Zayn Malik has confirmed that he no longer identifies as Muslim.
In a recent interview with British Vogue, the former One Direction singer, 25, said he is no longer a practicing Muslim and does not believe in any religion, writes Dailymail, Telegrafi reports.
He told the publication: "I have never declared myself a Muslim," and when asked if he considered himself a Muslim, he replied: "No, I will not be one anymore."
Although he has a 'spiritual faith' in God, the singer said he does not support the religious practices of Islam such as daily prayer and abstaining from certain foods.
This has caused his statements to spark numerous reactions from fans on social media, calling the 25-year-old's 'mockery' of religion a disgrace.
He said: "I don't believe you have to read a prayer in a certain language five times a day, or not eat the meat you like," Zayn said.
"I don't believe in any of them. I just believe that if you are a good person, everything will go well for you," he added.
The star said it was 'really easy' for him to abandon religion with his family, having previously attended mosque and studied Islam while growing up.
He said his parents had always given him and his siblings the opportunity to choose for themselves, and added that he was glad he had built his life around Islam.
Zayn's father, Yaser, is British-Pakistani and his mother, Trisha, converted to Islam when she married her husband.
For these statements, the star has been harshly criticized by fans on social media, who have not hesitated to call him a "non-believer" of God, while many of them have stated that he has no right to call himself a Muslim anymore.
In August, Zayn celebrated Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, with his family and supermodel girlfriend Gigi Hadid, 23.
Eid al-Adha marks the end of the hajj pilgrimage - which is one of the five pillars of Islam - and Muslims celebrate the day with food, gifts, prayers and family gatherings.
Gigi, who also celebrated Eid with Zayn's family last year, is a Muslim born to parents Mohamed Hadid, a Jordanian-American, and Dutch-American mother Yolanda.
While Gigi hasn't spoken extensively about her religion, sister Bella has openly discussed her father's heritage and how it factored into her upbringing.
"He was always religious and prayed with us. I'm proud to be Muslim," Bella told Porter magazine. /Telegraph/
