Most Common Questions Asked by Non Muslims

by Zakir Naik

Da’wah is a duty Most Muslims know that Islam is a universal religion, meant for all humankind. Allah (swt) is the Lord of the entire Universe, and Muslims have been entrusted with the duty of conveying His message to all humankind. Alas, most Muslims today have become callous towards this duty! While accepting Islam as the best way of life for ourselves, most of us are unwilling to share this knowledge with those to whom the message has not yet been conveyed. The Arabic word ‘Da’wah’ means ‘a call’ or ‘an invitation’. In Islamic context, it means to strive for the propagation of Islam.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

87 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik is a renowned orator on Islam & comparative religion. He is the founder & president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), a non-profit organisation that owns the Peace TV Network & the Islamic International School (IIS). Dr Zakir clarifies misconceptions about Islam, using the Qur’an, authentic Hadith & other Religious Scriptures, with reason, logic & scientific facts. He has Authored many Books on Islam & Comparative Religion.

Zakir Abdul Karim Naik was born on October 18th 1965 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He attended St. Peter's High School & Kishinchand Chellaram College in Mumbai, before studying medicine at Topiwala National Medical College & Nair Hospital. Afterwards at the University of Mumbai he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery (MBBS). In 1991 he started working in the field of Dawah, & founded IRF. Dr. Zakir says he was inspired by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, the world famous Islamic scholar, having met him in 1987. Sheikh Deedat Gave Dr. Zakir the title of "Deedat Plus" for his excellence in Dawah.

Dr. Zakir's style of memorizing the Qur'an, Authentic Hadith & other Religious Scriptures in various languages, as well as his critical analysis & convincing answers to challenging questions, has made him extremely popular in Muslim & non-Muslim circles. In the last 20 years Dr Zakir Naik has delivered more than 2000 public talks all over the world, in addition to numerous in India.

He has participated in several debates & dialogues with prominent personalities of other faiths. His public dialogue with Dr. William Campbell on “The Qur’an & the Bible in the light of Science” held in Chicago, in April, 2000 was a huge success. His Interfaith Dialogue with Hindu Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on "The Concept of God in Hinduism & Islam in the light of Sacred Scriptures" held in Bangalore, in Jan. 2006, was highly appreciated by people of both faiths.

According to Google, searches for Dr. Zakir Naik vary between 5 to 12 million daily which is one of the highest among'st Muslim religious speakers in the world. He is ranked #62 in the list of "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" published by George Washington University in 2012. He was also listed #82 in the "100 Most Influential People in India" in 2009, & was listed #1 in the ‘Top 10 Spiritual Gurus of India in 2010 published by Indian Express.

Reviews

[Emillia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've learnt how to answer a question about Islam. A basic question but the good answer because zakir naik has a wide knowledge in this field.

[Fadoua · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is easy to read and understand. In many parts, the author gave logical explanations that are very useful to answer common questions from non-Muslims about Islam (for instance, why Muslims don't eat porc, why pilgrimage in Mecca, why women wear veils, and so on).
However, there are three statements in this book that I didn't appreciate. First, he claims that Muslims of nowadays are the best! If we don't consider terrorists, Dr. Naik thinks that Muslim community is the best. That is true, Muslims don't have drinking problems, they are generous... But, why the author ignored one serious problem of Muslim society of nowadays which is illiteracy. The percentage of illeteracy in the Islamic world is high. This is contradictory, since Islam came to ask Muslims to seek knowledge. I don't understand why he neglected such very serious problem.
Second, the author says "If only all Muslims read the Qur’an with understanding and adhere to Sahih Hadith, Inshallah most of these differences would be solved and we could be one united Muslim Ummah." This is not the first time I read such statement. Now, it is true that the "Golden age" is the most glorious part of the history of Islam. But, what about centuries of Islamic philosophy, thinking, sciences, debates...? Shouldn't we value this historical heritage that play important role in adjust Islam to the socio-geo-historical context?

[O · Rating 1 out of 5]

There're mistakes and fallacies in the book including outdated statistics, most of which have no references. For example he saith that there are 7.8 millions more females than males in USA, 9 million more females than males in Russia, etc. The dullard doctor regurgitates the same claims in his speeches. If Naik strung together his spurious, non-referenced stats in a university dissertation, he would probably flunk and get booted out.

[Rawyah Sami · Rating 4 out of 5]

يحتوي الكتاب على الكثير من الأسئلة التي كثيرا ما نسمعها من غير المسلمين و بعض المسلمين. و يرد عليها الدكتور ذاكر بإجابات منطقية و علمية مفصلة.
العيب الوحيد الذي أراه في الكتاب هو أن الإحصاءات و الأرقام التي ذكرت تعود لأكثر من عشرين عاماً لذا لابد أن يعاد طبع الكتاب و تحديثه بإستمرار. كذلك لو ذكرت المصادر لبعض المعلومات لكان أفضل حتى يمكن للباحثين الرجوع إليها.

[Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't know if it's exactly the same book I read .. But I think it was very good .. Helpful and useful .. Also, easy to read ..

[Riyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely.. one.. i read it.. twice.

[سماح عطية]

I would like to know those questions,
But rather than reading them,
I prefer watching D. Zakir Naik talking about them.

20 Most Common Questions about Islam

[Abdul Ahad]

الحمدلله و کفی و صلوات و السلام علی عباده الذین صطفی

With Respect, Many thanks to Almighty Allah Who have guided Dr.Zakir Saheb with a great knowledge of Religions and science which caused us to once again proud about our Great Religion of Islam and beside that caused us to keep his advices in our minds and to follow it accordingly.

As I read this good book I have learned many things and then I felt myself responsible for sharing his good ideas and good responds to the questions which we all Muslims facing them, so then I tried to explain them exactly what was written in the book, so I realized that not only my friends but also all my Muslim community which locates in Kabul, Afghanistan should know about it, so then I tried to translate the whole book and right now I finished it's translation which in this downloaded PDF the 15th question was missing and I was going to search for it that I faced this site, and after finishing a process of rating books, I said with myself that lets put a message, and it might reach Dr.Zakir Saheb as an allowance of publishing the book in my city and all the world, and that he may allow me by praying for my success in this worldly life and my real and future life.

Best Regards,
Noor
(+93)700 235336
Kabul Afghanistan

[Damaisuria · Rating 4 out of 5]

20 soalan lazim antaranya berkisar poligami, aurat, penyebaran Islam, keganasan, makanan, penyembelihan, Al-Quran, kaabah, Makkah, harta warisan, arak, khinzir, saksi, ukhrawi, mazhab, orang kafir dan amalan merupakan perkara pokok yang sering ditanya atau menjadi isu dari kaca mata orang. Isu ini bukan sahaja dimainkan oleh barat tetapi juga pemahaman ini benar-benar perlu penjelasan di kalangan oleh orang bukan Islam. Barangkali jawapan yang diberi oleh Dr. Zakir Naik cukup kukuh dalam menjawab persoalan asas ini. Siapa yang tidak kenal Dr. Zakir Naik. Beliau adalah anak didik pemidato cendekiawan Islam, Ahmad Deedat dan seorang yang cukup hebat dalam berhujah balik. Kehebatannya dalam mengolah jawapan terhadap persoalan lazim ini langsung membenam isu-isu yang ditimbulkan di khalayak ramai.

[Izdiyani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thank Zakir for this book, it is a simple, most basic book that needs to be in the hands of each Muslim or at least the content of it. All the questions of which I might not be able to answer per se, and this is when the book comes in handy as it literally unfolds all the answers in a brief, short and concise explanation. However perhaps my sole gripe is how the author is quite a bias in further explaining the answers (perhaps also due to the initial limitation set) and the lack of evidentiary values in the statistics and reports being made to supposedly support each answer.

[Arshi Jamal]

i wud like to read the questions of that book.

[Yarmuhammad]

i think islam is one of the best religion ..
i want to know these 20 common question and learn it

[Aly · Rating 1 out of 5]

On account of his huge impact and dedication to Islamic dawah, I have an incredibly deep respect for Dr Naik. That being said however, I do find his approach problematic and take issue with a number of his arguments and a lot of the statements he makes, especially after becoming more educated in this area. Eg. his use of “scientific” arguments, his constant conflation of Islam with politics, failure to cite his sources, among other things. Regarding this publication specifically, someone I know came across this booklet and asked me to fact and reliability check it.

It is over 20 years old now and there are, understandably, some major issues with it. Some of my contentions are:

1. It is incredibly outdated; certain questions are no longer relevant/controversial. Other topics that are more pressing and should be prioritized/addressed considering the times and current political climate aren’t even touched upon.

2. Lacks any referencing at all, let alone reliable ones. This should not have been acceptable at all even at the time of publication. Perhaps that is why it’s replete with questionable information and logical fallacies. The arguments are weak, inadequate, and wouldn’t stand a chance if brought up in a debate today.

3. If you’re familiar with Dr Naik’s work, you’d know that it targets very specific audiences and this publication is no different. It is not intended or appropriate enough for a universal audience, specially in this day and age.

4. The answers he gives generally lack clarity, are very long-winded and don’t always answer the question directly. In some cases they didn’t really answer the question at all. Not to mention the text is riddled with typos and incorrect terms. This publication seems to be simply a transcription of his talks, which do not translate well into written format at all.

I don’t argue that Dr Naik has been instrumental in the dawah scene, but if you want to familiarize yourself with his material and his historical impact, I highly recommend you stick to the video format of his talks. The key word here is 'historical'. If you’re looking for a more current understanding, there are plenty of other more recent and reliable sources to look into. Either way, I would not waste my time with this booklet.

[Tashin Abdullah · Rating 4 out of 5]

20 most common questions about Islam বাংলায় ইসলাম সম্পর্কে অমুসলিমদের ২০ টি সাধারণ প্রশ্নের জবাব।
জনপ্রিয় ইসলামিক বক্তা ও ধর্ম প্রচারক ড.জাকির নায়েকের লিখিত একটি পুস্তিকা। ইসলাম নিয়ে মাঝেমধ্যেই অমুসলিমরা বিভ্রান্তি ছড়ায়,এই বইটি সেই বিভ্রান্ত নিরসন করবে বলেই আমার বিশ্বাস। প্রাইমেরি স্টেজে কোন অমুসলিম,ধর্মে অবিশ্বাসী বা কোন সংশয়বাদী ব্যাক্তি যদি ইসলামকে ভালো ভাবে জানতে চায়,তাহলে এই বইটি আমি সাজেস্ট করবো।ইসলাম সমন্ধে বিভিন্ন সময়ে বিভিন্ন অমুসলিমদের থেকে উত্থাপিত ২০ টি প্রশ্নের ব্যাখ্যাসহ উত্তর এই বইতে আছে। ড.জাকির নায়েক খুবই সুন্দর মুন্সিয়ানায় এই প্রশ্নের জবাব গুলো দিয়েছেন।
যদিও আমি বাংলা অনুবাদ পড়েছি,অনুবাদ ঝড়ঝড়ে ছিলো না। তাই আমি সবাইকে সাজেস্ট করবো মুল ইংরেজি বইটি পড়ার জন্য।
ব্যাক্তিগত রেটিং : ৪/৫

[Marko · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a Muslim reader who doesn't know much, or anything, about other religions, this book may be a great little comparative study, and a good defense of the Islam.

However, for someone who isn't so clueless about other religions, it's easy to recognise that Zakir Naik didn't do a great job with this book. Someone that popular among Islam adherents can't make that many blunders in a single book.

[Imam Ambary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book overall. This book has widened my knowledge on Islam and has also helped me answer a few questions I myself had about Islam. My only knock with this book is that there are a few questions that are still unanswered to me because the response didn't satisfy me. Besides that, there are also a few grammatical and spelling errors in the book.

[HH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pg 54. The ayat shown should be Al-Quran 2: 282 and not Al-Quran 33:59

[Molana Siddique]

kkk

[Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍

[Eimad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Zakir Naik trying to answer most common questions about Islam by non Muslim.although some data might be outdated he did a good job trying to use both naqli and aqli ways.but it seems like this book target readers is in India region since he refuted some doubt by quoting Hindu book.nevertheless a good job by publishing this book and not too long and all.might be a good book to give to non Muslim friends as a gift.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so thankful that I've read this book and now Insha Allah I'll get to answer some of the questions about Islam more deeply.
As a Muslim myself, I am amazed on how precise the Alquran is on providing the exact answers.
Well written and a must have for every Muslims :)x

[Umar Mughal]

this is nice book

[Bebz Dumato]

to learn more

[Shoukath]

I want to read

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it

[Dialhaq Larial · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the only book of its kind, although the questions he provided have another answers that does not contradict with Dr Zakir's answers.

[Mazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is a good book it benifit us

[Zyshan Javed]

good

[Khalid Alqassimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dr. Zakir Naik asks the most common questions raised by non-muslims, questions like "Why is polygamy allowed in Islam" and "Why are non-muslims not allowed in Mecca and Medina?" backing his answers with Quranic verses.

The statistics Dr. Naik brings up is completely unreliable. He is quick to raise statistics like "5 million women in the U.S. alone will have no husband if men only marry one man" but does not show where this number was brought from. He often cites "A study was made" without ever referencing the study. This makes it easy to believe that these numbers are constructed by Dr. Naik himself.
Dr. Naik's responses are also unbelievably shallow. Some of the arguments I could not help but cringe at as they try to exploit male dominance and Islamic superiority as the argument themselves. I feel like I finally understand what a professor teaching a first semester writing class would feel, as his arguments don't advance much beyond that level.

[Umar Ladan]

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