by Shaheen Darr

Created on: August 19, 2008

Dr. Zakir Naik was born in Mumbai, India on the 18th of October, 1965. He got his medical degree from the University of Mumbai but it is as an orator in Islam and Comparative Religions that he has become renowned all over the world. His inspiration was the late Muslim Scholar Sheikh Ahmed Deedat who died in 1996 in South Africa after suffering a stroke.

Dr. Zakir Naik is a popular figure on various Satellite and other International TV channels all around the world and he answers questions from his audience about Islam using the Quran and authentic Hadith. He has learnt these by heart and each of his answers is validated by the exact number of the Sura as it appears in the Koran. His knowledge extends not only to the Bible and the Torah (the Jewish scriptures) but also includes the Indian holy books like the Mahabharata and the Bhagwat Gita. In addition to his extensive religious knowledge he has also learnt scientific and mathematical facts by heart and these are used in his lectures to reply to questions posed by the audience. The audience does not just comprise of Muslims but Non Muslims alike.

Dr, Zakir Naik has travelled to countries all over the world like the USA, South America, UK, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore to give public lectures. One of his famous debates is with Sri Sri Ravishankar(a spiritual and humanitarian leader of India) about the "Concept of God between Hinduism and Islam according to the Scriptures" and a famous dialogue with Dr William Campbell of the USA on the topic "the Quran and the Bible in the light of sciences" His audiences include famous personalities, political leaders and religious scholars.

In 1991 he founded the Islamic Research Foundation which is a non profit making charitable trust and as its Chairman he actively promotes Islamic understanding through television channels, radio programmes, the internet and through the written word. Some of his books include 'Is the Quran God's word', 'Islam and Terrorism' and 'Quran and Modern Science'. The aim of the Foundation is to get rid of misconceptions about Islam and he does this through his intensive knowledge about the Koran and the Hadith. DVDs and Video recordings of his lectures and debates are available on www.irf.net.

Recently Dr Naik has extended an invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to have an open interfaith dialogue in front of a world audience on the Koran and the Bible. The invitation has yet to be accepted.

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