Mufti Abu Layth Archive: relationships/sexuality-and-orientationAnswers on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation, newest recording first.https://muftiabulayth.org/feeds/topics/relationships-sexuality-and-orientation.atom.xml2023-02-22T00:00:00ZMufti Abu Layth Archivepipeline/feeds.pyIs it okay for adults or children to change gender?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/2023-02-22T00:00:00Z2023-02-22T00:00:00ZIs it okay for adults or children to change gender?
Mufti Abu Layth says gender transition is an adult's own choice after professional advice, but children should not be put through it until they can decide for themselves. Mufti Abu Layth says children should not be put through gender transition until they can make the decision for themselves, setting aside intersex conditions.
Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:41)
A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 28:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=1721s<p><b>Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says gender transition is an adult's own choice after professional advice, but children should not be put through it until they can decide for themselves. Mufti Abu Layth says children should not be put through gender transition until they can make the decision for themselves, setting aside intersex conditions.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 28:41)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/">Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=1721s">Watch on YouTube at 28:41</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Will gay people around us make Muslims gay?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/5/2023-02-22T00:00:00Z2023-02-22T00:00:00ZWill gay people around us make Muslims gay?
Mufti Abu Layth says people being gay does not make others gay and the fear of it is an unnecessary insecurity; like Imam Malik on others' customs, their way of life is theirs. Mufti Abu Layth says the fear that people being gay will make Muslims gay is, in his view, an unnecessary insecurity.
Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:50)
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/26/
Watch on YouTube at 24:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=1490s<p><b>Will gay people around us make Muslims gay?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says people being gay does not make others gay and the fear of it is an unnecessary insecurity; like Imam Malik on others' customs, their way of life is theirs. Mufti Abu Layth says the fear that people being gay will make Muslims gay is, in his view, an unnecessary insecurity.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:50)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/26/">If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=1490s">Watch on YouTube at 24:50</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/3/2023-02-22T00:00:00Z2023-02-22T00:00:00ZDid some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Mufti Abu Layth says he described, not endorsed, a minority view that it is not haram; Islamic history holds diverse views, many scholars' poetry shows bisexual appreciation, and persecution is unacceptable. Mufti Abu Layth says that many scholars of Islam clearly had an appreciation for bisexuality, whether or not they practised it.
Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 14:40)
Watch on YouTube at 16:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=993s<p><b>Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says he described, not endorsed, a minority view that it is not haram; Islamic history holds diverse views, many scholars' poetry shows bisexual appreciation, and persecution is unacceptable. Mufti Abu Layth says that many scholars of Islam clearly had an appreciation for bisexuality, whether or not they practised it.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 14:40)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=993s">Watch on YouTube at 16:33</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>Should Muslims tell gay people what the Quran says about homosexuality?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/2/2023-02-22T00:00:00Z2023-02-22T00:00:00ZShould Muslims tell gay people what the Quran says about homosexuality?
Mufti Abu Layth says Americans are overwhelmingly not Muslim, so speaking on issues there means speaking to non-Muslim norms rather than preaching the Quran to them. Mufti Abu Layth says that when speaking generally about issues in a country such as America one speaks about its norms, not its exceptions.
Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 8:55)
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 10:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=648s<p><b>Should Muslims tell gay people what the Quran says about homosexuality?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says Americans are overwhelmingly not Muslim, so speaking on issues there means speaking to non-Muslim norms rather than preaching the Quran to them. Mufti Abu Layth says that when speaking generally about issues in a country such as America one speaks about its norms, not its exceptions.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 8:55)</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=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=648s">Watch on YouTube at 10:48</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/2023-02-22T00:00:00Z2023-02-22T00:00:00ZShould scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Mufti Abu Layth does not think people have to condemn the scholar; to Mufti, pouring some water at a protest, as the scholar says he did without knowing the ritual's history, is not a big deal.
Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:08)
Watch on YouTube at 5:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=312s<p><b>Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth does not think people have to condemn the scholar; to Mufti, pouring some water at a protest, as the scholar says he did without knowing the ritual's history, is not a big deal.</p>
<p>Answer from 22 February 2023 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Muslim Scholars Allying With LGBTQ Community ? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:08)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfS_0uGn4E&t=312s">Watch on YouTube at 5:12</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>What was the real crime of the people of Lut?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/40/2021-04-13T00:00:00Z2021-04-13T00:00:00ZWhat was the real crime of the people of Lut?
Mufti Abu Layth says the people of Lut were destroyed for rejecting God, as in every prophet's story, with their other behaviour secondary. Mufti Abu Layth says the crime for which the people of Lut, like the other peoples in the stories of the prophets, were destroyed was their rejection of God, other behaviours mentioned being secondary signs of arrogance.
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 2:42:28)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 2:42:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=9748s<p><b>What was the real crime of the people of Lut?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says the people of Lut were destroyed for rejecting God, as in every prophet's story, with their other behaviour secondary. Mufti Abu Layth says the crime for which the people of Lut, like the other peoples in the stories of the prophets, were destroyed was their rejection of God, other behaviours mentioned being secondary signs of arrogance.</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 2:42:28)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuHMCz2N3U&t=9748s">Watch on YouTube at 2:42:28</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/40/">Open the segment</a></p>Did Mufti Abu Layth say incest is natural, and is homosexuality unnatural?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zz85auzek5w/s/10/2021-04-06T00:00:00Z2021-04-06T00:00:00ZDid Mufti Abu Layth say incest is natural, and is homosexuality unnatural?
Mufti Abu Layth never said incest is natural. He says that calling homosexuality unnatural is not scientific because it occurs in most species, though one may still hold it haram, and that he cited Imam Malik only for not interfering in other people's way of life. Mufti Abu Layth says he never said incest is natural; he said that calling homosexuality unnatural is not scientifically accurate because it occurs in most species, while one may still hold it haram, and he cited Imam Malik's ruling not to interfere in other people's way of life.
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 54:49)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 56:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ85AUzeK5w&t=3370s<p><b>Did Mufti Abu Layth say incest is natural, and is homosexuality unnatural?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth never said incest is natural. He says that calling homosexuality unnatural is not scientific because it occurs in most species, though one may still hold it haram, and that he cited Imam Malik only for not interfering in other people's way of life. Mufti Abu Layth says he never said incest is natural; he said that calling homosexuality unnatural is not scientifically accurate because it occurs in most species, while one may still hold it haram, and he cited Imam Malik's ruling not to interfere in other people's way of life.</p>
<p>Answer from 6 April 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #209 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 54:49)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ85AUzeK5w&t=3370s">Watch on YouTube at 56:10</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zz85auzek5w/s/10/">Open the segment</a></p>A clip on parent titles for LGBTQIA+ families, and gender-neutral languagehttps://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/2/2021-01-26T00:00:00Z2021-01-26T00:00:00ZA clip on parent titles for LGBTQIA+ families, and gender-neutral language
Mufti Abu Layth plays and reacts to a clip on alternative parent titles in LGBTQIA+ families and comments on gender-neutral language, saying people forget humans are part of nature.
Answer from 26 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:07)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 7:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKcNwGGIBA&t=427s<p><b>A clip on parent titles for LGBTQIA+ families, and gender-neutral language</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth plays and reacts to a clip on alternative parent titles in LGBTQIA+ families and comments on gender-neutral language, saying people forget humans are part of nature.</p>
<p>Answer from 26 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:07)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKcNwGGIBA&t=427s">Watch on YouTube at 7:07</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Does the Quran clearly forbid homosexuality?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/20/2021-01-12T00:00:00Z2021-01-12T00:00:00ZDoes the Quran clearly forbid homosexuality?
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran has no explicit prohibition of homosexuality, though most Muslims have held it haram; he thinks the aim was to push people into marriage. Mufti Abu Layth says there is nothing in the Quran that explicitly prohibits homosexuality, though it may target it implicitly.
Answer from 12 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:20:42)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 1:20:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=4842s<p><b>Does the Quran clearly forbid homosexuality?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran has no explicit prohibition of homosexuality, though most Muslims have held it haram; he thinks the aim was to push people into marriage. Mufti Abu Layth says there is nothing in the Quran that explicitly prohibits homosexuality, though it may target it implicitly.</p>
<p>Answer from 12 January 2021 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:20:42)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=4842s">Watch on YouTube at 1:20:42</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/20/">Open the segment</a></p>Is it a problem that Muslim scholars today have no secular education?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/18/2020-08-24T00:00:00Z2020-08-24T00:00:00ZIs it a problem that Muslim scholars today have no secular education?
Mufti Abu Layth agrees secular education matters but says it is no cure for obsession, and holds that other people being gay does not make anyone gay.
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 1:03:21)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 1:03:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=3801s<p><b>Is it a problem that Muslim scholars today have no secular education?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth agrees secular education matters but says it is no cure for obsession, and holds that other people being gay does not make anyone gay.</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 1:03:21)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=3801s">Watch on YouTube at 1:03:21</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/18/">Open the segment</a></p>Why did medieval scholars like al-Nawawi write that boys are prettier than women?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/s/6/2019-08-21T00:00:00Z2019-08-21T00:00:00ZWhy did medieval scholars like al-Nawawi write that boys are prettier than women?
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Nawawi voiced a sentiment of his age, shared by many medieval Muslims and by the Greeks, in which attraction to adolescent boys was assumed; reporting this is not mockery. A Saudi critic's reply that many women are ugly, he says, proves the point. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Imam al-Nawawi was articulating the sentiment of his age, in which, as among the ancient Greeks, attraction to adolescent boys was taken as a given, and that reporting this from his book is not mockery.
Answer from 21 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi on Sahih Al-Bukhari| Mufti Abu layth (at 16:59)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 16:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQqc3K4HWA&t=1019s<p><b>Why did medieval scholars like al-Nawawi write that boys are prettier than women?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says al-Nawawi voiced a sentiment of his age, shared by many medieval Muslims and by the Greeks, in which attraction to adolescent boys was assumed; reporting this is not mockery. A Saudi critic's reply that many women are ugly, he says, proves the point. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Imam al-Nawawi was articulating the sentiment of his age, in which, as among the ancient Greeks, attraction to adolescent boys was taken as a given, and that reporting this from his book is not mockery.</p>
<p>Answer from 21 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi on Sahih Al-Bukhari| Mufti Abu layth (at 16:59)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQqc3K4HWA&t=1019s">Watch on YouTube at 16:59</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/s/6/">Open the segment</a></p>Did Mufti Abu Layth mock Imam al-Nawawi?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/s/5/2019-08-21T00:00:00Z2019-08-21T00:00:00ZDid Mufti Abu Layth mock Imam al-Nawawi?
Mufti Abu Layth says he did not mock al-Nawawi but read his own words, which assume as a given that young boys are prettier than many women and that anyone would be tempted by them. Al-Yaqoubi, he says, should have watched the whole video before judging.
Answer from 21 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: A Reply to Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi on Sahih Al-Bukhari| Mufti Abu layth (at 13:09)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 13:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQqc3K4HWA&t=789s<p><b>Did Mufti Abu Layth mock Imam al-Nawawi?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth says he did not mock al-Nawawi but read his own words, which assume as a given that young boys are prettier than many women and that anyone would be tempted by them. Al-Yaqoubi, he says, should have watched the whole video before judging.</p>
<p>Answer from 21 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: A Reply to Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi on Sahih Al-Bukhari| Mufti Abu layth (at 13:09)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQqc3K4HWA&t=789s">Watch on YouTube at 13:09</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/s/5/">Open the segment</a></p>Does Islam allow gender transition for someone diagnosed with gender dysphoria?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/llllbkdgra4/s/1/2019-08-14T00:00:00Z2019-08-14T00:00:00ZDoes Islam allow gender transition for someone diagnosed with gender dysphoria?
Where there are legitimate biological concerns and medical input, he believes it is permissible, but he opposes sowing doubt about gender in children. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes there is permissibility where there are legitimate biological concerns, with medical experts giving their input.
Answer from 14 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: What does Islam say about Gender Dysphoria? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists (10 March 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llllbKdGrA4&t=0s<p><b>Does Islam allow gender transition for someone diagnosed with gender dysphoria?</b></p>
<p>Where there are legitimate biological concerns and medical input, he believes it is permissible, but he opposes sowing doubt about gender in children. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes there is permissibility where there are legitimate biological concerns, with medical experts giving their input.</p>
<p>Answer from 14 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: What does Islam say about Gender Dysphoria? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists</b> (10 March 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/2/">Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llllbKdGrA4&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/llllbkdgra4/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Should Muslims campaign against LGBTQ people, and is homosexuality unnatural?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/3/2019-08-04T00:00:00Z2019-08-04T00:00:00ZShould Muslims campaign against LGBTQ people, and is homosexuality unnatural?
Muslims should leave LGBTQ people alone, since fighting them will only deface Islam. Calling homosexuality unnatural is inaccurate, as it is widely found in nature, unlike incest. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels Muslims should really leave LGBTQ people alone and let them be.
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 12:43)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 12:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=763s<p><b>Should Muslims campaign against LGBTQ people, and is homosexuality unnatural?</b></p>
<p>Muslims should leave LGBTQ people alone, since fighting them will only deface Islam. Calling homosexuality unnatural is inaccurate, as it is widely found in nature, unlike incest. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels Muslims should really leave LGBTQ people alone and let them be.</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 12:43)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pXWGpnWd0&t=763s">Watch on YouTube at 12:43</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/j6pxwgpnwd0/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>What did Ibn al-Arabi write about a classmate who was both bearded and breasted?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ejs0ibhhpg0/s/3/2019-08-02T00:00:00Z2019-08-02T00:00:00ZWhat did Ibn al-Arabi write about a classmate who was both bearded and breasted?
Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi recorded a classmate with a beard and breasts who came to al-Ghazali's lessons with two servant girls and whose nature puzzled him for years. Mufti Abu Layth reads this as an example of people in the past finding outlets with servants and slaves. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the past, it seems, people who were stuck, such as those who were homosexual or bisexual without an apparent outlet, and presumably khuntha too, found a loophole with servants and slaves.
Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Why are homosexual activities forbidden? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:42)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 11:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJS0IBhhPg0&t=702s<p><b>What did Ibn al-Arabi write about a classmate who was both bearded and breasted?</b></p>
<p>Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi recorded a classmate with a beard and breasts who came to al-Ghazali's lessons with two servant girls and whose nature puzzled him for years. Mufti Abu Layth reads this as an example of people in the past finding outlets with servants and slaves. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the past, it seems, people who were stuck, such as those who were homosexual or bisexual without an apparent outlet, and presumably khuntha too, found a loophole with servants and slaves.</p>
<p>Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Why are homosexual activities forbidden? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:42)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJS0IBhhPg0&t=702s">Watch on YouTube at 11:42</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ejs0ibhhpg0/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>How did classical scholars treat intersex people (khuntha) and their right to marry?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ejs0ibhhpg0/s/2/2019-08-02T00:00:00Z2019-08-02T00:00:00ZHow did classical scholars treat intersex people (khuntha) and their right to marry?
Classical scholars ruled that a khuntha, an intersex person, can neither marry nor be married, which Mufti Abu Layth calls cruel, absurd and a failure of scholarship to give a truly Islamic answer. Mufti Abu Layth says the classical ruling that a khuntha can never marry was ridiculous and absurd, and a case study of scholarship failing to provide a truly Islamic answer to a challenge of its age.
Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Why are homosexual activities forbidden? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:12)
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/
Watch on YouTube at 5:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJS0IBhhPg0&t=312s<p><b>How did classical scholars treat intersex people (khuntha) and their right to marry?</b></p>
<p>Classical scholars ruled that a khuntha, an intersex person, can neither marry nor be married, which Mufti Abu Layth calls cruel, absurd and a failure of scholarship to give a truly Islamic answer. Mufti Abu Layth says the classical ruling that a khuntha can never marry was ridiculous and absurd, and a case study of scholarship failing to provide a truly Islamic answer to a challenge of its age.</p>
<p>Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Why are homosexual activities forbidden? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:12)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/">If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJS0IBhhPg0&t=312s">Watch on YouTube at 5:12</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ejs0ibhhpg0/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Why does Islam forbid homosexual activity?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ejs0ibhhpg0/s/1/2019-08-02T00:00:00Z2019-08-02T00:00:00ZWhy does Islam forbid homosexual activity?
Islam did not address homosexuality directly; it outlawed all sex outside marriage to build strong family units, and homosexuality was prohibited as a by-product. There are no clear sahih hadith on it, and scholars differed on related questions such as anal sex. Mufti Abu Layth says that Islam did not address homosexuality directly but outlawed all sexual activity outside marriage in order to build strong family units, so that homosexuality was prohibited as a by-product, and that there are no clear sahih hadith on it.
Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Why are homosexual activities forbidden? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:01)
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/
Watch on YouTube at 0:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJS0IBhhPg0&t=1s<p><b>Why does Islam forbid homosexual activity?</b></p>
<p>Islam did not address homosexuality directly; it outlawed all sex outside marriage to build strong family units, and homosexuality was prohibited as a by-product. There are no clear sahih hadith on it, and scholars differed on related questions such as anal sex. Mufti Abu Layth says that Islam did not address homosexuality directly but outlawed all sexual activity outside marriage in order to build strong family units, so that homosexuality was prohibited as a by-product, and that there are no clear sahih hadith on it.</p>
<p>Answer from 2 August 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Why are homosexual activities forbidden? | Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:01)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists</b> (18 October 2025): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/onzjd7xmdhe/s/23/">If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJS0IBhhPg0&t=1s">Watch on YouTube at 0:01</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ejs0ibhhpg0/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>Is homosexuality haram in Islam, and why were the people of Lut destroyed?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yfej-qks-km/s/3/2018-12-20T00:00:00Z2018-12-20T00:00:00ZIs homosexuality haram in Islam, and why were the people of Lut destroyed?
Mufti Abu Layth accepts the majority view that homosexual acts are haram, but says the punishments scholars assigned were variable public-order measures that changed over time, that the people of Lut were destroyed primarily for rejecting their prophet, and that the ruling does not require hatred of homosexual people. Mufti Abu Layth says the overwhelming majority of scholars held homosexual acts to be haram and he accepts that they are haram, while saying that the punishments scholars assigned varied between places and changed over time, that the people of Lut were destroyed primarily for rejecting their prophet, and that the ruling does not require hatred.
Answer from 20 December 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Homosexuality and Islam -Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:27)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 18:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFeJ-QkS-kM&t=1107s<p><b>Is homosexuality haram in Islam, and why were the people of Lut destroyed?</b></p>
<p>Mufti Abu Layth accepts the majority view that homosexual acts are haram, but says the punishments scholars assigned were variable public-order measures that changed over time, that the people of Lut were destroyed primarily for rejecting their prophet, and that the ruling does not require hatred of homosexual people. Mufti Abu Layth says the overwhelming majority of scholars held homosexual acts to be haram and he accepts that they are haram, while saying that the punishments scholars assigned varied between places and changed over time, that the people of Lut were destroyed primarily for rejecting their prophet, and that the ruling does not require hatred.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 December 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Homosexuality and Islam -Mufti Abu Layth (at 18:27)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFeJ-QkS-kM&t=1107s">Watch on YouTube at 18:27</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yfej-qks-km/s/3/">Open the segment</a></p>Were there Muslim scholars and caliphs in history known to be homosexual?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yfej-qks-km/s/2/2018-12-20T00:00:00Z2018-12-20T00:00:00ZWere 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): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/12/
Watch on YouTube at 7:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFeJ-QkS-kM&t=476s<p><b>Were there Muslim scholars and caliphs in history known to be homosexual?</b></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 December 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: quoted view (stated in order to be discussed, not necessarily held)</p>
<p>Recording: Homosexuality and Islam -Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:56)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on history/umayyads-and-abbasids 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=yFeJ-QkS-kM&t=476s">Watch on YouTube at 7:56</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yfej-qks-km/s/2/">Open the segment</a></p>Does Islam say homosexuals should be thrown off buildings or executed?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yfej-qks-km/s/1/2018-12-20T00:00:00Z2018-12-20T00:00:00ZDoes Islam say homosexuals should be thrown off buildings or executed?
There is no sahih hadith in which the Prophet spoke about homosexuals, the reports of Ali ordering executions are not authentic in Mufti Abu Layth's view, and the early jurists disagreed, with the Hanafis holding it is not a hadd offence. The claim of a consensus that homosexual acts deserve death is false. Mufti Abu Layth says there is no sahih hadith in which the Prophet spoke about homosexuals, that he does not believe the reports of Ali ordering executions to be authentic, and that the claim of a consensus that anyone who commits homosexual acts deserves death is false, since the jurists disagreed and the Hanafis held it is not a hadd.
Answer from 20 December 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Homosexuality and Islam -Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 0:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFeJ-QkS-kM&t=0s<p><b>Does Islam say homosexuals should be thrown off buildings or executed?</b></p>
<p>There is no sahih hadith in which the Prophet spoke about homosexuals, the reports of Ali ordering executions are not authentic in Mufti Abu Layth's view, and the early jurists disagreed, with the Hanafis holding it is not a hadd offence. The claim of a consensus that homosexual acts deserve death is false. Mufti Abu Layth says there is no sahih hadith in which the Prophet spoke about homosexuals, that he does not believe the reports of Ali ordering executions to be authentic, and that the claim of a consensus that anyone who commits homosexual acts deserves death is false, since the jurists disagreed and the Hanafis held it is not a hadd.</p>
<p>Answer from 20 December 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Homosexuality and Islam -Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFeJ-QkS-kM&t=0s">Watch on YouTube at 0:00</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yfej-qks-km/s/1/">Open the segment</a></p>How does Mufti Abu Layth explain an exorcist who says he is possessed by a jinn?https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/16/2018-04-15T00:00:00Z2018-04-15T00:00:00ZHow does Mufti Abu Layth explain an exorcist who says he is possessed by a jinn?
As displacement of guilt: the exorcist's 'jinn' professed sexual love for him, which Mufti Abu Layth reads as the man projecting desires he could not reconcile with his religious identity onto a jinn. He says the man may sincerely believe it, but belief does not make it true. Mufti Abu Layth reads the exorcist's 'jinn', who professed sexual love for him, as a displacement of guilt, the projection of desires the man could not own as a religious figure, sincerely believed but not true.
Answer from 15 April 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Kind: general teaching
Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:01:35)
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists (22 February 2023): https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/
Watch on YouTube at 1:01:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=3695s<p><b>How does Mufti Abu Layth explain an exorcist who says he is possessed by a jinn?</b></p>
<p>As displacement of guilt: the exorcist's 'jinn' professed sexual love for him, which Mufti Abu Layth reads as the man projecting desires he could not reconcile with his religious identity onto a jinn. He says the man may sincerely believe it, but belief does not make it true. Mufti Abu Layth reads the exorcist's 'jinn', who professed sexual love for him, as a displacement of guilt, the projection of desires the man could not own as a religious figure, sincerely believed but not true.</p>
<p>Answer from 15 April 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors</p>
<p>Kind: general teaching</p>
<p>Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:01:35)</p>
<p><b>A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists</b> (22 February 2023): <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/mofs_0ugn4e/s/6/">Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=3695s">Watch on YouTube at 1:01:35</a> · <a href="https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/16/">Open the segment</a></p>