliant and stupendous effort. Now coming to my question, I have a lot of interaction with Muslim because my early childhood and youth was spent among them but one question has always been not really understood by me, the definition of Allah because to my mind and the way it has been given to me by my Muslim friends and acquaintances that their definition of Allah basically is negation of other faiths and also non acceptance of their definition of their God as such. Your scholarship is very profound; I would like to be benefitted by it.

Dr. Zakir: The brother asked a very good question, very important question that he wants to know one thing which has been always in his mind, what is the definition of Allah in Islam and the definition also includes many things which is negation and it contradicts the definition of the other faiths.

In fact in Islam the definition of Allah says what Allah is and also says what Allah is not. Besides knowing what God is it is also important to know what God is not so that if someone falsely claims that so and so is God, you can easily come to know this is a false claim. As far as the reply to what is the definition of Allah. The best reply that any Muslim can give you is from the Quran from

Surah Ikhlas ch. no. 112 verse no. 1 to 4 which says

“Qul Huwallaahu Ahad”,

“Say: He is Allah, One and Only”

“Allahus Samad”

“Allah, the Absolute and Eternal”

“Lam Yalid Wa Lam Yulad”

“He begets not, nor is He begotten”

“Walam Yakullahu Kufuan ‘Ahad”

“There is nothing like Him”

This is a 4 line definition of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala), of All Mighty God given in the Glorious Quran. This is the touchstone of theology, it is the litmus test to identify, any person says so and so candidate is God if that candidate fits in this 4 line definition, we Muslims have got no objection in accepting that candidate to be God. The first is

“Qul Huwallaahu Ahad”,

“Say: He is Allah, One and Only”

“Allahus Samad”

“Allah, the Absolute and Eternal”

“Lam Yalid Wa Lam Yulad”

“He begets not, nor is He begotten”

“Walam Yakullahu Kufuan ‘Ahad”

“There is nothing like Him”

For example, I’ll give you an example there are some human beings who say that Bhagwan Rajneesh is God. During question answer there was a Hindu brother who told me that we, Hindus, don’t consider him to be God. I never said that the Hindus call Bhagwan Rajneesh to be God, there are many human beings who claim Baghwan Rajneesh is God. Now I will give you a sample, why do we use this negative also like “say He is Allah one and only” is positive

“Allahus Samad”

“Allah, the Absolute and Eternal”

“Lam Yalid Wa Lam Yulad”

“He begets not, nor is He begotten”

Why do we use this? Now we will put this Bagwan Rajneesh to test.

The first test is “Qul huwa Allahu ahad”, Say, “He is Allah, One and only.

Was Bhagwan Rajneesh one & only? Was he the only man who has claimed divinity? There are hundreds who have claimed divinity. And in this country of ours, India, there are thousands of men who have claimed divinity thousands of people have said that they are God. He’s not the only one. But a Rajneesh Bhaght will say no Baghwan Rajneesh is unique.

So let’s go to the next test. ‘Allahus Samad’, Allah, the absolute and Eternal. Was Rajneesh absolute and eternal? We we read his autobiography; we read there that Baghwan Rajneesh, he was suffering from asthma, from diabetics mellitus, from chronic backache. Imagine, All Mighty God suffering from asthma, from diabetics mellitus, from chronic backache!!

Third test, ‘Lam yalid walam yoolad’, ‘He begets not nor is he begotten’. We know that Bhagwan Rajneesh, he was born in Madhya Pradesh. And he had a mother and father. And in 1981 he goes to America and takes thousands of Americans for a ride. And in the state of Oregon he starts his new centre known as ‘Rajneesh Puram’. Later on the American government arrests him & put him behind bars. Rajneesh alleges that the American government gave me slow poisoning. Imagine All Mighty God being slow poisoned!!

And in 1985 the American government kicks him out of the country he comes back to India and goes back to the city of Poona and there he goes and restarts his centre which is today called as ‘Osho commune’. And if you visit Osho Commune today, if you go to his Samadhi where his ashes have been kept after he died it is mentioned over there on the Samadhi, on his stone “Osho”

Bhagwan Rajneesh “Osho – never born, never died; but visited the Earth from the 11th of December 1931 to the 19th of January 1990.”

Never born, never died; but visited the Earth from the 11th of December 1931 to the 19th of January 1990. They forgot to mention on his Samadhi that he was not given visas to 21 countries of the world! Imagine All Mighty God coming on this earth to visit different countries and he requires Visas!!

And the last test ‘Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad’ is so stringent that the moment you can compare God to anything in this world, he is not God, ‘Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.’

We know Baghwan Rajneesh, he had a white beard like the human beings two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two hands. The moment you can compare God to anything in this world he’s not God, ‘Walam yakul lahu kufuwan ahad’.

For example someone says that All Mighty God is thousand times stronger than Arnold Schwarzenegger. You may have heard the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The person who got the title ‘Mr. World’, strongest man in the world, ‘Mr. Universe’, the strongest man in the universe.. The moment you can compare God to anything in this world whether be it Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dara Singh or King Kong; whether it be a thousand times or million times, the moment you can compare God to anything in this world, he’s not God, ‘Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad’. So this brother is in short the concept of All Mighty God.

Mohammad Naik: We’ll have the next question from the gents mike in the middle that’s… we’ll call that mike 2. This is mike no. 1 that is mike no. 2 in the middle; the third mike is called mike no. 3, gents rare section.

We have mike no. 1 of the ladies, front section, right in front of me and we have one on the side and little on the rare, that’s mike no. 2 for the ladies section. Yes may we have the question on mike no. 2, gents’ middle? Yes brother…

Questioner: Ya, my name is Arjun J. Rao, I am 19 years old. Different people are at different levels of spiritual level and…refinement and understanding. I think Islam is for people who are already quite advanced at the spiritual understanding not everybody can follow its teachings meaningfully. Comparing it to a school, I mean, people are like at 1st Std., 2nd Std. and 10th Islam is like 9th Std. curriculum so am I right, ke… Islam is only for those who are spiritually advanced?

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked a very good question that when we compare all the religions, Islam is at a higher level, advanced level like in a school the other religions may be kindergarten, 1st Std., Islam is 9th and 10th, the higher level. Is he right?

I do agree with you.. agree as well as disagree. Agree that yes Islam is for those who are spiritually high but that does not mean a person who is not spiritually advanced, he cannot enter Islam, I disagree with that, why? Because normally for everyone anyone who enters school, if he enters English school, the first thing he learns is what? He learns the alphabet of that language. Suppose he is entering school which is English medium school, in nursery, he will learn A, B, C, D, correct? So in Islam even if a person is not spiritually high when he enters school, the minimum he should follow is Tawheed, the basic A, B, C, D of English language is comparable to Tawheed of any religion. Tawheed means believing in one God. So what I was describing earlier when our Sikh brother asked the question about the concept of God that is the basic and that basic is present in every religion but unfortunately those people who are the religious leaders, they don’t want people to follow that because of they follow then who will follow their religious leaders?

If everyone starts worshipping one God then all these religious leaders will not be required, there is no intimidatory required. In all the other religions you require intermidiatory, a Pandit, a Priest, a Guru. Here it is direct between you and your Creator. So all the religions have the same basic message which is there in Islam but unfortunately the religious leaders, they don’t want their followers to know this. They want to keep them away because if they enter this school, finally they will submit their will to God, submit their will to God means become Muslim. And then these intermidiatory they will lose their job, you know, they will have to close their shops down. So that’s the reason… otherwise all the religious scriptures even though they have been changed, All Mighty God, He’s got only one religion for all the human beings but by the passage of time, the scriptures kept on changing. Even after the scriptures have changed, there has been interpolation, there have been fabrications, there have been concoctions yet in the remnants of all the religious scriptures you find the message of Tawheed, of one God that idol worship is prohibited, you worship him. There may be other contradictory remarks also but if you search for the truth and you find… So what I say, irrespective the moment you realize that there is a Creator which I shall discuss tomorrow in detail then you realize what is the purpose of your life and then the initial nursery and the kindergarten of every spiritual aspect every religion is believe in one God and He alone deserves worship.

So anyone who is not even spiritually advanced, the moment he wants to thank his Creator, he submits his will and a person who submits his will, he is called as a Muslim. Hope that answers the question

Mohammad Naik: Yes sister on mike 1.

Questioner: Good evening sir. My name is Sejal Yadav, my question is the Muslim brethren in India why do they refrain from saying “Vande Matram”? And what is the reason? I mean Vande Mataram is a thing which symbolizes Indian nationalists and doesn’t have a religious identity.

Dr. Zakir: Sister were you there… yesterday you were there in the program?

Questioner: No sir.

Dr. Zakir: haan…becasue this question was asked by another sister yesterday but since you were not here yesterday, I would repeat my answer. The sister asked the question that why do Muslims refrain from saying Vande Matram. Before I give the answer why do Muslims refrain, I would give you some advice that even the Hindus should refrain, why? Because it goes against the scriptures as I mentioned earlier. In the earlier answer when our Sikh brother he asked the question, I gave you quotations from Upanishads, from Veda that All Mighty God, you should worship Him alone and no one else, He has got no images.

Now “Vande Mataram” is a song in which thrice it says that ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘I bow down to my motherland’. Now in Hinduism, you worship only All Mighty God and no one else. God is the Creator of this country also, fine. So it goes against your scriptures and Hinduism is against idol worship. Hinduism says you bow down to only All Mighty God and no one else, you worship Him alone and no one else. So besides Muslim, first I would like to say, it goes against the Hindu scriptures. You ask any Hindu scholar, if you ask a layman or a laywoman who is unaware of the Hindu scriptures, they may not know it goes against. Coming to nationality I will tell you afterwards.

As far as Muslims are concerned again this verse ‘Vande Mataram’, it goes even against the Quran because in Islam we worship only All Mighty God and no one else. And this country, this country, India, we Muslims, we love the country, we respect the country, we follow the laws of the country as long as the law of the country do not go against the law of the Creator, All Mighty God, we have no objection in following any law of any country but if the law of the country contradicts against the law of All Mighty God then we don’t follow. So All Mighty God is the Creator of this country so who should we bow to the country or to All Mighty God?

As far as India is concerned, we Muslims, we love the country, we respect the country, if required for the truth, we are ready to die for the country but we will not bow to the country. Why? because it goes against the law of the Creator. Similarly no Saudi should bow to Saudi Arabia also. Don’t think this is only by Indian Muslims. In Saudi Arabia, a Saudi will never bow down to Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, a Pakistani Muslim will never bow down to Pakistan; it is not a special law for India because Saudi Arabia is not superior then Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala). Pakistan, the name may be Pak but it is not superior to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala). So this law is the same and the concept is that we too love the country but if it contradicts for example in Islam we consider after Allah and the Messenger in this world the person who we respect maximum is our mother. Our mother bore us in her womb for 9 months, we love her, we respect her, we are ready to die for her but we can’t bow down to her also. When I cannot bow down to my biological mother where is the question of me to bow down to this land, why? Because neither my biological mother neither this land of mine is superior to the Creator.

Furthermore there are 12 lines in the Vande Mataram… 3 is Vande Mataram which is against Quran and Hadith similarly there are attributes given to All Mighty God about Durga, about Laxmi, about wealth etc. which contradicts against the concept of Islam. So because it goes against, it is belittling God. So I will not belittle my Creator just for this country but I love the country that does not mean that I do not love the country.

And this song was written by whom? It was written by Bankim Chattopadhyay, for what? It was a political move and now a few years back they want to create a century and they don’t even know the date when it’s written down. It is more of a political motives that the Indian politicians want to make a….. But these Hindu Indian politicians don’t know that they are going against their own Veda by making a political issue. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Thank you sir.

Mohammad Naik: We’ll allow 2 questions at that mike because in the last round, it was just being set-up. Yes sister, 2 questions from the mike, first one sister. The sister after that can ask the second question.

Questioner: Good evening Sir. I’m Dr. Aparna. I wanted to ask questions regarding medical field. Basically, is family planning allowed in Islam and why generally people prefer MTP i.e. medical termination of pregnancy rather than TL and it’s very difficult to convince them for a TL, it’s very easy for them to do a MTP. Why is it so?

Dr. Zakir: Sister being a medical doctor, she has given some short forms MTP, TL which may go bouncer to most of the audience but I being a medical doctor that I know what she is meaning. Sister asked a question about the concept of family planning in Islam and why it’s easier to convince the Muslims to do MTP means Medical Termination of Pregnancy rather than TL. TL means Tubal Ligation i.e. a permanent method of family planning. So I will club both together.

As far as family planning is concerned, it’s a very big concept, planning the family. And mainly people plan the family and they want to prevent having children etc. so what does Islam say about this? As far as family planning is concerned all permanent methods whether it be Tubal Ligation – TL what you mentioned whether it be Vasectomy, any permanent method of family planning in Islam is prohibited.

Secondly any abortion, any MTP, medical termination of pregnancy, it is prohibited because you are killing a life unless it is a danger for the life of the mother. If the mother’s life is in danger that may be she has multiple cesarean sections and if the doctors say that she has had 4 or 5 cesarean sections, 1 more cesarean section may be detrimental to her life or she has some heart problem and she cannot take the strain of undergoing one more pregnancy. So in this case the Islamic Shariah says “let a small loss take place to prevent a big loss.” The life of the mother is more important than the life that is going to come in this world. In this situation these methods can be used as a last resort. Any permanent method whether it be Tubal Ligation, whether it be Vasectomy, whether it be Medical Termination of pregnancy only in these cases any other cases, it is not allowed. Why it’s prohibited, all these methods because Quran clearly states in

Surah An’aam in ch. no. 6 verse no. 151 that

“Kill not your children for want of sustenance for its Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) who will give sustenance to you and your children.”

Allah repeats that message in Surah Isra Ch. No. 17 verse no. 31

“Kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is Allah who will give sustenance to your children and you. For killing of children is a major sin”

So based on this any human being is prohibited. Even the life that is going to come in this world, all types is prohibited.

As far as the other temporary methods are concerned there are difference of opinion in the scholars.

First the most common is the Copper T. Now in Copper T when I was in the medical collage , I was taught that it is a Contraception but what happens in the copper T the Ovum and the sperm has already joint to form the Zygote but the Copper T prevents the zygote from clinging on the Uterine wall, on the wall of the womb of the mother. So it is nothing but a very early abortion. So Islamically those people who know about the medical science even Copper T is prohibited.

As far as there may be difference in the other temporary methods whether it be condom whether it be other method.

Once a person came to the Prophet and told him that I used to do Azal i.e. coitus interruptus, I used to stop the act so that the fluid doesn’t enter the body of the wife and the Prophet was silent.

Those people who are in favor of certain temporary method, they say prophet was silent, he gave permission. The other group, Prophet was silent he, didn’t give permission… Difference of opinion but I go back, what is the reason that a person wants to do family planning is my basic question.

See normally, a doctor when a person has a headache, you give aspirin, you give crosin, it is not a cure, it is a symptomatic treatment that the threshold of pain is increased so you don’t feel the pain. But that is not actually curing the disease. The best way to cure is to kill the germs. So first let us find out why do different human beings want to do family planning. Whatever reason you have, you can broadly club them into two broad categories.

The first category is for poverty. You know, I am poor, if I have many children… for me to live itself, hand to mouth, if I have children then I will also die.

The other group, they are rich, I have no problem about money bur I want to make my son a doctor, I want to make my son engineer, you know so they do family planning so I can upbring my children better. InshaAllah we will discuss both the cases.

As far as the first case is concerned regarding those people who are poor… Islam has the solution to this problem. In Islam, the third pillar of Islam is Zakaat that is every rich person who has a saving of more than the Nisaab level, more than 85 grams of gold, he or she should give 2.5% of that excess wealth in charity every lunar year. If every rich human being gives Zakaat, poverty will be eradicated from this world. There will not be a single human being who will die of hunger. So if your problem is poverty, Islam has a solution and the person who takes Zakaat, he is not being degraded and the person who is wealthy and giving Zakaat, he is not doing a favor on the poor man because God gave him wealth, it is his duty, he is not doing a favor on the poor people and the poor people when they take, it is not that its an obligation they have, it is their right. So if poverty is the problem, we have a solution of compulsory charity i.e. Zakaat. If every rich human being in the world gives charity, poverty will be eradicated, there will not be a single human being who will die of hunger.

Now the verses of the Quran that I quoted earlier, 2 verses

Surah An’aam ch. no. 6 verse no. 151 and

Surah Isra Ch. No. 17 verse no. 31

On the face of it both appear similar but there is a difference of chalk and cheese. The first verse of

Surah An’aam in ch. no. 6 verse no. 151 says

“Kill not your children for want of sustenance for its Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) who will give sustenance to you and your children.”

Surah Al Isra Ch. No. 17 verse no. 31 says

“Kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) who will sustenance to your children and you”

The order is reversed. First verse says, “you and your children”, Surah Isra says “your children and you”. On the face of it, it’s the same. Now why does Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) reverse the order? Everything has a Hiqma behind it. So the scholars, the Mufassireen, what they say the first verse ‘Surah An’aam ch. no. 6 verse no. 151 refers to the poor people. You know, if we have more children even I will die and even my children will die. So All Mighty God says don’t worry…

“Kill not your children for want of sustenance it is Allah who will give sustenance to you and your children.”

The first verse refers to the poor people. The second verse for the rich people. I have got no problem of money but if I have spacing, if I have less children, I will make them doctors, I will make them engineers so Allah says

“Kill not your children for want of sustenance; it is Allah who will sustenance to your children and you”

Order is reversed. Not what is the solution for people who are rich that’s the second category. Just for your knowledge I would like to tell you that I am the 5th child of my parents, if my parents would have done family planning I wouldn’t have been here. Do you think I am a boon or a bane for society? You know in the world, in society, best profession, Doctor, medical doctor; best is medical doctor, nothing better than that. Alhamdulillah even after being the 5th child I became a medical doctor but I became a doctor to serve humanity but when I found a better profession… Allah says

Surah Fussilat ch. 41 verse no. 33

“Waman ahsanu qawlan mimman da’aila Allahi wa’amila salihan wa qalainnanee minal Muslimeen”

“Who is better in speech than one who invites to the way of thy Lord, works righteousness and says that I am a Muslim”

When I found a better profession, I changed from a doctor of a body to a doctor of a soul. If I was a medical doctor… I am sure there is more than a lakh people here, they wouldn’t have come for my talk. They have come because I have changed from a doctor of a body to doctor of soul. I am asking you, I’m the 5th child of my parents, am I a boon or am I a bane for society? People have a misconception that if you have less children you can have spacing and you can bring them up well. If you check the list of all the noble prize winners and people who have got awards, best in world, best in science, best in sports they aren’t the first child. They are not the only children, some may be, some are second child, some are third, some are fifth. It’s mixed. It’s a misconception.

Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has given a natural method spacing. In Islam moment a child is born the mother should breastfeed the child but today in modern world you know, they don’t want to breastfeed because it spoils their figure. The best food according to medical science that you can give to your child is the breast milk. And if you breastfeed your child automatically there is Lactation Amenorrhea. You being a doctor you know there is Lactation Amenorrhea that means she will not conceive, though its not 100% safe but the chances, she will conceive is very little. So automatically All Mighty God has given spacing.

And population sister, it is not a bane, it is boon, you know, we say in our country, India

“Hum doh hamare doh”

“We two and our two”

“Ek ke baad abhi nahi, doh ke baad kabhi nahi”

“After one; not now. After two; never.”

So these are slogans in India because Indian Government doesn’t know how to take care of the population. If you go to America the children wear a T-Shirt “I am my father’s tax saver” the more children you have the less tax you have to pay. You go to Australia, you go to Canada, the moment the child is born, the government gives them allowance. Every child, every month, you get allowance. So the government of US, Canada, Australia, they are encouraging population. Why is the government of India discouraging? So its problem with the government policies, it is not with population.

And do you know today the two countries which they are competing for being super-power is China and India. China has the maximum population in the world, India is no. 2. Today India and China, they are competing to be the super-power, why? Because both of them have got man-power. When I say man-power, It means the human power it includes the women also.

China and India have got human power, that’s the reason today you find America coming here to invest money here, you find the westerners coming to invest money here, you see the stock market going high, why? Because of population. So population, it is a boon, it is not a bane. So even if you want to make your children doctors and engineers, don’t think… you never know your 5th child may become a doctor or your second child, it is not that if you have more children then you can space them better.

Now there is a 3rd category, a unique category. Once someone told me that “Brother Zakir, I am rich, I am not bothered about bringing up children, you know I am rich, so no problem of money and I am not bothered about making my son a doctor or engineer, I want to enjoy life.” Third category. So I told him even for you, if you want to enjoy life the best is marry early have children early so that you can retire early. You know there are certain communities in India, you know, Gujratis and all, they marry early, 19, 20, 21, they have children immediately; by the time they reach 35 to 40 their children, they are on the seat of their business so at the age of 40, they can retire. Others retire at the age of 60 and 70. At the age of 40 their children are taking care of their business. They can enjoy life. So even if you want to enjoy life, marry early, have children, relax and enjoy life.

Therefore personally as far as my opinion is concerned, I believe with those groups of scholars, as far as family planning is concerned,

Allah says in the Quran in Surah Ale Imran Ch. No. 3 verse no. 54

“Wamakaroo wamakarAllahu wallahukhayrul makireen”

“They planned and plotted Allah too planned; Allah is the best of planners.”

So if you think, you can plan the family better, you are most welcome, I leave the planning of the family in the hands of our Creator, it is the best. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Thank you sir.

Mohammad Naik: Any of the sisters, as I requested if you have any specific questions, you are most welcome, any critical question on Islam or you want clarification on Islam this is your opportunity, Dr. Zakir is here. Most welcome to go on the mike and put your question.

Questioner: Good evening sir, my name is Manju Singh. I came from Nagpur, I want to ask you one question about Vedas because I believe Vedas are main scriptures of Hinduism so I want to know if you are telling or putting a common point which is similar to other scripture why you do not put different points in front of non-Muslim people which are contradictable or which are opposite to each other because I believe in common points as being a Hindu girl, it is very important to know which are the common points and which are the different points in Hinduism scriptures.

Dr. Zakir: Sister’s asked a very good question, she said that I quoted the Vedas, I did point out similarities, why don’t I speak about differences. And she wants to know about the similarities as well as differences. Sister, if I can give a talk on ‘Similarities between Islam and Hinduism’ for a few hours, I can give a bigger talk and a longer talk on ‘Differences between Islam and Hinduism’ but the reason I chose speak about similarities because that is the advice given by my Creator, Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) in the Quran in

Surah Ale Imran ch. no. 3 verse no. 64 which says

“Qul Ya ‘Ahlal-Kitaab”,

“Say O people of the Book”

“Ta`alaw ‘Ilá Kalimatin Sawa’in Baynana Wa Baynakum”

“Come to common terms as between us and you”

Which is the first term?

“Alla Na`buda ‘Illallah”

“That we worship none but Allah”

“Wa La Nushrika Bihi Shay’an”

“That we associate no partners with him”

“Wa La Yattakhidha Ba`duna Ba`dan ‘Arbaban Min Dunillah”

“That we erect not among ourselves Lords and Patrons other than Allah.”

“Fa’in Tawallaw”

“If then they turn back”

“Faqulush hadu”

“Say ye bear witness”

“Bi’anna Muslimun”

“That we are Muslims bowing our will to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)”

This verse of the Quran shows us a way how to speak with different kinds of people, come to common terms as between us and you.

Which is the first term? The most important term is

“Alla Na`buda ‘Illallah”

That we worship none but one All Mighty God

Regarding differences sister, I can give a talk for hours together about differences. Not that I can’t but it will bring animosity, may be it will hurt the feelings of someone that we may be forced to do during a debate. When there is a debate for example I had a debate with the person by the name of William Campbell. Did you hear the talk sister?

Questioner: Ya I have seen your videos.

Dr. Zakir: Haan.. so that talk was talking about differences between Christianity and Islam, why? He wrote a book saying there are 30 scientific errors in the Quran and for 8 years no Muslim replied. In USA it became a hot seller. So the students of US, they called me and we had a dialogue, the topic was ‘Quran and Bible in the Light of Science’. Whatever allegations he had against the Quran, I replied to all. I posed 38 points from the Bible which is against science. He could not reply to any. So in the debate, I may have to do that. If I have a debate with a Hindu scholar, who says that no Vedas are completely with science. So then I can talk about the unscientific things but if I talk about differences, may be, you may feel offended. So if you want to go on a higher level surely you can ask queries at IRF, we will give you all the things but in public I personally don’t want to talk about contradictions unless someone forces me not that we aren’t aware. But if you know the similarity, what I am telling you, let us agree to follow what is common.

So what I tell the people, what is common in the Vedas, in the Bible, in the Quran let everyone agree that at least one book is the word of God. Hindus will say, Vedas is the word of God. Christian will say Bible is the word of God. Muslim will say Qur’an is the word of God. I tell them a thing which everyone wouldn’t mind agreeing. Let us agree to follow what is common.

So when you follow the commonalities in the Vedas, in the Bible, in the Jewish scriptures, in the Talmud, in the Quran, we find all these scriptures say there is one God, all these scriptures say that last and final messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). So I am asking you sister, why don’t you believe in one God? I want to ask you the question sister, do you believe in idol worship?

Questioner: Ya, I am believing.

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe there is one God?

Questioner: Ya I believe in one God.

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe sister that the last and final messenger is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)?

Questioner: Just because I am asking you the question because it is very difficult to understand Quran and Vedas and I am so much confused which scripture is more important for me to achieve to the God… I mean to worship to the God.

Dr. Zakir: Sister have you heard my lecture on ‘Similarities between Islam and Hinduism’…

Questioner: Ya..

Dr. Zakir: …Or Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) in the Hindu scriptures, have you heard that?

Questioner: Ya I have heard.

Dr. Zakir: Do you know that your scriptures say that the last and final messenger is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)?

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: Do you know that?

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: So do you believe Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of God?

Questioner: Ya definitely…

Dr. Zakir: Do You believe?

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: So if you believe there is one God and you believe that idol worship is prohibited and if you believe that Prophet Muhammad is the last messenger in Arabic we call you as a Muslim. Sister do you believe in one God?

Questioner: Ya I believe in one God.

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe there is no idol worship?

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe God has got no images?

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: You believe that?

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: And you also believe that Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of God. So what you have entered, you may not have gone very high but by saying this there is no God but Allah and Prophet Muhammad is the messenger, you indirectly become a Muslim. Muslim means a person who submits his will to God. So do you submit your …

Questioner: But I am indirectly a Muslim know.. .If Vedas is telling the same thing and Quran telling the same thing so which..

Dr. Zakir: Yes… so if you are indirect also no problem. Indirect also, most welcome whether you come direct or indirect, we welcome you sister. Now you know what is common, now if your Veda says that the last and final messenger is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and you have to follow him. So by following Prophet Muhammad, you are indirectly following the Vedas also.

Questioner: Yes…

Dr. Zakir: Then you have to find out what did Prophet Muhammad say, then you have to read the Hadith but slowly-slowly. So now you are in nursery then Jr. KG then Sr. KG then 1st Std. then you will reach Std. 10 but have you taken admission, I want to know. That do you agree that you are a Muslim? Muslim means a person who submits his or her will to God.

Questioner: Why is it important that the person who are believing in one God he is called or she called as a Muslim.

Dr. Zakir: Yes, why. Muslim means a person who submits his will to God and the first important creed to submit your will to God is believe there is one God, believe there is no idol worship and believe Prophet Muhammad is the messenger. If you say this that means you have agreed to submit and then it takes time, then you will go to Std. 1 then slowly you know what is required about fasting, about charity, not to rob, not to steal, all this comes later but do you agree to submit your will is important. And do you agree to follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad is important what I want to ask you sister.

Questioner: Ya, I agree.

Dr. Zakir: So would you like to say the Shahadah? Shahadah means would you like to say in Arabic that there is no god but one God and Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger?

Questioner: Ya there is one God and Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah. MashaAllah sister. Congratulations. I would just say it in Arabic and I want you to repeat it. You know what you have said is the same thing but I want to ask you sister that is anyone forcing you to say this?

Questioner: No, no one

Dr. Zakir: is anyone putting pressure?

Questioner: No.

Dr. Zakir: It is completely out of your freewill?

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: Okay sister, I will say it in Arabic just repeat it.

Dr. Zakir: Ashadu

Questioner: Ashadu

Dr. Zakir: Allah

Questioner: Allah

Dr. Zakir: Illa ha

Questioner: Illa ha

Dr. Zakir: Ill Allah

Questioner: Ill Allah

Dr. Zakir: Wa Ashadu

Questioner: Wa Ashadu

Dr. Zakir: Anna

Questioner: Anna

Dr. Zakir: Muhammadan

Questioner: Muhammadan

Dr. Zakir: Abduhu

Questioner: Abduhu

Dr. Zakir: Wa Rasoolahu

Questioner: Wa Rasoolahu

Dr. Zakir: I bear witness… I bear witness

Questioner: I bear witness

Dr. Zakir: That there is no God

Questioner: That there is no God

Dr. Zakir: But Allah

Questioner: But Allah

Dr. Zakir: And Prophet Muhammad

Questioner: And Prophet Muhammad

Dr. Zakir: Peace be upon him

Questioner: Peace be upon him

Dr. Zakir: Is the servant

Questioner: Is the servant

Dr. Zakir: And messenger of Allah

Questioner: And messenger of Allah

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah.

Questioner: Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: I congratulate you sister. Now you have entered the fold of Islam and InshaAllah for getting more knowledge, for going to 1st Std., 2nd Std., 3rd Std. be in touch with the sisters of the Islamic Research Foundation. And it will be out pleasure to guide you and if you have any queries regarding Quran, regarding Islam, you are most welcome to ask. If you have any queries even regarding Hinduism,

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: …etc. you are most welcome sister and I pray to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) that may he grant you Jannah sister.

Questioner: Thank you sir.

Mohammad Naik: The next question on this mike but before that may I just mention a point, we have some sisters… what I realized in the mike.. they come after sometime.. I would encourage some of our volunteers to kindly see that those who are interested in putting forward question on the mike are encouraged and welcomed on the mike, open-heartedly.

Secondly those who do not like to come on the mike, you can kindly pass on the question slips to them, they can write their question on the slip and you should see that through the volunteers, it comes to our gents section and onto the stage. So I would be most happy to read out those questions, we respect their privacy, InshaAllah.

Now we have the next question from the brother on mike no. 1 in the front.

Questioner: Assalaamu Alaikum Zakir Sahib.

Dr. Zakir: Walaikum Assalaam.

Questioner: Mera naam Dilip Trivedi hai, mein Mumbai se hoon. Mein Islam ke bare mein jaankaari nahi rakhta tha lekin mere ek mitr hai sikandar bhai aur Ayesha Bhen aur unhone mujhe Quran di aur meine ek mahine tak lagadaar Gujarati mein usko padha toh mein kaafi impress ho gaya fir humaare sikandar bhai ne mujhe kaafi cassettes vagera sunnai usse mein kafi impress hua aur mujhe khushi hui ke Islam ke bare mein jo sanaatan satya hai, jo tatva gyaan hai woh mujhe mila aur aap se mein chahata hoon ki.. kalma padhna chahata hoon.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah, we welcome you brother. He said that he had read the Quran for more than a month then he was given some cassettes and he was impressed by that and he realized the oneness of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) and that’s the reason he wants to accept Islam.

Brother Dilip I would like to ask you that is anyone forcing you to accept Islam? Kaun aap pe zabardasti kar raha hai?

Questioner: Nahi.

Dr. Zakir: Aap apne dil se qabool karma chahate hai?

Questioner: Ji

Dr. Zakir: Do you want to accept Islam with your own freewill?

Questioner: Ji

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah. Mein aapko kahunga arbi mein, aap usko dhoraaiye, InshaAllah.

Dr. Zakir: Ashadu

Questioner: Ashadu

Dr. Zakir: Allah

Questioner: Allah

Dr. Zakir: Illa ha

Questioner: Illa ha

Dr. Zakir: Ill Allah

Questioner: Ill Allah

Dr. Zakir: Wa Ashadu

Questioner: Wa Ashadu

Dr. Zakir: Anna

Questioner: Anna

Dr. Zakir: Muhammadan

Questioner: Muhammadan

Dr. Zakir: Abduhu

Questioner: Abduhu

Dr. Zakir: Wa Rasoolahu

Questioner: Wa Rasool

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah. Mein shahadat deta hoon

Questioner: Mein shahadat deta hoon

Dr. Zakir: Ke

Questioner: Ke

Dr. Zakir: Allah ke siwa

Questioner: Allah ke siwa

Dr. Zakir: Koi mabood nahi

Questioner: Koi mabood nahi

Dr. Zakir: Aur

Questioner: Aur

Dr. Zakir: Muhammad

Questioner: Muhammad

Dr. Zakir: Sallalla

Questioner: Sallalla

Dr. Zakir: Alaihe wa sallam

Questioner: Alaihe wa sallam

Dr. Zakir: uske

Questioner: uske

Dr. Zakir: bandhey

Questioner: bandhey

Dr. Zakir: aur paigambar hai

Questioner: paigambar hai

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah. The brother has accepted Islam. Aur mein Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) se dua karta hoon ke Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) aapke Jidho-Jahad ko qabool farmaye aur aap ke mehnat ko qabool farmaye aur InshaAllah agar aap islam ke bare mein kuch jyaada jaankari chaate hain toh aap, InshaAllah, IRF ke touch mein reh sakte hai aur kuch bhi aapko sawaalaat hai Islam ke baren mein toh aap email pe puch sakte hai, khud bhi aa sakte hai Dongri pe hamaara idara hai aur mein Allah se dua karunga ki Allah Ta’la, InshaAllah, aapko Jannat naseeb farmayein.

Questioner: Ek guzaarish hai aap se

Dr. Zakir: Ji haan

Questioner: Ke koi acha sa naam mujhe den

Dr. Zakir: The brother has requested that I should suggest some good name for him. The name that I can think… jo mein naam jo mere dimaag mein abhi aa raha hai woh hai Bilal. Toh aap InshaAllah apne aap ko Bilal keh sakte hai.

Questioner: Tamaam bhai-bheno se meri guzaarish hai ke mere liye dua karein.

Dr. Zakir: InshaAllah. He requests all the brothers and sisters present here as well as who are watching Peace TV, MashaAllah, Dus crore log, 100 million people are watching so I request all the brothers and sisters present here and the viewers of Peace TV that please do pray for our brother and we pray to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) that may He grant you Jannah.

Questioner: Thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Next question from the brother in the centre, mike 2.

Questioner: Assalaamu Alaikum. Mera naam Ajay.. mera Sawaal hai Jannat mein jaane ke liye Islam qabool karne ka zaroori hai kya?

(Some one from the audience): haan zaroori hai na

Dr. Zakir: The brother asked a question that is it compulsory to accept Islam to go to Jannah. It is like asking that should I get good marks to pass the examination? If you want to pass the examination you should minimum get passing marks. As far as to go to Jannah the criteria to go to Jannah is mentioned in

Surah Al Asr ch. no. 103 verse no. 1 to 3 which says

“Wal Asr

Inna al-insana lafee khusr

Illa allatheena amanoo wa amiloo alssalihati watawasaw bialhaqq watawasaw bis Sabr”

“By the token of time man is verily in a state of loss except those who have faith, those who have righteous deeds, those who exhort people to truth and those who exhort people to patience and perseverance.”

For any human being to go to Jannah minimum 4 criteria are required, minimum. 1st is having faith, having Eemaan. In Eemaan will come believing in one God, not doing Shirk, believing that Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) is the last messenger etc. etc.

Second is righteous deeds, besides having faith, Eemaan ke ilava righteous deeds, Amal-e-Salihat.

The third is ‘Watawasaw bil Haqq’, inviting people to truth and

Fourth is inviting people to patience and perseverance.

For any human being to go to Jannah, minimum 4 criteria is required and if Allah wishes, He may forgive any sin but the sin of Shirk, He will never forgive.

Allah says in Surah Nisa ch. 4 verse 48 and

Surah Nisa ch. 4 verse 116 that

“If Allah pleases, He may forgive any sin but the sin of Shirk he will never forgive. For anyone who has committed Shirk, he has committed a heinous sin.”

Shirk is a major sin. If you do shirk there is no chance of entering Jannah at all. Other sin if Allah wishes, He may forgive. But for being sure that you go to Jannah minimum 4 criterias are required.

Eemaan, righteous deeds, exhorting people to truth and exhorting people to patience and perseverance.

Bhaisaab mein aap se puchna chahata hoon, Do you want to enter Jannah?? Kya aap ko Jannat mein jaana hai?

Questioner: Haan.

Dr. Zakir: Jaane ka hai aapko?

Questioner: Mein is ke liye bol raha hoon.. mere dil se bol raha hoon mein kalma padhke doh.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah. Jannat jaana hai…. The brother wants to go to Jannah and he wants to read the Kalma. Is anyone forcing you to accept Islam brother? Kya kaun aapko zabardasti kar raha hai?

Questioner: Kuch bhi nahi.

Dr. Zakir: Koi zabardasti nahi. Koi maali dabao? Economic pressure?

Questioner: Nahi-Nahi…

Dr. Zakir: Nahi… Koi aapko zabardasti kar raha hai? Zor-Zabardasti?

Questioner: Koi bhi nahi.

Dr. Zakir: Aap apne dil se qabool karma chahate hai?

Questioner: Ya. Sab jun acha-achabaat sikharahe hai Islam mein merko iske liye pasand ho gayla hai ki ek he Baghwan hai.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah, brother is saying that such good teachings are there in Islam and in Islam there is only one God therefore he wants to accept.

Dr. Zakir: Aap maante hai ke budh-parasti galat hai,

Questioner: Haan?

Dr. Zakir: budh-parasti, idol worship?

Questioner: Haan galat hai.

Dr. Zakir: Galat hai. Aap maante hai ki Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) aakhri paigambar hai? Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam).

Questioner: Haan

Dr. Zakir: Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) paigambar hai Allah ke, aap maante hai?

Questioner: Maanta hai.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah. So InshaAllah mein Kalma padhaanuga

Questioner: Haan

Dr. Zakir: Aur aap usko doraaye

Questioner: Haan

Dr. Zakir: Aur InshaAllah mein Dua karunga ke Allah aapko Janat mein daale

Questioner: Yes. Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: Ashadu

Questioner: Ashadu

Dr. Zakir: Allah

Questioner: Allah

Dr. Zakir: Illa ha

Questioner: Illa ha

Dr. Zakir: Ill Allah

Questioner: Ill Allah

Dr. Zakir: Wa Ashadu

Questioner: Wa Ashadu

Dr. Zakir: Anna

Questioner: Anna

Dr. Zakir: Muhammadan

Questioner: Muhammadan

Dr. Zakir: Abduhu

Questioner: Abduhu

Dr. Zakir: Wa Rasoolahu

Questioner: Wa Rasoolahu

Dr. Zakir: Mein gawahi deta hoon, Mein gawahi deta hoon,

Questioner: Mein gawahi deta hoon,

Dr. Zakir: Ke Allah ke ilawa

Questioner: Ke Allah ke ilawa

Dr. Zakir: Koi ma’bood nahi

Questioner: Koi ma’bood nahi

Dr. Zakir: Aur

Questioner: Aur

Dr. Zakir: Muhammad

Questioner: Muhammad

Dr. Zakir: Sallallah

Questioner: Sallallah

Dr. Zakir: Alaihe wa sallam

Questioner: Alaihe wa sallam

Dr. Zakir: uske bandhey

Questioner: uske bandhey

Dr. Zakir: aur paigambar hai

Questioner: paigambar hai

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah aap Musalmaan ho chuke hai

Questioner: Sir, Sir…Sir…

Dr. Zakir: Jee haan

Questioner: Merko ek naam rakh lo acha sa…

Dr. Zakir: The brother wants me to suggest a name.

Questioner: Road pe ek-ek naam puchte hai iske liye merko bhi bolne nahi aa raha hai…

Dr. Zakir: Aap ka naam kya hai abhi?

Questioner: Mera naam Ajay Kumar hai.

Dr. Zakir: Ajay Kumar.

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: Bhaisaab ka naam Ajay Kumar hai toh mein ‘A’ se koshish karunga, aap apne aapko Abdullah bula sakte hai, Abdullah matlab…

Questioner: Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: The servant of God. Yeh Allah ke bandhe ko kehte hai, Abdullah, servant of God. Aur mein dua karunga ke Abdullah, InshaAllah, Allah ta’ala aapko Jannat naseeb farmaye. Aameen.

Questioner: Thank you. Aameen. Aap ke liye dua maangega isske Jannat ke liye Dua maangega. Thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Next question from the mike in the rare section of the gents mike 3. Yes brother…

Questioner: Good evening, I am Dr. Matthew and I am also involved with creation.com which is part of creation ministries international. Being a medical doctor, I came here because I am very much interested in peace and as you mentioned peace is both internal and external. Now personally when I and millions of other people have found after being convicted of our sins and repenting of it that I am having accepted and believed that Jesus Christ, the sinless man, paid the full prize for my sins, he took my shame and guilt on the cross and died for me because of which I have peace and that peace is something which passes understanding. I want to know would you like to take away that peace which I have, which is a peace which passes understanding and can you answer that? Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked a very good question, he is Dr. Matthew, he has got a website and organization called creation. He said that he found peace, he came here to attain peace, he said he got peace in Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) who died for his sins on the cross. He died for his sins on the cross. So he is asking me that would I like to take away your peace. Brother I would never like to take away your peace, I would like to take away your false peace and make you get the true peace. I love Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), I respect him and I revere him, I want to know that do you also love Jesus Christ or not? I am asking you…

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: Do you agree…

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe that Jesus is God?

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: Yes brother. Now either you get true peace or I will come to your peace.

Questioner: Yes

Dr. Zakir: Correct? If yours is true peace, I will leave my peace and I will join you.

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: Now you told me Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) is God. I challenge you to point out a single verse in the Bible, a single unequivocal verse from the Bible, a single unambiguous verse in which Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), himself says that “I am God” or where he says “worship me” and I am ready to accept Christianity.

You said Jesus is God, as far as Muslims are concerned, Islam is the only non-Christian faith which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus Christ (peace be upon him). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)

We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of All Mighty God.

We believe that he was the Messiah translated Christ.

We believe that he was born miraculously, without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe.

We believe that he gave life to the dead with God’s permission.

We believe he healed those born blind and lepers with God’s permission.

The Muslims and the Christians, we are going together but the parting of ways is as you said that most of the Christians’, they believe that Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), claimed divinity. There is not a single unequivocal statement in the complete Bible where Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) himself says that “I am God” or where he says “worship me”. If you can point out, I am ready to accept Christianity.

So if he has not said that why do you believe he is God? And where did Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) say that he died on the cross for your sins? That is the teaching of Paul. Are you following Paul or are you following Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)? No where in the Bible. So my question is when Jesus Christ never said he was God. If you love him, you have to respect him. He said when he was asked which is the first of the commandments, it’s mentioned in the

Gospel of Mark ch. no. 12 verse no. 29, he said

“Shama Israellu Adonai IIa Hayno Adonai Ikhad”

“Hear, O Israel! The God, our Lord is one God”

He repeated verbatim what was said by Moses earlier (peace be upon him). So what I am asking you, if you know the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), if you say Christian is a person who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), it is mentioned in the

Book of Ephesians ch. no. 5 verse no. 18 that

“Do not be drunk with wine”

It’s mentioned in the

Book of Proverbs ch. no. 20 verse no. 1 that

“Wine is a mocker. Whoever is deceived, has it”

We Muslims we don’t have alcohol but many of the Christians have alcohol.

Furthermore we Muslims don’t have pork, it’s mentioned in the Bible in the

Book of Leviticus ch. no. 11 verse no. 7 and 8,

in the Book of Deuteronomy ch. no. 14 verse no. 8,

in the Book of Isaiah ch. no. 65 verse no. 2 to 5 that

“You should not have pork”

We Muslims don’t have pork but Christians have pork, most of them.

Furthermore Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) he was circumcised on the 8th day according to Gospel of Luke ch. no. 2 verse no. 21

We Muslims are circumcised; most of the Christians are not.

If Christian means a person who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), I am proud to say we Muslims are more Christian than the Christian themselves. So where do you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and you say that you worship him. So brother point out a single verse in the Bible where Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) unequivocally that “I am God” or “worship me”.

Questioner: Dr. Zakir Naik,…

Dr. Zakir: Yes brother.

Questioner: My question was on peace and I have that peace, I don’t have to memorize, memory possess to prove or disagree with you..

Dr. Zakir: Brother…

Questioner: What I am sharing is that the peace which I have because of my belief because we are all sinners and we need a sacrifice to pay for our sins, it is not by our works that we are saved,

Dr. Zakir: Correct…

Questioner: ..but by believing in faith that Jesus Christ has paid the price for my sins…

Dr. Zakir: So you agree that Jesus Christ has paid for the sins of all humanity, do you agree with that?

Questioner: Yes. All who believe in him.

Dr. Zakir: Okay fine, so suppose a Christian comes like you who believes in Jesus Christ and he rapes your wife will he go to heaven or hell?

Questioner: Pardon?

Dr. Zakir: If a Christian…

Questioner: Hmmm…

Dr. Zakir: Comes and rapes your wife, he believes Jesus Christ died for his sins, so whatever sin he does; it is paid for it…

Questioner: No…

Dr. Zakir: So if Jesus Christ has died for his sins, it will give the permission to all the Christians to rape the women.

Questioner: No.. never, never…

Dr. Zakir: Why never? You said…

Questioner: If a person…

Dr. Zakir: …You told.. you told…you told.. brother you told your work will not take you to heaven, it is your belief. So if you believe Jesus Christ died for your sins and if you commit rape, if you rob, if you oppress other people, will you go to heaven?

Questioner: He is not a Christian. If he does that, simple.

Dr. Zakir: But he believes in Jesus Christ, there are many Christians who I know…

Questioner: No…

Dr. Zakir: that means it’s a wrong belief, correct? Correct!!

Questioner: In the Bible also it is written that even the Devils believe in Jesus Christ but they don’t follow him.

Dr. Zakir: Correct! They don’t … do you follow Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)? Are you circumcised?

Questioner: Yes sir..

Dr. Zakir: Are you circumcised? Are you circumcised?

Questioner: No I am not circumcised.

Dr. Zakir: So why don’t you follow Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)? Jesus Christ was circumcised on the 8th day; you are a doctor, correct?

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: You know that circumcision is beneficial medically.

Questioner: So that is not in my hands, it was in my parents hands.

Dr. Zakir: So you can do it now also, no problem.

Questioner: Sure.

Dr. Zakir: If you want I will help you. Point no. 1. point no. 2 do you have pork brother?

Questioner: No.

Dr. Zakir: You don’t have pork, why?

Questioner: It’s mentioned in the Old Testament

Dr. Zakir: Correct.

Questioner: And God has mentioned it.

Dr. Zakir: Do you have intoxicants, do you have alcohol?

Questioner: No.

Dr. Zakir: Fine. Do you believe Jesus is God?

Questioner: Jesus Christ is God came on the earth as a human being.

Dr. Zakir: Where is it mentioned? Which verse of the Bible, tell me.

Questioner: Which verse of the Bible?

Dr. Zakir: Ya which verse of the Bible, which verse of the Bible, where Jesus Christ himself says he is God. Suppose someone tells you a God, will you believe you are God. Someone says I am God, will I believe? The point to be noted is that Jesus Christ never claimed divinity.

In fact if you go to the Gospel of Matthew ch. no. 19 verse no. 16 and 17, there is a person who comes to Jesus Christ and says “Good Master, what good things should I do so that I shall enter eternal life?” So Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) says “Why thou callest me good?” Leave aside God “Why thou callest me good? there is only one good and that is the God in heaven and if you want to enter eternal life, you keep the commandments.”

He never said if you want to go to paradise, you believe I am God. He never said that you believe that I died on the cross for your sins. He said if you want to go to paradise, you keep the commandments and the commandments are what? You should not rob, you should not have alcohol, you should not covet your neighbor’s wife. Commandments, the deeds. The deeds will take you to paradise. Jesus Christ never said, he was God so why are you saying that Jesus is God (peace be upon him), you are not followings his teachings.

Questioner: I didn’t say Jesus Christ is God for this argument, I just said that I have the peace in my heart and that peace I want to share.

Dr. Zakir: Brother, there are many people… you know there is a Satan worshipping cult, do you know that? Are you aware?

Questioner: There are many Satan worshiping cult.

Dr. Zakir: Correct, so they get peace by worshipping Satan but that is false peace. Therefore I want to take you out from false peace and make you enter true peace. What you are saying peace is actually not peace. You are worshipping a false god. Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) never said he was God. So because you are worshipping a false god and you are in the false peace like people worship Satan and yet they think that they are on the right track, I want to get you out of the false peace and get you into true peace because I consider myself to be a true Christian. If Christian means a person who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) then I’m more Christian than the Christian themselves.

Do you know Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) said in the

Gospel of John ch. No. 16 verse no. 12 to 14

“I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now for he when the sprit of Truth shall come he shall guide you unto all truth. He shall show you things to come. He shall glorify me”

Now which man, which Prophet after Jesus has ever glorified Isa (Alaihe Salaam), Jesus Christ? It is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). So this prophesy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioned in your Bible. There are several quotations. I am asking you, why don’t you follow the instructions of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)? And why don’t you follow Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? What kind of a Christian are you?

Questioner: Do you mean to say that I don’t follow the teachings of the Christians?

Dr. Zakir: Not at all, I am giving you quotations with reference. You go back home and check the Bible… with references. You are not a true Christian, I am a true Christian.

Questioner: It’s easy to judge brother.

Dr. Zakir: Easy, very easy. I am giving you with quotation, what you are saying; you have not given a single quotation. I challenge your doctors of divinity, doctors of divinity of Christendom, anyone. Get your doctors of divinity, if you say you don’t have the knowledge, get your doctors of divinity who is the best in the world and let us have a dialogue…

Questioner: Sure…

Dr. Zakir: But the person should be powerful, not just a roadside person. A person who can attract people, a person who has a following, you get the best one that you have in India, best one that you have in the world and we will have a dialogue..

Questioner: Yes sir..

Dr. Zakir: and you can ask him and you ask him all the questions I have asked that where is it mentioned in the Bible, any unequivocal statement where Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) himself says that “I am God” or where he says “worship me”. I, Dr. Zakir Naik, I am immediately accepting if you can point out from any version of the Bible, any unequivocal statement, any unambiguous statement where Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) himself says that “I am God” or “worship me”; I am ready to accept him to be God. But there is no statement. So what you are doing is, you are not following the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him). It is the teachings of the Church, not of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him). So therefore I request you brother that please leave the false peace and enter into true peace. The true peace is, submitting your will to God. God, who created Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), not a false god. Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) was a messenger of God but he was not God. Hope that answers the question.

Mohammad Naik: Yes sister on mike 1.

Questioner: Good evening sir. My name is Simi, my question is why are the ladies not allowed to divorce their husbands in Islam?

Dr. Zakir: Sister asked a question that why aren’t the ladies allowed their husbands.

As far as divorce is concerned sister, broadly, you can categories divorce into 5 categories.

One is by the mutual consent of the husband and wife both, first category.

Second category, unilaterally by the will of the husband.

Third category that if it is mentioned in the Nikaah-Naamah when a woman is marrying a man, if she mentions in the contract by default, the authority is given to the man in the Quran. Why? I will come to it later on. But in the Nikaah-Naamah since marriage is a marital contract, a woman can put down any clause in marriage which is not prohibited in the Quran, she can even say that I do not want my husband to take a second wife because marrying more than one wife is not compulsory in Islam. If the boy agrees, he marries otherwise they don’t marry. She finds a new boy and he finds a new girl but she can put the clause that I do not want you to take a second wife as long as I am alive but you cannot put a clause which is against the Quran you cant put a clause saying I don’t want you to offer prayer because offering Salaah is compulsory, you can put a clause which is optional. Similarly she can put a clause that I too want to give unilaterally divorce; it’s called as Talaq-e-Tafweed or Isma, third category.

The fourth category is if she does not mention in the clause but yet she wants divorce, she can request the husband, I don’t want to stay with you, she can request the husband to give divorce, that’s called as Khulaah.

And the fifth category, if the husband does not agree and if the husband ill-treats her, she can go to the Qazi, she can go to the judge and she can take Nikaah-e-Fasq that means nullification of the marriage. If the husband ill-treats her, does not give her, her rights, she can go to the judge and she can nullify the marriage.

So even a woman can take divorce but under normal circumstances the man has been given the authority, why? Because in marriage the person who is the loser, is a man, not the woman. The woman gains. If you heard my talk, last week on last Saturday in the talk ‘Woman’s rights in Islam – Subjugated or Protected?’ I mentioned that during marriage the woman is on the receiving side.

The Quran says in Surah Nisa ch. 4 verse no. 4 that

“Give to the woman in marriage a marital gift, Mahr”

In marriage it is the husband who gives to the would be wife an amount, a Mahr.

And Mahr can be any amount before she is married. So imagine before she is married, it is the duty of the man, duty of the father and brother, after she is married, it is the duty of the husband and the son to look after her lodging, boarding, clothing all financial aspects and if divorce takes place, it’s the duty of the parents to look after her, if not the parents, it’s the duty of the society to look after her, if not the society, it is the duty of the Islamic state to look after her so she is finically secured. If divorce takes place, the man gives the divorce; he loses the Mahr but the woman she is on the receiving end. Now she has a chance to get married, once she gets married, she gets new Mahr and the man, when he has to marry another woman; he has to give new Mahr.

If the full authority is given to the woman the woman keeps on marrying and divorcing then she will keep on gaining money, who is the loser, it’s the man.

So All Mighty God even protects the man’s status otherwise I will have to give a talk on ‘Man’s Rights in Islam’ because if a divorce takes place, man is more of a loser than a woman financially and otherwise. Woman gets protection from the family, from the society, from the state, man doesn’t. So because of that Allah, All Mighty God has secured the man but yet if the woman wants she can mention in the marital contract, she too can give divorce or she can request divorce from the husband called as Khullah or if the husband ill-treats she can go to a judge and she can nullify the marriage which is called as Nikaah-e-Fasq. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Yes. Thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Yes the sister in the rare mike…

Questioner: I am Mrs. Paul, I am an advocate in the high court, I am a Hindu married to a Christian. My question which has come to my mind is after hearing the… thoughts of doctor and the teachings of Islam regarding killing. If killing is strictly prohibited in Islam why don’t the Muslim spiritual leaders openly criticize and untidily fight the killings going on in the name of Jihaad? How can Muslims allow Islam to be misused and misquoted by a few of those of Muslims who are maligning their name of their entire community in the entire world?

Dr. Zakir: Sister’s asked a very good question, she said that she was impressed by the teaching of Islam that Islam is against killing of innocent human beings but how come all the Muslim leaders don’t get together and condemn the killing that is going on in the name of Jihaad and just because of few black sheeps, Islam is being maligned.

Sister, for the detailed answer you should listen to my last talk in the last conference one year back in November 2008, my final speech of the second International Peace Conference was ‘Media and Islam – War or Peace?’ the main thing to blame, it is the media, it is the media who picks up black sheeps of the community and they portray as though they are exemplary Muslims, it is the media. So what you see in the media is not what’s exactly happening. Quran clearly mentions in

Surah Maidah ch. no. 5 verse no. 32 that

“If anyone kills any other human being whether it be a Muslim or a non-Muslim unless it be for murder or for spreading corruption in the land, it is as though he has killed the whole of humanity and if anyone saves any human being, it is as though he has saved the whole of humankind.”

So killing any innocent human being is a sin in Islam. Not only is it a sin, it is as though you have killed the whole of humanity. So anyone killing… you find cases taking place, going on the street and a bomb blast takes place etc. killing innocent human beings is totally prohibited, its clear cut. And when I went to USA, I went to UK you have Muslim organizations, you know, condemning, you know, what bomb blast took place in the tube station in London, we condemn it. I went to America I found some of the Muslim organizations condemning what’s happening in 9/11, I agree with them. I agree with them what happened in 9/11, a few thousand people killed, it is to be condemned. Who did it? I don’t know. I am not saying Muslims did it, it is the media which is saying, there is no proof at all, there is no proof. But whoever did it… there are if you go on the internet you have various documentaries showing that it was a government job, inside job, George Bush, did it, I don’t know who did it. Whoever did it, killing thousands of innocent human beings in 9/11, in the twin tower bombing is to be condemned, more than 50 people killed, in the tube bombing in London, is to be condemned, more than 100 people killed in Bombay in July, couple of years back, in the train bombing in Bombay is to be condemned. But don’t put a full stop; simultaneously I also condemn the thousands of people killed in Afghanistan, the thousands of people killed in Iraq, the thousands of people killed in Palestine.

I call this white collar terrorism! You know what they are doing? They are giving missiles, they are sending bombs, you know there in Palestine they are fighting with stones and they are called as terrorists. You know the America is sending bombs, patriot missiles, they are sending cluster bombs. Cluster bombs when it falls, it breaks up into many bombs and kill thousands of Afghanis, for what? It is a coward act! Therefore I said on my last lecture the biggest terrorist in the past couple of decades, it is George Bush, no. 1. There is no one who has killed as many people as George Bush has killed and now he is no longer there. In Iraq he has put a sanction on medicine and half a million children were killed in Iraq because of George Bush.

We know very well even if I agree that one person was hiding there, there is no proof that Bin Laden did it. Even if he did it, imagine for one man, you are killing thousands of people! It is absurd! What we find, it is the media which is portraying, media which is portraying that Muslims are doing this, I do know there are black sheeps sister, there are black sheeps in our community. There are black sheeps in every community.

Indian media talks about Kashmir, how often do they talk about Assam, Naxalite, the Maoists? You know the biggest threat to India, are the Maoist. What are they doing? They are bombarding the police stations, they are killing the police. The maximum killing that has been done in India are done by the Maoist, by the communist. The LTT, Hindus. Who calls them Hindu terrorist?

You go to Assam the Christian terrorist. When the Hindu does it, you call it LTTE, Liberation Tamil Tigers Eelam. If you go to UK, IRA, Irish Republican Army, they are Catholics. They have a big difference between the Catholics and the Protestants; no one calls them Catholic terrorists, why? So what we find that no religion teaches to kill innocent human beings but there are more non-Muslims killing innocent human beings than Muslims. Now so called Muslims who killed the innocent human beings, they aren’t Muslims, they aren’t following the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet. But what the media does, media picks up these black sheeps and they portray as though they are exemplary Muslims so the media is to be blamed, no. 1, media. The media can change black into white, day into night, hero into villain, villain into a hero. You can hear my talk ‘Is terrorism a Muslim Monoply?’ and you’ll get more details, InshaAllah.

Mohammad Naik: Yes brother…

Questioner: Good evening, sir. My name is Rahul Gaonkar and I am just a student. I just need to ask you in the Islamic religion, why the Shias Muslim people are given less importance compared to other Muslims. I have also heard from one of my Muslim friends that they are not even allowed to drink water from a Shia family, not even a water, okay… means I just need to ask means ah.. it is also said that in Iraq there was Saddam Hussain he has done he has spread the chemical gas, he has done cruelism on Shia people as compared to Hitler has done on Jewish people in the second world war. So don’t you think its an injustice? I also need to know that means what exactly the Shia people has done the mistake in the Islamic religion before. So means still they are suffering right now these days.

Dr. Zakir: The brother asked a question that why are Shias considered inferior and what mistake they have done, why Saddam Hussain killed them like Hitler has killed Germany with chemical weapons etc. brother in Islam there is no Shia-Sunni, there is no Shia-Sunni in Islam.

Questioner: So many people are there…

Dr. Zakir: I will give you the answer.. I will give you the answer. I will give you the answer and then you are most welcome. In Islam there is no Shia-Sunni, what Quran says in

Surah Al Imran ch. 3 verse no. 103

“Wa’tasimoo bihablillahi jamee’an wala tafarraqoo”

“Hold to the rope of Allah strongly and be not divided.”

We have to hold to the rope of Allah, the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet, the Sahih Hadith. If you hold to them then you are a true Muslim, there is no Shia-Sunni in Islam and there is no sect in Islam.

The Quran says in Surah An’aam ch. no. 6 verse no. 159

“O Prophet! Anyone who makes division, who makes sect in the religion of Islam, you have nothing to do with him. Allah will look after their affairs on the Day of Judgment”

And our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) said that There will be 73 sects in Muslims out of that only one will go to Jannah. The Sahabas asked “Which one?” those who follow me and my Sahabas, those who follow Quran and the authentic teachings of the Prophet.

So the Quran says don’t make sects, our Prophet said even though the Quran says there will be some people who will make sects, how many? 73. The one who will be on the true path is one who doesn’t make sects. So anyone who calls himself anything besides Muslims, the word is Muslim. Muslim means a person who submits his will to God. What was the Prophet? Was he a Shia? Was he Sunni? What was he? He was a Muslim. And the answer I gave to the earlier sister of

Surah Ale Imran ch. 3 verse 64 which says

“Faqulush hadu Bi’anna Muslimoon”

“Ye bear witness that we are Muslims”

If you want to judge whether the Muslim is right or wrong, what you do, you check with the Quran. Let him call himself Mohammad, Zakir, Sultan, Abdullah, no problem, you check it up, if he is following the Quran and the authentic teachings of the Prophet, Bukhari, Muslim, authentic teachings, he is the true Muslim. If he goes against the true teachings of the Prophet, the Sahih Hadith of Bukhari, Muslim and all the other Sahih Hadith and goes against the Quran, he is not a true Muslim. A true Muslim is a person who follows the Quran and the authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam).

So when you come to know, let him call himself anything, if he does not follow the Quran and does not follow the authentic teachings of the Prophet, he is not a true Muslim.

Regarding your second part of the question, Saddam Hussain.. Saddam Hussain is not there in the question, it is there in the question naa? Haan! Saddam Hussain, Saddam Hussain killed Shias. Brother I don’t know whether he killed Shias or no the media says but whether it be Saddam Hussain, whether it be Hitler, whether it be George Bush, anyone kills, any innocent human being leave aside Shia-Sunni even if he kills innocent Hindu, innocent Christian, innocent Jew, it is a big crime. Let it be Saddam Hussain, let it be George Bush, let it be Hitler anyone who kills any innocent human being whether Muslim or non-Muslim, whether it be Hindu, whether it be Christian, whether it be Jew, anyone kills any other innocent human being if he has done it, it’s a sin, it is prohibited. I am not here to protect anyone let his name be anything George Bush, Hitler, Sultan, Abdullah, Tom, Dick, Harry anyone, if anyone kills any innocent human being, it is prohibited. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Sir it means you want to say that we should not believe in this Shia-Sunnis or Bori Muslims Sir…

Dr. Zakir: I am not saying that.. Quran.. there in no Shia-Sunni in the Quran.. There is no Boris in the Quran…

Questioner: Means sir so many Masjids are there.. so many masjids…

Dr. Zakir: That… you tell them… you ask them where is the word Shia mentioned in the Quran. Ask him where is Bori mentioned in the Quran…

Questioner: Sir it is… my collage is there in Bandra sir.. I am studying…

Dr. Zakir: So these people are not following what you have to do ask them are they following the teachings of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam), are they following the teachings of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)? Allah says in the Quran in

Surah An’aam ch. 6 verse no. 159,

“Anyone who makes sects, divisions in Islam, you have nothing to do with him”

Anyone who divides the religion of Islam, it is prohibited. So if you have to be a good Muslim, you have to hold to the rope of Allah i.e. the Quran. So just by calling someone Abdullah, Sultan, whatever it is, will not take you to Jannah but following the teachings of the Creator, All Mighty God and following the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)… brother I would like to ask you a question…

Questioner: Yes sir…

Dr. Zakir: One question… you are so much bothered about Shia-Sunni, I want to ask you why.

Questioner: Sir, there are so many.. my friends are…

Dr. Zakir: No-no.. do you want to join Islam and then you are thinking what to take?

Questioner: Sir… means I…

Dr. Zakir: I am asking you the question..

Questioner: Ya…

Dr. Zakir: Do you want to come to Islam and you are thinking should you join Shia or Sunni…

Questioner: Sir no, I am…

Dr. Zakir: No…

Questioner: there are so many…

Dr. Zakir: You are not thinking to come…

Questioner: Sir.. there are so many religions are there.. in Islam there are so many sections of religions..

Dr. Zakir: There is no section in Islam. In Islam there is only one Muslim. Whoever told you

Questioner: Aa..haan..

Dr. Zakir: …did not tell you what Quran says. I am giving you reference…

Questioner: The person is told me he was a Sunni, he told me that…

Dr. Zakir: Let him be Sunni, let him be Shia, Let him be Bori… anyone..

Questioner: Aa..haan..

Dr. Zakir: Tell him Quran says, “don’t make sects.” Ch. no. 6.. write it down…chapter no. 6

Questioner: It means.. Sir it means this is all absurd…

Dr. Zakir: He is not following Quran. Quran says Surah An’aam ch. 6 verse no. 159, note it down that Dr. Zakir Naik said Surah An’aam ch. 6 verse no. 159 that don’t make sects.

What you have to do is you have to submit your will to God. Now I want to know brother, do you want to submit your will to God? Brother…

Questioner: Aa..haan..

Dr. Zakir: Do you want to submit your will to God?

Questioner: Sir, I respect Islam, I believe in Islam..

Dr. Zakir: No-no.. Fine.. you respect Islam.. Do you believe there is one God?

Questioner: Aa..haan..

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe there is one God?

Questioner: Yes sir, I believe in God.

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe idol worship is worship is wrong?

Questioner: Aa..haan..

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe that God has got no idols?

Questioner: God has no idol?

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe that?

Questioner: I don’t know sir…

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe in idol worship?

Questioner: Aa..haan..

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe in idol worship?

Questioner: Ya…

Dr. Zakir: Idol worship is right or wrong?

Questioner: Means to God..

Dr. Zakir: No, do you believe that worshipping idol is right or wrong?

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: it is right or is it wrong?

Questioner: Its right sir.

Dr. Zakir: Doing idol worship? But that’s against your Vedas. Your Veda says you should not worship anyone but one God. Its mentioned in your

YajurVeda ch.32 verse no. 3

Shvetashvatara Upanishad ch. no. 4 verse no. 19

“Natasya Pratima Asti”

“Of that God there is no pratima, there is no image, there is no photograph, there is no painting, there is no idol, there is no sculpture, there is no statue”

I am asking you a question when your Vedas say God has got no images, no statue, no idol, do you yet believe in idol worship?

Questioner: Yes sir..

Dr. Zakir: So leave aside Shia-Sunni, I am asking you are you following your Veda?

Questioner: Yes sir.

Dr. Zakir: Are you following or not? Are you following?

Questioner: Sir because I am from that religion sir..

Dr. Zakir: Correct, so I am talking about…

Questioner: Sir it is not my mistake sir, I am born in that religion sir…

Dr. Zakir: If you are brought up in that religion I am asking you, isn’t your duty to study?

Questioner: That’s why I am searching on this subject.

Dr. Zakir: Therefore I am asking you brother that in your scripture, Veda,

YajurVeda ch. no. 32 verse no. 3

Shvetashvatara Upanishad ch. no. 4 verse no. 19, it says

“Natasya Pratima Asti”

It’s a Sanskrit quotation which means All Mighty god has got no pratima, no image, no photograph, no painting, no sculpture, no idol, no statue. If your scripture says All Mighty God has got idol then doing idol-worship is right or wrong? Right or wrong?

Questioner: Such a big person to decide it’s right or wrong.

Dr. Zakir: No-no but if your scripture is saying God has got no image, no photograph, no idol, no statue then making a statue of God is right or wrong?

Questioner: Sir, why my previous persons means my ‘Purvaj’ has done this sir. Sir I cannot blame on them sir.

Dr. Zakir: Sorry?

Questioner: My Purvaj, my previous the Hinduism people has done this sir, Sir I cannot blame on them…

Dr. Zakir: I am not asking Hindu people. I am asking you the question… your scripture… which is the most authentic scripture in your religion? You don’t know..

Questioner: What sir?

Dr. Zakir: Do you know which is the highest scripture in your religion?

Questioner: Sir… means…

Dr. Zakir: It is Vedas

Questioner: Ya.. Vedas..

Dr. Zakir: Therefore you see my video cassette ‘Similarities between Islam and Hinduism’ and I request one of the volunteers to give him a DVD ‘Similarities between Islam and Hinduism’ watch that DVD, if you have queries you can meet me and InshaAllah it will clarify your doubt and then I would request you read that, understand and find the true peace.

Questioner: Sir and the last thing I just need to ask you sir means we have to not believe in this that there are so many sections of Islam that Sunnis, Shias we should not believe, we should only believe in Quran, right?

Dr. Zakir: Quran and the authentic sayings of Prophet, that’s it! Any scholar says anything, Quran says in

Surah Nisa ch. no. 4 verse no. 59

“Attiullah wa Attiur Rasool”

“Obey Allah and obey the messenger”

and it continues

“And those who have been given the authority, for command, those who are charged with affairs…”

That means you have to follow Allah, All Mighty God, His messenger and those who are knowledgeable. But the verse does not stop there, it says

If they differ, if the people of knowledge differ, go back to Allah and His Rasool.

If someone tells you something, you verify from the Quran and the authentic Hadith whether it is right or wrong. Just because any scholar says anything, it carries no weight in Islam.

Questioner: Sir there…

Dr. Zakir: Our thing is Allah, All Mighty God and the messenger. If any scholar says something if it matches with Quran and Sahih Hadith, you accept it, if it is against Quran and Hadith, you reject it.

Questioner: Sir…

Dr. Zakir: Just by a person saying he is a Muslim, you have to tell him

“Qul hatoo burhanakum”

“Produce your proof”

“In Kuntum Sadiqeen”

“But if you are truthful”

That’s the reason whenever I give answers; I give you references from the Quran and Sahih Hadith. What I am saying, what Dr. Zakir Naik says is zero in Islam, it carries no value. What I say in Islam is zero, nil. What Quran says, what All Mighty God says, what our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) says, that carries weight. So what I am giving, I am giving references. Person who does not know, I am giving references my answer is based on these teaching of the Quran, these verses. My answer is based on this teaching of the Prophet, Sahih Bukhari Vol. no. so and so etc. to give proof. So what they say carries weight, what I say carries no weight. Hope that answers the question.

Mohammad Naik: We’ll have the next question from the gents mike in the middle.

Questioner: Good evening everyone and good evening Dr. Naik. Today I am a human speaking on behalf of humanity. Now Dr. Naik since you were…

Mohammad Naik: Can we have your name please?

Questioner: Ya I am Chirag and please don’t ask my religion. Dr. Naik since you were born may be in a Muslim family you were prescribed with your religion. Now that is why today you are endorsing it may be, if you would have been born in a Hindu family it could have been possible that today this religion would have been on Hinduism.. this I feel is an extreme case of ethnocentrism wherein you feel your religion, culture, believes and ideas are supreme that is why you said that Sikhism or Aarya Samaaj or whatever religion that abandons idol worship is supported by you too.

According to me we should be discussing a larger religion of humanity and not keep juggling here, any comments or justification sir?

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked a very good question, he says that because I was born in a Muslim family that’s the reason, I am endorsing Islam. may be if I was born in a Hindu family, I would be endorsing Hinduism and I am supporting Aarya Samaaj and Sikhism because it matches my view and I am juggling around, I should rather speak about broader aspects, very good question.

Questioner: Yes…

Dr. Zakir: Brother, I agree with you till the age of 19 I was a Muslim only because my father was a Muslim. After the age of 19 when I started studying about comparative religion, now I am a Muslim by choice and believe me if you can point out any other religion to me better than Islam, I am ready to accept that religion today, today.

Questioner: Sir, I am endorsing the religion of humanity.

Dr. Zakir: Brother I will come to it.

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: I’ll come to it.

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: I am telling anyone proves to me logically, scientifically any other religion better than Islam, I am ready to accept it. You are telling, you are talking about humanity, who wrote this religion ‘Humanity? Mahatma Gandhi? Who wrote it? You know, a Muslim cannot be a good Muslim unless he is a good human being.

Questioner: That…every religion says… every religion says

Dr. Zakir: Brother, Brother let me complete my answer.

Questioner: Yes sir…

Dr. Zakir: Are you here to hear my answer or are you here to give your views?

Questioner: I would like to have a healthy discussion and reach to a logical conclusion…

Dr. Zakir: Brother, this is not a debate session…

Questioner: Not at all.. I never said…

Dr. Zakir: So listen to my answer, after my answer you can give your comment.

Questioner: Okay Please..

Dr. Zakir: Let me finish my answer, you keep on interjecting that means you listen to my answer…

Questioner: Carry on..

Dr. Zakir: …listen carefully

Questioner: Ya

Dr. Zakir: Something is going, Mahabharat is going in your mind, how will you listen? When you…

Questioner: Please carry on…

Dr. Zakir: When you read out your question, did I interrupt?

Questioner: Please carry on…

Dr. Zakir: Did I interrupt?

Questioner: You.. you did not. Please carry on.

Dr. Zakir: Everything writing down,,, coming asking question… how I am…

Questioner: I have said…

Dr. Zakir: I am giving the reply, listen.

Questioner: Ya that’s what…

Dr. Zakir: This is my reply.

Questioner: I am listening.

Dr. Zakir: So why are you commenting?

Questioner: Please carry on sir, please justify. Tell me your answer.

Dr. Zakir: If you listen to my answer, you’ll understand otherwise all this more than hundred thousand people will understand yet you will have the same question. I am a medical doctor, a person can’t concentrate one two different things. Listen to the answer, after the answer is over, no problem.

So what you have to realize you are talking about humanity. First you said “Don’t ask my religion” then you are saying “I am endorsing humanity” First of all you are ashamed to identify your view then you are talking about humanity, I am asking you the question who wrote this book called humanity? Is there any book? Is there any guidelines of humanity? I am telling you, a Muslim cannot be a Muslim until he is a good human being. Every religion doesn’t say that, I am sorry to say that, you have not studied other religions. I can give a talk; I can give you quotations from the Vedas, quotations from the Hindu scriptures quotations from the Bible which goes against humanity. I am not here to criticize any religion. If you have not studied any religion please don’t say anything which you have no knowledge of.

Quran says

“Fas-aloo ahlaz Zikri in kuntum la Ta’lamoon”

Surah Nahl ch. 16 verse 43

Surah Ambiya’ ch. 21 verse 7

You are not a student of comparative religion so please don’t make comments without knowing. I can give you quotations from the Bible against Humanity. I challenge you to point out a single verse of the Quran, a single teaching of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which is against humanity. So don’t tell me every religion says that. Sorry, your knowledge is very weak. What I am trying to tell you, humanity means okay you are in standard 2, I am talking about not only passing school, not only graduation you have to become post-graduate. Islam means higher level, only humanity is no level. No Muslim can be a good Muslim unless he is a good human. I challenge you to point out a single teaching of Islam which is against humanity. You may not be knowing the logical background, the logical reason why Islam has prescribed that teaching and you may think it is against humanity. Like how you say “O doctor is given me injection, it is poking me”. But that injection is good for you. You know, “Doctor is cutting up my tummy”. He is cutting up your tummy to save your life. So Doctor knows, you don’t know. If I have 2 choices okay passing standard 2 or 3 or doing post-graduation, I would prefer post-graduation. Why only standard 2 and 3. Humanity is good but Islam is far superior than that.

Regarding your question, I am endorsing Islam because I was born in a Muslim family, I told you, I challenge you if anyone proves to me, any other religion, I have studied most of the major religions and I think Islam is the most logical, the best religion for humanity, it is the only religion which has the solution for humanity. Allah says in

Surah Ale Imran ch. no. 3 verse no. 19

“Innad Deena indaAllahil-Islam”

“The only religion acceptable in the sight of All Mighty God is Islam”

And for your information your argument is so weak! Do you know out of more than 30 scholars that we have from different parts of the world, more than 10, they were not born in a Muslim family. Do you know that? I’d like you to answer this question, do you know that? Out of 30 people speaking from the stage, more than 10, they were not born Muslims, do you know that?

Questioner: Sit I attached ‘may be’ that may be…

Dr. Zakir: I am asking you a question that do you know that…Yes or No?

Questioner: No I don’t know that.

Dr. Zakir: So that means your whole argument falls down. Out of the 30 people speaking from different parts of the world more than 10 are from America, 4,5 from Canada, few are from UK, we have from Malaysia, we have a couple from Saudi Arabia, from UAE, from Somalia, from Sudan and more than 10, they were born in non-Muslim families. They grew up some accepted Islam in the teenage, some accepted Islam in their twenties, some in thirties and Allah gave them Hidaayah, they are Muslims by choice. So your logic that because we are born in Muslim family therefore I am endorsing. These people weren’t born in Muslim family, they were born in Christian family, they were born in non-Muslim family yet they are endorsing Islam, why? Because they have studied, they have studied other religions and they found Islam is the best way of life. What I request you, you study humanity and study Islam and try and find out what point in Islam is against humanity then you will come to know that the best religion… I am not asking your religion, I am asking you to accept the best religion. And the best way of life, the only solution for humanity is Islam.

Questioner: Thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Yes brother, your name and your question.

Questioner: Ya. Ah.. Hello Dr. Zakir Naik. My name is Mahindar Kumar and I am by qualification MBA and work for Thomas Cook at Fort. My question is regarding non-vegetarian foods. It is allowed in Islam….animals are living beings. So don’t you think that it is violence? And my second question is that is it compulsory in Islam to have non-veg food and can a pure vegetarian person can follow Islam?

Dr. Zakir: Brother Mahesh Kumar has asked a very good question, he said that in Islam you’ll have non-veg food, you’ll kill animals, why does Islam give permission to kill living creatures and can a Muslim be a pure vegetarian. Brother before I answer the question I’d like to tell you a Muslim can be a very good Muslim even by being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory in Islam that you should have non-veg it is not compulsory. But since Allah says in the Quran and gives us permission for a person to have non-veg food in

Surah Maidah ch. no. 5 verse no.1, it says that

“Eat of the four-footed animals which has been made lawful for you”

It’s mentioned in Surah Nahl ch. no. 16 verse no. 5 that

“You can eat the meat of the cattle”

It’s mentioned in Surah Mu’minoon ch. no. 23 verse no. 21 that

“In the cattle we give you a drink which is good for the humankind and of their meat you can eat”

So when All Mighty God gives you permission to eat the meat of the lawful animals then why should we not have?

Now coming to the logical reason why Islam permits you to have non-veg food.

If you analyze non-veg food, it’s rich in protein. The human body, it requires 23 amino acids out of which 8 are not made in the human body, it should be given by external diet which are known as essential amino acids. Now these all 8 essential amino acids are present in no kind of vegetable food together. It’s only present in flesh food. So the non-veg flesh food is more nutritious as compared to vegetables.

Furthermore if you analyze, if you see the set of teeth of the herbivorous animals, the cow, the goat, the sheep, they’ve got flat set of teeth. They only have vegetables, they don’t have flesh food.

If we analyze the set of teeth of the carnivorous animals, the tiger, the leopard, the lion, they have got pointed set of teeth, they have got canine set of teeth, they only have flesh. They don’t have vegetables.

If you analyze the set of teeth of the human beings, if you go in the mirror and see, we human beings, we have got flat teeth as well as pointed teeth. If All Mighty God wanted us to have only vegetables why did He give us this canine teeth? Why did He give us this pointed teeth, for what? But natural, to have non-veg food, to have the flesh food.

Furthermore, if you analyze the digestive system of the human being, if you compare it to the herbivorous animals, cow, goat, sheep, they can only digest vegetables. The digestive system of the carnivorous animals, tiger, leopard, lion, they can only digest flesh food, they cannot digest vegetable. The digestive system of the human beings can digest both. It has small intestine, big intestine. It can digest vegetables as well as flesh food, it can digest both. So if All Mighty God wanted us to have only vegetables, why did He give us a digestive system which can digest both?

As far if you analyze, many of the Hindus think that Hinduism prohibits the eating of flesh food. In fact if you read, it’s mentioned in

Manusmirti ch. no. 5 verse no. 30

“All Mighty God has created some animals to eat and some to be eaten. If you eat the animals that have been created to be eaten then it’s not a sin”

Manusmirti ch. no. 5 verse no. 31 says that

“All Mighty God created some animals for sacrifice, killing them is not a sin”

Manusmirti ch. no. 5 verse no. 40 says that

“Killing sacrificial animals for sacrifice, is permitted. It is the law of the God”

So in Hindu scriptures, it’s permitted to have non-veg food. If you read the Vedas and the other scriptures Sages and Sant, they eat non-veg food, they even eat beef.

If you read Mahabharata, Anushasan Parv ch. no. 88, When the Pandavs, they gather, Yudishtira who is the eldest brother of Pandav, he asks Bhishma that what should we give in Yagna, in Pooja, in sacrifice so that our ancestors will be satisfied. So Bhishma replies that if you give Herbs and Shrubs and vegetables our ancestors will be satisfied for one month. If you give them fish, for two months. If you give them meat, for three months. If you give hare, for four months. If you give goat, for five months. If you give Bacon, for six months. If you give them birds, for seven months. If you give them deer, for eight months. And the menu continues…big menu is there

It says “if you give Buffalo, for 11 months. If you give the flesh of cow, our ancestors will be satisfied for one full year. And if you give red meat of goat or meat of Rhinoceroses, they will be satisfied inexhaustibly”

So according to Hindu scriptures eating non-veg is not a sin. It is because many of the Hindus were being influenced by the Ahimsa philosophy of not killing any living creature, they started accepting it. But even this philosophy of Ahimsa, as you said that killing living creature is a sin, brother do you know that even plants have got life? Do you know that brother?

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: So if you say killing living creatures is a sin, killing a plant is also a sin. So why do you have plants?

Questioner: Agreed.

Dr. Zakir: Agreed, very good. Furthermore there are some people who say “okay-okay brother Zakir, I agree that plants have got life but the plants can’t feel pain. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser sin as compared to killing animal. The point to be noted is that today science has advanced and we have come to know even the plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannnot be heard by the human being because human beings hear the frequency that they hear is from 20 cycles per second to 20,000 cycles per second. Anything below and above this range cannot hear.

So there was a farmer in America who converted the cry of the plant into the human frequency and he could come to know when the plants were crying, when they wanted water.

There was another person who came and argued with me and told me “Brother Zakir, I agree with you that plants have got life, plants can feel pain but the plants have got about 2 senses less as compared to the animals. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser sin as compared to killing an animal”, I am asking you the question brother suppose your brother, your elder brother, he is born deaf and dumb after he grows up and someone comes and kills him so will you go and tell the judge “Me lord, give the murder less punishment because my brother had two senses less, he could not hear, he could not speak” will you say that? In fact you will say, “give the murderer double punishment, he could not hear, he could not speak. My brother was Masoom, he was innocent”. So in Islam it doesn’t work like that 2 senses or 3 senses. The Quran says in

Surah Baqarah ch. no. 2 verse no. 168

“Eat of the good things We have provided to you”

As long as the food is Halaal, its Tayyiab for you, you can have it.

And furthermore I personally have got no problem if the non-Muslims don’t have non-veg, I have got no problem. Only if they tell me eating non-veg is a sin, it’s a crime, that’s the time I give the reply. Otherwise if the non-Muslims in India, they don’t have non-veg, its beneficial for me, if all the non-Muslims in India start having non-veg then the prices of mutton and beaf will rise. It will be more expensive for me to have it. So personally I have got no problem. Hope that satisfies your answer, brother.

Questioner: Ya, definitely sir.

Dr. Zakir: So now, if you want you can yet be a good vegetarian, if you want you can eat non-veg also. Eating non-veg will keep you more healthy… you can have… but even if you want to be a pure vegetarian, its not a sin. Hope that answers the question brother.

Mohammad Naik: Yes sister, your question.

Questioner: Sir, I am Dr. Kalpana, my question is does Islam support marrying in relationships? As you know in medicine there are lot of birth abnormalities due to consanguineous marriages i.e. in relations marrying.

Dr. Zakir: The sister asked the question that does Islam permit consanguineous marriages, marrying close relatives.

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: As far as marriages are concerned, Allah says in the Quran in

Surah Nisa ch. no. 4 verse no. 22 to 25 that those marriages which are prohibited that you cannot marry your mother, your daughter, the sister of your mother, the sister of your father and a list is given of your close Mehram but marrying first cousin is permitted but brother-sister, father-mother, this is not permitted but first cousin is permitted. Today science tells us that directly if you marry, the blood brother and sister if you marry there are high chances of abnormalities, there can be genetic problems. So directly brother and sister marry, father and daughter, mother and son, if they marry or direct paternal uncle, first uncle, sister of the father etc. there are high chances of abnormalities so Islam prohibits this but as far as first cousin is concerned, Islam permits it.

And today science tells us that even in first cousin, the chances is there but it is negligible. Genetic problem can even come if 2 people, boy and girl even if they are unknown even if they are not relatives yet there can be genetic problems in them that doesn’t mean that genetic problem only cones in relatives, yes chances are very high if they are direct blood brothers and sisters, mother and father, direct uncle. But first cousin, the chances are little bit more as compared to unknown but the difference is exorbitant.

Therefore the Hadith according to Ahmad Sakhr, there is a Hadith in which the Prophet said that

“Do not marry continuously, generation after generation amongst your first cousin.”

So generations after generation if you keep on marrying then there is a problem otherwise even medical science says generally its no problem but generation after generation, if you keep on doing this first cousin marries, again first cousin again first cousin then the chances rise a bit otherwise normally there is no problem at all. Hope that answers the question sister.

Questioner: Thank you sir.

Mohammad Naik: Yes sister in the rare…

Questioner: Assalaamu Alaikum. I have got 2 questions to ask, the first one is that why can’t a Muslim girl get marry to a non-Muslim guy and still follow Islam? And I have got one more question. As it is acceptable in Islam for a man that he can marry 4 times, do you have to inform the first wife about the second marriage or he can be like he can marry without informing the first wife.

Dr. Zakir: Sister asked 2 questions…she has asked. The first question she posed is that in Islam, is it compulsory that you should take the permission of the first wife before marrying the second wife. And the first question of hers was that in Islam why can’t a man marry a non-Muslim girl? As far as your first question is concerned…

Questioner: …sorry. It’s like if a girl is born in a Muslim family why she cannot marry a non-Muslim guy and still follow Islam?

Dr. Zakir: Why can’t a girl who is born in a Muslim family marry a non-Muslim man and yet follow Islam. The reason is because it goes against the teachings of our Creator, Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala),

Allah says in the Quran in Surah Baqarah ch. no. 2 verse no. 221 that

“Do not marry a Mushrik until he believes, do not marry idol worshipper, do not marry a non-believer until he believes. Even a believer even if he is a slave man, even if he is a bondsman, he is far better than a non-believer, than a Mushrik man than a non-Muslim man even if he allures you”

Means even if he may be the most handsome man in the world, he may be the richest man and if he is a non-Muslim, a Muslim man who may be dark, who may be ugly, who may be a slave is far superior. Similarly the verse continues that for a man, he should not marry an unbelieving woman until she believes, a believing woman who is a slave woman is far superior than an unbelieving woman even if she allures you.

The logical reason sister is that in a car or in a vehicle if one tyre is of a bicycle and the other tyre is of a truck so will the vehicle run? But natural, no all the 4 tyres should be equal and furthermore you ask the question that can she be a good Muslim by marrying a non-Muslim?

The reason is that in Islam we want our spouse, our life-partner also to go to Jannah. Now she has found her way to Jannah, she has found her way to paradise that her paradise is in following Islam; she should follow the Quran and the Sahih Hadith. Now imagine when she knows that she is going to go to paradise and her husband who is doing idol worship, who doesn’t believe in Islam, who is going to go to hell. This life sister is a small portion as compared to next life. This life may be you will stay with your husband for 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years how long? 60 years. The next life is eternal life that means she is selfish. A good Muslim or a good Muslimah, a good Muslim man or woman would also want that their spouse, their husband or wife should also go to Jannah. So that’s the reason it’s important that both the husband and wife are Muslims.

As far as your second question is concerned is it compulsory for the Muslim man to take the permission of the first wife before he marries the second wife, it is not compulsory unless it is mentioned in the Nikaah-Naamah. If it’s mentioned in the Nikaah-Naamah, in the marital contract if the wife has said you should not take a second wife as long as I live then it becomes compulsory. If it s not mentioned in the Nikaah-Naamah, it is not compulsory but at least he should inform her, why? Only if he informs her, one of the criteria to marry more than one wife as the Quran says in

Surah Nisa ch. no. 4 verse no. 3 is

“Marry women of your choice in twos, threes and fours but if you can’t do justice, marry only one”

So one of the criterias to marry more than one wife is you should be just between your wives. So if you do not inform your wife, how will you do justice between your wives? May be you will tell lies that you are going for office work, I am going out of Bombay, you may not go so therefore if you marry a second wife, taking permission is not a must, is not compulsory but at least inform her so that you can do justice between both your wives. Hope that answers the question sister.

Questioner: Thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Yes brother on mike one.

Questioner: Assalaamu Alaikum Zakir bhai. We have been introduced to you by my sir Nassir Sarguru who is a teacher by profession and the first time I heard you was at Azad Maidan and the topic was ‘Similarities between Hinduism and Islam’. My name is Depen Seth and I am working with a construction company, I have come across argument by my fellow friends wherein we have discussed about these topics and the question is that when the Mougals were there they have tampered with the Hindu scriptures and that’s the reason we find there is some references and things like that in the scriptures. Is it a myth or a reality? Please throw some light on it. Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked a very good question that when the Mougals came to India, they tampered with the Hindu scriptures, is it a myth or is it a reality. As far as my study goes, it is a myth. There are something’s what the Hindus said did come into the scripture for example, the word ‘Hindu’ the word ‘Hindu’ doesn’t exist in any of the Hindu scriptures before the Arabs came to India. ‘Hindu’ is actually a geographical definition, the word Hindu was first used by the Arabs. When they came to India, they said hindi-hindi even now today when I go to Saudi, they call me ‘Hindi’, ‘Hindi aaya hai’, I am a Hindi. Hindi means it’s a geographical definition for people living in the land of the Indus valley. It’s not a religious definition. That’s the reason Jawaharlal Nehru says, the word ‘Hindu’ does not appear in the Hindu scriptures until the Arabs came to India. But regarding your question the Mougals tampered with the Hindu scriptures, point no. 1 as far as my study goes, the Mougals did not tamper with the Hindu scriptures, fine.

Now even if I agree with you that the Mougals tampered, now once they have tampered, you leave that scripture now. If you agree that the scripture is tampered so leave it now. What are you going to follow, a tampered scripture? Follow a scripture which is not tampered, Quran.

So even if I agree with your argument that Mougals have tampered the scripture now leave that scripture.

Suppose you have 2 glasses of water, one glass is pure. In the other glass someone puts one drop of gutter water in front of you but once it mixes you can’t make out the dirt. Will you have that glass of water?

Questioner: No.

Dr. Zakir: Why? You can’t see it. But because you saw, dirty black color drop, it falls in the glass of water, it mixes you can’t make out. Will you have it? Will you have that glass of water?

Questioner: Once I have seen it, I won’t have.

Dr. Zakir: Correct. Very good because you are logical. So even if I agree with you that Mougals have tampered the scripture, leave that scripture, have the pure scripture, Quran.

If you say they have not tampered, the Hindu scripture says you have to follow the Quran. Hindu scripture says that you have to follow Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). If they have not tampered, if not tampered leave it, follow this. If they have not tampered, the scripture says that you have to believe in one God which I gave quotation. Besides giving quotations of God that scripture also says that you have to follow the last and final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I can give you quotations from the Hindu scriptures talking about the coming of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam). If you read the Hindu scriptures,

Bhavishya Purana Parv 3 Khand 3 Adhaya 3 Shlokas 5 to 8, it talks about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)

Bhavishya Purana Parv 3 Khand 3 Adhaya 3 Shlokas 10 to 27 talk about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)

If you read the Kuntap Suktas,

Atharva Veda Book no. 20 Hymn no. 127 verse no. 1 to 14 talk about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam), if you read

Atharva Veda Book no. 20 Hymn no. 21 verse no. 6

Atharva Veda Book no. 20 Hymn no. 21 verse no. 7 talking about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)

Rigveda Book no. 1 Hymn no. 53 verse no. 9, it talks about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)

If you read the SamaVeda, Agni Mantra no. 64, talks about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)

Even Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) is mentioned by name, he is called as Ahmed, ‘the one who praises’, in

Samveda, Uttarchick Mantra no. 1500

In Samaveda Indra ch. no. 2 Mantra no. 152

in Yajurveda ch. no. 31 verse no. 18

In Rigveda Book no. 8 Hymn no. 6 Mantra no. 10

in Atharva Veda Book no. 8 Hymn no. 5 Mantra no. 16

Atharva Veda Book no. 20 Hymn no. 126 Mantra no. 14

He is even mentioned by name as Muhammad. He is called as ‘Narashansa’. ‘Narashansa’ means Nar means man, Shansa means prashansa, praise, one who is worth praising, the praiseworthy.

If you translate Narashansa into Arabic, it becomes Muhammad. He is mentioned by name Muhammad as Narashansa in several places

Rigveda Book no. 1 Hymn no. 13 verse no. 3

Rigveda Book no. 1 Hymn no. 18 Mantra no. 9

Rigveda Book no. 1 Hymn no. 106 Mantra no. 4

Rigveda Book no. 1 Hymn no. 142 Mantra no. 3

Rigveda Book no. 2 Hymn no. 3 Mantra no. 2

Rigveda Book no. 5 Hymn no. 5 Mantra no. 2

Rigveda Book no. 7 Hymn no. 2 Mantra no. 2

Rigveda Book no. 10 Hymn no. 182 Mantra no. 2

YajurVeda ch. no. 20 verse no. 37

YajurVeda ch. no. 21 verse no. 31

YajurVeda ch. no. 21 verse no. 55

YajurVeda ch. no. 20 verse no. 37

YajurVeda ch. no. 20 verse no. 57

YajurVeda ch. no. 28 verse no. 2

YajurVeda ch. no. 28 verse no. 19

YajurVeda ch. no. 28 verse no. 42

I can keep on quoting only references of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. So your scriptures say that there is one God, you worship Him alone and you have to follow the last and final messenger. Even your Hindu scriptures speak about the Kalki Avtar, about Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) as the last and final messenger, it says. His mother’s name will be Sumati, that’s Aamina, the name of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)’s mother. It says his father’s name will be Vishnuyash, servant of God, Abdullah which was the name of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam)’s father.

It says he will be born in Sambala, a place of peace i.e. Makkah. He will be born in the place, in the family of the chief of Makkah and we know in the family of Quraish, he will have 4 companions talking about the Sahabas. I can go on and on and on talking about this Kalki Avtar, he will come, he will be the last messenger, that is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

I am asking you brother, do you believe in one God.

Questioner: Ya.

Dr. Zakir: Do you believe that there is no idol worship?

Questioner: Ya I don’t believe in idol worship after I heard your speech at Azad Maidan.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah.

Questioner: So, you know, I am very clear in all those aspects and I have herd you a lot of times so I just had a question which was posed to me and I wanted an answer for that. So wanted to hear that.

Dr. Zakir: So do you believe that Prophet Muhammad is the last and final messenger?

Questioner: Ya I do believe in La ila ha ill Allah Muhammadur Rasoolullah.

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah.

Questioner: My concept is very clear and…

Dr. Zakir: MashaAllah, may Allah reward you brother

Questioner: I thank you…. I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you doing such a good work and you are clearing all these misconceptions that we all people do have.

Dr. Zakir: Mashaallah….May Allah reward you brother and in Islam if you submit your will a person is called as a Muslim.. if you submit your will…

Questioner: Exactly.. exactly sir, sorry to interrupt you but that’s the reason when people ask me… who… what’s your religion and you know I speak Gujarati and when they tell me what’s your religion, I just, when I heard you that you know, the definition of a Muslim is the person who bows his will to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) and that’s what I told him that, you know, I am a Muslim so he was like shocked.

Dr. Zakir: May Allah reward you.

Questioner: So he was shocked that I speak Gujarati, I know well, you know, I am a Muslim or something or you know come from a Muslim background family. So I was like I am born in whichever family, it is but then I know what is right and I have just studied that and that’s what I talk about and I preach about and I just try to do my bit in the small peaces and bits that I can do so thank you sir.

Dr. Zakir: Thank you brother I really appreciate and I thank you and may All Mighty God grant you Jannah and if required any query, any question, you are most welcome to contact us, it’s our pleasure.

Questioner: Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: Thank you very much brother.

Mohammad Naik: May we have the next question from mike in the center of the gents section. We have time only for one or two more questions.

Questioner: Assalaamu Alaikum sir. My name is Ajay Vaishnav. I am working in your catering in VIP lounge. My question is for my family that everyone… in all the books it is written that gods are same and god is one when I say you ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’ you can say me that ‘Hari Om’ or ‘Hari Om Shanti’. Assalaamu Alaikum means that may be peace on you and ‘Om Shanti’ means that may be peace on you then why can’t you say that ‘Om Shanti’?

Dr. Zakir: Brother’s asked a question that we say ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’ may peace be on you, ‘Om Shanti’ also means peace be on you. Shanti is no problem, Om is the problem.

Questioner: What is the problem sir?

Dr. Zakir: The ‘Om’ the Hindus think that, that is God, Om. Shanti no problem, if I translate ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’ ‘Aap pe shaanti ho’ no problem. Shaanti is no problem, peace is no problem, salaam is no problem, the problem is ‘Om’.

What we have to realize that we say may peace be on you, we are requesting Allah for that. ‘Om’ is another concept which people have a different concept about ‘Om’. So if you say “may God’s peace be on you”, no problem. But the moment you say ‘Om’ people may start having a negative picture, O is it about Hinduism? Is it about a god something? May be having an idol? So because to divert… not to divert, its better to be clear. So only saying Shaanti is no problem. In Arabic we say ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’, ‘may peace be on you’ in English or ‘aap pe shaanti ho’. The moment you add that ‘Shaanti’ is… somebody else will give you besides your Creator then there is a problem. So I hope peace is on you brother.

Questioner: Yes sir. Thank you.

Dr. Zakir: I hope that you live in peace.

Questioner: Sir, yes sir.

Dr. Zakir: Thank you, brother.

Questioner: Bye.

Mohammad Naik: Yes brother…

Questioner: Namaste. My name is J.P. Kharge, my question is short relating to the earlier question, pertaining to the non-veg food. What are the effects on the mind of the human beings?

Dr. Zakir: Brother’s asking a question that what are the effects on the mind of a human being by non-veg food.

Questioner: Yes.

Dr. Zakir: And there are various researches done. Scientifically its healthy effect on the body, good muscles, good body, healthy can build longer, many. You can see my debate on ‘Is Non-veg Food Permitted or Prohibited for a Human Being?’. As far as the question I think you may be trying to hint that there is a research which says that what food you have, has an effect on your behavior so if you eat animals then you start behaving like animals. Is this what you mean?

Questioner: No, no, no. I am asking what are the effects on the thinking of a human being?

Dr. Zakir: That’s what I am trying to tell you that there is one research which says that if you eat animals, you start behaving like animals means the effect is of animals. There is a research which says what you eat has an effect on your behavior so that’s the reason we Muslims, we are allowed to eat only peace loving animals like cow, goat, sheep because we are peace-loving human beings. We are not permitted to have the ferocious animals like tiger, lion, leopard because we don’t want to be violent. So even if I agree with this research, I would like to say that Muslims are peace–loving. As far as health is concerned, it is very healthy. If a person has some medical problem having certain non-veg food is problematic like that even veg food is problematic. The food, the food that causes maximum death in the world, it is alcohol. Is alcohol veg or non-veg brother? Alcohol is veg or non-veg?

Questioner: Veg.

Dr. Zakir: Veg.

Questioner: Pardon

Dr. Zakir: Alcohol is veg or non-veg?

Questioner: I am preparing vegetarian food.

Dr. Zakir: Alcohol is veg or non-veg brother? Alcohol is vegetarian or non-vegetarian food?

Questioner: Veg

Dr. Zakir: Veg food. The maximum death in the world by any food, it is by vegetarian food, alcohol. No. 2 death, maximum is because of smoking, smoking tobacco, veg or no-veg?

Questioner: That is the non-veg.

Dr. Zakir: Tobacco is veg or non-veg?

Questioner: Cabba…Cabbage…Cabbage is veg.

Dr. Zakir: Not cabbage, tobacco, tobacco.

Questioner: Tobacco is the non-veg.

Dr. Zakir: Tobacco is non-veg, you get from…?

Questioner: Veg, this is the vegetable.

Dr. Zakir: Vegetarian! Correct. So maximum death that take place in the world is because of Alcohol, no. 1 vegetarian, tobacco, no. 2 vegetarian so there is more problem in vegetarian food in the world than non-veg food. If you have certain problems, medical there may be certain non-veg food which is harmful but more harm in the world is because of vegetarian food. So what is harmful, Quran says banned. Quran doesn’t ban all vegetables, Quran banns alcohol

Surah Maidah ch. 5 verse no. 90 and even smoking

Surah Baqarah ch. 2 verse no. 195 because it is slow poisoning.

So whatever is wrong should be banned, Quran doers not ban all vegetables. For more details refer to my video cassette, ‘Is non-veg food permitted or prohibited for a human being?’. Hope that answers the question.

Questioner: Okay thank you.

Mohammad Naik: Brothers and sisters are requested to please hold on we are also going to have a dua after the next question handled by Dr. Zakir. Yes brother….

Questioner: My name is Kailash, I am an atheist. My question is why do Muslims believe that Jesus is born without any biological father when there is a Quran…. says that Allah says that He is the originator of the heaven and earth. How come he can have a son without any consort?

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked a question that Muslims believe that Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) was born without any biological father but the Quran says how shall All Mighty God have a son when he doesn’t have a wife as far as the miracle of Isa (Alaihe Salaam), Quran says in

Surah Ale Imran ch. no. 3 verse no. 47 when Mariam (Alaihe Salaam) says, mother Mary that “how shall I have a son when no man has touched me.”

The reply comes by Arch Angel Gabriel

“Itha qada amran fa-innama yaqoolu lahu Kun Fayakoon”

“When Allah decrees a matter He just says to it be and it is”

Similarly in Surah Ale Imran in ch. 3 verse no. 59, Allah says

“Inna mathala Eesa inda Allahi kamathali adama khalaqahu min turabin thumma qala lahu Kun Fayakoon”

“The similitude of Jesus in front of Allah is like Adam that he was created from dust and said “Be” and it was”

So what we realize that All Mighty God normally by nature, human beings are born by mother and father but to show the power of Allah that He can create even without a father, the example is Isa (Alaihe Salaam). Another miracle Allah did, created a human being without mother or father i.e. Adam (peace be upon him) but the verse of the Quran saying that All Mighty God doesn’t have a son neither does He have any of consort, neither does He have wife.

And furthermore Quran also says that if Allah begot a son say “I would be the first person to bow down to him”

That doesn’t means Allah has a son. Its saying there is no question of Allah begetting because begetting is an animal act, it is functions of lower animals of sex. That’s the reason Allah will not beget, Allah does not require a wife also. Wife is required by us human beings. Mating is the function of lower animals of sex. So these verses of the Quran that if Allah has a son, I would be the first to bow down to him, is negating that Allah can never have a son. Neither does Allah require a wife so these are concepts of the Quran trying to say don’t belittle Allah by saying God has a wife or has a son it is not the dignity of Allah who is so Gracious to have a son or to have a wife.

Wa Aakhiru Da’waana Anil Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil Aalameen!

Mohammad Naik: Just hold on a few minutes, we’ll just have a dua. First let me just thank Dr. Zakir Naik for his unflinching, committed, unmitigated and so confident answering of so many questions our brothers have, he could not handle so many other questions especially the questions many of our Muslim brothers and sisters here. What I would request that every Sunday we have a question and answer session, please feel free to come there and many a times Dr. Zakir himself handles the question and answer session. Feel free to get there and ask your questions or you could write, put your email into the Islamic Research Foundation or be in touch with our volunteers they would guide you better. JazakAllah Khair for the excellent speech.

Now we would call upon our Qaari an excellent Da’ee of Islam, you’ll know his father Abdur Rahman Al Bukhatir, the business tycoon of Sharjah Cricket we have his very son here who is a very famous Qaari, one of the most famous international Qaaris’ and Da’ee Shaikh Salaah Abdul Rahman Al Bukhatir to present the concluding Dua of this session. Brothers and sisters please welcome Shaikh Salaah Al Bukhatir from UAE.

Shaikh Salaah Al Bukhatir: Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh! I request the honorable audience to say Aameen as I recite the Duas. May Allah accept our Duas.

[Dua in Arabic]

Jazakumullah Khair.

Mohammad Naik: JazakAllah Khiar Shaikh Salaah Al Bukhatir for your enchanting and soul reverberating dua for our audience in this conference for the Muslims of the world. JazakAllah Khair.

Jazakamullah Khairan for being such a wonderful audience, InshaAllah , tomorrow we meet you again for this evening session we have the Qiraat by one another leading Qaari Shaikh Abdul Fattah Taarooti from Egypt and of course tomorrow evening session will end with the Dua by Shaikh Salaah Al Bukhatir, Imaam and Khatib, Imam Masjid Al Nabwi, Madinah, InshaAllah.

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh!