NBC’s new game show, Daleel or No Daleel, has taken network television by storm. Many critics believed such a show would be cancelled after one episode, but its ratings continue to climb with extraordinary numbers.
“This show is a huge hit to Muslim and non-Muslim audiences alike,” says NBC Executive Jeff Yucker, “it’s probably the greatest game show of all time.”
A lot of members in the Muslim community agree. “I used to think that watching game shows was a complete waste of time, but Daleel or No Daleel has showed me that wasting time can be educational,” says local back-up Imam Abdul Quyyum Razi.
The game concept is quite simple: a contestant picks one of thirty shaykhs and challenges them to give a fatwa on the spot. If a shaykh gives a fatwa without any daleel (proof), the contestant must shout out “NO DALEEL!” However, some shaykhs will have proof and a contestant has to make sure not to mistakenly yell out “NO DALEEL” to the person. 
Although some of the shaykhs on the show are qualified and have proper teaching licenses, some shaykhs are hired actors by NBC to throw contestants off. “Some of them are really easy,” says contestant Pamela Palmer, “like the easy ones are obvious. Like in this game, I had “Pork is Halal when nobody is around” or “Beard is only good for picking up sisters at Muslim Fun Day at the mosque.” Sometimes it’s easy to figure out which guy doesn’t have any daleel.”
The television advertisements have an edgy marketing campaign. It basically shows contestants getting too into the game and shouting “NO DALEEL!” at everything. The commercial ends with the show’s slogan: “You want the daleel? You want the daleel? You can’t HANDLE the daleel!”
One stubborn contestant, Hasan Abdi refused to believe he was wrong. “All these guys standing up here are fools. I don’t see the need to consult the shaykhs. I study my Islam from the internet and internet alone. You type ISLAM in Google and presto, instant knowledge. I guess I follow Shaykh Google LOL. ”
Some concerned parents also feel that the show inspires children to annoyingly question everything. “When I told my kids that we’re having tuna casserole tonight they just turned around and shouted ‘NO DALEEL!’ to me. I mean, that doesn’t even make any sense” cited Hina Mubarak, mother of four.
Other members of the Muslim community think the show is completely dumb. “This is just as bad as those other shows like Wheel of Fitna or Who Wants to be an Imam?” said Iqbal Khan, local Muslim television show critic. “I’ve yet to see a quality Muslim-themed show.”
However, the show continues to find new audiences. Yucker gave out the secret recipe for success for contestants: “The internet is a tough place to learn about Islam. I mean sometimes you have people learning all their Islam on websites like Fox News or worse, Maniac Muslim. Sometimes you just need to trust the shaykhs in the area like I have.”
August 19th, 2008 at 3:59 am
Loved it & the part with the annoying kids made me chuckle. The website’s new design is nice, mashallah. Keep doing your thing…
August 19th, 2008 at 4:02 am
HIlarious as always!!! and you thought of the format and all, genius! i’d love to see what wheel of fitna is…
August 19th, 2008 at 4:20 am
LOL @ Sheikh Google.
Maa shaa’ Allah, very creative article. Are you going to write any more of those funny dialogues like that one about online nikaah? Your funniest work in my opinion!
August 19th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Amusing…just slightly.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:45 am
haha this was good
August 19th, 2008 at 5:50 am
hahaha JOKES!!
Who wants to be an imam?
hahah good one maniac!
keep it up!
August 19th, 2008 at 8:03 am
I actually thought that this show was real, and then I figured out that it was a satire of the real show. Can you say Gullible????
“Beard is only good for picking up sisters at Muslim Fun Day at the mosque.” That was what got me to start laughing uncontrollabley.
Good job and keep it up
August 19th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Once my eyes fell on the Title Card, I haven’t stopped laughing since and have yet to read the rest !
LMAO !
August 19th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
bahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaa
corny at times, but makes you laugh……..good job hamzah =)
August 19th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I can’t believe that NBC can make fun of our religion, they must have serious consequences. I will never watch that network again and spread the word of this evil satyre.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
another nice story, mashallah. Go Humza!!!!! I mean the other hamazh….
August 19th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Only slightly funny. However I’ve come to expect only ’slightly funny’ from Maniac Muslim. I think paragraph 5 isn’t funny at all - you had some kind of funny concept i just dont think you wrote it very well(at the end of the paragraph specifically). Also I think the comedy in para 6 would come across better if you just did a storyboard of the advert.
Then again, I dont really claim to be a professional comedy critic - but I like it more when you use your awesome illustrations.Just my 2 cents worth - I hope it was a constructive 2 cents(I didnt mean to slate you off - please forgive me if it came across that way).
August 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
this is your best news article yet
good job
August 19th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Not bad…
“The internet is a tough place to learn about Islam. I mean sometimes you have people learning all their Islam on websites like Fox News or WORSE, Maniac Muslim.”
A lesson for everyone!!!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
HAHAHA, I found it really funny! very creative idea. It wouldve been funny if you photoshoped your face onto howie mandel’s..ahahah!
August 20th, 2008 at 4:43 am
you have too much time on your hands
August 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Gee, I think it’s a great thing he’s got that much time on his hands, honestlawyer. Who else would make me laugh THIS HARD?
August 20th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
“Wheel of Fitna or Who Wants to be an Imam”
ahahaaahahaha loveddd it! and would love to watch such a show! classic..one of the best ideas for an article yet! Keep up the good work bro.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:36 am
Why is it that sisters are always the ones to leave similar comments? You know your work is good, otherwise you wouldn’t publish it, right? Don’t you have 50 people reading your articles before you post them up? Modesty, sheesh.
August 21st, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Genius.
August 21st, 2008 at 7:50 pm
This article raises a chuckle, although Wheel of Fitna is definitely one to watch out for.
In other news, why does your text box start from the right? I am not commentating in Arabic. I hope you are not going to start a Islamification of comment boxes theme.
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:29 am
I couldn’t get through it, it was just *meh
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:49 am
That was so funny, “You can’t HANDLE the daleel”
August 23rd, 2008 at 4:30 am
Shaykh Google… ROFL man, ROF…L!
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
funny as always. iv been getting dirty looks from my sisters for laughing out loud while theyre wateching tv. who knew “Aalims new school” was so funny
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
excellent! i second online nikah being ur funniest work!
August 26th, 2008 at 1:58 am
ha! another good one. do you know how many laughs you get t this site…hundsif not thousands…sheesh you seem to be making quite a bit of of MM
September 1st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Great work. The name is the best!
Shaykh Google? Class.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Salams. No offence but this article was quite boring .compared to the other articles that make me absolutely hysterical. I think you could have done better
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
wow… spew out random fatwas?? LOOOOOL
not that that’s not happening now anyways… *rolls eyes*
September 7th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
hey…anoter good one I
couldn’t stop laughing….lol
September 13th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
LMAO at the annoying kids!1
September 14th, 2008 at 7:49 am
Actually it was quite good. Thought you could have expanded on the daleel parts…. lolz.. I guess it was short