Saudi Gazette
One of the most popular public speakers in India and globally and an advocate for Islam, the religion of peace, Faiz Syed has recently visited the Kingdom to perform the pilgrimage and to offer a number of lectures. The expatriate communities in Jeddah are happy to have him.
Faiz Syed is the founder and current president of the Islamic Research Center (IRC) in India. IRC is a non-profit organization which aims to convey the true message of Islam to Muslims as well as Non-Muslims, with wisdom and beautiful preaching. Through his work at the IRC, Faiz Syed strives to correct the common misconceptions about Islam among the general public. Among the goals of the IRC is to provide social and financial assistance to the poor and needy, and to provide services in education, health, and other charities. They even have summer camps for Muslim kids with lots of activities and lessons.
The Saudi Gazette interviewed Syed and asked him what inspired him to pursue this mission of calling people to Islam.
Syed said, “When I was in college I use to read the Holy Qur’an with translation, and I came across many verses which says something, but I found Muslims doing something else. I also worried about the verses in the Qur’an which refer to the disbelievers and that they will enter Hellfire. So, I began to think that it is my duty to call people to Islam so that they may know the true Creator. I started calling Non-Muslims and Muslims towards Islam.”
Syed is very active in clarifying to people of all faiths what Islam is about. He offers lectures, writes literature, and willingly answers questions that people have about Islam. As for Muslims, he also works to improve their own understanding of the religion and he teaches Muslims to practice their religion as prescribed by Allah, and not based on culture or simple habit or their desires. Syed also oversees many humanitarian projects, like free health clinics and distribution of food and clean drinking water to villages in need.
The Islamic Research Center reaches millions of people worldwide through the internet, cable TV, and the print media. IRC’s activities provide the much needed understanding about the truth and excellence of Islamic teachings, based on the glorious Qur’an and authentic sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and also based on reason, logic, and scientific facts.
There are many challenges facing the Muslim communities in these modern and chaotic times, and especially the youth. In Syed’s opinion, among the biggest challenges faced by the Muslim youth in India is lack of education, non-availability of jobs, radicalization in the name of Islam, disunity due to religious differences, and economical backwardness.
Faiz Syed was pleased to have performed a much facilitated pilgrimage this year.
“All thanks to Allah, the Haj experience was very good. The Haj was peaceful and well organized. This was my first Haj but I had done Umrah a couple of times before; one in 2008 and one in 2015. I can see huge changes in the infrastructure and facilities provided by the Saudi government. I would like to give thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for continuous efforts for the care of the pilgrims,” said Syed.
