Dr Zakir Naik

Dr Zakir Naik (born: ) is an Indian YouTuber and televangelist known for posting videos related to Islam and comparative religion. He is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation and the Peace TV network. He currently resides in the United States and is a wanted fugitive in India for money laundering.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48132710 Naik denies these charges. He joined YouTube on January 5, 2011 and uploads new videos on a daily basis.
==Early life and education==
Zakir Naik was born on 18 October 1965 to Abdul Karim Naik and Roshan Naik in Bombay (Mumbai), India. He attended Kishinchand Chellaram College and studied medicine at the Topiwala National Medical College & BYL Nair Charitable Hospital and later the University of Mumbai, where he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/8-facts-you-need-know-about-controversial-preacher-dr-zakir-naik-updated-101971
==Career==
In 1991 he started working in the field of dawah and founded the Islamic International School in Mumbai and the United Islamic Aid, which provides scholarships to poor and destitute Muslim youth.http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2010/2825.html Naik's wife, Farhat Naik, is the president of the women's section of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). https://web.archive.org/web/20131221093750/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=33845
Naik said in 2006 that he was inspired by Ahmed Deedat, an Islamic preacher whom he met in 1987.(Naik is sometimes referred to as "Deedat plus", a label given to him by Deedat.)
On 21 January 2006, the Islamic Research Foundation, which Naik heads, founded Peace TV. It is a non-profit Emirati satellite television network that broadcasts free-to-air programming. It is one of the world's largest religious satellite television networks.
In the second half of March 2021, Naik launched Al Hidaayah, which provides educational content about Islam. The platform has thousands of hours of videos of more than 40 renowned Islamic speakers from all over the world including Ahmed Deedat, Yusuf Estes, Hussein Ye, and Bilal Philips. He claimed that this platform is a "halal" version of Netflix.
Naik claims he does not follow any one school of Islamic thought, but he is most closely associated with Salafi teachings. He has travelled around the world giving talks about Islam and answering peoples' questions about Islam, many of which are on his YouTube channel.https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/8-facts-you-need-know-about-controversial-preacher-dr-zakir-naik-updated-101971 He also debates non-Muslims over the merits of Islam, and has debated Ravi Shankar.
==Awards==
Naik's achievements include:
*‘King Faisal International Prize’ for ‘Service to Islam’ 2015 by King Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
*Dubai International Holy Quran Award’s ‘Islamic Personality of the year-2013’ by Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
*Ranked No. 82 in ‘100 Most Influential People in India’ in 2009. 
*Ranked amongst top 70 in ‘The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World’ from 2011 to 2020 & ranked 79 in ‘The Top 100 Cumulative Influence over 10 years’.
*A plaque by Shaikh Ahmed Deedat in 2000, “Son what you have done in 4 years had taken me 40 years to accomplish, Alhamdulillah”.
*The Honorary ‘Doctor of Humane Letters’ (Honoris Causa), by the University of The Gambia.
==References==
Category:Educational YouTubers
Category:Indian YouTubers
Category:American YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2011
Category:One million subscribers
Category:Two million subscribers
Category:Three million subscribers