Mufti Abu Layth Archive: history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture

Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Sat, 15 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Archaeology has not found the kingdoms of David and Solomon, and Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims should apply the same scrutiny to their own narrations, where early scholars differed over al-Aqsa and the first qibla and the Umayyads under Abd al-Malik promoted Jerusalem with fabricated hadith to rival Ibn al-Zubayr. Mufti Abu Layth says archaeology has not substantiated the kingdoms of David and Solomon, that early Muslim scholars differed over whether al-Masjid al-Aqsa was in Jerusalem or the heavens and whether the night journey was a vision, and that the Umayyads under Abd al-Malik fabricated hadith to promote Jerusalem against Ibn al-Zubayr in Makkah.

Answer from 15 May 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Palestinian Plight & Israeli Injustice | Mufti Abu Layth (at 20:57)

A more recent answer on society/current-events/palestine exists (17 May 2021): Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife?

Watch on YouTube at 20:57 · Open the segment

Did the parting of the sea have a natural explanation?

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Did the parting of the sea have a natural explanation?

God acts through the laws of nature, so the parting of the sea can have a natural explanation such as a strong wind, and Moses exposed the magicians' tricks rather than outdoing them with magic.

Answer from 6 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #209 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 3:26:41)

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

Watch on YouTube at 3:26:41 · Open the segment

Did Noah really live 950 years?

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Did Noah really live 950 years?

Noah's 950 years refers to an ancient counting system like those of the Sumerian king lists, signalled by the verse's unusual wording, not to ordinary years; he never said the Quran copied an error from the Bible.

Answer from 6 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #209 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 3:14:46)

A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 3:15:33 · Open the segment

News clip: the Pharaohs' Golden Parade in Cairo, and the Amenhotep III theory

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

News clip: the Pharaohs' Golden Parade in Cairo, and the Amenhotep III theory

A news clip on the Pharaohs' Golden Parade in Cairo, with Mufti Abu Layth recalling his discussion of whether Amenhotep III may have been Sulayman.

Answer from 6 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #209 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 8:14)

A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 8:14 · Open the segment

Was the Prophet Moses actually the pharaoh Akhenaten?

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

Was the Prophet Moses actually the pharaoh Akhenaten?

Mufti Abu Layth leans towards the theory that Moses was Akhenaten but says his research is ongoing and it is not established; he notes that the Levites bore Egyptian names. Mufti Abu Layth says he is inclined towards the theory that Moses was Akhenaten, though his research is still ongoing and he cannot say it as a fact.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #204 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 37:14)

A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists (19 February 2022): What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?

Watch on YouTube at 37:14 · Open the segment

Did the early Muslims respect the Torah and Bible, and are they corrupted?

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

Did the early Muslims respect the Torah and Bible, and are they corrupted?

The Bible has changed in words, stories and translation, but Mufti Abu Layth says its core message is still valid and the Quran does not call it wholly corrupted. Mufti Abu Layth says that in much of the Bible words, stories and translations would have changed, but its message would still be very much valid.

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 19:31)

A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 20:22 · Open the segment

Do creation myths in other cultures share a source with the Islamic account?

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

Do creation myths in other cultures share a source with the Islamic account?

Mufti Abu Layth feels the world's creation myths probably share a common origin, and suggests the name Adam predates Arabic and Hebrew, possibly from Sanskrit, though he is not sure. Mufti Abu Layth says many cultures' creation myths seem to share a common origin, and that the name Adam is not of Arabic origin and may be older, possibly Sanskrit, though he is not certain.

Answer from 26 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 52:59)

A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists (19 January 2022): Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?

Watch on YouTube at 52:59 · Open the segment

Is Prophet Shu'ayb the same as Jethro in the Bible?

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

Is Prophet Shu'ayb the same as Jethro in the Bible?

At face value they seem to be the same person, since Moses goes to the priest of Midian in both accounts, but he says he has not researched it.

Answer from 26 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 45:11)

A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists (19 February 2022): What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?

Watch on YouTube at 45:11 · Open the segment

What is the Ark of the Covenant in Islam?

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

What is the Ark of the Covenant in Islam?

The Quran mentions the Ark (tabut) without saying what was in it, Mufti Abu Layth says; one early Maliki linguist described the sakinah in a way that resembles the cherubim. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran briefly mentions the Ark of the Covenant but it is not clear what the things in it were.

Answer from 19 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:06:12)

A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists (19 February 2022): What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?

Watch on YouTube at 1:06:12 · Open the segment

Is the story of Lilith in the Bible?

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is the story of Lilith in the Bible?

No: the story comes from Jewish commentary on Genesis; the Bible only names Lilith vaguely in Isaiah as an evil spirit. Mufti Abu Layth says the exact story of Lilith is not in the Bible but in the mythology surrounding Genesis, though her name appears in the book of Isaiah.

Answer from 5 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #196 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:14:18)

A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 1:14:18 · Open the segment

Who was Lilith in Jewish legend?

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Who was Lilith in Jewish legend?

Mufti Abu Layth retells the Jewish legend of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who left him over equality and became a night demon.

Answer from 5 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #196 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:07:11)

A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists (19 January 2022): Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?

Watch on YouTube at 1:08:07 · Open the segment

What do the unusual words in the Dhul Qarnayn verses mean?

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What do the unusual words in the Dhul Qarnayn verses mean?

Mufti Abu Layth argues the wording of 18:83-90 is too vague to be a retelling of the Alexander legend; the guest says the Syriac subtext explains it and that without it the passage invites endless speculative readings, and they agree to differ.

Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:17:04)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists (18 October 2025): Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?

Watch on YouTube at 2:17:04 · Open the segment

Why does the Quran tell the story of Dhul Qarnayn so briefly?

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why does the Quran tell the story of Dhul Qarnayn so briefly?

The guest says the Quran retells the known legend concisely to show the Prophet's knowledge from God, while stripping its Christian imperial ending; Mufti Abu Layth objects that its unusual wording is too vague for that.

Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:11:24)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists (18 October 2025): Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?

Watch on YouTube at 2:11:24 · Open the segment

Is the Dhul Qarnayn story based on the legend of Alexander?

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is the Dhul Qarnayn story based on the legend of Alexander?

The guest says scholarship shows the Dhul Qarnayn story derives from a Byzantine Christian legend of Alexander walling in Gog and Magog, known to the Quran's first audience; Mufti Abu Layth asks why the Quran then tells it so ambiguously.

Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:06:50)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists (18 October 2025): Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?

Watch on YouTube at 2:06:50 · Open the segment

Who was Dhul Qarnayn, and who are Gog and Magog?

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Who was Dhul Qarnayn, and who are Gog and Magog?

Mufti Abu Layth identifies Dhul Qarnayn most likely with Cyrus the Great and reads Gog and Magog as havoc-wreaking forces, later the colonial powers; the guest says this already relies on ad hoc literary reinterpretation.

Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:01:55)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists (18 October 2025): Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?

Watch on YouTube at 2:01:55 · Open the segment

Should archaeology worry believers about the Quran's stories?

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Should archaeology worry believers about the Quran's stories?

The guest, as a self-described Islamic modernist following Fazlur Rahman, says believers need not fear archaeology, since the Quran re-attributes Jesus' miracles to God for theological rather than historical ends.

Answer from 11 December 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:42:25)

A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists (18 October 2025): Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?

Watch on YouTube at 1:42:25 · Open the segment

Why did so many cultures believe in the evil eye?

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why 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 · 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): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 17:44 · Open the segment

Why does the biblical tradition say God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son?

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

Why does the biblical tradition say God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son?

Mufti Abu Layth says the Israelites adopted the name Yahweh, a Near Eastern war god from the household of El, and that god's brutal character carried over into their picture of God, making such a command plausible to them. For Muslims, he says, that is not the true image of Allah. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Israelite picture of God inherited the brutal character of the war god Yahweh, which made a command to sacrifice a son plausible to them, and that this is not the true image of Allah.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: "God did NOT ask Abraham to sacrifice his son" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 17:12)

A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists (4 March 2024): How much does Allah love me?

Watch on YouTube at 17:12 · Open the segment

Where did the idea of sacrificing a son come from in Ibrahim's time?

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

Where did the idea of sacrificing a son come from in Ibrahim's time?

Human sacrifice to gods such as Moloch and Baal was a widespread practice of the ancient Near East, and the Bible's story of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter shows it. Mufti Abu Layth says this surrounding culture explains how such a dream could come to Ibrahim. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Ibrahim's dream of sacrificing his son is explained by the surrounding Near Eastern culture of human sacrifice working on the subconscious, not by a command from God.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: "God did NOT ask Abraham to sacrifice his son" | Mufti Abu Layth (at 3:58)

A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 3:58 · Open the segment

What were soma and haoma in the Hindu and Persian traditions?

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What were soma and haoma in the Hindu and Persian traditions?

Ancient traditions such as the Vedic soma and the Avestan haoma point to the same entheogenic experiences, which those cultures had no vocabulary to explain; soma is argued to be Amanita muscaria, which may explain the deification of cows and the drinking of their urine. Mufti Abu Layth says ancient traditions such as the Vedic soma and the Avestan haoma record the same entheogenic experiences without a vocabulary for them, and that if soma was Amanita muscaria this explains the Hindu drinking of cow urine and the deification of the animals.

Answer from 17 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Psychedelics are NOT haram | Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:24)

A more recent answer on belief/spiritual-experience-and-psychedelics exists (30 August 2021): Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?

Watch on YouTube at 18:24 · Open the segment

Does the Quran say the Israelites were slaves in Egypt?

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

Does the Quran say the Israelites were slaves in Egypt?

A chat question cites 26:22, where Moses says Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites; Mufti Abu Layth says historians describe them as outcast second-class citizens rather than slaves but grants the verse deserves a closer look.

Answer from 26 June 2020 · 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 2:24:24)

A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists (19 February 2022): What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?

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

Why did Moses carry a staff?

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Why did Moses carry a staff?

Mufti Abu Layth says Moses' staff partly reflects the Pharaonic culture he grew up in, and that keeping cultural practices is fine without affiliating with paganism. Mufti Abu Layth says he thinks part of Moses' staff was the culture of the Pharaohs he grew up in, where the pine-cone staff symbolised Osiris.

Answer from 29 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Who is Uzair in the Quran? Ezra or Osiris? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 14:29)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?

Watch on YouTube at 14:29 · Open the segment

Why did the Israelites ask Moses for an idol after leaving Egypt?

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Why did the Israelites ask Moses for an idol after leaving Egypt?

Mufti Abu Layth says the Israelites' request for an idol in 7:138 shows the Egyptian culture they carried, which explains them calling Osiris a son of God. Mufti Abu Layth says the Israelites emerging from Egypt carried a huge cultural baggage.

Answer from 29 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Who is Uzair in the Quran? Ezra or Osiris? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:26)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?

Watch on YouTube at 11:26 · Open the segment

Could Uzair in the Quran be the Egyptian figure Osiris?

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Could Uzair in the Quran be the Egyptian figure Osiris?

Mufti Abu Layth says it now appears to him that Uzair is Osiris, a divine hero of Egyptian mythology who shaped the culture the Israelites grew up in. Mufti Abu Layth says that, having revisited the question, it appears Uzair in the verse is Osiris of Egyptian mythology rather than Ezra.

Answer from 29 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Who is Uzair in the Quran? Ezra or Osiris? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:45)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?

Watch on YouTube at 5:45 · Open the segment

Who is Uzair mentioned in the Quran?

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Who is Uzair mentioned in the Quran?

Mufti Abu Layth says the common reading of Uzair as Ezra does not really fit, since Jews never called Ezra the son of God. Mufti Abu Layth says the interpretation of Uzair as Ezra does not really fit the bill and can only be a forced fit.

Answer from 29 December 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Who is Uzair in the Quran? Ezra or Osiris? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?

Watch on YouTube at 0:33 · Open the segment

Did ancient civilisations have knowledge that was later lost?

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Did ancient civilisations have knowledge that was later lost?

Mufti Abu Layth finds convincing the view that advanced ancient civilisations were destroyed around the Younger Dryas and left knowledge seen in old maps and constellation-aligned sites. He believes the Nabataeans built on earlier sites at Petra and set up devotion sites aligned to its constellation. Mufti Abu Layth says he finds convincing the view that advanced ancient civilisations with knowledge of the globe were destroyed around the Younger Dryas, and that neither the Nabataeans nor the pharaohs built Petra or the pyramids from scratch but built on earlier structures.

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 14:26)

A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists (10 March 2023): Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?

Watch on YouTube at 14:26 · Open the segment

Have men historically worn earrings, or is it a recent fashion?

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Have men historically worn earrings, or is it a recent fashion?

Men have worn earrings for thousands of years, in Assyria, Egypt, among the Israelites, in Persia, India and Europe, usually as a mark of nobility or soldiery. Only the European church restricted them to women, which is why defiant groups such as pirates kept wearing them. Mufti Abu Layth says that men across the ancient world, from Assyria and Egypt to Persia, India and Europe, wore earrings for thousands of years, often as a mark of nobility or soldiery, and that their restriction to women in Europe came from the church.

Answer from 24 July 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Holistic Overview: Can Men Wear Earrings? -Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:37)

A more recent answer on fiqh/dress-and-appearance/jewellery-gold-and-silk exists (10 March 2023): Is it haram for men to wear earrings?

Watch on YouTube at 2:37 · Open the segment

What does it mean that Jesus spoke to people in the cradle and in old age?

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

What does it mean that Jesus spoke to people in the cradle and in old age?

Mufti Abu Layth says the verse means Jesus would relate to people of every age when he preached, not that he spoke as a baby; that story likely came from apocryphal infancy gospels. Mufti Abu Layth says the verse means that Jesus, when he preached, would have such wisdom that he could relate to people of every age, from the very young to the old.

Answer from 23 February 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Did Jesus (a.s.) Speak in the Cradle? -Mufti Abu Layth (at 13:57)

A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists (19 August 2022): Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?

Watch on YouTube at 13:57 · Open the segment

Why does the Quran call the ruler in Yusuf's story a king but Musa's a Pharaoh?

Sat, 11 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why does the Quran call the ruler in Yusuf's story a king but Musa's a Pharaoh?

The thousand sana follow the counting of Nuh's own people and the fifty 'am are years as we count them. The Quran relates narratives in the terms of their own time, as when Yusuf's ruler is a king and Musa's is Pharaoh. Mufti Abu Layth holds that in Quran 29:14 the thousand sana follow the counting of Nuh's own people while the fifty 'am are years as we count them, and that the Quran relates narratives in the terms of their own time, as when the ruler in Yusuf's story is called a king and not a pharaoh.

Answer from 11 August 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Prophet Noah (a.s.) Did Not Live for 950 Years -Mufti Abu Layth (at 9:09)

A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists (18 October 2025): Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?

Watch on YouTube at 9:09 · Open the segment

Why do ancient texts say people lived for hundreds or thousands of years?

Sat, 11 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why do ancient texts say people lived for hundreds or thousands of years?

The enormous reigns in the Sumerian king lists reflect a different counting system, likely based on sixty, and the numbers shorten after the flood. Mufti Abu Layth believes the Old Testament's long lifespans were inherited from this Babylonian material. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the enormous reigns in the Sumerian king lists reflect a different counting system and that the long lifespans in the Old Testament were inherited from this Babylonian material.

Answer from 11 August 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Prophet Noah (a.s.) Did Not Live for 950 Years -Mufti Abu Layth (at 3:53)

A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists (15 May 2021): Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?

Watch on YouTube at 3:53 · Open the segment