Mufti Abu Layth Archive: history/umayyads-and-abbasids

Why was Imam Malik flogged?

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Why was Imam Malik flogged?

Malik was flogged for refusing to stop transmitting that a coerced divorce is invalid, which undercut forced oaths of allegiance to the Abbasids. Mufti Abu Layth says he doubts Malik stayed away from the mosque because of ill health, since he kept teaching at home for hours until his death.

Answer from 10 March 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Legendary Imam Malik Ibn Anas | Mufti Abu Layth (at 49:58)

A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists (19 April 2023): Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?

Watch on YouTube at 49:58 · Open the segment

How did Abu Hanifa die, and what was he known for among people?

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

How did Abu Hanifa die, and what was he known for among people?

Abu Hanifa was imprisoned by the Abbasids for supporting an uprising from the Prophet's family and died, perhaps poisoned, in prison; he was loved above all for his compassion and generosity. Mufti Abu Layth says the feature that most made Abu Hanifa's legacy glow and won people's hearts was his compassion and generosity towards students, teachers and people in need.

Answer from 10 December 2022 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Imam Abu Hanifa | Mufti Abu Layth (at 41:54)

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

Watch on YouTube at 41:54 · Open the segment

Was Abu Hanifa involved in politics?

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Was Abu Hanifa involved in politics?

Abu Hanifa supported Zayd ibn Ali's uprising and fled to Makkah under the Umayyads, and the Abbasids later made him chief supervisor of the building of Baghdad.

Answer from 10 December 2022 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Imam Abu Hanifa | Mufti Abu Layth (at 22:16)

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

Watch on YouTube at 22:16 · Open the segment

Is Jerusalem really a holy city in Islam?

Mon, 17 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is Jerusalem really a holy city in Islam?

In Mufti Abu Layth's view Jerusalem was never that sacred in Islam: its glorification began with Abd al-Malik's Dome of the Rock as a rival to Makkah, and he holds that al-Aqsa, 'the farthest' mosque, was in the heavens. Even if holy, it is bricks and mortar, and life comes before buildings. Mufti Abu Layth holds that from an Islamic viewpoint Jerusalem was never as sacred as it is now held to be, that its glorification began when the caliph Abd al-Malik built the Dome of the Rock as a rival to Makkah, and that in his understanding al-Masjid al-Aqsa, 'the farthest', was in the heavens rather than in Jerusalem.

Answer from 17 May 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Israel's war crimes, UAE ties & possible solutions? (full context) | Mufti Abu Layth (at 13:14)

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

Watch on YouTube at 13:14 · Open the segment

Umayyad, Abbasid and Zubayrid politics behind the recording of history

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

Umayyad, Abbasid and Zubayrid politics behind the recording of history

Mufti Abu Layth argues that rival Umayyad, Abbasid and Zubayrid narratives gave motives to shape reports such as those through Hisham ibn Urwa. Mufti Abu Layth says that the Abbasid movement, when it rose to overthrow the Umayyads, was a Shia movement.

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 37:45)

A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists (18 October 2025): Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?

Watch on YouTube at 37:45 · Open the segment

Which civil war did early Muslims mean by 'the fitnah'?

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Which civil war did early Muslims mean by 'the fitnah'?

Mufti Abu Layth says it is often unclear which civil war early scholars meant by 'the fitnah', as several upheavals were each called the great one. Mufti Abu Layth says the numbering of the early fitnahs is sometimes quite arbitrary, and not everybody agrees on which they call the greatest.

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 7:47)

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

Watch on YouTube at 7:47 · Open the segment

Was Yazid a kafir, and is it right to curse him?

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Was Yazid a kafir, and is it right to curse him?

No: Mufti Abu Layth calls Yazid a wretched, arrogant tyrant, but he does not call him a kafir or curse him, since he rejects a culture of cursing. He can believe Yazid would not have killed Husayn himself. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not curse Yazid or encourage people to curse him, because he does not believe in a culture of cursing.

Answer from 16 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (at 56:51)

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

Watch on YouTube at 56:51 · Open the segment

What kind of ruler was Yazid?

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What kind of ruler was Yazid?

Mufti Abu Layth calls Muawiya's choice of Yazid a grave mistake: Yazid was a Muslim but a disappointment who attacked Madinah and installed the tyrant Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad in Kufa. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels Muawiya's ultimate grave mistake was placing Yazid as his heir.

Answer from 16 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (at 35:11)

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

Watch on YouTube at 35:11 · Open the segment

Why does Mufti Abu Layth admire Muawiya?

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why does Mufti Abu Layth admire Muawiya?

Mufti Abu Layth admires Muawiya for knowing how to handle people, saying ruling is a matter of political skill rather than piety, and that Umar's era was the exception. Mufti Abu Layth says he admires Muawiya because he feels Muawiya knew how to handle people.

Answer from 16 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (at 32:04)

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

Watch on YouTube at 32:04 · Open the segment

Why did Muawiya make Yazid his heir?

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why did Muawiya make Yazid his heir?

Muawiya named Yazid heir while senior companions lived, and Mufti Abu Layth feels his recognition of Ziyad as Abu Sufyan's son was a political move. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that the recognition of Ziyad as Abu Sufyan's son was a political move.

Answer from 16 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:43)

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

Watch on YouTube at 29:43 · Open the segment

Was Muawiya a good ruler?

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Was Muawiya a good ruler?

Under Muawiya there was stability, expansion and economic growth, helped by Sasanid revenue methods, but Banu Umayya's hold on power was cemented. Mufti Abu Layth says that under Muawiya's rule things were actually very stable, with renewed expansion and an improving economy.

Answer from 16 October 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (at 27:40)

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

Watch on YouTube at 27:40 · Open the segment

What does Robert Hoyland's In God's Path say about how Islam spread?

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What does Robert Hoyland's In God's Path say about how Islam spread?

Mufti Abu Layth recommends Hoyland's In God's Path as fair and well researched, and agrees that Islam's ability to integrate other peoples explains its rapid spread. Mufti Abu Layth says he accepts Hoyland's point that Islam's capacity to integrate is a key aspect explaining its spread.

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 1:24:50)

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

Watch on YouTube at 1:24:50 · Open the segment

Is it right to build very elaborate mosques?

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is it right to build very elaborate mosques?

Mufti Abu Layth says there is little need for so many lavish mosques, and that mosques should suit their local surroundings. Mufti Abu Layth says mosques should really have structures that harmonise with the local geography.

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 1:14:37)

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

Watch on YouTube at 1:15:17 · Open the segment

Is al-Aqsa really in Jerusalem?

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is al-Aqsa really in Jerusalem?

Mufti Abu Layth says Jerusalem was not originally so sacred in Islam and that, in his understanding, al-Aqsa refers to a place in the heavens. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his understanding al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the farthest point, would have been in the heavens, not Jerusalem.

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 1:54:29)

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

Watch on YouTube at 1:54:29 · Open the segment

Were the hadith about the black flags against the Abbasids?

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Were the hadith about the black flags against the Abbasids?

Mufti Abu Layth doubts the black-flag hadith were anti-Abbasid; if anything, he says, they were part of Abbasid propaganda. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith that the Mahdi's army will come with black flags were, if anything, part and parcel of Abbasid propaganda rather than directed against the Abbasids.

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 25:06)

A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists (18 October 2025): Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?

Watch on YouTube at 25:42 · Open the segment

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

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

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

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

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

Kind: general teaching

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

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

Watch on YouTube at 20:06 · Open the segment

Is wearing my hijab turban-style allowed?

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is wearing my hijab turban-style allowed?

Yes, he says a turban-style covering is fine, because covering the hair is not clearly proven from the Quran or Sunnah; the emphasis was on modesty. Mufti Abu Layth says that, according to him, a turban-style hijab is fine because covering the hair is not clearly proven from the Quran or the Sunnah.

Answer from 14 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth 173 (at 17:03)

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

Watch on YouTube at 17:43 · Open the segment

What did Mufti Abu Layth think of Mu'awiya?

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What did Mufti Abu Layth think of Mu'awiya?

Mufti Abu Layth highly respects Mu'awiya as a great figure and an astute statesman, while acknowledging the Companions' disagreements. Mufti Abu Layth says he highly respects Mu'awiya and likes his statesmanship, calling him cut out to rule.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Fadak between Fatima (r) & Abu Bakr (r) Detailed Overview | Mufti Abu Layth (at 34:46)

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

Watch on YouTube at 34:46 · Open the segment

Why didn't Ali take back Fadak when he became caliph?

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why didn't Ali take back Fadak when he became caliph?

Mufti Abu Layth finds it a huge open question that Ali never reclaimed Fadak as caliph, and says the Shia answers he heard did not make sense to him. Mufti Abu Layth says it is a huge question mark that Ali never took Fadak back during his caliphate.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Fadak between Fatima (r) & Abu Bakr (r) Detailed Overview | Mufti Abu Layth (at 19:52)

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

Watch on YouTube at 19:52 · Open the segment

Why people fabricated hadith: good intentions, false memories, money and politics

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Why people fabricated hadith: good intentions, false memories, money and politics

Hadith were fabricated for many reasons: pious intentions, false memories, malice, commercial interests, and political and sectarian aims on all sides. Mufti Abu Layth says some people fabricated teachings with good intentions, saying they lied for the Prophet rather than against him.

Answer from 28 September 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Does criticising Hadith transmission mean criticising the Quran tranmssion? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:38)

A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists (18 October 2025): Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?

Watch on YouTube at 7:38 · Open the segment

Were there Muslim scholars and caliphs in history known to be homosexual?

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Were there Muslim scholars and caliphs in history known to be homosexual?

Mufti Abu Layth reports, without endorsing their views, that several celebrated Abbasid-era figures were known for homosexuality, including a chief judge of Basra who argued for it from the Quran, the caliphs al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, and Muhammad ibn Dawud al-Zahiri. He cites al-Dhahabi and the poetry of the period as his sources.

Answer from 20 December 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Homosexuality and Islam -Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:56)

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

Watch on YouTube at 7:56 · Open the segment

How did the Golden Age backlash and the clergy contribute to Muslim hostility to reason?

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

How did the Golden Age backlash and the clergy contribute to Muslim hostility to reason?

The philosophy and reason promoted in the Golden Age provoked a reaction that dumbed reason down, and institutionalised clergy found 'who said the deen is supposed to make sense' a useful tool of control. Mufti Abu Layth says the backlash against the philosophy of the Golden Age and the institutionalisation of religion among the clergy produced a culture in which the idea that the deen need not make sense became a tool of control.

Answer from 9 April 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Role Of Reason In Religion - Mufti Abu Layth (at 56:08)

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

Watch on YouTube at 56:08 · Open the segment