Mufti Abu Layth Archive: arts/philosophy-and-ideasAnswers on arts/philosophy-and-ideas, newest recording first.https://muftiabulayth.org/feeds/topics/arts-philosophy-and-ideas.atom.xml2021-04-26T00:00:00ZMufti Abu Layth Archivepipeline/feeds.pyIs life just a dream in the mind of God?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/2021-04-26T00:00:00Z2021-04-26T00:00:00ZIs life just a dream in the mind of God?
The guest says life is real and material, the unseen is part of nature, and ordinary people do not need the supernatural.
Answer from 26 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 2:01:29)
Watch on YouTube at 2:02:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYiiPEhuiHA&t=7327s<p><b>Is life just a dream in the mind of God?</b></p>
<p>The guest says life is real and material, the unseen is part of nature, and ordinary people do not need the supernatural.</p>
<p>Answer from 26 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 2:01:29)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYiiPEhuiHA&t=7327s">Watch on YouTube at 2:02:07</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/">Open the segment</a></p>Is humanity becoming more or less moral?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/16/2021-04-26T00:00:00Z2021-04-26T00:00:00ZIs humanity becoming more or less moral?
The guest says morality is remade daily, with no overall rise or fall and no consistent definition; Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees.
Answer from 26 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 1:23:42)
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 1:24:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYiiPEhuiHA&t=5062s<p><b>Is humanity becoming more or less moral?</b></p>
<p>The guest says morality is remade daily, with no overall rise or fall and no consistent definition; Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees.</p>
<p>Answer from 26 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 1:23:42)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/">Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYiiPEhuiHA&t=5062s">Watch on YouTube at 1:24:22</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/16/">Open the segment</a></p>How can I be sure my reason is not wrong?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/42/2021-04-13T00:00:00Z2021-04-13T00:00:00ZHow can I be sure my reason is not wrong?
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali answered his doubt by relying on God; today, he says, the very existence of a consciousness that can doubt is itself the sign of God. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali resolved his doubt by reliance on God, that science has since taken us far beyond his time, and that for him the existence of consciousness is the sign of God.
Answer from 13 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #210 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:52:58)
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/
Watch on YouTube at 2:52:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=10378s<p><b>How can I be sure my reason is not wrong?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali answered his doubt by relying on God; today, he says, the very existence of a consciousness that can doubt is itself the sign of God. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali resolved his doubt by reliance on God, that science has since taken us far beyond his time, and that for him the existence of consciousness is the sign of God.</p>
<p>Answer from 13 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #210 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:52:58)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/">Is life just a dream in the mind of God?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=10378s">Watch on YouTube at 2:52:58</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/42/">Open the segment</a></p>What did Ibn Rushd mean by the 'double truth' of religion and philosophy?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/39/2021-04-13T00:00:00Z2021-04-13T00:00:00ZWhat did Ibn Rushd mean by the 'double truth' of religion and philosophy?
Mufti Abu Layth says it is not 'double truth', but he agrees fully with Ibn Rushd that the sharia is built for ordinary people while the gifted can find its deeper meanings. Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees fully with Ibn Rushd that the sharia is designed for ordinary people, who need structured and visible religion, while those gifted with deeper understanding can discover its deeper meanings.
Answer from 13 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #210 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:35:57)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 2:35:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=9357s<p><b>What did Ibn Rushd mean by the 'double truth' of religion and philosophy?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says it is not 'double truth', but he agrees fully with Ibn Rushd that the sharia is built for ordinary people while the gifted can find its deeper meanings. Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees fully with Ibn Rushd that the sharia is designed for ordinary people, who need structured and visible religion, while those gifted with deeper understanding can discover its deeper meanings.</p>
<p>Answer from 13 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #210 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:35:57)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=9357s">Watch on YouTube at 2:35:57</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/39/">Open the segment</a></p>Who is the Mufti's favourite Western philosopher?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/26/2021-02-16T00:00:00Z2021-02-16T00:00:00ZWho is the Mufti's favourite Western philosopher?
Mufti Abu Layth names no single favourite but likes Wittgenstein, Nietzsche and Diogenes, and feels Muslims have been left out of philosophy in recent centuries. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that in some ways Muslims have been left out of philosophy in recent centuries, which is a shame.
Answer from 16 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #202| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:23:18)
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/
Watch on YouTube at 1:23:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=4998s<p><b>Who is the Mufti's favourite Western philosopher?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth names no single favourite but likes Wittgenstein, Nietzsche and Diogenes, and feels Muslims have been left out of philosophy in recent centuries. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that in some ways Muslims have been left out of philosophy in recent centuries, which is a shame.</p>
<p>Answer from 16 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #202| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:23:18)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/">Is life just a dream in the mind of God?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=4998s">Watch on YouTube at 1:23:18</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/26/">Open the segment</a></p>Could the hadith tradition evolve like a living organism?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/27/2021-01-26T00:00:00Z2021-01-26T00:00:00ZCould the hadith tradition evolve like a living organism?
As food for thought, he suggests that the hadith system, like other belief systems, behaves like an evolving organism that drives people to standardise and preserve it. Mufti Abu Layth suggests, as food for thought, that the hadith system behaves like an evolving organism that, without consciousness, drives those engaged with it to standardise and correct it so that it survives.
Answer from 26 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:12:03)
A more recent answer on hadith/collections-and-compilation exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/7/
Watch on YouTube at 2:12:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKcNwGGIBA&t=7923s<p><b>Could the hadith tradition evolve like a living organism?</b></p>
<p>As food for thought, he suggests that the hadith system, like other belief systems, behaves like an evolving organism that drives people to standardise and preserve it. Mufti Abu Layth suggests, as food for thought, that the hadith system behaves like an evolving organism that, without consciousness, drives those engaged with it to standardise and correct it so that it survives.</p>
<p>Answer from 26 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:12:03)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/collections-and-compilation exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/7/">Is the Muwatta of Imam Malik more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKcNwGGIBA&t=7923s">Watch on YouTube at 2:12:03</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/27/">Open the segment</a></p>What did Ibn Rushd say about women's abilities?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/30/2021-01-19T00:00:00Z2021-01-19T00:00:00ZWhat did Ibn Rushd say about women's abilities?
Mufti Abu Layth highlights Ibn Rushd's argument, 900 years ago, that women equal men in ability and that confining them to the home impoverished his cities.
Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:20:29)
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 2:20:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=8429s<p><b>What did Ibn Rushd say about women's abilities?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth highlights Ibn Rushd's argument, 900 years ago, that women equal men in ability and that confining them to the home impoverished his cities.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:20:29)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/14/">Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=8429s">Watch on YouTube at 2:20:29</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/30/">Open the segment</a></p>How did Ibn Rushd answer al-Ghazali's attack on the philosophers?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/29/2021-01-19T00:00:00Z2021-01-19T00:00:00ZHow did Ibn Rushd answer al-Ghazali's attack on the philosophers?
Mufti Abu Layth explains that Ibn Rushd answered al-Ghazali by showing that what he refuted was mostly neoplatonism, not Aristotle. Mufti Abu Layth says it was true that al-Ghazali's sources on the philosophers had been ill-informed, because early translations mixed up Aristotle's and Plato's views.
Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:16:37)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 2:16:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=8197s<p><b>How did Ibn Rushd answer al-Ghazali's attack on the philosophers?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth explains that Ibn Rushd answered al-Ghazali by showing that what he refuted was mostly neoplatonism, not Aristotle. Mufti Abu Layth says it was true that al-Ghazali's sources on the philosophers had been ill-informed, because early translations mixed up Aristotle's and Plato's views.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:16:37)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=8197s">Watch on YouTube at 2:16:37</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/29/">Open the segment</a></p>Who was Ibn Rushd (Averroes)?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/27/2021-01-19T00:00:00Z2021-01-19T00:00:00ZWho was Ibn Rushd (Averroes)?
Mufti Abu Layth presents Ibn Rushd as a Maliki judge, physician and the great commentator on Aristotle, honoured in Europe but exiled and neglected by Muslims. Mufti Abu Layth says it is a shame that Muslims ignored Ibn Rushd, since he was such a legend in philosophy.
Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:56:13)
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists (10 December 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 1:56:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=6973s<p><b>Who was Ibn Rushd (Averroes)?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth presents Ibn Rushd as a Maliki judge, physician and the great commentator on Aristotle, honoured in Europe but exiled and neglected by Muslims. Mufti Abu Layth says it is a shame that Muslims ignored Ibn Rushd, since he was such a legend in philosophy.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:56:13)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists</b> (10 December 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/2/">How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=6973s">Watch on YouTube at 1:56:13</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/27/">Open the segment</a></p>Is process theology compatible with the Quran?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/37/2021-01-12T00:00:00Z2021-01-12T00:00:00ZIs process theology compatible with the Quran?
No: he says its idea that God depends on creation as creation depends on God is not the Quranic worldview. Mufti Abu Layth says the process-relational idea that God is dependent on creation as creation is dependent on God is not the Quranic worldview.
Answer from 12 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:48:51)
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists (4 March 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/fko_fzwwnba/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 2:49:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=10163s<p><b>Is process theology compatible with the Quran?</b></p>
<p>No: he says its idea that God depends on creation as creation depends on God is not the Quranic worldview. Mufti Abu Layth says the process-relational idea that God is dependent on creation as creation is dependent on God is not the Quranic worldview.</p>
<p>Answer from 12 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:48:51)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists</b> (4 March 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/fko_fzwwnba/s/1/">How much does Allah love me?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=10163s">Watch on YouTube at 2:49:23</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/37/">Open the segment</a></p>If we all recognise harm, why do people still do terrible things?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/14/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZIf we all recognise harm, why do people still do terrible things?
Mufti Abu Layth says empathy can be overridden by instincts such as power, and that a shared consciousness shapes the moral feel of an age; he notes the Quran commands justice without defining it, which the guest links to the Mu'tazila.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 53:58)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 53:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=3238s<p><b>If we all recognise harm, why do people still do terrible things?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says empathy can be overridden by instincts such as power, and that a shared consciousness shapes the moral feel of an age; he notes the Quran commands justice without defining it, which the guest links to the Mu'tazila.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 53:58)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=3238s">Watch on YouTube at 53:58</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/14/">Open the segment</a></p>Do animals have morality, and does that mean morality just evolved?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/13/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZDo animals have morality, and does that mean morality just evolved?
Mufti Abu Layth sees a sense of justice in primates as evidence of a raw moral fitrah that humans develop further; the guest warns this can suggest morality is merely evolved and says rooting it in God is the necessary step.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 49:52)
A more recent answer on quran/quran-and-science/evolution exists (19 January 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/voxmweq6rz4/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 49:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2992s<p><b>Do animals have morality, and does that mean morality just evolved?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth sees a sense of justice in primates as evidence of a raw moral fitrah that humans develop further; the guest warns this can suggest morality is merely evolved and says rooting it in God is the necessary step.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 49:52)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/quran-and-science/evolution exists</b> (19 January 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/voxmweq6rz4/s/1/">Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2992s">Watch on YouTube at 49:52</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/13/">Open the segment</a></p>Does God's morality change over time?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/12/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZDoes God's morality change over time?
The guest says universal morality does not change, only ritual law: the Quran corrects the biblical conquest narrative by implying the Israelites inherited Egypt rather than slaughtering another people.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 47:41)
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists (19 February 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1ybpo86bp8y/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 47:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2861s<p><b>Does God's morality change over time?</b></p>
<p>The guest says universal morality does not change, only ritual law: the Quran corrects the biblical conquest narrative by implying the Israelites inherited Egypt rather than slaughtering another people.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 47:41)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists</b> (19 February 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1ybpo86bp8y/s/1/">What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2861s">Watch on YouTube at 47:41</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/12/">Open the segment</a></p>If morality is universal, why was slavery accepted for so long?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/11/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZIf morality is universal, why was slavery accepted for so long?
The guest says moral ideals exist in God and humans approximate them; past acceptance of slavery came from not recognising others' full humanity, and ritual laws such as the pork prohibition differ from universal moral law.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 43:17)
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/
Watch on YouTube at 43:17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2597s<p><b>If morality is universal, why was slavery accepted for so long?</b></p>
<p>The guest says moral ideals exist in God and humans approximate them; past acceptance of slavery came from not recognising others' full humanity, and ritual laws such as the pork prohibition differ from universal moral law.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 43:17)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/">If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2597s">Watch on YouTube at 43:17</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/11/">Open the segment</a></p>Is morality an instinct God put in us?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/10/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZIs morality an instinct God put in us?
Mufti Abu Layth holds that the fitrah is a hardwired moral instinct of recognising harm and feeling empathy, built on by environment and a collective consciousness; the guest adds that morality can be confidently grounded in God.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 39:47)
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/
Watch on YouTube at 39:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2387s<p><b>Is morality an instinct God put in us?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth holds that the fitrah is a hardwired moral instinct of recognising harm and feeling empathy, built on by environment and a collective consciousness; the guest adds that morality can be confidently grounded in God.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 39:47)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/25/">Is life just a dream in the mind of God?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2387s">Watch on YouTube at 39:47</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/10/">Open the segment</a></p>Where does morality come from if not from God?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/9/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZWhere does morality come from if not from God?
The guest says a theist can ground moral realism in God while an atheist who relies on evolution alone cannot, and that traditionalist debaters exploit opponents who know little philosophy.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 33:58)
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/
Watch on YouTube at 34:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2085s<p><b>Where does morality come from if not from God?</b></p>
<p>The guest says a theist can ground moral realism in God while an atheist who relies on evolution alone cannot, and that traditionalist debaters exploit opponents who know little philosophy.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 33:58)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/">How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=2085s">Watch on YouTube at 34:45</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>Isn't reason subjective, and is something good only because God commands it?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/8/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZIsn't reason subjective, and is something good only because God commands it?
The guest says the Ash'ari voluntarist view of ethics is the real relativism and argues for universal moral values grounded in God's nature; Mufti Abu Layth calls the Ash'ari denial of inherent good and bad nonsense.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:42)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 29:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=1782s<p><b>Isn't reason subjective, and is something good only because God commands it?</b></p>
<p>The guest says the Ash'ari voluntarist view of ethics is the real relativism and argues for universal moral values grounded in God's nature; Mufti Abu Layth calls the Ash'ari denial of inherent good and bad nonsense.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:42)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=1782s">Watch on YouTube at 29:42</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/8/">Open the segment</a></p>Why don't madrasas teach the Islamic philosophers and the Mu'tazila?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/5/2020-12-11T00:00:00Z2020-12-11T00:00:00ZWhy don't madrasas teach the Islamic philosophers and the Mu'tazila?
The guest says traditionalists value only a narrow sliver of Islam's diverse intellectual heritage, ignoring the philosophers, the early Qadariyya and Mu'tazila, Shia thinkers and modernists, and that he found answers on religion and science in Ibn Rushd.
Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 15:30)
A more recent answer on history/orthodoxy-and-how-islam-spread exists (13 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f_4jnua3arq/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 15:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=930s<p><b>Why don't madrasas teach the Islamic philosophers and the Mu'tazila?</b></p>
<p>The guest says traditionalists value only a narrow sliver of Islam's diverse intellectual heritage, ignoring the philosophers, the early Qadariyya and Mu'tazila, Shia thinkers and modernists, and that he found answers on religion and science in Ibn Rushd.</p>
<p>Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 15:30)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/orthodoxy-and-how-islam-spread exists</b> (13 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f_4jnua3arq/s/6/">Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=930s">Watch on YouTube at 15:30</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>Are psychedelics like DMT haram in Islam?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/10/2020-08-24T00:00:00Z2020-08-24T00:00:00ZAre psychedelics like DMT haram in Islam?
Mufti Abu Layth does not consider psychedelics such as DMT haram or intoxicants, and advocates them as entheogens for spiritual discovery rather than recreation. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel psychedelics are haram.
Answer from 24 August 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #179 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:57)
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists (30 August 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/cipm_chv0kw/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 30:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=1858s<p><b>Are psychedelics like DMT haram in Islam?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth does not consider psychedelics such as DMT haram or intoxicants, and advocates them as entheogens for spiritual discovery rather than recreation. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel psychedelics are haram.</p>
<p>Answer from 24 August 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #179 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:57)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists</b> (30 August 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/cipm_chv0kw/s/1/">Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=1858s">Watch on YouTube at 30:58</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/10/">Open the segment</a></p>Is consciousness in the brain, or is the brain a receiver for the soul?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/s/36/2020-06-26T00:00:00Z2020-06-26T00:00:00ZIs consciousness in the brain, or is the brain a receiver for the soul?
Mufti Abu Layth holds that consciousness is non-local and the brain a receiver like a radio; the guest disagrees, describing a human as matter plus information that is backed up in God's record and restored to a new body at the resurrection.
Answer from 26 June 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Prof. Edip Yuksel | Rejecting Hadith, Rashad Khalifa & Realizing '19' | MindTrap with Mufti #27 (at 2:53:05)
A more recent answer on belief/soul-nafs-and-consciousness exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/8/
Watch on YouTube at 2:53:05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIrskjob4o&t=10385s<p><b>Is consciousness in the brain, or is the brain a receiver for the soul?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth holds that consciousness is non-local and the brain a receiver like a radio; the guest disagrees, describing a human as matter plus information that is backed up in God's record and restored to a new body at the resurrection.</p>
<p>Answer from 26 June 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Prof. Edip Yuksel | Rejecting Hadith, Rashad Khalifa & Realizing '19' | MindTrap with Mufti #27 (at 2:53:05)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/soul-nafs-and-consciousness exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/8/">What does Lupe Fiasco think the soul is?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIrskjob4o&t=10385s">Watch on YouTube at 2:53:05</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/s/36/">Open the segment</a></p>Why did Islam not abolish slavery outright?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/5is8qpu5llu/s/3/2020-04-28T00:00:00Z2020-04-28T00:00:00ZWhy did Islam not abolish slavery outright?
Islam did not abolish slavery outright because the collective consciousness of the age could not yet see it as wrong, but it encouraged emancipation as a route to that change. Slavery was always wrong, and Mufti Abu Layth says Jonathan Brown's three axioms rest on a shallow analysis. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Islam did not abolish slavery outright because the collective consciousness of the age could not yet perceive it as wrong, and that, now that it can be seen, owning another human being is a problem and slavery has always been wrong, though past societies cannot be held to account for a perception they lacked.
Answer from 28 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Sex Slaves: Concubines and Collective Consciousness -Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:48)
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/
Watch on YouTube at 11:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5is8qPu5lLU&t=708s<p><b>Why did Islam not abolish slavery outright?</b></p>
<p>Islam did not abolish slavery outright because the collective consciousness of the age could not yet see it as wrong, but it encouraged emancipation as a route to that change. Slavery was always wrong, and Mufti Abu Layth says Jonathan Brown's three axioms rest on a shallow analysis. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Islam did not abolish slavery outright because the collective consciousness of the age could not yet perceive it as wrong, and that, now that it can be seen, owning another human being is a problem and slavery has always been wrong, though past societies cannot be held to account for a perception they lacked.</p>
<p>Answer from 28 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Sex Slaves: Concubines and Collective Consciousness -Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:48)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/">If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5is8qPu5lLU&t=708s">Watch on YouTube at 11:48</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/5is8qpu5llu/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>Ethics evolve: slavery, human agency and the genetic fallacyhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/5/2019-08-04T00:00:00Z2019-08-04T00:00:00ZEthics evolve: slavery, human agency and the genetic fallacy
Mufti Abu Layth argues that if ethics do not develop over time and only seventh-century ethics count, one would have to say slavery is fine, since the Quran acknowledged its ubiquity without abolishing it at the time, which he calls ridiculous. He says people hold liberal attitudes without having read Locke or Rousseau, being capable agents, not automatons. By the lecture's logic, he says, everything in Islam first championed by others would belong to them, as Socrates and Plato spoke of God and the soul first, which he calls an infantilising theory. He gives his own opposition to capital punishment, shared by most people in Europe, as an example of a view held without allegiance to Rousseau, Locke, Bentham or Bertrand Russell. Mufti Abu Layth says that human beings are very capable agents who construct their worldview as they go along, not people who adopt views because they read philosophers.
Answer from 4 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Thoughts on Muhammad Hijab's talk on Liberalism & Islam | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:46)
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 24:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=1486s<p><b>Ethics evolve: slavery, human agency and the genetic fallacy</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth argues that if ethics do not develop over time and only seventh-century ethics count, one would have to say slavery is fine, since the Quran acknowledged its ubiquity without abolishing it at the time, which he calls ridiculous. He says people hold liberal attitudes without having read Locke or Rousseau, being capable agents, not automatons. By the lecture's logic, he says, everything in Islam first championed by others would belong to them, as Socrates and Plato spoke of God and the soul first, which he calls an infantilising theory. He gives his own opposition to capital punishment, shared by most people in Europe, as an example of a view held without allegiance to Rousseau, Locke, Bentham or Bertrand Russell. Mufti Abu Layth says that human beings are very capable agents who construct their worldview as they go along, not people who adopt views because they read philosophers.</p>
<p>Answer from 4 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Thoughts on Muhammad Hijab's talk on Liberalism & Islam | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:46)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/">Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=1486s">Watch on YouTube at 24:46</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>What is liberalism, and do liberals have to follow John Locke?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/2/2019-08-04T00:00:00Z2019-08-04T00:00:00ZWhat is liberalism, and do liberals have to follow John Locke?
Liberalism is essentially a stance against authoritarianism, not allegiance to historical philosophers. Agreeing with Locke on one point does not make anyone a Christian or bind them to his whole philosophy. Mufti Abu Layth says liberalism is, in essence, simply a stance against authoritarianism.
Answer from 4 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Thoughts on Muhammad Hijab's talk on Liberalism & Islam | Mufti Abu Layth (at 6:24)
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 6:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=384s<p><b>What is liberalism, and do liberals have to follow John Locke?</b></p>
<p>Liberalism is essentially a stance against authoritarianism, not allegiance to historical philosophers. Agreeing with Locke on one point does not make anyone a Christian or bind them to his whole philosophy. Mufti Abu Layth says liberalism is, in essence, simply a stance against authoritarianism.</p>
<p>Answer from 4 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Thoughts on Muhammad Hijab's talk on Liberalism & Islam | Mufti Abu Layth (at 6:24)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/">Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=384s">Watch on YouTube at 6:24</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>What does the Quran say about kings in the story of Sheba?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zotvtgdumv8/s/5/2019-01-08T00:00:00Z2019-01-08T00:00:00ZWhat does the Quran say about kings in the story of Sheba?
The Queen's saying that kings ruin the towns they enter raises the question of what gives anyone the right to rule others. Mufti Abu Layth says kingship began when some person one day assumed the right to subjugate others, and it became a human legacy.
Answer from 8 January 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: In Depth: Sulaiman (a.s.), the Throne of Sheba, and Miracles in the Quran -Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:54)
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 24:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOTvTgdUMV8&t=1494s<p><b>What does the Quran say about kings in the story of Sheba?</b></p>
<p>The Queen's saying that kings ruin the towns they enter raises the question of what gives anyone the right to rule others. Mufti Abu Layth says kingship began when some person one day assumed the right to subjugate others, and it became a human legacy.</p>
<p>Answer from 8 January 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: In Depth: Sulaiman (a.s.), the Throne of Sheba, and Miracles in the Quran -Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:54)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/11/">Why does China try to control who becomes the Dalai Lama?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOTvTgdUMV8&t=1494s">Watch on YouTube at 24:54</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zotvtgdumv8/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>How do we know mental illness is not really jinn possession?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/8/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZHow do we know mental illness is not really jinn possession?
Mufti Abu Layth answers that an explanation which fits everything, like a child told that cyborgs cause all events, is not thereby true; the jinn have become the Muslim catch-all. Such belief is what Basil Mitchell's parable of the partisan describes, a faith no evidence can shake. Mufti Abu Layth holds that using the jinn to explain anything unexplained is like a child's all-purpose conspiracy, an unfalsifiable non-propositional faith such as Basil Mitchell's partisan holds, which no evidence or reasoning can touch.
Answer from 15 April 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:46)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 28:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=1726s<p><b>How do we know mental illness is not really jinn possession?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth answers that an explanation which fits everything, like a child told that cyborgs cause all events, is not thereby true; the jinn have become the Muslim catch-all. Such belief is what Basil Mitchell's parable of the partisan describes, a faith no evidence can shake. Mufti Abu Layth holds that using the jinn to explain anything unexplained is like a child's all-purpose conspiracy, an unfalsifiable non-propositional faith such as Basil Mitchell's partisan holds, which no evidence or reasoning can touch.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:46)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=1726s">Watch on YouTube at 28:46</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/8/">Open the segment</a></p>How did Adam Smith and industrialisation change attitudes to greed and lending?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ucdrblygy70/s/9/2017-10-19T00:00:00Z2017-10-19T00:00:00ZHow did Adam Smith and industrialisation change attitudes to greed and lending?
Adam Smith's idea of the pursuit of self-interest and the industrial-era promise of a better tomorrow changed a mindset in which greed was simply evil and nobody would lend. These are ingredients of the modern economy the Quran did not address. Mufti Abu Layth says that before Adam Smith's promotion of the pursuit of self-interest greed was seen simply as evil, as it was when the Quran condemned riba, and that industrialisation brought a new promise of a better tomorrow, before which people would not lend money.
Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 36:59)
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 36:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucdrbLyGY70&t=2219s<p><b>How did Adam Smith and industrialisation change attitudes to greed and lending?</b></p>
<p>Adam Smith's idea of the pursuit of self-interest and the industrial-era promise of a better tomorrow changed a mindset in which greed was simply evil and nobody would lend. These are ingredients of the modern economy the Quran did not address. Mufti Abu Layth says that before Adam Smith's promotion of the pursuit of self-interest greed was seen simply as evil, as it was when the Quran condemned riba, and that industrialisation brought a new promise of a better tomorrow, before which people would not lend money.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 36:59)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/">Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucdrbLyGY70&t=2219s">Watch on YouTube at 36:59</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ucdrblygy70/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>How was the economy of the Prophet's time different from today's?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ucdrblygy70/s/8/2017-10-19T00:00:00Z2017-10-19T00:00:00ZHow was the economy of the Prophet's time different from today's?
The Quranic prohibition came in an economy of finite gold, where wealth could only grow by taking it from others. Money, which Mufti Abu Layth calls humanity's greatest invented story, was later dematerialised into paper, changing everything. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran was revealed in an economy of finite money, in which wealth could only grow by taking it from others, and that this changed entirely when money was dematerialised into paper a few hundred years ago.
Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:45)
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 29:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucdrbLyGY70&t=1785s<p><b>How was the economy of the Prophet's time different from today's?</b></p>
<p>The Quranic prohibition came in an economy of finite gold, where wealth could only grow by taking it from others. Money, which Mufti Abu Layth calls humanity's greatest invented story, was later dematerialised into paper, changing everything. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran was revealed in an economy of finite money, in which wealth could only grow by taking it from others, and that this changed entirely when money was dematerialised into paper a few hundred years ago.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:45)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/11/">Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucdrbLyGY70&t=1785s">Watch on YouTube at 29:45</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ucdrblygy70/s/8/">Open the segment</a></p>How do we know mental illnesses are not really jinn possessions?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/16/2017-09-20T00:00:00Z2017-09-20T00:00:00ZHow do we know mental illnesses are not really jinn possessions?
A theory that explains everything, like a child's cyborg conspiracy, is not thereby true, and 'the jinn' is such a theory for Muslims. Like Basil Mitchell's partisan who rationalises everything the stranger does, this is non-propositional faith that no evidence can reach. Mufti Abu Layth says that explaining anything unexplained by the jinn is a one-size-fits-all paradigm like a child's conspiracy theory or Basil Mitchell's partisan, a non-propositional faith that no evidence or reason can touch.
Answer from 20 September 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:19:28)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 1:19:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=4768s<p><b>How do we know mental illnesses are not really jinn possessions?</b></p>
<p>A theory that explains everything, like a child's cyborg conspiracy, is not thereby true, and 'the jinn' is such a theory for Muslims. Like Basil Mitchell's partisan who rationalises everything the stranger does, this is non-propositional faith that no evidence can reach. Mufti Abu Layth says that explaining anything unexplained by the jinn is a one-size-fits-all paradigm like a child's conspiracy theory or Basil Mitchell's partisan, a non-propositional faith that no evidence or reason can touch.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 September 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:19:28)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=4768s">Watch on YouTube at 1:19:28</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/16/">Open the segment</a></p>Is morality innate? Language acquisition, divine command, and insecurity in faithhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/zbya7rqfyru/s/5/2016-03-15T00:00:00Z2016-03-15T00:00:00ZIs morality innate? Language acquisition, divine command, and insecurity in faith
The speakers hold that the Quran treats humans as having an innate moral sense, compared to an innate capacity for language, and say faith should not depend on silencing those who question it.
Answer from 15 March 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan & Mufti Abu Layth - A Discussion on Contemporary Issues (at 17:23)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 17:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbyA7rqfyRU&t=1043s<p><b>Is morality innate? Language acquisition, divine command, and insecurity in faith</b></p>
<p>The speakers hold that the Quran treats humans as having an innate moral sense, compared to an innate capacity for language, and say faith should not depend on silencing those who question it.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 March 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan & Mufti Abu Layth - A Discussion on Contemporary Issues (at 17:23)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbyA7rqfyRU&t=1043s">Watch on YouTube at 17:23</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zbya7rqfyru/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>