Zakir Naik Says Income Via YouTube Is ‘Haram’, Despite Using Platform To Increase, Reach Out To Followers

Islamic preacher Zakir Naik reacts during a prayer at a mosque in Melaka, Malaysia. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)

Zakir Naik said women in YouTube ads along with alcoholic beverage ads are examples of 'haram' YouTube content.

Zakir Naik, the controversial speaker, triggered a fresh debate by warning content creators putting out their videos on YouTube and other video platforms that they are indulging in haram, which means practices forbidden under Islamic laws.

“Even if you eliminate alcoholic beverage ads, you still see women in inappropriate attire,” he said of YouTube ads. Naik, who is on a visit to Pakistan, lambasted the very tools he uses to reach out to his followers saying that revenue derived from content that includes women and music is not permissible.

He said that these earnings would not be compliant with Islamic laws.

He also lashed out at those who share his content on social media because they sometimes include pictures of women in their thumbnails, which he claims distorts the messaging.

Naik said content creators should avoid making profits ‘through unethical means’ and focus on Islam.

Pakistan’s decision to invite controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik as a state guest has backfired because of many controversial remarks that he has made.

His comments on topics like “excess baggage,” women’s rights, and paedophilia, along with an incident where he “ran away” from orphan girls, have baffled Pakistanis, with many wondering that the invite has made their government look like a fool on social media.

Zakir Naik is currently on a month-long visit to Pakistan, where he is delivering lectures in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

The Mumbai-born preacher, wanted in India for hate speech and money laundering, has had his channel PeaceTV banned in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka due to its controversial content.

The UK and Canada have barred his entry, but he was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by the previous Mahathir Mohamad government.