Meet Syed Ayub: Hyderabad preacher with over 2 million followers who instigated Muslims to offer namaz on the road

Just days before Eid, a video shared by Hyderabad-based hate preacher Syed Ayub sparked controversy after he openly called on Muslims to offer Namaz on roads. Ayub, who describes himself as the organiser of the NGO Hyderabad Youth Courage (HYC) and has around two million followers on Instagram, posted the video on Sunday night, 15 March. In the video, Ayub can be heard urging Muslims to pray on the roads, not just in Sambhal but across the country. In his speech, he said: “Not just in Sambhal, but across the entire country, Namaz will be offered on the roads, Inshallah. If Eid gatherings are large, Muslims will come out and offer Namaz on the roads.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Syed Ayub (@syed_ayub_hyc) He also challenged authorities who had warned against offering prayers on public roads. In the same video, he said,“If someone thinks they can stop Muslims from praying on the road, let them try. Muslims are not afraid of threats of cases or jail.” Ayub also used a derogatory word for UP CM Yogi Adityanath and criticised the Yogi government, accusing it of creating unnecessary restrictions on Muslims. His remarks quickly spread across social media and triggered debate about the ongoing dispute over offering Namaz on public roads in several parts of the state. What is the issue in Sambhal? The controversy is taking place at a time when the administration in Sambhal has already issued strict warnings about maintaining law and order during Eid and Friday prayers. Recently, on Thursday, 12th March, Kuldeep Kumar, who is a police officer in Sambhal, convened a meeting of the Peace Committee in which it was made clear that Namaz would not be allowed on public roads. The video of his remarks from the meeting was shared on social media. He said in his remarks at the meeting that authorities were fully alert ahead of Eid and that maintaining peace and law and order was their top priority. He said that strict legal action would be taken against those who were found offering Namaz on public roads outside mosques. UP DSP Kuldeep Kumar to Muslim residents in Sambhal: Some people, for the sake of Insta reel, sympathize with Iran and raise questions over assassination of Khamenei. https://t.co/MNAwh7e9Cy pic.twitter.com/NCmUVWB9OA— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) March 12, 2026 He further said, “If anyone is found offering Namaz on public roads, strict action will be taken. If necessary, people can also be sent to jail.” He also made a broad remark about maintaining peace in the region. He said that if people were emotionally attached to issues happening in different parts of the world, they were free to go to those places, but creating unrest in India would not be allowed. According to the local administration, allowing religious gatherings on roads often disrupts traffic and public movement, which is why such restrictions are imposed. Ayub’s Ramadan project for Gaza Apart from his political and social commentary, Syed Ayub has also been involved in another campaign, which is associated with the war in Gaza. He has been using his NGO, Hyderabad Youth Courage, to promote a Ramadan aid initiative that claims to deliver Iftar meals and drinking water for the people of Gaza. Ayub has been sharing updates about the campaign on his social media accounts and urging followers to donate to his initiative. Recently, he was spotted in Uttam Nagar, Delhi, where he went to meet the woman and the Muslim family linked to the death of Hindu youth Tarun Kumar, who was killed by a Muslim mob. The incident had drawn attention after allegations of mob violence surfaced. Arrest in 2024 over fundraising fraud Syed Ayub has also faced legal trouble in the past. In 2024, police in Hyderabad registered a case against him after a complaint accused him of cheating and illegal fundraising on social media. The complaint was filed by lawyer P. Sai Kishore at the Saidabad Police Station of Hyderabad. According to the FIR registered under Section 420 of the IPC, Ayub collected donations online by claiming that he would personally deliver aid to Gaza. The complaint stated that he shared personal bank account details on social media and posted pictures from Hyderabad Airport and later from Egypt, suggesting that he was travelling to Gaza with aid supplies. However, the complainant argued that such claims were misleading because, given the geopolitical situation, sending aid to Gaza by road was practically impossible. Ayub was also accused of misleading donors and collecting funds under false promises. The complaint also demanded action against his NGO and requested that the Hyderabad Youth Courage social media pages be blocked. Earlier arrest of Syed Ayub in 2020 over crowdfunding misuse This was not the first time Ayub had been arrested. Back in 2020, the Hyderabad Task Force police arrested him along with Salman Khan, the president of the same NGO. Police said the two had misused money collected through crowdfunding campaigns meant for people suffering from serious illnesses. According to the investigation, the NGO used its Facebook page to post videos of financially struggling patients and asked the public to donate money for their treatment. In one such case, donations were collected for a woman suffering from a chronic illness. Within a few days, large sums of money were transferred into bank accounts linked to the accused. Police said that ₹15 lakh was transferred to Salman Khan’s bank account and another ₹15 lakh to an account belonging to a relative of Syed Ayub, while additional funds remained in another account. After receiving complaints from donors, the police registered a cheating case. The Taskforce later arrested Ayub and Salman Khan from Hyderabad and seized their mobile phones during the operation. The larger debate over offering Namaz on roads The issue of offering Namaz on public roads is not limited to Sambhal. In many parts of the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, restrictions have been imposed on performing Namaz on roads as it may cause traffic jams and public inconvenience. If a large number of people assemble on roads to perform Namaz, it may cause traffic jams and inconveniences to the residents. Therefore, the police in many districts have been advising people to perform their prayers in mosques, Eidgahs, or other designated areas instead of roads. The authorities clarified that the restrictions are not imposed to curb religious activities but to ensure that public places are accessible to all. Similar restrictions in Meerut A similar case was witnessed in Meerut recently, where the police issued a warning on Sunday, 15th March, before Eid. Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey warned that strict action would be taken against those who perform Namaz on public roads. He warned that violators might face a police inquiry that could even affect official documents like passports if serious law-and-order violations were found. Later, he clarified that there is no direct legal rule linking road prayers to passport cancellation, but if an investigation reveals criminal involvement or repeated violations, authorities could take further action under existing laws.