An Islamic preacher has warned fellow Muslims not to use certain emojis on messaging apps because they are blasphemous. Saudi-based preacher Wajdi Akkari, 36, said it was ‘haram’ – or forbidden – for Muslims to use the angel, ‘anything devilish’ or even the prayer symbol.
In a video seen by MailOnline, a very animated Akkari told his audience: ‘You have to be selective in these emojis. Not everything is halal [permissible] to share.’ The Lebanon-born preacher moved to the United States and joined a rap group when he was 18.
He later relocated his wife and children to Saudi Arabia where he teaches Arabic, delivers Friday prayers and holds lectures in some hospitals.
In a video shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), he said the angel with a halo was a Christian interpretation of the entity and therefore ‘haram’. He added: ‘When someone wants to share their innocence or say, “I’m a good boy”, they send that yellow smiley face with a halo. No!
‘Do we believe that angels in Islam are like the angels in Christianity… Absolutely not.’ Akkari, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies and now lectures in Saudi Arabia, claimed using any ‘devilish’ emojis are also out of bounds for Muslims.
He said: ‘We don’t know what Satan and the devil look like. Therefore, we are not allowed to draw him. ‘These emojis that are devilish in their nature are not allowed, even if you are trying to say that “you are being a bad boy or a bad girl”.’
