Zayn Malik says he is no longer a Muslim and doesn't believe in the rules of Islam
The former One Direction star said he doesn't follow the religion in an interview with British Vogue.
“I’m not professed to be a Muslim,” he said. “I believe whatever people’s religious beliefs are is between them and whoever or whatever they’re practising."
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Hide Ad“I don’t believe you need to eat a certain meat that’s been prayed over a certain way, I don’t believe you need to read a prayer in a certain language five times a day. I don’t believe any of it,” he said. “I just believe if you’re a good person everything is going to go right for you.”
Zayn Malik grew up in Bradford and was raised as a Muslim.
Zayn's father is British-Pakistani and his mother Trisha converted to the religion when she met him, raising both Zayn and his sisters Muslim.
In August he celebrated Eid al-Adha, also called the Festival of Sacrifice, with his parents and girlfriend Gigi Hadid, although he has admitted in the past that he was not ‘currently practising’.
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Hide Ad"I was raised in the Islamic faith, so it will always be with me, and I identify a lot with the culture. But I’m just me. I don’t want to be defined by my religion or my cultural background," he had said.
Fans have been divided on social media with many saying they weren't surprised.
Malik, who grew up in Bradford’s East Bowling district, was cast in One Direction as a 17 year-old in 2010, after originally auditioning as a solo singer on the X Factor.
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Hide AdHe quit One Direction in March 2015 after he was signed off for stress during the band’s world tour.
He has since found success on both sides of the Atlantic with his solo music, and a second album is expected in early 2019.
The singer has been open about his battle with anxiety and stress and the impact it has had on his career.
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