Tariq Masood | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Masood in 2021 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1975 (age 49–50) Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Main interest(s) | Islamic jurisprudence,Hadith,Family law |
| Notable work(s) | Ek Se Za'id Shadiyon Ki Zarurat Kiyun? |
| Alma mater | Jamia Tur Rasheed, Karachi |
| Occupation | Islamic scholar, preacher, author |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Sunni |
| Movement | Deobandism |
| Website | muftitariqmasood |
Tariq Masood[a] (born 1975) is a PakistaniDeobandi Islamic scholar,[mufti],preacher, andauthor. He studied theDars-i Nizami curriculum atJamia Tur Rasheed inKarachi, where he specialised inIslamicjurisprudence and later taught in its Darul Iftaa. He also serves as imam of Masjid al-Falahia inKarachi.
Masood is known for hisUrdu sermons on family law, social ethics, and contemporary debates, which circulate widely on digital platforms, especiallyYouTube. His preaching style—combining humour, direct expression, and commentary on social issues—has attracted large audiences in Pakistan and among diaspora communities. Academic studies and media analyses have examined his role in digital religious discourse, including his appearances on popular podcasts and his use of social media.
He is the author ofEk Se Za'id Shadiyon Ki Zarurat Kiyun?, in which he argues that polygamy is religiously sanctioned and may address certain social issues. His views on family law, gender roles, blasphemy, and politics have drawn both support and criticism, and he has been the subject of several public controversies. Alongside this, he has participated in state-backed initiatives against extremism and spoken at universities and conferences in Pakistan and abroad, including a lecture tour of Bangladesh in 2025.
According to MM News, Tariq Masood was born in 1975 inSargodha;[1] an Indian-origin family background is reported by Islamforall.in.[2]
He received his early schooling in Karachi and was briefly enrolled atSindh Muslim Government Science College before leaving to pursue full-time religious studies. AtJamia Tur Rasheed in Karachi, he completed the traditionalDars-i Nizami curriculum, followed by advanced training inHadith studies and a specialisation inIslamic jurisprudence under Abu Lubaba Shah Mansoor.[3][4][5][6][7]
Masood has been teaching the Dars-i Nizami curriculum and working in the Darul Iftaa atJamia Tur Rasheed for over a decade. He also serves as imam at Masjid Al-Falahia in Karachi.[4][5][6][7] He began delivering sermons on family and social issues, which were widely circulated on social media, gaining him a significant following in Pakistan and among diaspora communities.[2] In March 2024, Masood delivered a counselling session at theSir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi, addressing faculty members and students on the relationship between science and religion, and the role of Islamic teachings in guiding social ethics.[8] In May 2025, he addressed the Bunyan-un-Marsoos Conference in Karachi, where senior scholars emphasised national unity and support forPakistan's armed forces.[9]
In July 2025, Masood undertook a nine-day lecture tour of Bangladesh, delivering talks inDhaka,Sylhet,Cox's Bazar andMoulvibazar. His schedule included addresses at theUniversity of Dhaka,BUET, andShahjalal University of Science and Technology, along with large public conferences.[10][11]Bangladeshi media covered the visit and highlighted his popularity among youth, citing his use of humour, openness on sensitive topics, and use of social media.[12][13]
Masood's sermons are circulated widely on digital platforms, especiallyYouTube, where multiple dedicated channels host his lectures. As of 2025, his main YouTube channel had a large following, with viewership spread across multiple unofficial channels as well.[14][15][16]
A 2024 German-language academic study identified him among Pakistani clerics whose Urdu YouTube sermons contained rhetoric hostile towards Jews and Zionism.[17]
Bangladeshi outlets have described his appeal as linked to humour, accessible language, and effective use of digital media.[12][13] In 2024, he publicly disagreed with Indian preacherZakir Naik on YouTube monetisation, stating that income from lawful content is halal, while revenue connected to prohibited products should be given to charity.[18]
A 2023 chapter published byDe Gruyter analysed his preaching style on social media, arguing that his influence derives as much from performance as from religious authority. The study highlighted his frequent use of humour, body language, and confrontational tone—particularly in critiques of liberals and the Aurat March—as central to his appeal, and concluded that within its scope he is considered among the more impactful Deobandi preachers in contemporary Pakistan.[19]
A 2023 article inThe Dialogue on digital media and Islamic preaching in Pakistan noted that Masood is among the scholars who have made significant use of online platforms to disseminate religious knowledge.[20]
A 2024 study in theUniversity of Chitral Journal of Linguistics & Literature examined his YouTube sermons and podcasts through a pragmatic lens. It found that his discourse is dominated by directive speech acts aimed at advising and persuading, with a soft and humorous tone that sets him apart from harsher clerical voices. The researchers argued that this communicative style contributes to his popularity among youth while also reinforcing social cohesion and tolerance within Pakistani society.[21]
A 2024 article inContemporary Islam discussed the evolving preaching methods of theTablighi Jamaat, observing that figures such as Masood have played a role in expanding outreach through social media. The study noted that alongside other clerics, academics, and professionals, Masood used scholarly knowledge and digital platforms to frame religious discourse in ways that engage with reason and science, reflecting broader shifts in the movement's style of communication.[22]
A 2025 study of popular Pakistani YouTube podcasts includes Masood among frequently featured religious scholars and examines how his appearances frame topics such as marriage, gender roles, and modesty.[23]
Masood's sermons have been cited by members of the public in religious queries submitted to the onlinefatwa portal (Darulifta-Deoband.com) ofDarul Uloom Deoband. In some cases, his statements are also explicitly endorsed in the muftis’ responses, reflecting his influence within Deobandi circles.[24][25][26]
Masood is the author of several works inUrdu, includingEk Se Za'id Shadiyon Ki Zarurat Kyun? ("Why the Need for Multiple Marriages?"). In this booklet, he argues thatpolygamy is religiously sanctioned and may help address social issues such as delayed marriages, dowry, and the welfare of widows and divorcees.[3] According to his official website, he has also published other short pamphlets and booklets on social and religious topics.[27]
Masood's sermons, focused on Islamic jurisprudence, family law, and social issues, have drawn significant debate in Pakistan and abroad.[2][28] His remarks have also drawn criticism from Indian media. For instance,ThePrint reported on social media backlash to his comments about Hindus’ skin colour during a visit to a temple inBalochistan, and noted that he had earlier been accused of victim blamingTikToker Ayesha Akram after the2021 Minar-e-Pakistan mass sexual assault.[29] In 2020, Masood clarified in a sermon that he did not oppose the Turkish television seriesDiriliş: Ertuğrul, describing reports to the contrary as based on an old, unrelated clip.[30]
A 2023 analytical study of YouTube lectures reports that, in Masood's view, profit taken byIslamic banks is distinct from conventional interest (riba). The study summarises that he describes Islamic banks as operating through contracts such asmudarabah,musharakah,ijarah andbayʿ al-salam. It further attributes to him comments about practical issues (for example, a bank's refusal to open his account and the imposition of penalties), and concludes that he regards Islamic banking, in situations of compulsion, as the "lesser of two sins" compared to conventional interest-based finance.[31]
Masood has discussed theSufi epithetal-ghawth al-aʿzam, traditionally applied toʿAbd al-Qadir Gilani, and advises avoiding its use in the present age on the juristic principle ofsadd al-dharaʾiʿ ("blocking the means"), while refraining from declaring its users unbelievers. A 2022 article inIslamic Studies situates this stance within the broader Deobandi tradition, comparing it to earlier restrictions on devotional practices under the concept offasād al-zamān ("corruption of the age").[32]
Masood has occasionally positioned himself within Pakistan's state-backed discourse against extremism. In March 2019, he participated in a seminar onPaigham-i-Pakistan at theUniversity of Sindh, Hyderabad. Speaking at the event, he emphasised that Islam does not permit coercion in matters of faith or ideology, and cited the unanimous declaration of more than 5,000 Pakistani religious scholars condemning extremism and terrorism. He described Pakistan as an Islamic state with a clear anti-extremism policy and characterised Islam as a religion of peace.[33]
In March 2020, amid the spread ofCOVID-19 and a government advisory to suspend congregational prayers, Masood publicly supported the temporary closure of mosques. According toThe News International, he urged Muslims to pray at home and "ask Allah for forgiveness and health," describing the virus as a serious threat that required precaution. His stance contrasted with that ofTaqi Usmani, who had advised continuing collective prayers with limited attendance.[34]
In July 2019,Foreign Policy reported that Masood criticised Chinese supervisors at a Pakistani factory who had allegedly prevented local workers from praying during duty hours. He was quoted as saying, "Tell them this is not the land of your fathers. Don’t be lenient if they stop you from offering prayer during duty hours." The incident was cited among tensions arising from cultural and labor frictions under theChina–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).[35]
In July 2021, Masood opposed the proposedDomestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, urging its referral to theCouncil of Islamic Ideology.[36] In later sermons, he clarified that Islamic law does not permit a husband to harm his wife, stressing that if a man breaks his wife's bones or teeth,qiṣāṣ (retributive justice) is compulsory since Islamic legal principles make no gender-based distinction in such cases.[37]
A 2024 study inDialectical Anthropology observed that Masood framed marriage (nikah) as a divinely sanctioned safeguard againstzina (adultery) in response to slogans such ashamari zarurat shaadi nahin hai, hamari zarurat azaadi hai ("our need is not marriage, our need is freedom"). It argued that he portrayed theAurat March as undermining traditional gender norms and threatening Pakistan's Islamic identity.[38]
In July 2024, theGovernment of Sindh barred 143 religious scholars, including Masood, from delivering speeches duringMuharram under the Sindh Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (1960). The order, which also imposed Section 144 across the province for the first ten days, described the banned individuals as "provocative/firebrand speakers." Reports linked Masood's inclusion to his satirical and controversial remarks in sermons.[39]
Masood has occasionally commented on political leaders and events. In 2018, he criticisedImran Khan for visiting the shrine ofBaba Farid with his wifeBushra Bibi, alleging undue spiritual influence.[40] In 2021, he attended a meeting of scholars with Khan in Karachi and later praised the Prime Minister's focus on protecting the family system and countering obscenity.[41]
In May 2025, Masood visited theWagah border with a delegation of Karachi-based scholars. According toExpress News, he told reporters that Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi was provoking conflict but that Pakistan sought peace, and emphasised that he stood with thearmed forces in the country’s defence.[42]
In September 2024, clips circulated on social media alleging that Masood had questioned theProphet Muhammad's literacy and referred to errors in theQuran, sparking backlash and a police complaint in Karachi.[28][7][43][44]
He later issued apologies stating his remarks were taken out of context and reaffirming his respect for the Quran and the Prophet.[45]
According to a commentary inDW Urdu, the allegations highlighted howblasphemy accusations in Pakistan have become increasingly weaponised, with Masood’s case used by rival clerics to inflame public sentiment.[46]
In November 2021, Masood allegedly defended child marriage in a viral video, admitting to having allowed the marriage of his 13-year-old niece. He encouraged his followers to do the same, stating that it is ultimately the husband’s decision whether the girl continues her studies or becomes a housewife.[47]
In July 2025, a past video of Masood went viral in which he said that while he did not encourage couples toelope, a marriage bynikah was still valid and preferable tozina. He described such couples as "blessed people" compared to those committing adultery.[48]
In a March 2025 interview, Masood attributed rising divorce rates to distance from religion, Western influence, and weakening marital roles. He argued that women's increasing assertion of equality undermines family harmony, while men remain responsible for wives’ rights. He also criticised dramas that, in his view, promote retaliation against husbands.[49]
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