Abdul Somad


Abdul Somad Batubara is an Indonesian Islamic preacher and scholar from Asahan, North Sumatra. His dawah and lectures are characterized by unique rhetoric and humor that attract layman as well, and often broadcast through the YouTube channel and other social media. He is currently also serving as a lecturer at the Sultan Syarif Kasim II State Islamic University in Riau. In addition to his lecture, he has authored books, among them are translations of Arabic publications, and religious guides regarding individual subjects such as qurbani and salah.

Character

His style of lecture is considered less suited for large-scale and national level events, but more for small-scale lectures inside the local mosques. It is considered that the proliferation of his lectures through the Internet due to the popularization of social media has led to his national recognition.

Controversy

In an October 2017 video posted on the Islamic-oriented YouTube channel Fodamara TV, Abdul Somad attracted controversy for stating that Muslims who shop or buy at coffee shops owned by Starbucks would go to hell due to the company's pro-LGBT policies. The video went viral in March 2018 with many online mocking the preacher for being hypocritical, noting that many of the platforms that Somad uses to spread his message such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have similar pro-LGBT policies to Starbucks.
In 2019, Somad was reported to police for delivering a speech in which he denounced the crucifix, and stated that any Muslim dying in an hospital with crucifixes would be sent to Hell because the crucifix contained a jinn, a supernatural creature believed to exist by pre-Islamic Arabian tribes and Muslims.