Mufti Abu Layth Archive: dialogue/atheists-and-polemicistsAnswers on dialogue/atheists-and-polemicists, newest recording first.https://muftiabulayth.org/feeds/topics/dialogue-atheists-and-polemicists.atom.xml2021-04-13T00:00:00ZMufti Abu Layth Archivepipeline/feeds.pyAre there answers to the hardest ethical questions about stories in the Quran?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/11/2021-04-13T00:00:00Z2021-04-13T00:00:00ZAre there answers to the hardest ethical questions about stories in the Quran?
Mufti Abu Layth says he has answered every hard question on his 2016 list, such as the killing of the boy in Moses' story, by research true to the text, and others can build on it.
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 40:01)
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/24/
Watch on YouTube at 40:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=2401s<p><b>Are there answers to the hardest ethical questions about stories in the Quran?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says he has answered every hard question on his 2016 list, such as the killing of the boy in Moses' story, by research true to the text, and others can build on it.</p>
<p>Answer from 13 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #210 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 40:01)</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=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=2401s">Watch on YouTube at 40:01</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/11/">Open the segment</a></p>Who are the Ibadis and what does the Mufti think of them?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/46/2021-02-16T00:00:00Z2021-02-16T00:00:00ZWho 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): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/7/
Watch on YouTube at 2:31:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=9070s<p><b>Who are the Ibadis and what does the Mufti think of them?</b></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Answer from 16 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #202| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:31:10)</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=--PntsaR8ck&t=9070s">Watch on YouTube at 2:31:10</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/46/">Open the segment</a></p>Is rejecting embarrassing hadith about the Prophet just whitewashing history?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ijwbevcc6o8/s/6/2021-02-02T00:00:00Z2021-02-02T00:00:00ZIs rejecting embarrassing hadith about the Prophet just whitewashing history?
Mufti Abu Layth says the 'they would not invent it' argument is cogent at face value, but a fair critic must also ask who had a motive to fabricate a report. Mufti Abu Layth says that, to be fair, one must ask whether one can think of any motive for people to have fabricated a hadith, which critics do not do or do not do fairly.
Answer from 2 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #200| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 31:34)
A more recent answer on history/sirah/age-of-aisha exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/4/
Watch on YouTube at 32:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijwBevcC6o8&t=1920s<p><b>Is rejecting embarrassing hadith about the Prophet just whitewashing history?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says the 'they would not invent it' argument is cogent at face value, but a fair critic must also ask who had a motive to fabricate a report. Mufti Abu Layth says that, to be fair, one must ask whether one can think of any motive for people to have fabricated a hadith, which critics do not do or do not do fairly.</p>
<p>Answer from 2 February 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #200| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 31:34)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/sirah/age-of-aisha exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/4/">Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijwBevcC6o8&t=1920s">Watch on YouTube at 32:00</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ijwbevcc6o8/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Would you debate Mohammed Hijab or talk with Richard Dawkins?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/w6tqwuuumcg/s/18/2020-10-27T00:00:00Z2020-10-27T00:00:00ZWould you debate Mohammed Hijab or talk with Richard Dawkins?
Mufti Abu Layth doubts Mohammed Hijab would come on Mind Trap, and says he would love to talk with Richard Dawkins, whom he admires.
Answer from 27 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #188 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:07:42)
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists (13 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/31/
Watch on YouTube at 2:07:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6TqWuUumCg&t=7662s<p><b>Would you debate Mohammed Hijab or talk with Richard Dawkins?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth doubts Mohammed Hijab would come on Mind Trap, and says he would love to talk with Richard Dawkins, whom he admires.</p>
<p>Answer from 27 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #188 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:07:42)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists</b> (13 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/31/">Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6TqWuUumCg&t=7662s">Watch on YouTube at 2:07:42</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/w6tqwuuumcg/s/18/">Open the segment</a></p>Did Patricia Crone accept that the Prophet Muhammad existed?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jtyem-eee78/s/14/2020-09-22T00:00:00Z2020-09-22T00:00:00ZDid Patricia Crone accept that the Prophet Muhammad existed?
Mufti Abu Layth agrees with Patricia Crone that the Prophet's existence is certain, since sources document him from his last year or just after. Agreeing with Patricia Crone, Mufti Abu Layth holds that it is very clear the Prophet existed, because he is documented in sources from his final year or a couple of years after.
Answer from 22 September 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #183 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:17:16)
A more recent answer on history/sirah/defending-the-prophet exists (19 August 2022): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/20/
Watch on YouTube at 1:17:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYEM-eEe78&t=4636s<p><b>Did Patricia Crone accept that the Prophet Muhammad existed?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth agrees with Patricia Crone that the Prophet's existence is certain, since sources document him from his last year or just after. Agreeing with Patricia Crone, Mufti Abu Layth holds that it is very clear the Prophet existed, because he is documented in sources from his final year or a couple of years after.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 September 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #183 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:17:16)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/sirah/defending-the-prophet exists</b> (19 August 2022): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/20/">Should loyalty to a scholar ever come before the honour of the Prophet?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYEM-eEe78&t=4636s">Watch on YouTube at 1:17:16</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jtyem-eee78/s/14/">Open the segment</a></p>Are there enemies of Islam today?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jtyem-eee78/s/11/2020-09-22T00:00:00Z2020-09-22T00:00:00ZAre there enemies of Islam today?
Mufti Abu Layth says some people do hate Islam, but criticising or leaving Islam is not the same as hating it, and he will not engage those driven by hatred. Mufti Abu Layth says that a person criticising Islam does not, to him, mean that the person hates Islam.
Answer from 22 September 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #183 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 57:56)
A more recent answer on society/technology-and-media exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/4/
Watch on YouTube at 58:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYEM-eEe78&t=3515s<p><b>Are there enemies of Islam today?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says some people do hate Islam, but criticising or leaving Islam is not the same as hating it, and he will not engage those driven by hatred. Mufti Abu Layth says that a person criticising Islam does not, to him, mean that the person hates Islam.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 September 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #183 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 57:56)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/technology-and-media exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/4/">Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYEM-eEe78&t=3515s">Watch on YouTube at 58:35</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jtyem-eee78/s/11/">Open the segment</a></p>How should Muslims react when someone tears or burns the Quran?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/22/2020-08-24T00:00:00Z2020-08-24T00:00:00ZHow should Muslims react when someone tears or burns the Quran?
Mufti Abu Layth says tearing the Quran harms nothing in Islam and Muslims should never be enraged by it, while he condemns it and urges everyone to respect religious symbols.
Answer from 24 August 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #179 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:27:21)
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/3/
Watch on YouTube at 1:27:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=5241s<p><b>How should Muslims react when someone tears or burns the Quran?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says tearing the Quran harms nothing in Islam and Muslims should never be enraged by it, while he condemns it and urges everyone to respect religious symbols.</p>
<p>Answer from 24 August 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #179 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:27:21)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/3/">How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=5241s">Watch on YouTube at 1:27:21</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/22/">Open the segment</a></p>How did Hamza Ali Abbasi do in his debate with Harris Sultan?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wkhoro-qb20/s/1/2020-01-12T00:00:00Z2020-01-12T00:00:00ZHow did Hamza Ali Abbasi do in his debate with Harris Sultan?
Mufti Abu Layth says Hamza Ali Abbasi showed genius-level intelligence and came out on top against Harris Sultan.
Answer from 12 January 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Thoughts on Hamza Ali Abbasi's discussion with Harris Sultan | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/3/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkhoro-Qb20&t=0s<p><b>How did Hamza Ali Abbasi do in his debate with Harris Sultan?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says Hamza Ali Abbasi showed genius-level intelligence and came out on top against Harris Sultan.</p>
<p>Answer from 12 January 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Thoughts on Hamza Ali Abbasi's discussion with Harris Sultan | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/3/">How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkhoro-Qb20&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wkhoro-qb20/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Why did the earliest mosques face Petra instead of Makkah?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/6/2019-12-17T00:00:00Z2019-12-17T00:00:00ZWhy did the earliest mosques face Petra instead of Makkah?
Most likely, he says, because Muslims inherited Nabataean devotion sites already aligned to Petra's constellation, so Gibson is right about the measurements but wrong that Petra was Makkah. Makkah was called Umm al-Qura, he suggests, after Petra's name, brought by Qusayy. Mufti Abu Layth says the early mosque foundations that point to Petra were most likely Nabataean devotion sites aligned to Petra's constellation that Muslims inherited, so that Dan Gibson may be right about the foundations but for the wrong reasons, not because Petra was Makkah.
Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:21)
A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 18:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=1101s<p><b>Why did the earliest mosques face Petra instead of Makkah?</b></p>
<p>Most likely, he says, because Muslims inherited Nabataean devotion sites already aligned to Petra's constellation, so Gibson is right about the measurements but wrong that Petra was Makkah. Makkah was called Umm al-Qura, he suggests, after Petra's name, brought by Qusayy. Mufti Abu Layth says the early mosque foundations that point to Petra were most likely Nabataean devotion sites aligned to Petra's constellation that Muslims inherited, so that Dan Gibson may be right about the foundations but for the wrong reasons, not because Petra was Makkah.</p>
<p>Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:21)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/">Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=1101s">Watch on YouTube at 18:21</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Why do early Islamic books call the Ka'bah 'the Shami Ka'bah'?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/4/2019-12-17T00:00:00Z2019-12-17T00:00:00ZWhy do early Islamic books call the Ka'bah 'the Shami Ka'bah'?
Mufti Abu Layth suggests Qusayy, raised in Petra, rebuilt the Ka'bah and settled Quraysh around it in a Shami style, which is why early books call it the Shami Ka'bah. It does not mean the Ka'bah was in Sham. Mufti Abu Layth says Qusayy's reorganisation of Makkah and the Ka'bah's surroundings may reflect his upbringing in Petra, which is why early books call the Ka'bah 'the Shami Ka'bah', rather than because the Ka'bah was in Sham.
Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 10:31)
A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 10:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=631s<p><b>Why do early Islamic books call the Ka'bah 'the Shami Ka'bah'?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth suggests Qusayy, raised in Petra, rebuilt the Ka'bah and settled Quraysh around it in a Shami style, which is why early books call it the Shami Ka'bah. It does not mean the Ka'bah was in Sham. Mufti Abu Layth says Qusayy's reorganisation of Makkah and the Ka'bah's surroundings may reflect his upbringing in Petra, which is why early books call the Ka'bah 'the Shami Ka'bah', rather than because the Ka'bah was in Sham.</p>
<p>Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 10:31)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/">Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=631s">Watch on YouTube at 10:31</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/4/">Open the segment</a></p>Who was Qusayy ibn Kilab and where was he raised?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/3/2019-12-17T00:00:00Z2019-12-17T00:00:00ZWho was Qusayy ibn Kilab and where was he raised?
Mufti proposes that Petra shaped early Islam through the Prophet's great-grandfather Qusayy, who was raised as a foreigner in Wadi al-Qura, which Mufti Abu Layth identifies with Petra. Qusayy's name means 'little stranger', and his longing for belonging drew him back to Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth proposes that Petra shaped early Islamic phenomena through Qusayy ibn Kilab, the Prophet's great-grandfather, whom he believes was raised in Wadi al-Qura, a place he identifies with Petra.
Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:15)
A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 5:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=315s<p><b>Who was Qusayy ibn Kilab and where was he raised?</b></p>
<p>Mufti proposes that Petra shaped early Islam through the Prophet's great-grandfather Qusayy, who was raised as a foreigner in Wadi al-Qura, which Mufti Abu Layth identifies with Petra. Qusayy's name means 'little stranger', and his longing for belonging drew him back to Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth proposes that Petra shaped early Islamic phenomena through Qusayy ibn Kilab, the Prophet's great-grandfather, whom he believes was raised in Wadi al-Qura, a place he identifies with Petra.</p>
<p>Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:15)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/">Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=315s">Watch on YouTube at 5:15</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>What is Dan Gibson's Petra theory and are his measurements trustworthy?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/2/2019-12-17T00:00:00Z2019-12-17T00:00:00ZWhat is Dan Gibson's Petra theory and are his measurements trustworthy?
Gibson measured around 160 early mosque foundations and found the earliest pointing to Petra rather than Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth says the data are transparent and not falsified, though Gibson is somewhat mischievous, and that his explanation of the south-pointing North African mosques is ridiculous.
Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:36)
A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 2:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=156s<p><b>What is Dan Gibson's Petra theory and are his measurements trustworthy?</b></p>
<p>Gibson measured around 160 early mosque foundations and found the earliest pointing to Petra rather than Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth says the data are transparent and not falsified, though Gibson is somewhat mischievous, and that his explanation of the south-pointing North African mosques is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:36)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/">Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=156s">Watch on YouTube at 2:36</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Was pre-Islamic Makkah really a significant city?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/1/2019-12-17T00:00:00Z2019-12-17T00:00:00ZWas pre-Islamic Makkah really a significant city?
Mufti Abu Layth thinks the revisionists have a point: Makkah was not a significant city or even a popular town, and its later image was an innocent reconstruction by Muslims rather than propaganda. He notes that Crone and Cook placed Makkah further north without settling on Petra. Mufti Abu Layth says the revisionist historians have a point that pre-Islamic Makkah was not a significant city or even a popular town, and that its later image was an innocent reconstruction by later Muslims rather than propaganda.
Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:01)
A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists (26 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/
Watch on YouTube at 0:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=1s<p><b>Was pre-Islamic Makkah really a significant city?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth thinks the revisionists have a point: Makkah was not a significant city or even a popular town, and its later image was an innocent reconstruction by Muslims rather than propaganda. He notes that Crone and Cook placed Makkah further north without settling on Petra. Mufti Abu Layth says the revisionist historians have a point that pre-Islamic Makkah was not a significant city or even a popular town, and that its later image was an innocent reconstruction by later Muslims rather than propaganda.</p>
<p>Answer from 17 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Dan Gibson: "Why The Early Qiblas Faced Petra?" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:01)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists</b> (26 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/14/">Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYtKJ9z1cw&t=1s">Watch on YouTube at 0:01</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/-jytkj9z1cw/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>How should Muslims respond to ex-Muslims who hate God?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/c9vke9rpq9o/s/6/2019-09-19T00:00:00Z2019-09-19T00:00:00ZHow should Muslims respond to ex-Muslims who hate God?
Meet hatred with love: hating God does not harm God, so there is no need to abuse such people. Many ex-Muslims are hurting, and Muslims can stay their friends. Mufti Abu Layth says that if someone hates God, Muslims need not attack or abuse them but can extend a hand of humanity and remain friends.
Answer from 19 September 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A reply to Asadulah Al-Andalusi on the age of Aisha (r) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 19:20)
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/5/
Watch on YouTube at 19:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9vke9Rpq9o&t=1160s<p><b>How should Muslims respond to ex-Muslims who hate God?</b></p>
<p>Meet hatred with love: hating God does not harm God, so there is no need to abuse such people. Many ex-Muslims are hurting, and Muslims can stay their friends. Mufti Abu Layth says that if someone hates God, Muslims need not attack or abuse them but can extend a hand of humanity and remain friends.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 September 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A reply to Asadulah Al-Andalusi on the age of Aisha (r) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 19:20)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/5/">Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9vke9Rpq9o&t=1160s">Watch on YouTube at 19:20</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/c9vke9rpq9o/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Should Muslims build bridges with ex-Muslims?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/c9vke9rpq9o/s/1/2019-09-19T00:00:00Z2019-09-19T00:00:00ZShould Muslims build bridges with ex-Muslims?
Yes: he hopes Muslims can talk with ex-Muslims and critics as fellow human beings, as the early converts were won by human connection. He contrasts this with a preacher who refused any friendship with them. Mufti Abu Layth says he hopes Muslims can build bridges with ex-Muslims and anyone who has issues with Islam, since we are human beings first and foremost.
Answer from 19 September 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A reply to Asadulah Al-Andalusi on the age of Aisha (r) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on dialogue/atheists-and-polemicists exists (13 April 2021): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/11/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9vke9Rpq9o&t=0s<p><b>Should Muslims build bridges with ex-Muslims?</b></p>
<p>Yes: he hopes Muslims can talk with ex-Muslims and critics as fellow human beings, as the early converts were won by human connection. He contrasts this with a preacher who refused any friendship with them. Mufti Abu Layth says he hopes Muslims can build bridges with ex-Muslims and anyone who has issues with Islam, since we are human beings first and foremost.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 September 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A reply to Asadulah Al-Andalusi on the age of Aisha (r) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on dialogue/atheists-and-polemicists exists</b> (13 April 2021): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/11/">Are there answers to the hardest ethical questions about stories in the Quran?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9vke9Rpq9o&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/c9vke9rpq9o/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Can people be moral without religion?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/4/2019-08-04T00:00:00Z2019-08-04T00:00:00ZCan people be moral without religion?
Yes: humans know that killing is wrong without scripture, which came to reinforce it, and secular European societies have reached ethics without God. He strongly disagrees with deriding that. Mufti Abu Layth says human beings knew killing was wrong without scripture, and the commandment came only to reinforce it.
Answer from 4 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Thoughts on Muhammad Hijab's talk on Liberalism & Islam | Mufti Abu Layth (at 19:02)
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/
Watch on YouTube at 19:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=1142s<p><b>Can people be moral without religion?</b></p>
<p>Yes: humans know that killing is wrong without scripture, which came to reinforce it, and secular European societies have reached ethics without God. He strongly disagrees with deriding that. Mufti Abu Layth says human beings knew killing was wrong without scripture, and the commandment came only to reinforce it.</p>
<p>Answer from 4 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Thoughts on Muhammad Hijab's talk on Liberalism & Islam | Mufti Abu Layth (at 19:02)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/27/">Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=1142s">Watch on YouTube at 19:02</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/4/">Open the segment</a></p>Does the word 'women' in Surah al-Talaq rule out children?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/8/2019-07-25T00:00:00Z2019-07-25T00:00:00ZDoes the word 'women' in Surah al-Talaq rule out children?
Yes: the passage opens with nisa, women, a word never used of a six- or seven-year-old, just as boys are never called rijal, and the verses go on to envisage pregnancy, which nobody would expect of a child. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the word nisa with which the passage opens is never used of a little girl, any more than rijal is used of a boy, and that the passage's provision for pregnancy shows it concerns adult women.
Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:43)
A more recent answer on quran/arabic-language exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/13/
Watch on YouTube at 24:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1483s<p><b>Does the word 'women' in Surah al-Talaq rule out children?</b></p>
<p>Yes: the passage opens with nisa, women, a word never used of a six- or seven-year-old, just as boys are never called rijal, and the verses go on to envisage pregnancy, which nobody would expect of a child. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the word nisa with which the passage opens is never used of a little girl, any more than rijal is used of a boy, and that the passage's provision for pregnancy shows it concerns adult women.</p>
<p>Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:43)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/arabic-language exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/13/">Is the 'light' that came with the clear book in 5:15 the Prophet or the Quran itself?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1483s">Watch on YouTube at 24:43</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/8/">Open the segment</a></p>Did classical scholars really say Quran 65:4 includes little girls?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/7/2019-07-25T00:00:00Z2019-07-25T00:00:00ZDid classical scholars really say Quran 65:4 includes little girls?
Yes, some did: Mufti Abu Layth concedes that commentators such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi wrote that the phrase can include little girls, which he condemns as a mistake. He says their saying so is not the Quran saying so, and the evidence lies in how the passage opens. Mufti Abu Layth concedes that commentators such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi wrote that 65:4 can include little girls, condemns this as a mistake, and holds that a commentator's reading does not make the Quran say it.
Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 22:06)
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/24/
Watch on YouTube at 22:06: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1326s<p><b>Did classical scholars really say Quran 65:4 includes little girls?</b></p>
<p>Yes, some did: Mufti Abu Layth concedes that commentators such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi wrote that the phrase can include little girls, which he condemns as a mistake. He says their saying so is not the Quran saying so, and the evidence lies in how the passage opens. Mufti Abu Layth concedes that commentators such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi wrote that 65:4 can include little girls, condemns this as a mistake, and holds that a commentator's reading does not make the Quran say it.</p>
<p>Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 22:06)</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=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1326s">Watch on YouTube at 22:06</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/7/">Open the segment</a></p>Does 'those who have not menstruated' in Quran 65:4 refer to little girls?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/6/2019-07-25T00:00:00Z2019-07-25T00:00:00ZDoes 'those who have not menstruated' in Quran 65:4 refer to little girls?
No: Mufti Abu Layth says the phrase refers to women whose cycles are absent through illness or irregularity, as Abu Hayyan, Ibn Ashur, al-Samarqandi, Abu al-Su'ud and Ibn Atiyya read it. Al-Tha'labi records that the verse was revealed about a man who divorced his wife during her menses. Mufti Abu Layth holds that 'those who have not menstruated' in 65:4 refers to women whose cycles are absent through illness or irregularity, not to prepubescent girls, as Abu Hayyan, Ibn Ashur and other commentators read it.
Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:09)
A more recent answer on fiqh/divorce exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/12/
Watch on YouTube at 18:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1089s<p><b>Does 'those who have not menstruated' in Quran 65:4 refer to little girls?</b></p>
<p>No: Mufti Abu Layth says the phrase refers to women whose cycles are absent through illness or irregularity, as Abu Hayyan, Ibn Ashur, al-Samarqandi, Abu al-Su'ud and Ibn Atiyya read it. Al-Tha'labi records that the verse was revealed about a man who divorced his wife during her menses. Mufti Abu Layth holds that 'those who have not menstruated' in 65:4 refers to women whose cycles are absent through illness or irregularity, not to prepubescent girls, as Abu Hayyan, Ibn Ashur and other commentators read it.</p>
<p>Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:09)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/divorce exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/12/">Why was Imam Malik flogged?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1089s">Watch on YouTube at 18:09</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>How should Muslims respond to an ex-Muslim who criticises the Quran?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/2/2019-07-25T00:00:00Z2019-07-25T00:00:00ZHow should Muslims respond to an ex-Muslim who criticises the Quran?
Attack the argument, not the person: Mufti Abu Layth says a genuine seeker deserves respect, that the claim itself is false, and that Muslims who call the Prophet a mercy to the world must show it in how they respond. Mufti Abu Layth holds that people who are genuine in their search should be left to search wherever it takes them, and that Muslims should not attack an ex-Muslim critic as a person.
Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:07)
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/
Watch on YouTube at 5:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=307s<p><b>How should Muslims respond to an ex-Muslim who criticises the Quran?</b></p>
<p>Attack the argument, not the person: Mufti Abu Layth says a genuine seeker deserves respect, that the claim itself is false, and that Muslims who call the Prophet a mercy to the world must show it in how they respond. Mufti Abu Layth holds that people who are genuine in their search should be left to search wherever it takes them, and that Muslims should not attack an ex-Muslim critic as a person.</p>
<p>Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:07)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/32/">How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=307s">Watch on YouTube at 5:07</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Who transmitted the hadith 'whoever changes his religion, kill him', and does the Quran punish apostasy?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/1/2019-07-25T00:00:00Z2019-07-25T00:00:00ZWho transmitted the hadith 'whoever changes his religion, kill him', and does the Quran punish apostasy?
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran is ambivalent about those who leave Islam and that the call to kill apostates is nonsense; the report 'whoever changes his religion, kill him' in Bukhari rests solely on Ikrima, a Khariji whom Imam Malik and Ibn Umar distrusted. He introduces Abdullah Sameer's post as the subject he will answer. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran is ambivalent towards those who leave Islam and prescribes no killing of apostates, and that the report 'whoever changes his religion, kill him' rests solely on Ikrima, a Khariji whom Imam Malik and companions distrusted.
Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 1:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=78s<p><b>Who transmitted the hadith 'whoever changes his religion, kill him', and does the Quran punish apostasy?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran is ambivalent about those who leave Islam and that the call to kill apostates is nonsense; the report 'whoever changes his religion, kill him' in Bukhari rests solely on Ikrima, a Khariji whom Imam Malik and Ibn Umar distrusted. He introduces Abdullah Sameer's post as the subject he will answer. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran is ambivalent towards those who leave Islam and prescribes no killing of apostates, and that the report 'whoever changes his religion, kill him' rests solely on Ikrima, a Khariji whom Imam Malik and companions distrusted.</p>
<p>Answer from 25 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/2/">Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=78s">Watch on YouTube at 1:18</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Was the first qibla really Petra, as Dan Gibson claims?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/3ux_blolsf8/s/1/2019-07-19T00:00:00Z2019-07-19T00:00:00ZWas the first qibla really Petra, as Dan Gibson claims?
Mufti Abu Layth is not convinced that the first qibla was Petra: the statistical argument is a fallacy and Sunnis, Shia and Khawarij would never all have agreed on the Ka'bah. He still finds revisionist research compelling on some other matters and says Muslims should engage with it. Mufti Abu Layth says he is not convinced by Dan Gibson's thesis that the early qibla was Petra, since its statistical argument is a fallacy and Sunnis, Shia and Khawarij would never all have agreed on the Ka'bah, though he finds revisionist research compelling on some other matters and says Muslims should engage with it.
Answer from 19 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: My thoughts on Dan Gibson's Petra research | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on history/orthodoxy-and-how-islam-spread exists (13 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f_4jnua3arq/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ux_bLoLSf8&t=0s<p><b>Was the first qibla really Petra, as Dan Gibson claims?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth is not convinced that the first qibla was Petra: the statistical argument is a fallacy and Sunnis, Shia and Khawarij would never all have agreed on the Ka'bah. He still finds revisionist research compelling on some other matters and says Muslims should engage with it. Mufti Abu Layth says he is not convinced by Dan Gibson's thesis that the early qibla was Petra, since its statistical argument is a fallacy and Sunnis, Shia and Khawarij would never all have agreed on the Ka'bah, though he finds revisionist research compelling on some other matters and says Muslims should engage with it.</p>
<p>Answer from 19 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: My thoughts on Dan Gibson's Petra research | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/orthodoxy-and-how-islam-spread exists</b> (13 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f_4jnua3arq/s/6/">Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ux_bLoLSf8&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/3ux_blolsf8/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Does the Sana'a manuscript support or undermine the Muslim account of the Quran's history?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/11/2019-03-01T00:00:00Z2019-03-01T00:00:00ZDoes the Sana'a manuscript support or undermine the Muslim account of the Quran's history?
The Sana'a find confirms the traditional account: a first-century Quran, companions who sometimes erred as the hadith say, and Uthman's standardisation of one reading. The largest discrepancy is a dropped word that exists elsewhere in the Quran. Mufti Abu Layth says the Sana'a find confirms the traditional account of the Quran's history, a first-century text, companions who sometimes misread, and Uthman's standardisation of one reading, and so vindicates the transparency of the Muslim tradition.
Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 32:35)
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/4/
Watch on YouTube at 32:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=1955s<p><b>Does the Sana'a manuscript support or undermine the Muslim account of the Quran's history?</b></p>
<p>The Sana'a find confirms the traditional account: a first-century Quran, companions who sometimes erred as the hadith say, and Uthman's standardisation of one reading. The largest discrepancy is a dropped word that exists elsewhere in the Quran. Mufti Abu Layth says the Sana'a find confirms the traditional account of the Quran's history, a first-century text, companions who sometimes misread, and Uthman's standardisation of one reading, and so vindicates the transparency of the Muslim tradition.</p>
<p>Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 32:35)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/4/">Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=1955s">Watch on YouTube at 32:35</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/11/">Open the segment</a></p>Does the Sana'a manuscript prove the Quran evolved over time?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/10/2019-03-01T00:00:00Z2019-03-01T00:00:00ZDoes the Sana'a manuscript prove the Quran evolved over time?
The discrepancies in the Sana'a text are petty changes of pronouns and dropped words that serve no purpose, so they cannot be a deliberate evolution of the Quran, which nobody would have risked his life for. They are most likely a writer's mistaken notes. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Sana'a discrepancies cannot be a deliberate evolution of the Quran, because they change nothing of substance and no one would have risked his life for such petty alterations.
Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:39)
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/4/
Watch on YouTube at 28:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=1719s<p><b>Does the Sana'a manuscript prove the Quran evolved over time?</b></p>
<p>The discrepancies in the Sana'a text are petty changes of pronouns and dropped words that serve no purpose, so they cannot be a deliberate evolution of the Quran, which nobody would have risked his life for. They are most likely a writer's mistaken notes. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Sana'a discrepancies cannot be a deliberate evolution of the Quran, because they change nothing of substance and no one would have risked his life for such petty alterations.</p>
<p>Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:39)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/4/">Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=1719s">Watch on YouTube at 28:39</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/10/">Open the segment</a></p>Does the Sana'a manuscript show that the Quran was changed?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/4/2019-03-01T00:00:00Z2019-03-01T00:00:00ZDoes the Sana'a manuscript show that the Quran was changed?
The Sana'a manuscript and others such as the Birmingham manuscript date to the first century of Islam, when the Quran was the one text Muslims documented and taught everywhere. The Quran was too widespread and too distinctive in style to corrupt profitably, which is why fabrication targeted hadith instead. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Sana'a find does not show an evolving Quran: the manuscript dates to the first century like others, the Quran was the one text documented and taught everywhere from the start, and it was too widespread and too distinctive in style to corrupt, so fabrication targeted hadith instead.
Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:47)
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/4/
Watch on YouTube at 7:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=467s<p><b>Does the Sana'a manuscript show that the Quran was changed?</b></p>
<p>The Sana'a manuscript and others such as the Birmingham manuscript date to the first century of Islam, when the Quran was the one text Muslims documented and taught everywhere. The Quran was too widespread and too distinctive in style to corrupt profitably, which is why fabrication targeted hadith instead. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Sana'a find does not show an evolving Quran: the manuscript dates to the first century like others, the Quran was the one text documented and taught everywhere from the start, and it was too widespread and too distinctive in style to corrupt, so fabrication targeted hadith instead.</p>
<p>Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:47)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/4/">Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=467s">Watch on YouTube at 7:47</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/4/">Open the segment</a></p>Who has studied the Sana'a palimpsest and what is the controversy about?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/3/2019-03-01T00:00:00Z2019-03-01T00:00:00ZWho has studied the Sana'a palimpsest and what is the controversy about?
The Sana'a manuscript is a palimpsest studied by the Puins, Asma Hilali, Sadeghi and Goudarzi, and people online have used it to claim that the Quran Muslims have is not the original. Mufti Abu Layth sets out to answer that claim.
Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:10)
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists (29 September 2024): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/4/
Watch on YouTube at 5:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=310s<p><b>Who has studied the Sana'a palimpsest and what is the controversy about?</b></p>
<p>The Sana'a manuscript is a palimpsest studied by the Puins, Asma Hilali, Sadeghi and Goudarzi, and people online have used it to claim that the Quran Muslims have is not the original. Mufti Abu Layth sets out to answer that claim.</p>
<p>Answer from 1 March 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: In Depth: The Sanaʽa Manuscript -Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:10)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists</b> (29 September 2024): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hmurvu2c9yq/s/4/">Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fAZ7xW53Y&t=310s">Watch on YouTube at 5:10</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/k6faz7xw53y/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>Was the Prophet Muhammad poisoned, and did he die from it?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gcid83kra2i/s/1/2018-09-17T00:00:00Z2018-09-17T00:00:00ZWas the Prophet Muhammad poisoned, and did he die from it?
No: Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet did not die of poisoning. The report in Bukhari that he felt the poison cutting his aorta in his final illness is, in his view, a fabricated story that contradicts itself and fails on its chain. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Prophet did not die of poisoning and that the report in which the Prophet says in his final illness that he feels the poison cutting his aorta is a fabricated story.
Answer from 17 September 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: False Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ Was Poisoned Before He Died (at 0:01)
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 0:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCid83kRA2I&t=1s<p><b>Was the Prophet Muhammad poisoned, and did he die from it?</b></p>
<p>No: Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet did not die of poisoning. The report in Bukhari that he felt the poison cutting his aorta in his final illness is, in his view, a fabricated story that contradicts itself and fails on its chain. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Prophet did not die of poisoning and that the report in which the Prophet says in his final illness that he feels the poison cutting his aorta is a fabricated story.</p>
<p>Answer from 17 September 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: False Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ Was Poisoned Before He Died (at 0:01)</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=gCid83kRA2I&t=1s">Watch on YouTube at 0:01</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gcid83kra2i/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>