Mufti Abu Layth Archive: belief/sectarianism-and-takfir

Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Mufti Abu Layth says no: it only leads to sectarian fighting. Answer people who come asking, but Sunni-Shia debating does no good. Mufti Abu Layth says he is not personally for Sunni-Shia debating because he feels it does no good and only does harm.

Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 35:08)

A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists (18 October 2025): How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Watch on YouTube at 36:24 · Open the segment

Apophatic definition: the early main body defined by what it was not

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Apophatic definition: the early main body defined by what it was not

Early Muslims had no creed checklist: you belonged to the main body as long as you did not hold the positions of the known sects. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the time of the salaf the main body of Muslims was identified by contrast with outgroups, with no checklist of what to believe.

Answer from 13 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Birth Of Islamic Orthodoxy And Institutionalisation | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:46)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 5:46 · Open the segment

Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim

Tue, 18 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim

Mufti Abu Layth says he has always supported Palestine and only argued for safe passage for its people, that 'exile' was a slip of the tongue, and that those calling him a non-Muslim and invading his home are not following Islam.

Answer from 18 May 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Recording: They Invaded My Home (at 1:29)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:29 · Open the segment

Can I pray while carrying my child?

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Can I pray while carrying my child?

Yes: the Hanafi rule that three consecutive movements break the prayer is made up, and the Prophet prayed carrying Umama; Mufti Abu Layth puts the attacks on Shaykh Aslam down to jealousy. Mufti Abu Layth says rulings such as prayer breaking after three consecutive movements are made up.

Answer from 27 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Aslam & Sectarian Jealousy of the Molvis | Mufti Abu Layth (at 4:23)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 4:23 · Open the segment

Does today's Hanafi madhhab reflect Imam Abu Hanifa?

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Does today's Hanafi madhhab reflect Imam Abu Hanifa?

Not in spirit: Mufti Abu Layth calls later Hanafi rulings fossilised and pedantic, behind the sectarian attacks on Shaykh Aslam, and praises Shaykh Atabek as a fresh voice. Mufti Abu Layth says the Hanafi madhhab as it is today is like a Frankenstein compared to what Imam Abu Hanifa was.

Answer from 27 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Aslam & Sectarian Jealousy of the Molvis | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

Do I need a religious authority to own my faith?

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Do I need a religious authority to own my faith?

No: Mufti Abu Layth says Islam has no papacy, the deen belongs to everyone equally, and no one can throw you out of it. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims can take ownership of their own faith, since Islam has no papacy and no one can expel a person from the deen.

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 1:06:16)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:06:16 · Open the segment

Who are the Ibadis and what do you think of Ibadism?

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Who are the Ibadis and what do you think of Ibadism?

The Ibadis are an early, less extreme offshoot of the Khawarij who survive today in Oman and, as a small minority, became known for coexistence. Their independence from Sunnis and Shia helps corroborate early history, such as the place of Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibadis moved away from extremism as time went by, and suggests that this may just have been adaptation.

Answer from 16 March 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Thoughts on Ibadism | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:02)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 0:02 · Open the segment

Does Yasir Qadhi hold that even positions in aqidah lie within a spectrum of opinion?

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Does Yasir Qadhi hold that even positions in aqidah lie within a spectrum of opinion?

In the clip Qadhi says that even in aqidah positions lie within a spectrum, that absorbing one's teachers' view does not make it true, and that no scholar's word is evidence in itself. Mufti Abu Layth says this sits ill with Qadhi declaring him a heretic for departing from the majority on the return of Jesus.

Answer from 14 March 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Reply to Yasir Qadhi's False Claims on 2nd Coming of Jesus | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:05:54)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:05:54 · Open the segment

Was Yasir Qadhi's video on the return of Jesus an academic discussion?

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Was Yasir Qadhi's video on the return of Jesus an academic discussion?

Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi's video, announced as academic, ended by fabricating a modernist-school narrative and declaring deniers heretics guilty of bid'ah, which he calls a preachy khutbah rather than academic discussion.

Answer from 14 March 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Reply to Yasir Qadhi's False Claims on 2nd Coming of Jesus | Mufti Abu Layth (at 35:30)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 35:30 · Open the segment

Can positions in aqidah fall within a range of scholarly opinion?

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Can positions in aqidah fall within a range of scholarly opinion?

Mufti Abu Layth shows Qadhi teaching that even aqidah positions lie on a spectrum and that no scholar's word is evidence in itself, while calling Mufti a heretic for departing from the majority.

Answer from 2 March 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #204 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:09:14)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:09:14 · Open the segment

Was Yasir Qadhi's lecture on Jesus's return really academic?

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Was Yasir Qadhi's lecture on Jesus's return really academic?

Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi's lecture, billed as academic, ended by branding deniers of the return innovators and heretics, making it a preachy Friday sermon rather than an academic discussion.

Answer from 2 March 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #204 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:39:06)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:39:06 · Open the segment

Abdul Rahman Hassan's clip: the first Khariji, protest, and never criticising rulers

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Abdul Rahman Hassan's clip: the first Khariji, protest, and never criticising rulers

Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks a clip in which Abdul Rahman Hassan presents protest against rulers as the mentality of the first Khariji, reading it as a defence of the Saudi rulers.

Answer from 22 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)

Recording: Ustadh Abdul Rahman Hassan Misquoting Hadith & Invite Challenge | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:02)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 0:02 · Open the segment

Who are the Ibadis and what does the Mufti think of them?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Who are the Ibadis and what does the Mufti think of them?

Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibadis, an early and now peaceful offshoot of the Khawarij based in Oman, give a third tradition by which to cross-check claims, such as the Petra thesis. Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibadis help form a kind of triangulation method in Islam because they are very early.

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 2:31:10)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:31:10 · Open the segment

Did the Prophet say he would kill the first Khariji's descendants?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Did the Prophet say he would kill the first Khariji's descendants?

Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet never said 'I will kill his lineage'; in the Bukhari report he stopped Umar from killing the man, so the clip misrepresents the Prophet to defend rulers.

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 2:06:20)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:13:51 · Open the segment

What was Mufti Abu Layth's madrasa in Pakistan like?

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What was Mufti Abu Layth's madrasa in Pakistan like?

Mufti Abu Layth says his madrasa's head was not hot-headed, and that Barelvi radicalism is recent while militancy has long existed in parts of the Deobandi world. Mufti Abu Layth says the Barelvi scene in Pakistan has only recently become extreme.

Answer from 9 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #201| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:05:32)

A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 2:05:32 · Open the segment

Why does Birmingham have so many different Muslim sects?

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Why does Birmingham have so many different Muslim sects?

Mufti Abu Layth says Birmingham's many strong sects cancel each other out, which he thinks is a good thing compared with towns one sect dominates. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Birmingham every sect has a strong presence, and that he thinks that is a good thing.

Answer from 9 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #201| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:35:19)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:35:19 · Open the segment

Would the Mufti make peace with Farid?

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Would the Mufti make peace with Farid?

Mufti Abu Layth says he holds no hatred for Farid and would return respect if shown it, but answers public takfir against him with mockery and sees no reason to stop.

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 1:52:26)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:52:26 · Open the segment

How does Ibn Rushd compare to other critical-minded scholars?

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

How does Ibn Rushd compare to other critical-minded scholars?

Ibn Rushd is the most philosophical and most inclined to reason of the critical-minded scholars, Mufti Abu Layth says, and steadier in temperament than one he calls quick to takfir. Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Rushd is more inclined towards reason than the other critical-minded scholars he was asked about, though all of them are critical-minded.

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 2:27:24)

A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?

Watch on YouTube at 2:27:24 · Open the segment

Why was Ibn Taymiyya put in prison?

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Why was Ibn Taymiyya put in prison?

Ibn Taymiyya made powerful enemies by declaring Muslims kafir, and Maliki judges finally jailed him over his fatwa, voiced by his student in Jerusalem, that one may not travel to visit the Prophet's grave. Mufti Abu Layth calls the view foolish but says no one should be punished for an opinion. Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Taymiyya was imprisoned over his fatwa that one may not travel to visit the Prophet, an opinion he calls foolish but says should not be punished, since people should not be persecuted over religious differences.

Answer from 12 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Why Ibn Taymiyyah was in jail? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists (29 September 2024): Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

Are Muslims who believe God commanded the sacrifice guilty of blasphemy?

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Are Muslims who believe God commanded the sacrifice guilty of blasphemy?

No: Mufti Abu Layth does not accuse individual Muslims of blasphemy, because they repeat a story they were raised with and have not examined it. He distinguishes this from agenda-driven claims about the Prophet, and ridicules the defence that God only asked Ibrahim to assist his son's suicide. Mufti Abu Layth says that he does not accuse individual Muslims who hold the belief of blasphemy, since they repeat an inherited story without having thought about it.

Answer from 28 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: "God did NOT ask Abraham to sacrifice his son" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 23:45)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 23:45 · Open the segment

Why do scholars avoid showing unity across Barelvi, Deobandi and Salafi lines?

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why do scholars avoid showing unity across Barelvi, Deobandi and Salafi lines?

Scholars from different sects who met privately refused even a group photo, saying their followers were not mature enough to see it. Mufti Abu Layth says this shows preachers feeding their followers' expectations out of fear of being disowned.

Answer from 20 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Why people run from the Bukhari debate? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 10:33)

A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists (18 October 2025): How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Watch on YouTube at 10:33 · Open the segment

Will there be a video on the Zaydi and Ibadi sects?

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Will there be a video on the Zaydi and Ibadi sects?

Mufti Abu Layth says the agreement of Sunnis, Shia and Ibadis, who would never have conspired together, supports the Kaaba being where it always was. Mufti Abu Layth says the Sunnis, the Shia and the Ibadis, who cannot tolerate each other, would never have co-conspired over the original Kaaba and would have exposed each other.

Answer from 4 August 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth #176 *Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted!* 🤣 (at 20:06)

A more recent answer on history/umayyads-and-abbasids exists (10 March 2023): Why was Imam Malik flogged?

Watch on YouTube at 20:06 · Open the segment

What is Mufti Abu Layth's own position on hadith compared with the Quran-only view?

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What is Mufti Abu Layth's own position on hadith compared with the Quran-only view?

Mufti Abu Layth is a Sunni who is critical of parts of the hadith literature without rejecting it wholesale, and he opposes labelling Quran-only Muslims as deviants or misguided.

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 2:20:30)

A more recent answer on hadith/quran-only-movement exists (18 October 2025): How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Watch on YouTube at 2:20:30 · Open the segment

Was the arrest of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza justified?

Fri, 29 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Was the arrest of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza justified?

No: Mufti Abu Layth calls the arrest unacceptable and the product of jealousy and sectarianism, praising Engineer Mirza as an open-minded scholar.

Answer from 29 May 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Pakistan arresting Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

Do the prophets' bodies decay in the grave?

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Do the prophets' bodies decay in the grave?

Mufti Abu Layth did not teach that the prophets' bodies decay: he read out a question and described a devotional and a factual approach, noting most Muslims take the devotional one. He says critics who present it as disrespect to the Prophet are lying.

Answer from 7 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)

Recording: Misrepresenting Mufti | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:19)

A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists (18 October 2025): Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?

Watch on YouTube at 1:19 · Open the segment

Why is demanding that a scholar make takfir a form of bullying?

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why is demanding that a scholar make takfir a form of bullying?

It is bullying because it pushes a sectarian agenda by threatening to declare al-Yaqoubi a deviant or a kafir for refusing to pronounce on others' beliefs. The deen belongs to Allah, and it is nobody's duty to expel people from it.

Answer from 6 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: People Attacking Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi | Mufti Abu Layth (at 15:27)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 15:27 · Open the segment

Why does Mufti Abu Layth say both the attackers and the admirers of Shaykh al-Yaqoubi need balance?

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why does Mufti Abu Layth say both the attackers and the admirers of Shaykh al-Yaqoubi need balance?

People cannot be bullied into beliefs, and al-Yaqoubi has rightly not responded to the letter. But his admirers also need balance: claims that he performs miracles or read the Shama'il in four hours go too far and provoke hatred of him.

Answer from 6 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: People Attacking Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi | Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:31)

A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists (18 October 2025): Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?

Watch on YouTube at 11:31 · Open the segment

The letter's attack on Shaykh Akram Nadwi, and a played debate clip: 'one, two, three, kufr'

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The letter's attack on Shaykh Akram Nadwi, and a played debate clip: 'one, two, three, kufr'

The letter also demanded that Shaykh Akram Nadwi be called a deviant. Mufti Abu Layth plays a debate clip of one signatory repeatedly counting 'one, two, three' and pronouncing kufr, which he holds up as absurd bullying.

Answer from 6 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Recording: People Attacking Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi | Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:51)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 7:51 · Open the segment

What was in the letter attacking Shaykh al-Yaqoubi, and who sent it?

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What was in the letter attacking Shaykh al-Yaqoubi, and who sent it?

A Bradford-based board wrote to Shaykh al-Yaqoubi demanding he declare Shia, Deobandi and Salafi figures kafir and condemn The Study Quran and Hamza Yusuf, which Mufti Abu Layth calls a sectarian bullying session. He recognised only two signatories and was surprised to see Pir Saqib Shaami's name.

Answer from 6 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: People Attacking Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:37)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:37 · Open the segment

What did Yasir Qadhi say about Mufti Abu Layth on the Mad Mamluks podcast?

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

What did Yasir Qadhi say about Mufti Abu Layth on the Mad Mamluks podcast?

Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi, trying to reassert his traditional credentials on a podcast, said people like Mufti should declare themselves Mu'tazila rather than Sunni.

Answer from 3 November 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: A Response to Yasir Qadhi on Miracles | Mufti Abu Layth (at 16:47)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 16:47 · Open the segment

Rumours of a Sunni-Shia debate, and building bridges with the Shia

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Rumours of a Sunni-Shia debate, and building bridges with the Shia

Mufti Abu Layth is not interested in Sunni-Shia debates: he believes the split is permanent and prefers building bridges, avoiding contested questions such as who was the better caliph. Mufti Abu Layth says he personally believes the Sunni-Shia split is there for good and will not go away.

Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Mufti's engagements with the Shia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:01)

A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 0:01 · Open the segment

Final thoughts: mental health, persecution, free speech and the victim card

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Final thoughts: mental health, persecution, free speech and the victim card

Mufti Abu Layth condemns any persecution of Ahmadis but says criticising their beliefs is free speech, not persecution, and that not calling them Muslims does not amount to persecuting them. Mufti Abu Layth condemns any persecution of Ahmadis but holds that criticising their beliefs is free speech, not persecution, and that not declaring them Muslims does not add to their persecution.

Answer from 15 January 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: A Reply to False Messiahs: Mirza Ghulam Qadiani! -Mufti Abu Layth (at 35:37)

A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 35:37 · Open the segment

Why great scholars accepted it: sectarian turf war with the Mu'tazila

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why great scholars accepted it: sectarian turf war with the Mu'tazila

Mufti Abu Layth argues that belief in magic, even on the Prophet, hardened as a sectarian reaction against the Mu'tazila, just as other issues hardened against Salafis or Shia. Mufti Abu Layth says the narrative that the Prophet had magic done on him was retrospectively reinforced to support a sectarian turf war with the Mu'tazila.

Answer from 15 April 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 30:12)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 30:12 · Open the segment

Is someone who denies a line of al-Tahawi's creed a kafir?

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Is someone who denies a line of al-Tahawi's creed a kafir?

No: Mufti Abu Layth says this makes al-Tahawi rather than the Quran the standard, that Elmasry himself departs from al-Tahawi on several points, that Ash'ari creed does not make takfir of the people of the qibla, and that al-Tahawi wrote 250 years after the Prophet and is not an Ash'ari authority.

Answer from 15 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: A response to Shadee Elmasry - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 2:36)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:36 · Open the segment

Reaction to being called a probable kafir by Shadee Elmasry and others

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Reaction to being called a probable kafir by Shadee Elmasry and others

Mufti Abu Layth rejects being called a probable kafir and apostate by Shadee Elmasry and others, says no pressure can remove him from Islam, and calls the readiness to throw people out of Islam a god complex.

Answer from 15 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Recording: A response to Shadee Elmasry - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

The Creed of Tahawi is not the Quran; Ash'aris do not make takfir of ahl al-qiblah

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Creed of Tahawi is not the Quran; Ash'aris do not make takfir of ahl al-qiblah

Denying a line of Tahawi's creed is not kufr: Ibn Taymiyya rejected several of its points, it refutes whole Muslim groups, and Ash'ari creed forbids takfir of the people of the qiblah. Mufti Abu Layth says the Creed of al-Tahawi was written some 250 years after the Prophet and objects to treating the denial of a line of it as unbelief.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:06:11)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:06:11 · Open the segment

Reply to Shadee Elmasry and Hamza Maqbool: 'probably an apostate'

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Reply to Shadee Elmasry and Hamza Maqbool: 'probably an apostate'

Mufti Abu Layth rejects being called a probable apostate: no one can expel him from Islam by pressure, and declaring people kafir over this shows a god complex.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:03:34)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 2:03:34 · Open the segment

Everyone picks and chooses: later scholars on mawlid, shrines, hadra and the Jesus hadith

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone picks and chooses: later scholars on mawlid, shrines, hadra and the Jesus hadith

Every group accepts later scholars against earlier ones when it suits them; Mufti Abu Layth says rejecting the Jesus hadith on the later scholars' authority is no different. Mufti Abu Layth says everyone, Salafis included, picks and chooses between early and later scholars, so rejecting the Jesus hadith on the authority of later scholars is no different from what others do.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:56:59)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 1:56:59 · Open the segment

Rashid Rida at Deoband: how scholars disagree with adab

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Rashid Rida at Deoband: how scholars disagree with adab

Rida and Kashmiri held opposite views on the return of Jesus yet honoured each other at Deoband; Mufti Abu Layth says this is how scholars should disagree.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:50:28)

A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists (29 September 2024): Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done

Watch on YouTube at 1:50:28 · Open the segment

Give glad tidings, make things easy: the hadith behind his approach; do not intimidate

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Give glad tidings, make things easy: the hadith behind his approach; do not intimidate

The Prophet's instruction to give glad tidings and make things easy is the pillar of Mufti Abu Layth's approach; intimidating people into beliefs contradicts it, and learning Islam for oneself is what kept him in it. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet's instruction to give glad tidings and make things easy is the pillar of his understanding of Islam, and that intimidating people into beliefs contradicts the Prophet's way and Imam Malik's.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:43:54)

A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists (29 September 2024): Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done

Watch on YouTube at 1:43:54 · Open the segment

Why do other scholars not see what Mufti Abu Layth sees about the return of Jesus?

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why do other scholars not see what Mufti Abu Layth sees about the return of Jesus?

Others do see it but fear their own group; Mufti Abu Layth says belonging to no sect lets him follow what makes sense in light of the Quran and Sunnah. Mufti Abu Layth says that belonging to no sect frees him to follow whatever makes sense in light of the Quran and Sunnah, while scholars bound to a group fear expressing views their group rejects.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 32:00)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 32:00 · Open the segment

We are all seeking the truth: disagree without takfir

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

We are all seeking the truth: disagree without takfir

Muslims should be able to disagree about Islam without insults or takfir, since everyone is seeking the truth. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims who disagree on interpretation should treat each other gently as fellow seekers of the truth, without labels or takfir.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:23)

A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists (29 September 2024): Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done

Watch on YouTube at 29:23 · Open the segment

Reply to Abu Ibrahim's post and Hizb ut-Tahrir's double standard

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Reply to Abu Ibrahim's post and Hizb ut-Tahrir's double standard

Critics who have long opposed Mufti Abu Layth, including Hizb ut-Tahrir whose own literature treats the return of Jesus as a solitary report, have united against him; he puts this down to sectarian politics.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 10:24)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 10:24 · Open the segment

Why the second-coming debate blew up and what tonight's prelude covers

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why the second-coming debate blew up and what tonight's prelude covers

The talk is a prelude to Mufti Abu Layth's case against a second coming of Jesus, prompted by the controversy and the takfir his earlier statements provoked.

Answer from 13 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (at 3:54)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 3:54 · Open the segment

If Muslims want a khilafah, why not first establish Islam in the countries they already have?

Sat, 09 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

If Muslims want a khilafah, why not first establish Islam in the countries they already have?

Mufti Abu Layth says those pushing a purely politicised Islam are, in his understanding, near the modern Khawarij and use the same evidences as ISIS. The guest says Muslims already have fifty countries, that Pakistanis who sought Nizam-e-Mustafa now want to leave, that khilafah groups cannot even unite, and that Allah does not give what people do not deserve.

Answer from 9 September 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Should Muslims Establish Khilafah - Shaykh Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 8:49)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 8:49 · Open the segment

Is extremism among Muslims really on the rise?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Is extremism among Muslims really on the rise?

In one sense yes, since groups like ISIS did not exist in this form two decades ago, but he says the far greater rise is in Muslims awakening to traditional Islam, with some bad elements awoken alongside it. Mufti Abu Layth says that while militant groups have risen compared with two decades ago, the far greater rise is a worldwide awakening of Muslims to traditional Islam, of which some extremist elements are a side effect.

Answer from 6 April 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Unanswered Questions- An interview with Mufti Abu Layth (at 35:25)

A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 35:25 · Open the segment

What does Mufti Abu Layth think of ISIS?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

What does Mufti Abu Layth think of ISIS?

ISIS is a ruthless takfiri threat to everyone, Muslims most of all, and he signed the first British fatwa against it. He rejects collective guilt for Muslims and says Western foreign policy and the Iraq prisons helped create it. Mufti Abu Layth says ISIS is a ruthless takfiri ideology that threatens Muslims and non-Muslims alike, that holding Muslims collectively guilty for it is unfair, and that Western foreign policy, including the prisons of the war in Iraq, contributed to its creation.

Answer from 6 April 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Unanswered Questions- An interview with Mufti Abu Layth (at 27:36)

A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 27:36 · Open the segment