Mufti Abu Layth Archive: society/islam-and-modernity

Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Mufti Abu Layth agrees religion should not be forced on anyone and that people may criticise it freely, but says criticism with an objective is different from insults meant only to hurt. Mufti Abu Layth says nobody has the right to force religion on others and that people may criticise religions freely, but that analytical criticism differs from insult, which only aims to hurt.

Answer from 19 August 2022 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Salman Rushdie & The Satanic Verses | Mufti Abu Layth (at 55:22)

A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 55:22 · Open the segment

What can people realistically do for Palestine, and is migration an option?

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

What can people realistically do for Palestine, and is migration an option?

Politics runs through every side of the crisis, and ordinary people are largely helpless beyond pressuring MPs, boycotts and dua; Mufti Abu Layth says no land is worth a genocide and that the Prophet taught migration where an assessment calls for it, or else meaningful negotiation. Mufti Abu Layth says ordinary people are largely helpless beyond pressuring members of parliament, economic boycotts and dua, that no land is worth a genocide, and that, since the Prophet taught people to migrate, an assessment that a genocide is under way calls for migration or else meaningful negotiation.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Palestinian Plight & Israeli Injustice | Mufti Abu Layth (at 24:49)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 27:26 · Open the segment

What solutions are possible for Palestine?

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

What solutions are possible for Palestine?

Israel is here to stay, so the realistic options are a two-state solution, naturalising Palestinians within Israel, or relocation, for which al-Albani gave a fatwa of hijrah, compared to evacuating a house whose fire cannot be put out. Mufti Abu Layth says that Israel is here to stay, which leaves a limited set of solutions: a two-state solution, naturalisation of Palestine within Israel, or relocation as in al-Albani's fatwa of hijrah, which he compares to evacuating a house whose fire cannot be put out.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Palestinian Plight & Israeli Injustice | Mufti Abu Layth (at 14:26)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 14:26 · Open the segment

Is humanity becoming more or less moral?

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is humanity becoming more or less moral?

The guest says morality is remade daily, with no overall rise or fall and no consistent definition; Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees.

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

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

Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 1:23:42)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 1:24:22 · Open the segment

Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?

The guest says early Muslims, including poets, had real critiques; Mufti Abu Layth says the deen should complement life rather than complicate it.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 1:10:04)

A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists (22 February 2023): Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?

Watch on YouTube at 1:10:04 · Open the segment

Can a Muslim work in the music industry and keep their faith?

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Can a Muslim work in the music industry and keep their faith?

The guest says religion should be judged apart from the actions of its followers in any industry; Mufti Abu Layth says relatable poetry and music inspire people more than being told to go to the mosque.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Lupe Fiasco | Stardom, Semiotics & Soul-searching | MindTrap#56 | Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki MALM (at 1:02:16)

A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment/music exists (10 March 2023): Is it haram for men to wear earrings?

Watch on YouTube at 1:02:56 · Open the segment

Will religious dogmatism ever disappear?

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Will religious dogmatism ever disappear?

No: Mufti Abu Layth says dogmatism is built into institutional religion and will survive, so his aim is to keep the voice of reason alive as a choice. Mufti Abu Layth says dogmatism will not disappear because it is built into institutionalised religion, and that his aim is not to end it but to keep the voice of reason alive so that people can choose.

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 1:51:19)

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 1:51:19 · Open the segment

Do I need a religious authority to own my faith?

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Do I need a religious authority to own my faith?

No: Mufti Abu Layth says Islam has no papacy, the deen belongs to everyone equally, and no one can throw you out of it. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims can take ownership of their own faith, since Islam has no papacy and no one can expel a person from the deen.

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 1:06:16)

A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists (22 February 2023): Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Watch on YouTube at 1:06:16 · Open the segment

Will traditional religious institutions survive if they do not adapt?

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Will traditional religious institutions survive if they do not adapt?

Mufti Abu Layth predicts that institutions refusing to adapt, such as many Deobandi madrasas, will fossilise, while Barelvis who modernised their style stay approachable. Mufti Abu Layth predicts that denominations which refuse to adapt, including many Deobandi institutions in the UK, will become fossilised, while those that adapted, as many Barelvis have, remain approachable to young people.

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 1:01:00)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 1:01:00 · Open the segment

Without colonialism and the Mongols, would the Muslim world have had its own enlightenment?

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

Without colonialism and the Mongols, would the Muslim world have had its own enlightenment?

Yes: he thinks Muslims left to themselves would have pioneered the enlightenment, but Europe's head start in industrialisation, used to subdue the Muslim world, provoked a reactionary rejection instead. Mufti Abu Layth says he thinks that, left to their own devices, Muslims would have been the pioneers of enlightenment.

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 24:26)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 25:06 · Open the segment

What does the Mufti think of liberal Islam?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What does the Mufti think of liberal Islam?

Liberal and conservative are political labels about authority, he says, and they do not truly fit Islam, which never had a church-like hierarchy. Mufti Abu Layth says labels such as liberal and conservative are very difficult to apply to Islam, which never really worked in that way.

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 33:30)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 33:30 · Open the segment

What does the Mufti think of Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What does the Mufti think of Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia?

His impression is that Malaysians and Indonesians have absorbed Islam naturally into daily life, though he feels extremism has risen there in the last fifteen years. Mufti Abu Layth says his impression is that Malaysia and Indonesia have absorbed the deen in a natural way that does not hinder their day-to-day lives.

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 23:34)

A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 23:34 · Open the segment

Is trading stocks, crypto or on margin halal?

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

Is trading stocks, crypto or on margin halal?

Mufti Abu Layth believes modern trading, including crypto and margin trading, is permissible with sensible risk management; risk was never the reason for a ban. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes trading such as CFDs, stocks, forex and crypto is permissible, while noting there are regulations.

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 2:28:10)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 2:28:10 · Open the segment

A clip on parent titles for LGBTQIA+ families, and gender-neutral language

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

A 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): Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?

Watch on YouTube at 7:07 · Open the segment

What do you think of the Muslim community in Birmingham?

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

What do you think of the Muslim community in Birmingham?

Mufti Abu Layth says the Muslim scene everywhere is suffering, and the youth do not listen to scholars because the scholars are irrelevant and outdated. Mufti Abu Layth says the youth are not listening to the scholars because the scholars are irrelevant and outdated.

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 25:37)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 25:37 · Open the segment

Has Islam become more polarised between puritans and liberals?

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Has Islam become more polarised between puritans and liberals?

Yes, he says Islam is far more polarised today than historically, but he is optimistic it is a fever through which a more natural Islam can return. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels Islam has become massively polarized in the modern age, in many ways much more than historically.

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 35:08)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 35:37 · Open the segment

Why do imams in the West wear 'Islamic' robes?

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

Why do imams in the West wear 'Islamic' robes?

Mufti Abu Layth says there was never an Islamic clothing; clerical dress came centuries later as a symbol of status that distances scholars from people. Mufti Abu Layth says there was never an Islamic clothing to begin with.

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 1:21:12)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 1:21:12 · Open the segment

Are Sharia rules brand new, or based on what people already did?

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

Are Sharia rules brand new, or based on what people already did?

Mufti Abu Layth says the Shari'ah did not bring otherworldly rules but took existing practices and set limits on them, like kintsugi mending pottery. Mufti Abu Layth says the Shari'ah took people's existing rulings and placed parameters on them so they do not transgress.

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 1:36:57)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 1:36:57 · 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

Should Pakistan allow a Hindu temple to be built in Islamabad?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Should Pakistan allow a Hindu temple to be built in Islamabad?

Yes, he says: Pakistan is a nation-state of equal citizens, not a khilafah, and Muslims who demand tolerance abroad while opposing a temple at home have become bigots. The Quran itself says Allah's name is glorified in other faiths' places of worship. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims have become bigoted and intolerant, demanding tolerance for themselves while opposing a Hindu temple in Islamabad, and that he supports building places of worship for other communities in Pakistan, which is a nation-state of equal citizens and not a khilafah.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Why converting the Hagia Sophia to a mosque is a mistake | Mufti Abu Layth (at 26:20)

A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 26:20 · Open the segment

Should Pakistan allow a Hindu temple in Islamabad?

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

Should Pakistan allow a Hindu temple in Islamabad?

Mufti Abu Layth supports the Islamabad temple: Pakistan is a nation-state of equal citizens, and Muslims who demand tolerance abroad but deny it at home are bigots. Mufti Abu Layth says he supports building places of worship for other communities in Pakistan, which is a nation-state in which all citizens are equal.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth 173 (at 1:40:22)

A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 1:40:22 · Open the segment

What is the main theme of Surah al-Kahf?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What is the main theme of Surah al-Kahf?

Mufti Abu Layth agrees consumerism is destructive and reads Surah al-Kahf as also being about identity and belonging.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 1:21:06)

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 1:21:06 · Open the segment

Is Western culture uniquely shallow?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is Western culture uniquely shallow?

Mufti Abu Layth says the pull of glitter and the thirst for knowledge are human, not Western, and that people now seek meaning more than ever.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 1:16:33)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 1:16:33 · Open the segment

How did Iqbal see Western civilisation?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

How did Iqbal see Western civilisation?

The guest sets out Iqbal's two-layer view of the West; Mufti Abu Layth says the prophets' message was simply to reconnect creation with the Creator.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 1:12:44)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 1:12:44 · Open the segment

Are people basically good, or is the system the problem?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Are people basically good, or is the system the problem?

Mufti Abu Layth sees goodness in people despite immorality; the guest says the problem is a system run by corporations, not individuals.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 1:08:50)

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 1:08:50 · Open the segment

Is the world getting better or worse?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is the world getting better or worse?

Mufti Abu Layth sees humanity heading in a more positive than negative direction; the guest says the loan-based Western economy will bust.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 1:05:36)

A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists (18 October 2025): How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Watch on YouTube at 1:05:36 · Open the segment

Have nuclear weapons made the world more peaceful?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Have nuclear weapons made the world more peaceful?

Mufti Abu Layth argues that nuclear deterrence has ironically kept the peace; the guest fears what the people holding the weapons might do.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 58:31)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 58:31 · Open the segment

Is humanity better off today than ever before?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is humanity better off today than ever before?

Mufti Abu Layth argues that humanity lives in unmatched prosperity built on trust in the future; the guest doubts people have become any less greedy.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 52:47)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 52:47 · Open the segment

Does the Quran predict that modern industrial society will collapse?

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Does the Quran predict that modern industrial society will collapse?

The guest reads Quran 10:24 as a warning that oil-based modern life will collapse; Mufti Abu Layth expects human knowledge to find new energy.

Answer from 10 July 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (at 50:17)

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 50:17 · Open the segment

Does the Quran ban slavery, and what does 'what your right hand possesses' mean?

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

Does the Quran ban slavery, and what does 'what your right hand possesses' mean?

The guest says the Quran abolishes slavery as the greatest crime, since owning a slave is to claim to be a rabb like Pharaoh, and that what the right hand possesses means contractual marriage. Mufti Abu Layth holds that slavery is abrogated through trajectory hermeneutics rather than by an explicit ban.

Answer from 26 June 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Prof. Edip Yuksel | Rejecting Hadith, Rashad Khalifa & Realizing '19' | MindTrap with Mufti #27 (at 1:08:39)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 1:08:39 · Open the segment

Where does the claim that the Quran is preserved to the very dot come from?

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Where does the claim that the Quran is preserved to the very dot come from?

Mufti Abu Layth says the slogan that the Quran is preserved to the very dot is not traditional but a creed cemented in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when religious people entrenched themselves in fundamentalism against modernity and colonialism. Early Muslims were comfortable with a Quran that was preserved while allowing variation.

Answer from 19 June 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Dr. Shehzad Saleem | the Preservation of the Quran & the Problem of Qira'at | MindTrap with Mufti#26 (at 1:21:11)

A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists (29 September 2024): Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?

Watch on YouTube at 1:21:11 · Open the segment

Why did Islam not abolish slavery outright?

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Why did Islam not abolish slavery outright?

Islam did not abolish slavery outright because the collective consciousness of the age could not yet see it as wrong, but it encouraged emancipation as a route to that change. Slavery was always wrong, and Mufti Abu Layth says Jonathan Brown's three axioms rest on a shallow analysis. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Islam did not abolish slavery outright because the collective consciousness of the age could not yet perceive it as wrong, and that, now that it can be seen, owning another human being is a problem and slavery has always been wrong, though past societies cannot be held to account for a perception they lacked.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Sex Slaves: Concubines and Collective Consciousness -Mufti Abu Layth (at 11:48)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 11:48 · Open the segment

How could men in early Islam have sex with their female slaves?

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

How could men in early Islam have sex with their female slaves?

Sexual relations with female slaves were condoned because the society Islam was revealed in had a very different mindset: its slavery resembled servitude rather than transatlantic slavery, and it drew no line between a slave's labour and sexual utility, so the practice could not be changed at once. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his understanding, one reason sexual relations with female slaves were condoned is that the society in which Islam was revealed had a very different mindset: its slavery resembled servitude rather than transatlantic slavery, and it drew no line between a slave's labour and sexual utility, a mindset that could not be changed at once.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Sex Slaves: Concubines and Collective Consciousness -Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:37)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 3:55 · Open the segment

Is slavery haram in Islam, and did Muslim scholars ban it before the UN?

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is slavery haram in Islam, and did Muslim scholars ban it before the UN?

Slavery is categorically haram today, and Maliki scholars issued fatwas forbidding it long before the UN; Mufti Abu Layth explains this through trajectory hermeneutics. Concubines were female slaves, not wives. Mufti Abu Layth holds that slavery is categorically haram today, that Maliki and other scholars forbade it by fatwa long before the UN resolution, and that the Quran's rulings on slavery set a trajectory towards its prohibition once human ethics developed.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Sex Slaves: Concubines and Collective Consciousness -Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

Have Muslims moved towards giving the Quran primacy over hadith?

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Have Muslims moved towards giving the Quran primacy over hadith?

The guest says the ummah has split: a traditional strand that in practice lets hadith override the Quran, and a growing body of thinking lay Muslims who already see the Quran as primary. Some scholars agree but are trapped in traditional discourse or silenced by dangerous circumstances.

Answer from 22 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Shaykh Dr. Shabir Ally | Juxtaposing the Quran, Jumbling Aisha's age & Jinn Possession | MindTrap#16 (at 2:24)

A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists (18 October 2025): Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?

Watch on YouTube at 3:44 · Open the segment

Message to critics: criticise truthfully, not with lies

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Message to critics: criticise truthfully, not with lies

Mufti Abu Layth believes in Allah and His Messenger but rejects folkloric, medieval readings of Islam. He asks critics to attack his real views, not lies. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not accept folkloric, medievalist interpretations of Islam, which he feels are not compatible with this day and age.

Answer from 7 April 2020 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Misrepresenting Mufti | Mufti Abu Layth (at 12:46)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 12:46 · Open the segment

Is it good that Hamza Ali Abbasi left showbiz for religion?

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is it good that Hamza Ali Abbasi left showbiz for religion?

Mufti Abu Layth welcomes Hamza Ali Abbasi's turn to religion but hopes he does not become a full-on mullah and stop being a bridge.

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 1:52)

A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 1:52 · Open the segment

'Islam gave these rights first' and blinding people with jargon

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

'Islam gave these rights first' and blinding people with jargon

Mufti Abu Layth addresses the lecture's point that Islam gave rights such as voting 1,400 years before the suffragettes, saying that is fine to mention but people alive in 2019 will ask why Muslim rulings are still backward today, so it is nothing to gloat about. He criticises dropping philosophical names and terms that impress those who do not know them but make Muslims look weaker to those who do, as some did in arguments for God, and parodies such jargon. He says a real discussion would define liberalism and admit that some fascist versions of it exist and can be dangerous, but that liberalism is an attitude against imposed authority, not a separate religion. He concludes that the lecture was a straw man resting on Locke, Hobbes and Kant, and hopes Mohammed Hijab might reflect on it. Mufti Abu Layth says that throwing in impressive philosophical jargon makes Muslims look much weaker to those who know and to non-Muslims.

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 37:17)

A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists (18 October 2025): How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Watch on YouTube at 37:17 · Open the segment

Ethics evolve: slavery, human agency and the genetic fallacy

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Ethics evolve: slavery, human agency and the genetic fallacy

Mufti Abu Layth argues that if ethics do not develop over time and only seventh-century ethics count, one would have to say slavery is fine, since the Quran acknowledged its ubiquity without abolishing it at the time, which he calls ridiculous. He says people hold liberal attitudes without having read Locke or Rousseau, being capable agents, not automatons. By the lecture's logic, he says, everything in Islam first championed by others would belong to them, as Socrates and Plato spoke of God and the soul first, which he calls an infantilising theory. He gives his own opposition to capital punishment, shared by most people in Europe, as an example of a view held without allegiance to Rousseau, Locke, Bentham or Bertrand Russell. Mufti Abu Layth says that human beings are very capable agents who construct their worldview as they go along, not people who adopt views because they read philosophers.

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 24:46)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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Should Muslims campaign against LGBTQ people, and is homosexuality unnatural?

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Should 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): Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?

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What is liberalism, and do liberals have to follow John Locke?

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

What is liberalism, and do liberals have to follow John Locke?

Liberalism is essentially a stance against authoritarianism, not allegiance to historical philosophers. Agreeing with Locke on one point does not make anyone a Christian or bind them to his whole philosophy. Mufti Abu Layth says liberalism is, in essence, simply a stance against authoritarianism.

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 6:24)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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Mohammed Hijab's liberalism lecture argues like a sectarian polemic

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Mohammed Hijab's liberalism lecture argues like a sectarian polemic

Mufti Abu Layth turns to a university lecture by Mohammed Hijab on liberalism, which people had sent him and which claimed liberalism is baseless. He says the lecture seemed aimed at a Muslim audience and that, since Mohammed Hijab is intelligent, he is unsure whether he has not grasped the concept or is deliberately arguing to win points, but calls it a very poor job. He explains that the lecture argues against liberalism the way Muslims conduct sectarian debates: finding a figure the opponent supposedly reveres, such as Abu Hanifa, Ibn Taymiyya, Imam Malik or a Shia ayatollah, and quoting him to corner the opponent through compelling authority. He says this tactic makes no sense outside religion, where people do not feel bound by allegiance to such figures.

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 0:00)

A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists (18 October 2025): How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

Is forcing your wife to have sex a sin in Islam?

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Is forcing your wife to have sex a sin in Islam?

Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says coercive sex with one's wife is haram, and that Muslims who deny this create the problem. He cites Imam Malik's saying that what set right the first of this umma will set right its last, meaning the independence to challenge inherited readings shaped by medieval patriarchy. Mufti Abu Layth holds that coercive sex with one's wife is haram, that Muslims who deny this are the problem, and that, following Imam Malik's saying, the umma is set right by the independence to challenge inherited readings shaped by the patriarchy of past ages.

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 32:36)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 32:36 · Open the segment

Is Islam meant to be applied the same rigid way everywhere?

Sat, 04 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Is Islam meant to be applied the same rigid way everywhere?

No: Islam was revealed to a tiny population but came for all mankind, so it is flexible enough to take in every people's backgrounds and needs. Mufti Abu Layth says Islam came with the flexibility to incorporate people's backgrounds, perspectives and needs.

Answer from 4 May 2019 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Daniel Haqiqatjou and Women praying in the Wardrobe -Mufti Abu Layth (at 38:06)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

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Why did some classical scholars rule that apostates be executed?

Thu, 10 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why did some classical scholars rule that apostates be executed?

Where classical scholars ruled that apostates be executed, they were dealing with what would now be treason or armed rebellion in a very different world; those rulings do not apply today, and their prevalence then did not make them right. Mufti Abu Layth says that where classical scholars prescribed capital punishment they were addressing what would today be treason or rebellion in a very different world, that those rulings do not apply today, and that the whole world doing the same then does not make them right.

Answer from 10 May 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Apostasy has NO punishment in Islam: A Qur'an & Sunnah Analysis by Mufti Abu Layth (at 7:52)

A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists (29 September 2024): Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?

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Should I refuse to shake hands with the opposite sex where it is the custom?

Fri, 04 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Should I refuse to shake hands with the opposite sex where it is the custom?

Follow the convention you are in: where people do not shake hands, do not; where they do, you may act on the fatwa of the scholars who permit it, since no clear verse or hadith forbids it. Losing citizenship over a handshake was not a battle worth choosing. His own understanding is that one follows the convention of one's society: where people do not shake hands one does not, following the general ulama, but where it is the convention one may act on the fatwa of the scholars who permit it, since, as many ulama say, no clear verse or hadith makes it haram, and Muslims should choose their battles wisely.

Answer from 4 May 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Hadith Analysis: Why men and women CAN shake hands -Mufti Abu Layth (at 9:10)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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Does Islam stand the test of reason, and why should Muslims not fear examining it?

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

Does Islam stand the test of reason, and why should Muslims not fear examining it?

Mufti Abu Layth says he has certainty that Islam has stood the test of reason as well as time, that the hadith of the grave condemns faith that merely repeats what people say, and that Muslims must take reason back rather than shy away. Mufti Abu Layth says he has certainty that Islam has stood the test of reason as well as of time, that Muslims owe it to Islam to measure it openly, and that the hadith of the grave in which the dead person says he merely repeated what people said is evidence that reason is required in faith.

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

Kind: general teaching

Recording: The Role Of Reason In Religion - Mufti Abu Layth (at 36:33)

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?

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Why is it so hard for young Muslims to marry, and what are they supposed to do about desire?

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Why is it so hard for young Muslims to marry, and what are they supposed to do about desire?

Men of eighteen or nineteen are generally not ready for marriage but have strong sexual needs, and Mufti Abu Layth says current religious teaching offers no real solution. He calls advice to fast and lower the gaze inadequate and asks scholars to acknowledge the problem. Mufti Abu Layth holds that men of eighteen or nineteen are generally not ready for marriage yet have strong sexual needs, that the usual advice to fast and lower the gaze is inadequate, and that, unlike in the past, Islam today has no solution to offer to this problem, which scholarship should acknowledge.

Answer from 5 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Zina, Marriage and Relationships - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 5:10)

A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists (22 February 2023): Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?

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Is zina today the same issue it was in the past?

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Is zina today the same issue it was in the past?

Much of the inherited social theory on relationships and marriage no longer matches today's reality, and Mufti Abu Layth calls for ulama to re-examine the context with fresh ijtihad. He describes marriage today as costly and idealised, with divorce and polygamy stigmatised. Mufti Abu Layth holds that much of the inherited social theory on relationships and marriage no longer matches today's circumstances and that ulama should re-analyse the context and offer suitable ijtihad.

Answer from 5 March 2018 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Zina, Marriage and Relationships - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists (22 February 2023): Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?

Watch on YouTube at 1:18 · Open the segment

Are student loans, car finance and mortgages haram?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Are student loans, car finance and mortgages haram?

Mortgages, student loans, car finance and other bank loans are not haram in Mufti Abu Layth's understanding, though nobody is obliged to take them. He encourages Muslims in the West to invest in property, while leaving renting or Islamic mortgages to personal choice. Mufti Abu Layth holds that mortgages, student loans, car finance and other bank loans are not haram, though nobody is obliged to take them, and offers as his own thought, which viewers may discard, that Muslims living as minorities in the West should invest in property and build assets.

Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 56:42)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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How can a bank lend out more money than it has?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

How can a bank lend out more money than it has?

Banks lending out far more than they hold, though it can be abused, is what allows communities to flourish. Money today is created out of nothing, but spending it enriches others. Mufti Abu Layth says that banks being authorised to lend far more money than they hold, although it can be done irresponsibly, is what allowed communities and societies to flourish.

Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 41:39)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 42:32 · Open the segment

How did Adam Smith and industrialisation change attitudes to greed and lending?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

How did Adam Smith and industrialisation change attitudes to greed and lending?

Adam Smith's idea of the pursuit of self-interest and the industrial-era promise of a better tomorrow changed a mindset in which greed was simply evil and nobody would lend. These are ingredients of the modern economy the Quran did not address. Mufti Abu Layth says that before Adam Smith's promotion of the pursuit of self-interest greed was seen simply as evil, as it was when the Quran condemned riba, and that industrialisation brought a new promise of a better tomorrow, before which people would not lend money.

Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 36:59)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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How was the economy of the Prophet's time different from today's?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

How was the economy of the Prophet's time different from today's?

The Quranic prohibition came in an economy of finite gold, where wealth could only grow by taking it from others. Money, which Mufti Abu Layth calls humanity's greatest invented story, was later dematerialised into paper, changing everything. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran was revealed in an economy of finite money, in which wealth could only grow by taking it from others, and that this changed entirely when money was dematerialised into paper a few hundred years ago.

Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 29:45)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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Are mortgages and bank loans the riba forbidden in the Quran?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Are mortgages and bank loans the riba forbidden in the Quran?

Mortgages and bank loans are not the riba forbidden in the Quran, which addressed a tyrannical loan-shark culture. Today's borrower is the one giving more, not taking, and is protected by a legal framework of cooperation, debt management and bankruptcy. Mufti Abu Layth holds that mortgages and bank loans are not the riba forbidden in the Quran, which was declared war on because of a tyrannical loan-shark culture unlike today's regulated banking, in which the borrower gives back more out of necessity and is legally protected.

Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 21:46)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 21:46 · Open the segment

Why does Mufti Abu Layth say riba has become a symbol rather than something people understand?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Why does Mufti Abu Layth say riba has become a symbol rather than something people understand?

Riba has become a symbol of Islam that many hold important without understanding it, because religion for many people is a matter of visible symbols. What people know is that Allah declared war on riba and destroys it while increasing charity. Mufti Abu Layth says that religion for many people is a matter of visible symbols, and that riba has become one such symbol of Islam, held to be incredibly important by people who may not understand what it is.

Answer from 19 October 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Are Mortgages & Bank Loans Haram? - Mufti Abu Layth (at 2:04)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

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Should religious leaders be held to a higher standard than everyone else?

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Should religious leaders be held to a higher standard than everyone else?

The claim that leaders deserve greater scrutiny is a modern Western ethic that its proponents apply selectively, in Mufti Abu Layth's view, while a hadith tells Muslims to overlook the slips of people of standing. Workplace rules on relationships are corporate productivity ethics, not religion. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the principle that leaders deserve greater scrutiny is a modern Western ethic applied selectively by those who reject modern ethics elsewhere, and that the Prophet instructed overlooking the slips of people of standing.

Answer from 29 September 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Propaganda against Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan - Mufti Abu Layth (at 19:37)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 19:37 · Open the segment

Is it wrong to choose the easier opinion in Islam?

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Is it wrong to choose the easier opinion in Islam?

Mufti Abu Layth says choosing what is easier is the nature of Islam, citing hadith that the Prophet always chose the easier of two options. Islam came to connect people with God, not to make secondary details the main issue.

Answer from 6 September 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Giving rulings based on minority opinions- Shaykh Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (at 5:27)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 5:27 · Open the segment

If Aisha's age is a problem, aren't polygamy and the Prophet's wars problems too?

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

If Aisha's age is a problem, aren't polygamy and the Prophet's wars problems too?

Polygamy and the Prophet's wars are not irrational and differ from marrying a child, where consent is impossible. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet remains a perfect role model and that he does not accept Aisha was that age. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Prophet is a perfect role model for all times and that polygamy and his wars, unlike a marriage to a child who cannot consent, are not irrational.

Answer from 11 January 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Age of Aisha (ra)- Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:55:11)

A more recent answer on history/sirah exists (9 May 2023): How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?

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If ethics change over time, how can today's ethics judge the Prophet's marriage?

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

If ethics change over time, how can today's ethics judge the Prophet's marriage?

Base ethics such as the wrongness of harm do not change, and the issue is consent, which a minor cannot give. Mufti Abu Layth does not believe people will ever come to accept otherwise. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the question turns on consent, which a minor cannot give, and says he does not believe people will ever come to accept such a marriage, since the prevention of harm is a universal ethical base.

Answer from 11 January 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Age of Aisha (ra)- Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:35:34)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 1:35:34 · Open the segment

Why is Aisha's age only being questioned now, and is it just to appease the West?

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Why is Aisha's age only being questioned now, and is it just to appease the West?

The age was treated as an issue historically through rulings against marrying girls incapable of marriage, and it is prominent now because Islam faces more scrutiny. Mufti Abu Layth rejects the report with certainty and calls the appeasement charge preposterous. Mufti Abu Layth says he rejects the six-and-nine report with personal certainty and that doing so is a matter of consistency, not appeasement of the West.

Answer from 11 January 2017 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Age of Aisha (ra)- Mufti Abu Layth (at 1:17:16)

A more recent answer on hadith/hadith-in-legal-reasoning exists (18 October 2025): Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?

Watch on YouTube at 1:18:33 · Open the segment

Is it wrong to watch Bollywood films and TV series?

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Is it wrong to watch Bollywood films and TV series?

Mufti Abu Layth does not see films and TV as a priority issue: entertainment is human, as poetry was for the companions, so focus on adding good rather than pushing people away. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in the bigger picture, he does not necessarily see movies or TV series as high on the priority list.

Answer from 21 December 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Islam in the 21st Century | Mufti Abu Layth | Ha Meem Foundation (at 54:46)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 56:03 · Open the segment

Where will the answers to Muslims' problems today come from?

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Where will the answers to Muslims' problems today come from?

From Muslims themselves: as Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said, legends will be born to carry the deen, and Allah sends revivers in every generation. Mufti Abu Layth says the solutions to the problems Muslims face will come from within, from people among them who rise, learn and bring them about.

Answer from 21 December 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Islam in the 21st Century | Mufti Abu Layth | Ha Meem Foundation (at 20:12)

A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists (10 December 2022): How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?

Watch on YouTube at 20:12 · Open the segment

Why do so many young Muslims feel confused or embarrassed about Islam today?

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Why do so many young Muslims feel confused or embarrassed about Islam today?

Negative media portrayal, extremism, postmodern questions, doubts about rulings, culture and racism all weigh on young Muslims, and Mufti Abu Layth asks what the answer is.

Answer from 21 December 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Islam in the 21st Century | Mufti Abu Layth | Ha Meem Foundation (at 12:05)

A more recent answer on society/technology-and-media exists (22 February 2023): Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?

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Is Islam still relevant in today's confusing times?

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Is Islam still relevant in today's confusing times?

Yes: the Prophet foretold confusing trials like layers of night, but Islam is for every time and place and has spread against the greatest odds. Mufti Abu Layth says Islam is for every time and every place, not restricted to the Arabian Peninsula.

Answer from 21 December 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Islam in the 21st Century | Mufti Abu Layth | Ha Meem Foundation (at 8:12)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 8:12 · Open the segment

Western human rights, unquestioned presuppositions and the labels liberal and conservative

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Western human rights, unquestioned presuppositions and the labels liberal and conservative

Both speakers say Muslims should question their own presuppositions and scrutinise Western values rather than dismiss or adopt them wholesale. One objects that Western moral markers shift every decade; the other that labels like liberal and conservative replace argument.

Answer from 15 March 2016 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

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

Recording: Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan & Mufti Abu Layth - A Discussion on Contemporary Issues (at 6:55)

A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists (18 October 2025): If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Watch on YouTube at 6:55 · Open the segment

Can I say Merry Christmas to non-Muslims?

Sun, 27 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Can I say Merry Christmas to non-Muslims?

Yes, saying Merry Christmas is permissible: old rulings against it came from a very different world, and in the UK Christmas is largely a winter festivity. Those who prefer another greeting may use it without feeling pressured. Mufti Abu Layth says it is permissible to say Merry Christmas to non-Muslims.

Answer from 27 December 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Fatwa on saying Merry Christmas - Mufti Abu Layth (at 0:00)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 0:00 · Open the segment

Why is Islamophobia rising?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Why is Islamophobia rising?

Mufti Abu Layth says it is rising as a reaction to the worldwide awakening of Muslims to their faith, because people fear what they do not understand, and because of scaremongering and a few fools who misportray Islam. Mufti Abu Layth says the rise in Islamophobia is a reaction to the collective awakening of Muslims to their faith, fed by fear of what people do not understand, by scaremongering and misrepresentation, and marginally by fools who misportray Islam.

Answer from 6 April 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Unanswered Questions- An interview with Mufti Abu Layth (at 44:32)

A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists (19 August 2022): Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?

Watch on YouTube at 44:32 · Open the segment

Is Mufti Abu Layth a modernist?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Is Mufti Abu Layth a modernist?

No: he follows the school of Madinah and Imam Malik, teaches thousand-year-old texts and holds chains back to the Prophet, and calls boycotting classical thought a heresy. Looking modern in dress, he says, is not modernism, and Abu Hanifa too was criticised for his dress.

Answer from 6 April 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Unanswered Questions- An interview with Mufti Abu Layth (at 39:21)

A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists (19 April 2023): Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?

Watch on YouTube at 39:21 · Open the segment

Is extremism among Muslims really on the rise?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Is extremism among Muslims really on the rise?

In one sense yes, since groups like ISIS did not exist in this form two decades ago, but he says the far greater rise is in Muslims awakening to traditional Islam, with some bad elements awoken alongside it. Mufti Abu Layth says that while militant groups have risen compared with two decades ago, the far greater rise is a worldwide awakening of Muslims to traditional Islam, of which some extremist elements are a side effect.

Answer from 6 April 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Unanswered Questions- An interview with Mufti Abu Layth (at 35:25)

A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 35:25 · Open the segment

Should Muslims deny that jihad exists in Islam to counter extremism?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Should Muslims deny that jihad exists in Islam to counter extremism?

No: he says denying jihad or reducing it to self-defence feeds extremists, who use it to call scholars sellouts. The answer is to reclaim traditional Islam and own the concept with its context and conditions. Mufti Abu Layth holds that extremism is tackled by reclaiming traditional Islam and owning the concept of jihad, which exists in the Quran and Sunnah with its context and conditions, rather than by denying it, which feeds groups such as ISIS.

Answer from 6 April 2015 · auto-transcribed, may contain errors

Kind: general teaching

Recording: Unanswered Questions- An interview with Mufti Abu Layth (at 31:30)

A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists (29 September 2024): How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Watch on YouTube at 31:30 · Open the segment