Mufti Abu Layth Archive: belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstitionAnswers on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition, newest recording first.https://muftiabulayth.org/feeds/topics/belief-unseen-beings-magic-evil-eye-and-superstition.atom.xml2021-01-12T00:00:00ZMufti Abu Layth Archivepipeline/feeds.pyIf you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/2021-01-12T00:00:00Z2021-01-12T00:00:00ZIf you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?
Mufti Abu Layth says scholars who believed in the evil eye were following the science of their day, and one does not take science from them. Mufti Abu Layth says the evil eye was the science of the day, based on the belief that the eye shoots out rays, rather than a matter of religion for them.
Answer from 12 January 2021 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 馃槈 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:46:32)
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 1:47:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=6430s<p><b>If you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says scholars who believed in the evil eye were following the science of their day, and one does not take science from them. Mufti Abu Layth says the evil eye was the science of the day, based on the belief that the eye shoots out rays, rather than a matter of religion for them.</p>
<p>Answer from 12 January 2021 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 馃槈 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:46:32)</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=1zgHntbMPis&t=6430s">Watch on YouTube at 1:47:10</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/">Open the segment</a></p>Is the jinn exorcism and ruqya industry a fraud?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/6apj1fumn24/s/9/2020-11-21T00:00:00Z2020-11-21T00:00:00ZIs the jinn exorcism and ruqya industry a fraud?
The ruqya industry is largely a fraud drenched in abuse; the Mu'tazila, who rejected possession, were never afflicted, and al-Jahiz already recorded a practitioner using a possession claim to explain away a lost virginity. Mufti Abu Layth says the exorcism and ruqya industry is largely fraudulent and drenched in abuse, and he cites al-Jahiz's observation that no Mu'tazili, who rejected possession, was ever afflicted by a jinn.
Answer from 21 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is no jinn possession in Islam (reply to Sh Omar Suleiman's video) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 43:12)
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/17/
Watch on YouTube at 43:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aPj1fuMN24&t=2592s<p><b>Is the jinn exorcism and ruqya industry a fraud?</b></p>
<p>The ruqya industry is largely a fraud drenched in abuse; the Mu'tazila, who rejected possession, were never afflicted, and al-Jahiz already recorded a practitioner using a possession claim to explain away a lost virginity. Mufti Abu Layth says the exorcism and ruqya industry is largely fraudulent and drenched in abuse, and he cites al-Jahiz's observation that no Mu'tazili, who rejected possession, was ever afflicted by a jinn.</p>
<p>Answer from 21 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is no jinn possession in Islam (reply to Sh Omar Suleiman's video) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 43:12)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/17/">Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aPj1fuMN24&t=2592s">Watch on YouTube at 43:12</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/6apj1fumn24/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>Is Surat al-Falaq about protection from the evil eye?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/9/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZIs Surat al-Falaq about protection from the evil eye?
No: it seeks refuge from the harm envious people act out and from the superstitious culture around magic, not from an evil eye. The Quran's silence on the evil eye is, to him, a sign of its truth. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Surat al-Falaq one seeks refuge from the harm envious people act out, not from an evil eye.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:08:18)
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/short-surahs exists (16 February 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/24/
Watch on YouTube at 1:08:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=4098s<p><b>Is Surat al-Falaq about protection from the evil eye?</b></p>
<p>No: it seeks refuge from the harm envious people act out and from the superstitious culture around magic, not from an evil eye. The Quran's silence on the evil eye is, to him, a sign of its truth. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Surat al-Falaq one seeks refuge from the harm envious people act out, not from an evil eye.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:08:18)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/short-surahs exists</b> (16 February 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/24/">Why does Surah al-Kafirun say 'ma' (what) instead of 'man' (who) for God?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=4098s">Watch on YouTube at 1:08:18</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>Are the hadith about the evil eye authentic?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/8/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZAre the hadith about the evil eye authentic?
No: he says the evil eye hadith rest on weak or criticised narrators and odd reports, and a belief so important would have come from many companions and the Quran. He calls them baseless. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith on the evil eye are baseless and all problematic.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 56:07)
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists (19 April 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zkklciv1tk8/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 56:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=3367s<p><b>Are the hadith about the evil eye authentic?</b></p>
<p>No: he says the evil eye hadith rest on weak or criticised narrators and odd reports, and a belief so important would have come from many companions and the Quran. He calls them baseless. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith on the evil eye are baseless and all problematic.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 56:07)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists</b> (19 April 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zkklciv1tk8/s/2/">Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=3367s">Watch on YouTube at 56:07</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/8/">Open the segment</a></p>Does Surah Yusuf prove the evil eye is real?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/7/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZDoes Surah Yusuf prove the evil eye is real?
No: Jacob told his sons to use different gates for their safety and to avoid drawing attention, not because of the evil eye. They had already been to Egypt, so the evil eye reading makes no sense. Mufti Abu Layth says Jacob told his sons to split up at the gates to look out for them, not because of the evil eye, which makes no sense since they had already been to Egypt.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:28)
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 44:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=2668s<p><b>Does Surah Yusuf prove the evil eye is real?</b></p>
<p>No: Jacob told his sons to use different gates for their safety and to avoid drawing attention, not because of the evil eye. They had already been to Egypt, so the evil eye reading makes no sense. Mufti Abu Layth says Jacob told his sons to split up at the gates to look out for them, not because of the evil eye, which makes no sense since they had already been to Egypt.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:28)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/">Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=2668s">Watch on YouTube at 44:28</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/7/">Open the segment</a></p>Confirmation bias: reading the evil eye into the Quranhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/6/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZConfirmation bias: reading the evil eye into the Quran
Mufti Abu Layth says that people came to Islam already believing the evil eye was science and, through confirmation bias, found it in verses that do not mention it, such as the verse about eyes almost making the Prophet slip, even though many exegetes did not read it that way. He recommends the Urdu tafsir of Abdul Karim Athari, whom he describes as coming from a small, unusually reason-based circle within the Ahl-e-Hadith of India, and says Athari also reads the verse as the disbelievers staring as though to trip the Prophet, before calling him insane. Mufti Abu Layth says people approached the Quran with a confirmation bias, already believing in the evil eye, and so found it in verses that do not mention it.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 41:06)
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 41:06: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=2466s<p><b>Confirmation bias: reading the evil eye into the Quran</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says that people came to Islam already believing the evil eye was science and, through confirmation bias, found it in verses that do not mention it, such as the verse about eyes almost making the Prophet slip, even though many exegetes did not read it that way. He recommends the Urdu tafsir of Abdul Karim Athari, whom he describes as coming from a small, unusually reason-based circle within the Ahl-e-Hadith of India, and says Athari also reads the verse as the disbelievers staring as though to trip the Prophet, before calling him insane. Mufti Abu Layth says people approached the Quran with a confirmation bias, already believing in the evil eye, and so found it in verses that do not mention it.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 41:06)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/">Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=2466s">Watch on YouTube at 41:06</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Is the evil eye based on science?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/5/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZIs the evil eye based on science?
It rested on the old belief that eyes shoot out rays, which people once took as science; Ibn al-Qayyim described envious 'arrows' from the eye. Ibn al-Haytham and later science showed that eyes only take in light. Mufti Abu Layth says that in antiquity the evil eye was regarded as science, built on the belief that the eyes emit rays, a theory since debunked.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:32)
A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 28:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=1712s<p><b>Is the evil eye based on science?</b></p>
<p>It rested on the old belief that eyes shoot out rays, which people once took as science; Ibn al-Qayyim described envious 'arrows' from the eye. Ibn al-Haytham and later science showed that eyes only take in light. Mufti Abu Layth says that in antiquity the evil eye was regarded as science, built on the belief that the eyes emit rays, a theory since debunked.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:32)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/">Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=1712s">Watch on YouTube at 28:32</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>Why did so many cultures believe in the evil eye?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/4/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZWhy did so many cultures believe in the evil eye?
Because people long believed the eye actively shot out rays, and the belief helped explain sudden illness and misfortune. He says the evil eye itself is nonsense. Mufti Abu Layth says the evil eye is nonsense and does not have a reality.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 17:44)
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/umku_ocftes/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 17:44: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=1064s<p><b>Why did so many cultures believe in the evil eye?</b></p>
<p>Because people long believed the eye actively shot out rays, and the belief helped explain sudden illness and misfortune. He says the evil eye itself is nonsense. Mufti Abu Layth says the evil eye is nonsense and does not have a reality.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 17:44)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists</b> (15 May 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/umku_ocftes/s/6/">Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=1064s">Watch on YouTube at 17:44</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/4/">Open the segment</a></p>If the evil eye is real, why doesn't the Quran mention it?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/3/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZIf the evil eye is real, why doesn't the Quran mention it?
The evil eye was believed to be an unseen force causing illness, death and impotence, yet the Quran never mentions it, unlike older scriptures. He finds that silence telling for something said to affect everyone.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 9:24)
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists (12 January 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/
Watch on YouTube at 9:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=564s<p><b>If the evil eye is real, why doesn't the Quran mention it?</b></p>
<p>The evil eye was believed to be an unseen force causing illness, death and impotence, yet the Quran never mentions it, unlike older scriptures. He finds that silence telling for something said to affect everyone.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 9:24)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists</b> (12 January 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/">If you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=564s">Watch on YouTube at 9:24</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>Does the Quran mention the evil eye?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/2/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZDoes the Quran mention the evil eye?
No: the Quran mentions envy (hasad) but never the evil eye, and the verse about eyes making the Prophet slip is a metaphor for hateful stares, as Ibn Ashur and others explain. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran has never once mentioned the evil eye, only envy, which is a different word.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:41)
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 2:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=161s<p><b>Does the Quran mention the evil eye?</b></p>
<p>No: the Quran mentions envy (hasad) but never the evil eye, and the verse about eyes making the Prophet slip is a metaphor for hateful stares, as Ibn Ashur and others explain. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran has never once mentioned the evil eye, only envy, which is a different word.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:41)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/">Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=161s">Watch on YouTube at 2:41</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>A clip of Shaykh Hassan Ali on the evil eye from loved oneshttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/1/2020-11-15T00:00:00Z2020-11-15T00:00:00ZA clip of Shaykh Hassan Ali on the evil eye from loved ones
A played clip in which Shaykh Hassan Ali says the evil eye can come even from loving relatives, with a story about his own son.
Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=0s<p><b>A clip of Shaykh Hassan Ali on the evil eye from loved ones</b></p>
<p>A played clip in which Shaykh Hassan Ali says the evil eye can come even from loving relatives, with a story about his own son.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 November 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: There is NO evil eye in Islam (Detailed Overview) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/">Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnpGDvjs2nk&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mnpgdvjs2nk/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Is seeing the number 19 everywhere a sign or a superstition?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/s/24/2020-06-26T00:00:00Z2020-06-26T00:00:00ZIs seeing the number 19 everywhere a sign or a superstition?
The guest rejects personal and anecdotal sightings of 19 as numerology and chance, distinguishing them from the Quran's structure, and invites Zakir Naik and Nouman Ali Khan to debate him.
Answer from 26 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Prof. Edip Yuksel | Rejecting Hadith, Rashad Khalifa & Realizing '19' | MindTrap with Mufti #27 (at 2:17:50)
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/24/
Watch on YouTube at 2:17:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIrskjob4o&t=8270s<p><b>Is seeing the number 19 everywhere a sign or a superstition?</b></p>
<p>The guest rejects personal and anecdotal sightings of 19 as numerology and chance, distinguishing them from the Quran's structure, and invites Zakir Naik and Nouman Ali Khan to debate him.</p>
<p>Answer from 26 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Prof. Edip Yuksel | Rejecting Hadith, Rashad Khalifa & Realizing '19' | MindTrap with Mufti #27 (at 2:17:50)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/24/">Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIrskjob4o&t=8270s">Watch on YouTube at 2:17:50</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zmirskjob4o/s/24/">Open the segment</a></p>What does Mufti Abu Layth think of Hasan Farhan al-Maliki?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/x27zzbcseyg/s/1/2020-06-09T00:00:00Z2020-06-09T00:00:00ZWhat does Mufti Abu Layth think of Hasan Farhan al-Maliki?
Mufti Abu Layth admires Hasan Farhan al-Maliki's open-minded rejection of folkloric Islam but disagrees with his dismissive, Shia-inclined stance on companions such as Mu'awiya.
Answer from 9 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Thoughts on Farhan Al-Maliki from Saudi Arabia? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X27ZZBCSEyg&t=0s<p><b>What does Mufti Abu Layth think of Hasan Farhan al-Maliki?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth admires Hasan Farhan al-Maliki's open-minded rejection of folkloric Islam but disagrees with his dismissive, Shia-inclined stance on companions such as Mu'awiya.</p>
<p>Answer from 9 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Thoughts on Farhan Al-Maliki from Saudi Arabia? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/">Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X27ZZBCSEyg&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/x27zzbcseyg/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Should a person accused of magic be killed?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/y9p342tx6t0/s/3/2020-06-01T00:00:00Z2020-06-01T00:00:00ZShould a person accused of magic be killed?
Mufti Abu Layth says calls to kill the 'magician' show the sorry state of Muslims and why they are a laughing stock. Mufti Abu Layth says that this is unfortunately the state of Muslims and why they are a laughing stock.
Answer from 1 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A mufti, a convert & hanky panky! | Mufti Abu Layth (at 8:54)
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/3/
Watch on YouTube at 8:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P342Tx6T0&t=534s<p><b>Should a person accused of magic be killed?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says calls to kill the 'magician' show the sorry state of Muslims and why they are a laughing stock. Mufti Abu Layth says that this is unfortunately the state of Muslims and why they are a laughing stock.</p>
<p>Answer from 1 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A mufti, a convert & hanky panky! | Mufti Abu Layth (at 8:54)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/3/">Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P342Tx6T0&t=534s">Watch on YouTube at 8:54</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/y9p342tx6t0/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>If a religious teacher seduces someone, is the other person also to blame?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/y9p342tx6t0/s/1/2020-06-01T00:00:00Z2020-06-01T00:00:00ZIf a religious teacher seduces someone, is the other person also to blame?
Mufti Abu Layth says both the mufti and the woman in the shared story are to blame, and dismisses the claim of a magic spell.
Answer from 1 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A mufti, a convert & hanky panky! | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on society/cults-and-religious-abuse exists (13 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/46/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P342Tx6T0&t=0s<p><b>If a religious teacher seduces someone, is the other person also to blame?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says both the mufti and the woman in the shared story are to blame, and dismisses the claim of a magic spell.</p>
<p>Answer from 1 June 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A mufti, a convert & hanky panky! | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/cults-and-religious-abuse exists</b> (13 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/46/">Was Adam a real person?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P342Tx6T0&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/y9p342tx6t0/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Does Surat al-Falaq confirm that black magic is real?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ksqksrxndnw/s/21/2020-04-22T00:00:00Z2020-04-22T00:00:00ZDoes Surat al-Falaq confirm that black magic is real?
The verse about those who blow on knots does not establish that magic is effective: the guest says it asks protection from the fear such practices create, and Mufti Abu Layth says the surah names things not harmful in themselves but the superstitions attached to them. The question whether Islam is feudal went unanswered.
Answer from 22 April 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Shaykh Dr. Shabir Ally | Juxtaposing the Quran, Jumbling Aisha's age & Jinn Possession | MindTrap#16 (at 1:40:04)
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/
Watch on YouTube at 1:40:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsQKsrXndNw&t=6004s<p><b>Does Surat al-Falaq confirm that black magic is real?</b></p>
<p>The verse about those who blow on knots does not establish that magic is effective: the guest says it asks protection from the fear such practices create, and Mufti Abu Layth says the surah names things not harmful in themselves but the superstitions attached to them. The question whether Islam is feudal went unanswered.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 April 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Shaykh Dr. Shabir Ally | Juxtaposing the Quran, Jumbling Aisha's age & Jinn Possession | MindTrap#16 (at 1:40:04)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations 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=KsQKsrXndNw&t=6004s">Watch on YouTube at 1:40:04</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ksqksrxndnw/s/21/">Open the segment</a></p>Is belief in magic spells and jinn possession part of Islam?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ksqksrxndnw/s/20/2020-04-22T00:00:00Z2020-04-22T00:00:00ZIs belief in magic spells and jinn possession part of Islam?
Belief in possession and magic spells holds Muslims back and harms mental health, and the guest says it is not a religious teaching because no verse or authentic hadith establishes it, whatever people believe they have seen. Mufti Abu Layth notes that to believers in jinn the ordinary explanation seems the far-fetched one.
Answer from 22 April 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Shaykh Dr. Shabir Ally | Juxtaposing the Quran, Jumbling Aisha's age & Jinn Possession | MindTrap#16 (at 1:33:31)
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/
Watch on YouTube at 1:34:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsQKsrXndNw&t=5690s<p><b>Is belief in magic spells and jinn possession part of Islam?</b></p>
<p>Belief in possession and magic spells holds Muslims back and harms mental health, and the guest says it is not a religious teaching because no verse or authentic hadith establishes it, whatever people believe they have seen. Mufti Abu Layth notes that to believers in jinn the ordinary explanation seems the far-fetched one.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 April 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Shaykh Dr. Shabir Ally | Juxtaposing the Quran, Jumbling Aisha's age & Jinn Possession | MindTrap#16 (at 1:33:31)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations 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=KsQKsrXndNw&t=5690s">Watch on YouTube at 1:34:50</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ksqksrxndnw/s/20/">Open the segment</a></p>Should we recite Sahih al-Bukhari to protect ourselves from the coronavirus?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/h4ixl17jyeu/s/1/2020-03-30T00:00:00Z2020-03-30T00:00:00ZShould we recite Sahih al-Bukhari to protect ourselves from the coronavirus?
No: reciting Sahih al-Bukhari is not the way to tackle the coronavirus, and the Quran itself is not a medical cure; people can simply make du'a.
Answer from 30 March 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: How NOT to respond to Covid-19 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/10/
Watch on YouTube at 3:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4IXL17jyEU&t=223s<p><b>Should we recite Sahih al-Bukhari to protect ourselves from the coronavirus?</b></p>
<p>No: reciting Sahih al-Bukhari is not the way to tackle the coronavirus, and the Quran itself is not a medical cure; people can simply make du'a.</p>
<p>Answer from 30 March 2020 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: How NOT to respond to Covid-19 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/10/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4IXL17jyEU&t=223s">Watch on YouTube at 3:43</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/h4ixl17jyeu/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Is al-Khidr a prophet, and is he still alive?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yy74xfro_e4/s/4/2019-01-14T00:00:00Z2019-01-14T00:00:00ZIs al-Khidr a prophet, and is he still alive?
Classical scholars disagreed on whether al-Khidr was a prophet or a saint, and many held he is still alive while others denied it. Mufti Abu Layth likens the stories of his appearances to saint legends in other religions.
Answer from 14 January 2019 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Who Was Khidr (a.s.)? -Mufti Abu Layth (at 14:02)
A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists (28 February 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/chvpqwz6bee/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 14:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy74XfRo_E4&t=842s<p><b>Is al-Khidr a prophet, and is he still alive?</b></p>
<p>Classical scholars disagreed on whether al-Khidr was a prophet or a saint, and many held he is still alive while others denied it. Mufti Abu Layth likens the stories of his appearances to saint legends in other religions.</p>
<p>Answer from 14 January 2019 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Who Was Khidr (a.s.)? -Mufti Abu Layth (at 14:02)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists</b> (28 February 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/chvpqwz6bee/s/1/">A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy74XfRo_E4&t=842s">Watch on YouTube at 14:02</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yy74xfro_e4/s/4/">Open the segment</a></p>Did Musa's staff really turn into a snake?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pkp3itoskjc/s/1/2018-04-20T00:00:00Z2018-04-20T00:00:00ZDid Musa's staff really turn into a snake?
No: Mufti Abu Layth holds the staff was described as moving as though it were a snake, while the magicians' sticks moved by a chemical trick. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his understanding the staff of Musa was not an actual snake but was described as though it were one.
Answer from 20 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Did the Staff of Moses (AS) really turn into a snake? - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 0:01)
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/21/
Watch on YouTube at 0:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkP3itoSKJc&t=1s<p><b>Did Musa's staff really turn into a snake?</b></p>
<p>No: Mufti Abu Layth holds the staff was described as moving as though it were a snake, while the magicians' sticks moved by a chemical trick. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his understanding the staff of Musa was not an actual snake but was described as though it were one.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Did the Staff of Moses (AS) really turn into a snake? - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 0:01)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/21/">Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkP3itoSKJc&t=1s">Watch on YouTube at 0:01</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pkp3itoskjc/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Exploitation by 'babas', and the solution: proper help and mental healthhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/9/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZExploitation by 'babas', and the solution: proper help and mental health
Magic healers exploit desperate people; seek real help from your network or professionals, and communities should take mental health seriously. Mufti Abu Layth says the solution is to seek proper help from one's social network or the relevant professional.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 46:15)
A more recent answer on wellbeing/depression-and-anxiety exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/18/
Watch on YouTube at 46:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=2775s<p><b>Exploitation by 'babas', and the solution: proper help and mental health</b></p>
<p>Magic healers exploit desperate people; seek real help from your network or professionals, and communities should take mental health seriously. Mufti Abu Layth says the solution is to seek proper help from one's social network or the relevant professional.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 46:15)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on wellbeing/depression-and-anxiety exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/18/">Are young people today facing an existential crisis?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=2775s">Watch on YouTube at 46:15</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>The seven ajwa dates hadith as hyperbolehttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/8/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZThe seven ajwa dates hadith as hyperbole
The hadith that ajwa dates protect from poison and magic is hyperbole praising dates; classical commentators did not take it literally either. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his understanding the hadith of the seven dates was hyperbole emphasising the benefits of dates.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 43:38)
A more recent answer on hadith/individual-hadith-explained exists (14 March 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr3nsx3ufy8/s/22/
Watch on YouTube at 43:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=2618s<p><b>The seven ajwa dates hadith as hyperbole</b></p>
<p>The hadith that ajwa dates protect from poison and magic is hyperbole praising dates; classical commentators did not take it literally either. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his understanding the hadith of the seven dates was hyperbole emphasising the benefits of dates.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 43:38)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/individual-hadith-explained exists</b> (14 March 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr3nsx3ufy8/s/22/">Does the Quran say Jesus died, and how did the Prophet understand the verse 'when you took me'?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=2618s">Watch on YouTube at 43:38</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/8/">Open the segment</a></p>Harut and Marut, and how magic 'splits' peoplehttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/7/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZHarut and Marut, and how magic 'splits' people
Harut and Marut may have been two pious men taken for angels who taught skills that looked like magic; the doll-and-needles idea of magic is not from the Quran or Sunnah. Mufti Abu Layth says nothing like the doll-and-needles understanding of magic has come from the Quran and Sunnah.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 40:24)
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 40:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=2424s<p><b>Harut and Marut, and how magic 'splits' people</b></p>
<p>Harut and Marut may have been two pious men taken for angels who taught skills that looked like magic; the doll-and-needles idea of magic is not from the Quran or Sunnah. Mufti Abu Layth says nothing like the doll-and-needles understanding of magic has come from the Quran and Sunnah.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 40:24)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/14/">Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=2424s">Watch on YouTube at 40:24</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/7/">Open the segment</a></p>Why great scholars accepted it: sectarian turf war with the Mu'tazilahttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/6/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZWhy 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 路 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): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/7/
Watch on YouTube at 30:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=1812s<p><b>Why great scholars accepted it: sectarian turf war with the Mu'tazila</b></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 30:12)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/7/">Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=1812s">Watch on YouTube at 30:12</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Where the story came from: polemic, the poisoning report and the ajwa dateshttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/5/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZWhere the story came from: polemic, the poisoning report and the ajwa dates
Mufti Abu Layth believes the story is misconstrued, possibly fed by polemical rumours of the time, and notes it contradicts the hadith that ajwa dates protect from magic. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes the story of magic being done on the Prophet is definitely misconstrued.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 25:03)
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/text-criticism-and-reason exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/17/
Watch on YouTube at 25:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=1503s<p><b>Where the story came from: polemic, the poisoning report and the ajwa dates</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth believes the story is misconstrued, possibly fed by polemical rumours of the time, and notes it contradicts the hadith that ajwa dates protect from magic. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes the story of magic being done on the Prophet is definitely misconstrued.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 25:03)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/text-criticism-and-reason exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/17/">What does the Quran say against the satanic verses story?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=1503s">Watch on YouTube at 25:03</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>Was magic done on the Prophet? Why he rejects the reporthttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/4/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZWas magic done on the Prophet? Why he rejects the report
Mufti Abu Layth rejects the report that the Prophet was bewitched, even though it is in al-Bukhari, as an insult to the Prophet that clashes with the Quran. Mufti Abu Layth says he considers the reports of magic being done on the Prophet an affront to the honour of the Prophet.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 15:23)
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/10/
Watch on YouTube at 15:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=923s<p><b>Was magic done on the Prophet? Why he rejects the report</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth rejects the report that the Prophet was bewitched, even though it is in al-Bukhari, as an insult to the Prophet that clashes with the Quran. Mufti Abu Layth says he considers the reports of magic being done on the Prophet an affront to the honour of the Prophet.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 15:23)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/10/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=923s">Watch on YouTube at 15:23</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/4/">Open the segment</a></p>Magic in the Quran: Musa and Pharaoh's magicians, an illusionhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/3/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZMagic in the Quran: Musa and Pharaoh's magicians, an illusion
In the Quran the magic of Pharaoh's magicians was only an illusion; Musa's fear was a natural human reaction, not proof that the magic was real. Mufti Abu Layth says the claim of any fantasy magic is absolutely absurd.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 10:13)
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 10:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=613s<p><b>Magic in the Quran: Musa and Pharaoh's magicians, an illusion</b></p>
<p>In the Quran the magic of Pharaoh's magicians was only an illusion; Musa's fear was a natural human reaction, not proof that the magic was real. Mufti Abu Layth says the claim of any fantasy magic is absolutely absurd.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 10:13)</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=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=613s">Watch on YouTube at 10:13</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>Three kinds of what was called magic: mind control, potions and illusionhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/2/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZThree kinds of what was called magic: mind control, potions and illusion
What people called magic fell into three kinds: mind control and hypnosis, chemical potions, and stage illusion, all of which have natural explanations. Mufti Abu Layth says that today we have explanations of how the potions once seen as magic actually work.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:07)
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists (12 January 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/
Watch on YouTube at 5:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=307s<p><b>Three kinds of what was called magic: mind control, potions and illusion</b></p>
<p>What people called magic fell into three kinds: mind control and hypnosis, chemical potions, and stage illusion, all of which have natural explanations. Mufti Abu Layth says that today we have explanations of how the potions once seen as magic actually work.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:07)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists</b> (12 January 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/">If you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=307s">Watch on YouTube at 5:07</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>What magic means: fantasy magic versus illusion, and the Arabic sihrhttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/1/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZWhat magic means: fantasy magic versus illusion, and the Arabic sihr
The question is not illusion or trickery but 'fantasy magic' that changes reality, which he calls absurd; the Arabs used sihr for anything inexplicable. Mufti Abu Layth says the issue is fantasy magic, which people find absurd until somebody stamps religion on it.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists (12 January 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=0s<p><b>What magic means: fantasy magic versus illusion, and the Arabic sihr</b></p>
<p>The question is not illusion or trickery but 'fantasy magic' that changes reality, which he calls absurd; the Arabs used sihr for anything inexplicable. Mufti Abu Layth says the issue is fantasy magic, which people find absurd until somebody stamps religion on it.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Magic: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists</b> (12 January 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/28/">If you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiFqxkWyrwg&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/pifqxkwyrwg/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>If jinn do not possess people, what is ruqya for?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/12/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZIf jinn do not possess people, what is ruqya for?
The Quran is a cure for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, not a medical treatment. Ruqya and the du'as taught against omens are a scaffolding that steadies a person's faith until it can stand on its own, because the mind clings to ritual. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran's healing is for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, and that ruqya and the du'as taught against omens are a scaffolding, like a walking frame, that steadies people's iman because the human mind clings to ritual.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:33)
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/30/
Watch on YouTube at 44:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=2673s<p><b>If jinn do not possess people, what is ruqya for?</b></p>
<p>The Quran is a cure for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, not a medical treatment. Ruqya and the du'as taught against omens are a scaffolding that steadies a person's faith until it can stand on its own, because the mind clings to ritual. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran's healing is for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, and that ruqya and the du'as taught against omens are a scaffolding, like a walking frame, that steadies people's iman because the human mind clings to ritual.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:33)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/30/">Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=2673s">Watch on YouTube at 44:33</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/12/">Open the segment</a></p>If exorcisms and ruqya sometimes work, does that prove possession is real?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/11/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZIf exorcisms and ruqya sometimes work, does that prove possession is real?
No: real symptoms can be produced or relieved by belief alone, as Ted Kaptchuk's study with fake pills and retractable needles showed, so an exorcism or ruqya can 'work' through the placebo effect. Some people would also have recovered regardless. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the placebo and nocebo effects, demonstrated in Ted Kaptchuk's sham-treatment study, explain why people genuinely feel better or worse after exorcisms and ruqya, and that some would have recovered anyway.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 40:37)
A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 40:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=2437s<p><b>If exorcisms and ruqya sometimes work, does that prove possession is real?</b></p>
<p>No: real symptoms can be produced or relieved by belief alone, as Ted Kaptchuk's study with fake pills and retractable needles showed, so an exorcism or ruqya can 'work' through the placebo effect. Some people would also have recovered regardless. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the placebo and nocebo effects, demonstrated in Ted Kaptchuk's sham-treatment study, explain why people genuinely feel better or worse after exorcisms and ruqya, and that some would have recovered anyway.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 40:37)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/">Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=2437s">Watch on YouTube at 40:37</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/11/">Open the segment</a></p>Why does it matter whether people believe in jinn possession?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/9/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZWhy does it matter whether people believe in jinn possession?
Because the belief brings mockery on Islam and sustains an industry of abuse, with beatings, sexual violence and extortion, including a house gifted to a practitioner as a 'cure'. Mufti Abu Layth says Islam will bear the blame and future generations will treat it as mythology. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the belief in possession must be confronted because it exposes Islam to mockery and underwrites an industry of beatings, sexual violence and financial exploitation, for which Islam itself will be blamed by coming generations.
Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 34:00)
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/17/
Watch on YouTube at 34:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=2040s<p><b>Why does it matter whether people believe in jinn possession?</b></p>
<p>Because the belief brings mockery on Islam and sustains an industry of abuse, with beatings, sexual violence and extortion, including a house gifted to a practitioner as a 'cure'. Mufti Abu Layth says Islam will bear the blame and future generations will treat it as mythology. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the belief in possession must be confronted because it exposes Islam to mockery and underwrites an industry of beatings, sexual violence and financial exploitation, for which Islam itself will be blamed by coming generations.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 34:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/17/">Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=2040s">Watch on YouTube at 34:00</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>Did someone really do magic on the Prophet?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yd3ehw0vtls/s/2/2018-02-13T00:00:00Z2018-02-13T00:00:00ZDid someone really do magic on the Prophet?
No: he calls the report of magic on the Prophet falsely attributed and an affront to his honour, and says the Quls were revealed years earlier in Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth says the incident of magic being done on the Prophet in Madinah is falsely attributed.
Answer from 13 February 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: The Evil Eye has no reality in Islam - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 6:50)
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated/about-the-prophet exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/21/
Watch on YouTube at 6:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd3ehW0VTls&t=410s<p><b>Did someone really do magic on the Prophet?</b></p>
<p>No: he calls the report of magic on the Prophet falsely attributed and an affront to his honour, and says the Quls were revealed years earlier in Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth says the incident of magic being done on the Prophet in Madinah is falsely attributed.</p>
<p>Answer from 13 February 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: The Evil Eye has no reality in Islam - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 6:50)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated/about-the-prophet exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/21/">Recap: the novel, insult versus critique, and the false story summarised</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd3ehW0VTls&t=410s">Watch on YouTube at 6:50</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yd3ehw0vtls/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Is the evil eye real in Islam?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yd3ehw0vtls/s/1/2018-02-13T00:00:00Z2018-02-13T00:00:00ZIs the evil eye real in Islam?
Belief that a look can cause disease or disaster contradicts tawhid; the evil eye is simply envy, whose harm lies in how it is acted upon. Mufti Abu Layth says believing in superstitions such as the evil eye causing harm contradicts the tawhid of Allah.
Answer from 13 February 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: The Evil Eye has no reality in Islam - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on belief/tawhid-and-shirk exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd3ehW0VTls&t=0s<p><b>Is the evil eye real in Islam?</b></p>
<p>Belief that a look can cause disease or disaster contradicts tawhid; the evil eye is simply envy, whose harm lies in how it is acted upon. Mufti Abu Layth says believing in superstitions such as the evil eye causing harm contradicts the tawhid of Allah.</p>
<p>Answer from 13 February 2018 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: The Evil Eye has no reality in Islam - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/tawhid-and-shirk exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/">Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd3ehW0VTls&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yd3ehw0vtls/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>If jinn do not possess people, what is ruqya for?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/20/2017-09-20T00:00:00Z2017-09-20T00:00:00ZIf jinn do not possess people, what is ruqya for?
The Quran is a cure for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, and ruqya and the taught du'as are a scaffolding to steady people's iman because humans cling to ritual and fall easily into superstition. The du'a against omens shows the Prophet using this method. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran's healing is for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, and that ruqya and the taught du'as are a scaffolding Allah gave to steady people's iman because humans fall easily into superstition.
Answer from 20 September 2017 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:35:16)
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/17/
Watch on YouTube at 1:35:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=5716s<p><b>If jinn do not possess people, what is ruqya for?</b></p>
<p>The Quran is a cure for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, and ruqya and the taught du'as are a scaffolding to steady people's iman because humans cling to ritual and fall easily into superstition. The du'a against omens shows the Prophet using this method. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran's healing is for what is in the hearts, meaning disbelief and superstition, and that ruqya and the taught du'as are a scaffolding Allah gave to steady people's iman because humans fall easily into superstition.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 September 2017 路 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 1:35:16)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/17/">Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=5716s">Watch on YouTube at 1:35:16</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/20/">Open the segment</a></p>Why do jinn seem to afflict only people who believe in them?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/9/2017-09-20T00:00:00Z2017-09-20T00:00:00ZWhy do jinn seem to afflict only people who believe in them?
Amulet writers, raqis and shrine touts run a business of lies, as the guest's stories of ambiguous amulets and promised sons show. Jinn never trouble him, atheists or non-Muslims, only those of weak belief, which he calls a lie against Allah and his Messenger that robs people of money and women of honour.
Answer from 20 September 2017 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)
Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:09)
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/
Watch on YouTube at 44:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=2649s<p><b>Why do jinn seem to afflict only people who believe in them?</b></p>
<p>Amulet writers, raqis and shrine touts run a business of lies, as the guest's stories of ambiguous amulets and promised sons show. Jinn never trouble him, atheists or non-Muslims, only those of weak belief, which he calls a lie against Allah and his Messenger that robs people of money and women of honour.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 September 2017 路 auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:09)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations 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=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=2649s">Watch on YouTube at 44:09</a> 路 <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/9/">Open the segment</a></p>