Mufti Abu Layth Archive: weekly digest

Week 42, 2025 (13 October 2025 to 19 October 2025): 32 answers

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Those with very different views still come from love for the religion, and the only way forward is dialogue and humanising one another; the guest says the Quran is the only thing that can unite Shia and Sunni, and both sign off warmly.
Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest cites a Muwatta report that a Companion's contemporary recognised nothing of the Companions' practice except the call to prayer, as proof the religion had changed; Mufti Abu Layth says the report refers to those in governance and that Malik throughout his works transmits the living practice of Madinah.
Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The silent prayers come from the living tradition Malik described, handed down from the Companions' descendants; Mufti Abu Layth reads 17:110 as being about crying out to Allah, neither in despair nor in silence, rather than the five prayers, citing 8:35 where 'prayer' means whistling and clapping.
Why do Quranists reject the Islamic tradition as a whole? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says Quranists differ in interpretation but agree that the Islamic tradition is riddled with errors, and that Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate work leads people to Quranism; Mufti says the guest's own prayer choices came from the tradition and objects to disrespect towards the people of the mosque.
What is Mufti Abu Layth's case for keeping the Islamic scholarly tradition? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest restates Mufti Abu Layth's view as relying on the tradition for a few hard verses and says the Quran's overall message has no such problems; Mufti says the 1,400-year tradition beginning with the Prophet's Sunnah is invaluable and discarding it is a disservice to Islam.
Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth cited 3:188 because its apparent reading is harsher than the Prophet's explanation, showing that the reasoning of those who came before is valuable; the guest says he asked for the Prophet's book of explanations and was pointed back to the Quran.
If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says most people are mushrikun according to the Quran and that God is merciful in giving them messengers and exits, so those who refuse to reason deserve punishment; guidance follows the attributes God has set, not chance.
Is it a sin to enjoy being praised? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest holds that 3:188 describes people buying into the worldly life, exulting in what they have and loving praise for what they have not done, and that such people are punished; pressed, he confirms that anyone with these traits faces punishment.
Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The apparent reading of 3:188 threatens anyone who loves praise for what he has not done, which troubled the Companions until the Prophet explained it as concerning tyrants and the arrogant; the guest reads it as a warning listing traits a believer must shed.
If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Both agree reason is essential to understanding revelation; Mufti Abu Layth adds that by the same logic the reasoning of the Prophet, the Companions and the scholars before us is a valuable reservoir, not his reason alone, and the guest demands the Prophet's own explanation.
Is the daytime ban on eating and intimacy in Ramadan stated in the Quran or inferred? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The daytime prohibition of eating and intimacy in Ramadan comes from 2:187 by mafhum al-mukhalafa, an adverse inference Mufti Abu Layth accepts but which is not the explicit reading, so some verses need the tradition's explanation; the guest says each reader is rewarded according to his understanding.
Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says calling the Prophet the best of creation is an unprovable inference contradicted by verses and reports favouring Abraham; Mufti Abu Layth says the guest rejects inference for that title while relying on inference to say what breaks the fast.
Does the Quran alone say what breaks the fast? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says 2:187 shows that eating, drinking and intercourse break the fast by making them lawful at night; Mufti Abu Layth says the verse does not explicitly forbid them by day, so the Quran-only reader is inferring by reason rather than reporting what God said.
Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest's prayer is about duration and connection rather than numbers of units, with an imam supplying structure only in congregation; prostration, kneeling and standing are components without a set order, and wudu is as 5:6 describes it, without the tradition's additions.
Does the Quranist prayer have any set structure? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest's prayer has no set structure: it changes in the moment, may include hours of prostration or prostrating mid-recitation when a verse moves him, and its purpose per 29:45 is to restrain immorality; he says Quranists may also pray like Sunnis, minus words not from God.
How do Muslims know how to pray if the Quran does not spell it out? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims know how to pray from an unbroken living tradition of more than 1,400 years, father to child, documented in the books of every century; the guest asks why God describes prayer in the Quran if it must be learned at the mosque, and why two prayers are silent when 17:110 forbids silence.
How does a Quranist pray salah? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest's prayer has no unit count: after wudu he seeks refuge, reads al-Fatiha by his own choice and a full chapter, then prostrates once with supplication, filling the prayer time as the moment dictates; in congregation the imam leads a single long prostration and prayers last up to an hour, three times a day.
How do Quranists perform Hajj and apply Islam without the fiqh tradition? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the application of Islam is all in the Quran: his group performs Hajj in months other than the usual days, since the Quran speaks of plural months, and Ramadan is fully detailed; he does not rely on the fatwa tradition.
Can 'light' in 5:15 refer to the Prophet, or only to guidance and the book? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the primary readings of 'light' in 5:15 are guidance or the Prophet, as many mufassirun held, and that the guest's reading as the book is acceptable but may not negate the others; the guest says the word cannot refer to a human and that the mufassirun inserted the Prophet from presupposition.
Is the 'light' that came with the clear book in 5:15 the Prophet or the Quran itself? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest reads the light of 5:15 as an aspect of the book itself, arguing from the pronoun in 5:16 and the conjunction in 33:7; Mufti Abu Layth presents the view of the mufassirun that the light is the Prophet and accepts the guest's reading as one interpretation while objecting that the others are not negated.
Does 16:44 mean the Prophet explains the Quran, or that the Quran clarifies earlier scriptures? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads 16:44 as showing the Prophet's role in explaining the revelation, as nearly every tafsir does; the guest says the verse is about the Quran clarifying earlier scriptures to the people of the book, and points to 5:15 as naming a single source.
What is the 'wisdom' the Prophet teaches alongside the Book in 2:129? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest holds that the wisdom taught alongside the Book is the Quran's own application and is found in the Quran itself; Mufti Abu Layth says the primary reading of 2:129 is that the messenger teaches the Book and, separately, the wisdom, and himself purifies the people.
Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says his hadith criticism, including BukhariGate, was driven by reports that insult the Prophet, whose honour comes before Muslims' own; the guest says calling the Prophet the most beloved of creation is unprovable and a lie against God, and that the Quran favours Abraham, whom Muhammad is told to follow.
Does 'we sent you only as a mercy' (21:107) describe the Prophet or the act of sending him? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the primary Arabic reading of 21:107 is that the Prophet himself was sent as a mercy for the worlds, with the exclusive negation amplifying that, while the guest's reading that the sending is the mercy is a secondary understanding he may hold but not impose.
Is the Prophet Muhammad the most beloved of creation and a mercy to the worlds? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest holds that God's sending of the messenger, not the Prophet himself, is the mercy, and that calling him the most beloved of creation is unprovable celebrity worship; Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet is a mercy for the worlds and that if some are more beloved than others one must be at the top.
Do Quranists accept any Sunnah of the Prophet? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Both agree the Quran is central, but the guest says the Quran names only two sunnahs, of earlier peoples and of God, and that the Prophet's own clarifications were not preserved and so cannot have been necessary; Mufti Abu Layth presents this as the school of Madinah's Quran-centred view with other sources orbiting it.
Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Quran-only position rests on principle, since God refers earlier communities only to their books, and is confirmed by epistemology, since hadith are contradictory and insulting; Quranists reject the religious authority of hadith, not history or narrations as such.
Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There is a middle way between rejecting hadith and hadith absolutism: Malik and Abu Hanifa distinguished Sunnah from hadith and accepted reports only if they do not contradict reason, the Quran, the living tradition or a principle of Islam. Mufti Abu Layth says Quranists should be met with love, not cornered, and recalls his own past anger. Mufti Abu Layth holds the middle position of Imam Malik and Abu Hanifa that the Sunnah is what is followed and hadith only document it, so a report is accepted unless it contradicts reason, the Quran or the living tradition or uproots a principle of Islam, and that discarding the Sunnah is a disservice to faith.
Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger? — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth sees the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger, sometimes justified, to hadith that are misused, such as the Bukhari report on Aisha's age, the report on killing apostates and reports used to justify abuse; the question is what Quranists actually mean by rejecting hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says he perceives the Quranist movement as a reaction of anger to hadith that are misused, an anger sometimes justified, and he holds that Aisha married in her late teens, that the hadith on killing the apostate is fabricated and its application was political, and that hadith are wrongly used to justify abuse and misogyny.
How the dialogue came about: a guest who waited two hours at the last meetup — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest waited two hours at the previous meetup, said his followers wanted a dialogue, and tonight Mufti Abu Layth wants to hear a Quranist make the case for the Quran-only position.
Apology for the delay and how the dialogue was scheduled — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth apologises for being late, explains why Friday evenings suit guests in America, and says he postponed another MindTrap to hold this dialogue.
Opening: music and sharing the link with the guest — 18 October 2025, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Music and housekeeping while Mufti Abu Layth shares the stream link with the guest.

Week 39, 2024 (23 September 2024 to 29 September 2024): 5 answers

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done — 29 September 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says this deen is one of love and hope, and everyone, himself included, must reckon with the harm their words may have done. Mufti Abu Layth says that all Muslims, himself included, have to take themselves to account for the damage their past words may have done.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake? — 29 September 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
It is not a mistake: Mufti Abu Layth shows from Sibawayh that the emphatic nun becomes an alif when stopping on it, so the alif spelling is the traditional one. Mufti Abu Layth says that writing the emphatic nun of lanasfa'an with an alif is the traditional way of writing it.
A more recent answer on quran/arabic-language exists: Is the 'light' that came with the clear book in 5:15 the Prophet or the Quran itself?
How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view — 29 September 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says scholars who long told the public to kill blasphemers, Mufti Tariq Masood once among them, helped build the culture now threatening him, and must teach mercy for everyone.
Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy? — 29 September 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Not when there was no such intention: Mufti Abu Layth says Mufti Tariq Masood was clearly wrong, but he meant to praise the Prophet, so calling him a blasphemer is unacceptable. Mufti Abu Layth says that when people make mistakes it does not mean they are blaspheming, even if the mistake is horrendous.
Mufti Tariq Masood's remark on scribal errors, and Islam as a deen of mercy — 29 September 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says there are no mistakes in the Quran's script, but Islam is a deen of mercy, so Mufti Tariq Masood's error should not bring calls for his death. Mufti Abu Layth says that Islam is a deen of mercy.

Week 10, 2024 (4 March 2024 to 10 March 2024): 2 answers

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Which verse of the Quran promises more blessings for being grateful? — 5 March 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth points to Quran 14:7: Allah promises abundance to the grateful, so by giving you receive. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Quran 14:7 Allah promises abundance to those who express gratitude.
How much does Allah love me? — 4 March 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Allah has an unimaginable love for every one of us, so we should take a chance on ourselves. Mufti Abu Layth says Allah has an unimaginable love for each and every one of us.

Week 9, 2024 (26 February 2024 to 3 March 2024): 1 answer

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential — 28 February 2024, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Each person mirrors a divine potential given by Allah; do not let it go to waste and live to mourn the person you could have become. Mufti Abu Layth says each of us is a mirror for the divine potential that Allah has gifted and urges people not to let it go to waste.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/motivation-and-purpose exists: How much does Allah love me?

Week 22, 2023 (29 May 2023 to 4 June 2023): 1 answer

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

What can the death of a parent teach us? — 2 June 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says death is the greatest admonition and grief brings families together; one lesson may be to serve those who have no one around them. Mufti Abu Layth says that maybe one of the great lessons of death is to try to give forward, helping and serving other people.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/gratitude-giving-and-contentment exists: Which verse of the Quran promises more blessings for being grateful?

Week 21, 2023 (22 May 2023 to 28 May 2023): 1 answer

Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

What is the funeral prayer and what do you say in it? — 26 May 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The funeral prayer is in essence a sincere du'a for the deceased; many scholars allow any du'a, in any language, across its four takbirs. Mufti Abu Layth says the janazah is in essence a du'a for the deceased.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/death-and-mortality exists: What can the death of a parent teach us?

Week 19, 2023 (8 May 2023 to 14 May 2023): 5 answers

Tue, 09 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

How do I stop worrying about the ups and downs of my faith? — 9 May 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth tells the convert not to worry about turbulence in faith, which is part of the journey; faith often shows its worth later as a bedrock in hard times. Mufti Abu Layth tells the caller not to sweat the turbulence in their faith, saying it is all part of the journey.
Why do religious debates make people so defensive? — 9 May 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says debates rarely change minds and feed the ego, so he prefers conversations where people can disagree. Mufti Abu Layth says debating is so wrapped up in the ego that it is not healthy and is not what iman is about.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength? — 9 May 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet was tender, kissing his children, yet firm when safety demanded, riding out alone at night to check on a frightening sound. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet combined compassion with firmness, being firm for the well-being of people and not in an intimidating way.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
Was the Prophet harsh with people? — 9 May 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet was soft and attentive with people and came from mercy, unlike harsh dawah that puts others down. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet did not come from intimidation but from mercy and compassion for the world.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
I'm a new Muslim and my faith has crashed after the first high. What should I do? — 9 May 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the first energy of faith always burns out, so the aim is to learn and live the faith while it lasts; at its core Islam is justice and kindness. Mufti Abu Layth says the energy that comes with embracing a faith is temporary, so a burnout is inevitable.

Week 16, 2023 (17 April 2023 to 23 April 2023): 2 answers

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith? — 19 April 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the inherited practice of Madinah, like its adhan, outweighs an isolated report, since not every Sunnah was documented and narrators made honest mistakes; this is why he favours the school of Madinah. Mufti Abu Layth says he greatly favours the method of the school of Madinah.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on? — 19 April 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says Imam Malik respected such hadith by recording them in the Muwatta while noting that Madinah did not act on them, a model of hadith relativism he recommends following. Mufti Abu Layth says, as his own thought, that someone choosing an imam to guide them in a broad methodology should look to legends like Imam Malik.
A more recent answer on hadith/hadith-in-legal-reasoning exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?

Week 10, 2023 (6 March 2023 to 12 March 2023): 14 answers

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

Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His daughter, who had memorised his hadith and taught his classes after him, while his sons showed little interest. Mufti Abu Layth says it was Imam Malik's daughter who carried his legacy forward, continuing to teach his classes after him.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Can we ever be completely certain about religious answers? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Only God is certain; every answer we hold is limited by our own understanding and that of those we learned from, a humility Imam Malik modelled. Mufti Abu Layth says the ultimate certainty is God alone, and whatever we think is the answer is ultimately limited by our understanding.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Why was Imam Malik flogged? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Malik was flogged for refusing to stop transmitting that a coerced divorce is invalid, which undercut forced oaths of allegiance to the Abbasids. Mufti Abu Layth says he doubts Malik stayed away from the mosque because of ill health, since he kept teaching at home for hours until his death.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Why did Imam Malik never leave Madinah? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Out of love for the Prophet, Malik held Madinah above Makkah, never left it except once for Hajj, and would not wear shoes or ride near the Prophet's mosque. Mufti Abu Layth says the Maliki school holds Madinah to be more virtuous than Makkah, while the other schools disagree.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Imam Malik taught that devotion to learning is not lesser than voluntary worship, the paths to God being many, and Mufti Abu Layth urges not underestimating it. Mufti Abu Layth says one should not underestimate the value of devotion to learning, or think voluntary prayer is somehow more valuable to God.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
What is the difference between a hadith and the Sunnah in the Maliki school? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The school of Madinah is 'hadith relativist': it accepts a hadith where it matches the living Sunnah and not otherwise, since hadith is historical data and the Sunnah is the Prophet's teaching. Mufti Abu Layth says those who follow the school of Madinah are not hadith dogmatists but hadith relativists, embracing a hadith where it correlates with the Sunnah.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Why did Imam Malik sometimes reject authentic hadith? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Malik would cite a hadith and say Madinah did not act on it, a devastating stance for later hadith-centred scholars, given his unmatched authority. Mufti Abu Layth calls Malik's saying that his city does not act upon a hadith a catastrophe for the later hadith dogmatists.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Is the Muwatta of Imam Malik more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Muwatta, with Malik's 'golden chain', is arguably the most authentic book of hadith and predates al-Bukhari, though others do not rank it first. Mufti Abu Layth says the Muwatta is arguably the most authentic book of hadith from a hadith perspective.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Was Imam Malik an ascetic? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Imam Malik was a wealthy merchant who enjoyed fine clothes and daily meat, unlike the ascetic tradition, and was criticised for it. Mufti Abu Layth says Imam Malik was not from the ascetic tradition in Islam; he enjoyed the wealth God had given him.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/gratitude-giving-and-contentment exists: Which verse of the Quran promises more blessings for being grateful?
What did Imam Malik's teachers teach him about hadith and Sunnah? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Rabi'a taught him that a practice transmitted by a thousand from a thousand outweighs a hadith passed one from one, the living tradition of Madinah. Mufti Abu Layth says Rabi'a's saying 'a thousand from a thousand is more beloved to me than one from one' perfectly instantiates the debate of hadith versus Sunnah.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
How did Imam Malik come to study religion? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His mother gently steered him from singing to study, and that choice made him one of the most influential figures in Islamic history.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Is it haram for men to wear earrings? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Early imams including Malik wore earrings as boys; Malik disliked golden earrings for boys because of the gold, not the earring. Mufti Abu Layth says many of the great imams of the early period, Imam Malik among them, used to wear earrings.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: reports of years-long pregnancies are best explained by phantom pregnancies followed by real conception, not dismissed as lies or taken literally. Mufti Abu Layth says the old reports of pregnancies lasting years, as with Imam Malik's, can be explained by phantom pregnancies.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
Who was Imam Malik and where did he come from? — 10 March 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Imam Malik was born in Madinah around 93 AH into an Arab family of Himyarite origin, with a Companion great-grandfather and a grandfather among the tabi'un.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?

Week 8, 2023 (20 February 2023 to 26 February 2023): 9 answers

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

What should Muslims focus on in confusing times? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the best thing is to focus on yourself and be an example of light, inviting and welcoming people rather than condemning them. Mufti Abu Layth says the best possible thing a person can do is focus on themselves and be an example of light.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Is it my duty as a Muslim to preach to others? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims have a duty to be an example, not a duty to preach; turning religion into preaching information makes people judgmental. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims have a duty to be an example, not a duty to preach.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says no: it only leads to sectarian fighting. Answer people who come asking, but Sunni-Shia debating does no good. Mufti Abu Layth says he is not personally for Sunni-Shia debating because he feels it does no good and only does harm.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Is it okay for adults or children to change gender? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
Will gay people around us make Muslims gay? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?
Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth agrees there is a disproportionate LGBTQ push in media and objects to sexualising young children, calling it hypocritical that polygamy cannot be described the same way. Mufti Abu Layth says he does feel there is a disproportionate push on LGBTQ themes in media.
A more recent answer on relationships/parents-and-children/raising-children exists: How did Imam Malik come to study religion?
Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
Should Muslims tell gay people what the Quran says about homosexuality? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual? — 22 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.

Week 7, 2023 (13 February 2023 to 19 February 2023): 6 answers

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist — 13 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Orthodoxy offered clarity, but its checklist was written by men from their own school and position, not by Allah and his Messenger. Mufti Abu Layth says the creedal list was taught not by Allah and his Messenger but by men, who wrote from their own perspective.
Language embeds power: 'inconvenience' versus 'hardship' in tayammum — 13 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The words scholars choose, such as 'inconvenience' or 'hardship', already decide the ruling, embedding power even when used sincerely. Mufti Abu Layth says that the moment we deploy words we embed power structures, maybe subconsciously.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Orthodoxy and power: adding to the checklist, ijma and cancel culture — 13 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Once creed became a checklist, those in power could keep adding to it, as with ijma; everyone acts from power, even when sincere. Mufti Abu Layth says everybody acts from power and that doing so does not mean one is disingenuous.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
The created Quran controversy and the birth of a creedal checklist — 13 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In his research, orthodoxy began with the created-Quran controversy, which gave rise to the language of divine attributes and to growing creedal checklists. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his research he feels orthodoxy originates with the question of the creation of the Quran.
Apophatic definition: the early main body defined by what it was not — 13 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Early Muslims had no creed checklist: you belonged to the main body as long as you did not hold the positions of the known sects. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the time of the salaf the main body of Muslims was identified by contrast with outgroups, with no checklist of what to believe.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
The birth of orthodoxy: a nameless main body and the hadith project — 13 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Orthodoxy means belief deemed correct by those with power. For two centuries the main body of Muslims had no name and was marked out by involvement in hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says the name Ahl al-Sunnah did not exist until over two hundred years after the Prophet.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?

Week 6, 2023 (6 February 2023 to 12 February 2023): 1 answer

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Is Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza consistent in how he criticises hadith? — 6 February 2023, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Not fully, says Mufti Abu Layth: Engineer Mirza's rational critique of others' hadith stops short of scrutinising how sahih hadith were authenticated. Mufti still calls him a legend and a much-needed voice.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?

Week 50, 2022 (12 December 2022 to 18 December 2022): 2 answers

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Is worship or how I treat people the real sign of faith? — 16 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says worship is a personal matter between you and God, while how you behave among people is the true measure of your iman. Mufti Abu Layth says that how you behave amongst people is your true sign of faith.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
Is someone who prays but commits major sins better than someone who doesn't pray? — 16 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says it is categorically wrong that someone who prays, however evil, is better than someone who does not, and calls the idea dangerous. Mufti Abu Layth says the claim that a murderer or abuser who prays is still better than a person who does not pray is categorically wrong.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?

Week 49, 2022 (5 December 2022 to 11 December 2022): 12 answers

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

What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa called the younger Imam Malik a blonde, blue-eyed lad. Mufti Abu Layth closes that the Hanafi madhhab became restrictive in recent centuries while schools such as the Maliki kept their freedoms. Mufti Abu Layth says the Hanafi madhhab became very restrictive and controlling, especially in the last two or three centuries, whereas other schools such as the Maliki kept their freedoms.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
What is the story of the woman who tricked Abu Hanifa into a marriage proposal? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa died in 150 AH and is buried in Baghdad. In a story of uncertain accuracy, a woman tricked him into a marriage with a different bride to get him back for the clever reference he once gave a poor suitor.
What did Abu Hanifa do about his neighbour who drank and sang at night? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Rather than punishing his drunken, noisy neighbour, Abu Hanifa had him released from custody and asked whether he had let him go to waste, a kindness that transformed the man's life. Mufti Abu Layth draws from the story of Abu Hanifa's drunkard neighbour that doing kindness to people conquers their hearts.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
How did Abu Hanifa die, and what was he known for among people? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa was imprisoned by the Abbasids for supporting an uprising from the Prophet's family and died, perhaps poisoned, in prison; he was loved above all for his compassion and generosity. Mufti Abu Layth says the feature that most made Abu Hanifa's legacy glow and won people's hearts was his compassion and generosity towards students, teachers and people in need.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
How did Abu Hanifa solve the case of two brides sent to the wrong grooms? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Where Sufyan al-Thawri advised divorces, a waiting period and remarriage to the original spouses, Abu Hanifa had each man marry on the spot the woman he had spent the night with, sparing a waiting period and jealousy.
Did Abu Hanifa allow wudu with nabidh when there was no water? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the early school of Abu Hanifa, someone without water could make wudu with nabidh, a weak fermented date drink, and he helped people out of rash conditional divorce oaths, unlike the sterner Imam Malik.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
How did the Hanafi school develop from Abu Hanifa's teaching? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa's students, above all Imam Muhammad, turned his spirit into an institution through the six books of the zahir al-riwaya, and Mufti Abu Layth feels the madhhab later lost that spirit and became focused on the letter of the law. Mufti Abu Layth says the Hanafi madhhab, over the generations, lost the spirit Abu Hanifa brought, became radically institutionalised and focused on the letter of the law, declaring most things haram, contrary to his concern to create ease.
Was Abu Hanifa involved in politics? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa supported Zayd ibn Ali's uprising and fled to Makkah under the Umayyads, and the Abbasids later made him chief supervisor of the building of Baghdad.
A more recent answer on history/umayyads-and-abbasids exists: Why was Imam Malik flogged?
Why did Abu Hanifa allow things like praying in Persian? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa's legal stratagems, such as letting someone who knew no Arabic pray in Persian, were meant to create ease for new Muslims, not to change Islam, and Mufti Abu Layth says that spirit is needed today. Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa's legal stratagems, such as allowing prayer in Persian, were meant to create ease and welcome people rather than to change Islam, and that this spirit is the one needed today.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Why was Abu Hanifa criticised so much in his own time? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa was accused in his lifetime of following desire and opinion over the Quran, partly by rivals such as Sufyan al-Thawri, though the imams generally stayed respectful of one another. Mufti Abu Layth says the hostility Sufyan al-Thawri often showed towards Abu Hanifa was not a good thing, and that he has never read Abu Hanifa being venomous about others.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Encouraged by al-Sha'bi to join the circles of knowledge, the merchant Abu Hanifa studied with Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, succeeded him as the central figure of Kufa and became the voice of the school of reason. Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa concretised the school of reason in Kufa and was a legendary voice of reason whose story is inspiring.
Who was Imam Abu Hanifa and where did he come from? — 10 December 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Abu Hanifa, a kunya that became his name, was of Persian ancestry with roots in Kabul, was born in Kufa in 80 AH and grew up as a stylish, successful cloth trader before turning to knowledge.

Week 33, 2022 (15 August 2022 to 21 August 2022): 21 answers

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

Recap: the novel, insult versus critique, and the false story summarised — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth recaps that Rushdie's novel was an insult rather than a critique and that the satanic verses story is a fabrication rejected by al-Tabari, Ibn Khuzayma and Qadi Iyad, recommending al-Shifa and al-Albani's book.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Should loyalty to a scholar ever come before the honour of the Prophet? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says loyalty belongs first to the Prophet, so a report that disparages him must be rejected whoever accepted it, citing Imam Malik's maxim that everyone's words can be accepted or rejected except the Prophet's. Mufti Abu Layth says that when a report disparages the Prophet, loyalty belongs to the Prophet rather than to any scholar who accepted it, and that everyone's words may be accepted or rejected except the Prophet's.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
What does the Mufti think of Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Taymiyya's contribution is mainly to the Salafis and that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's misplaced zeal did great harm, while stressing that all scholars are human and make mistakes. Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Hajar and al-Suyuti contributed greatly to Islam and Ibn Taymiyya to a lesser degree, while Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, in his view not a scholar of depth, had a misplaced zeal that did great harm to Muslims.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists: How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?
Which scholars accepted the satanic verses story and which rejected it? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Albani and Ibn Khuzayma rejected the story as a fabrication, while Ibn Taymiyya, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Ibn Hajar leaned towards giving it some basis. Mufti Abu Layth says the satanic verses story was fabricated by people unhappy with Islam, as Ibn Khuzayma said, and that Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab were wrong to incline towards accepting it.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
What does the Quran say against the satanic verses story? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Suyuti repeated Ibn Hajar's mistake, while the Quran rules the story out: the Prophet does not speak from desire and Satan has no power to speak in his voice. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran itself rules out the satanic verses story, since it says the Prophet does not speak from desire and that Satan has no power over people beyond calling them, so he cannot speak in the Prophet's voice.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Why did Ibn Hajar say the satanic verses story has some basis? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Hajar wrongly argued that the many weak chains give the story a basis, and attributes the mistake to passion for the hadith project rather than malice. Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Hajar was wrong to argue that the many weak chains give the satanic verses story a basis, a mistake he attributes to passion for the hadith project rather than to malice.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
What did the classical Maliki scholars say about the satanic verses story? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Maliki scholars, Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi and Qadi Iyad among them, rejected the story as fabricated, and that al-Tabari records the narrations but concludes they are false. Mufti Abu Layth says the Maliki scholars rightly rejected the satanic verses narrations as fabricated, and that even a sahih report contradicting the Quran would be rejected, let alone weak ones.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he rejects the link to 22:52, noting that Surah al-Hajj is Madinan, that the Prophet refused the Makkans' offers of compromise, and that the Quran calls the idols mere stone. Mufti Abu Layth says the story that the Prophet praised the idols, or that Satan spoke in his voice, is absurd, and that 22:52, in a Madinan surah, has nothing to do with it.
What are the satanic verses in Islamic history? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth explains that the Prophet's recitation of Surah al-Najm and the prostration of everyone present are documented, but that the added story of him praising the three goddesses is false. Mufti Abu Layth says the prostration of everyone present when the Prophet recited Surah al-Najm is documented, possibly out of respect at the mention of their gods, but that the narrations claiming the Prophet praised the three goddesses are false.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
What does holding on to bitterness do to a person? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
After jokes about Rushdie's marriages, he says bitterness consumes the person who carries it and hurts those around them, and prays for such hearts to be healed. Mufti Abu Layth says bitterness harboured against others destroys the one who carries it and hurts those closest to them, and he prays that God heals such hearts.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Should all religions be free to compete without state backing? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Jokes about Rushdie's hairline and a mock hair-transplant offer — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth jokes about Rushdie's hairline and offers a mock hair transplant, repeating in passing that the attacker only gave Rushdie the limelight.
Why did Salman Rushdie write The Satanic Verses? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In his personal opinion, Rushdie wrote the novel chiefly as defiance of his father, did not expect the backlash, and has since been abandoned even by the left he championed.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Is The Satanic Verses a critique of Islam or an insult? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the novel is an insult rather than a critique, since it makes no argument and only portrays the Prophet and his wives offensively.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
What is The Satanic Verses actually about? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth summarises the novel's plot, including the Mahound episode and the brothel whose women bear the names of the Prophet's wives, and says this part, though short, shows the book's hostility to Islam.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Is there a difference between criticising Islam and insulting it? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: he says everyone may criticise a religion they do not believe in, even if it offends, but that this is not a right to insult, and no society allows speech without limits. Mufti Abu Layth says everyone has the right to criticise what they do not believe in, even if it offends, but that freedom to criticise is not freedom to insult, and every society sets some limits on speech.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Identity, Midnight's Children, the fatwa and the years in hiding — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Rushdie's lack of a secure identity runs through his books, and recounts Midnight's Children, Khomeini's fatwa and the years in hiding before turning to The Satanic Verses.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
What made Salman Rushdie so hostile to Islam? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth suggests that Rushdie's hostility to Islam is rooted in an unresolved resentment of his father, who embraced his Muslim identity and moved to Pakistan.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
What was Salman Rushdie's family background? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth describes Rushdie's privileged Muslim family in Bombay, a father who took the name Rushdie from Ibn Rushd, and an English boarding-school education shaped by admiration for the British ruling class.
What does the Mufti think of Salman Rushdie as a person? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he personally finds Rushdie's personality abhorrent and senses a strong negativity from him, and that he researched him in order to be fair.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Does Islam allow attacking Salman Rushdie? — 19 August 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he condemns the attack on Salman Rushdie as cowardly and contrary to Islam, saying ideas must be answered with speech and that the attack only demonised Islam and revived Rushdie's fame. Mufti Abu Layth condemns the attack on Salman Rushdie as cowardly and an abomination, saying Islam does not teach such acts and that those who speak against Islam must be answered with speech.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view

Week 15, 2022 (11 April 2022 to 17 April 2022): 1 answer

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Am I only praying because I fear God will punish me? — 16 April 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says praying only out of fear of punishment is unhealthy: salah is devotion that benefits us, bringing structure and order into our day. Mufti Abu Layth says salah does not benefit God in the slightest and that it is only the worshipper's devotion that reaches God.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?

Week 11, 2022 (14 March 2022 to 20 March 2022): 1 answer

Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Is mut'ah (temporary marriage) haram for Sunni Muslims? — 19 March 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says most Sunnis hold mut'ah haram but a minority, including Ibn Ashur, held it is not categorically haram; follow the view you hold and do not fight over it. Mufti Abu Layth says mut'ah is one of those matters where, if you follow those who say it is haram, it is haram for you, and that it is not something to fight over.
A more recent answer on fiqh/polygamy-and-mutah exists: Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?

Week 7, 2022 (14 February 2022 to 20 February 2022): 1 answer

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel? — 19 February 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth welcomes his fresh, reason-based approach to the Quran but does not agree with some readings he understood from him, such as Zakariya being the father of Jesus. Mufti Abu Layth says he personally does not agree with the view, if he has understood it correctly, that Zakariya married Mary and was the father of Jesus.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?

Week 3, 2022 (17 January 2022 to 23 January 2022): 4 answers

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Is it true that Africans have no Neanderthal DNA? — 19 January 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Generally yes: Neanderthals never lived in Africa, though some people seen as African today have mixed ancestry from migration. Mufti Abu Layth says people with only African ancestry have no Neanderthal DNA because Neanderthals were not in Africa.
Did humans and Neanderthals interbreed? — 19 January 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes, but in his view not much: Neanderthal DNA was diluted over generations, leaving non-Africans with about one to four percent. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think Neanderthals and Homo sapiens interbred excessively.
Neanderthals were more intelligent than people think — 19 January 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Neanderthals were not stupid: he puts their intelligence at roughly that of an eight or nine year old child, far above chimpanzees. Mufti Abu Layth says Neanderthals were probably about as intelligent as an eight or nine year old child.
Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam? — 19 January 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Islam is not a science manual and says nothing directly about them, but he says the Quran hints that other hominins came before Adam, who was the final 'successor' in that line. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran hints, without clearly stating it, that other hominins preceded Adam.

Week 1, 2022 (3 January 2022 to 9 January 2022): 1 answer

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Why does Mufti Abu Layth say he wronged Dawah Man? — 8 January 2022, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he wronged Dawah Man by picking on him repeatedly although Dawah Man never publicly criticised him, breaking his own rule, and he wishes him well despite their differences.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Week 51, 2021 (20 December 2021 to 26 December 2021): 1 answer

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What do Sunni Muslims think of the twelve Shia imams? — 22 December 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Shia imams are generally respected in Sunni Islam but are not used as reference points; he suspects Ja'far al-Sadiq was closer to the Shia picture of him than Sunnis admit, as an assumption. Sunnis and Shia should agree to disagree and be fair to each other. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq may have been closer to what the Shia claim him to be than to what the Sunnis claim, while calling this an assumption and not a known fact.
A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Week 48, 2021 (29 November 2021 to 5 December 2021): 1 answer

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid? — 29 November 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Do not make fun of people who are ill with covid: it is a roll of the dice, as a neighbour's sudden death showed, and it should make us grateful. Mufti Abu Layth says he advises people not to make fun of those who are hospitalised or ill with covid.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/gratitude-giving-and-contentment exists: Which verse of the Quran promises more blessings for being grateful?

Week 46, 2021 (15 November 2021 to 21 November 2021): 1 answer

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What does the Mufti think of Quran-only Muslims? — 20 November 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth commends Quranists' love for the Quran but feels they have misunderstood the living tradition. Most of the ummah, Hanafi and Maliki, were hadith relativists who put the sunnah before hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that Quran-only Muslims have misunderstood, or not appreciated, the living tradition in its totality.
A more recent answer on hadith/quran-only-movement exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?

Week 43, 2021 (25 October 2021 to 31 October 2021): 3 answers

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Should I debate Quranists? — 25 October 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: arguing never changes anyone's mind and only breeds hatred, so give your view if asked and see Quranists with compassion. He finds their case weaker than they think, since fiqh was built on the living tradition, not on hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think debates really yield results, since humiliating someone in an argument only makes them hate you more.
A more recent answer on hadith/quran-only-movement exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Did Muslims learn how to pray from hadith books? — 25 October 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the practice of Islam reached us through the living tradition, taught from parent to child, not through hadith collections compiled two centuries later. Quranists are not one group, and many only doubt the accuracy of hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says that, personally, he would say the practice of Islam has not reached us through hadith but through the living tradition.
A more recent answer on hadith/quran-only-movement exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Will Allah judge someone who follows only the Quran by the Quran alone? — 25 October 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth will not speak on who is saved: he finds it arrogant for a human to presume where anyone ends up, since Allah's mercy encompasses everything. We should concern ourselves with our own path. Mufti Abu Layth says that he personally finds it very arrogant for a human to presume who will go where in the afterlife, which only Allah knows.
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?

Week 40, 2021 (4 October 2021 to 10 October 2021): 1 answer

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is there a sahih hadith on where to put my hands in salah? — 6 October 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There is no sahih hadith fixing where the hands go in salah; sadl, praying with the hands at the sides, is a sunnah of the school of Madinah without a hadith. Not every hadith is sunnah and not every sunnah was recorded in a hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says there is not a single sahih hadith establishing where the hands are placed in prayer, that sadl is a sunnah of the school of Madinah without a hadith, and that people should not be guilt-tripped over how they hold their hands.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?

Week 35, 2021 (30 August 2021 to 5 September 2021): 1 answer

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana? — 30 August 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the ego death reported with 5-MeO-DMT is, he believes, what Ibn Arabi meant by fana fillah. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes the ego death reported with 5-MeO-DMT is what great scholars like Ibn Arabi meant by fana fillah.

Week 26, 2021 (28 June 2021 to 4 July 2021): 1 answer

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Is it wrong to want to be rich? — 4 July 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Wanting to be rich or to build a lucrative business is not wrong in Islam. The balance is to hold wealth in your hands and not in your heart, keeping your purpose. Mufti Abu Layth says there is nothing wrong in Islam with wanting to be rich or to have a lucrative business, so long as wealth is held in one's hands and not in one's heart and one keeps a purpose.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/motivation-and-purpose exists: How much does Allah love me?

Week 20, 2021 (17 May 2021 to 23 May 2021): 9 answers

Tue, 18 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim — 18 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he has always supported Palestine and only argued for safe passage for its people, that 'exile' was a slip of the tongue, and that those calling him a non-Muslim and invading his home are not following Islam.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Statement on the break-in at Mufti Abu Layth's home — 18 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth describes masked men breaking into his home and terrifying his family, and asks whether this is the character Islam teaches.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
What does Mufti Abu Layth think the solution for Kashmir is? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Independence for at least part of Kashmir, such as the valley, from both India and Pakistan, with buffers so Pakistan is not exposed, though he does not expect it to happen. Kashmir differs from Gaza in being a militarised zone rather than a bombarded prison, and India would not pay to relocate anyone. Mufti Abu Layth says that Kashmir, unlike Gaza, is a heavily militarised zone, that India would not pay to relocate its people, and that the ideal solution would be independence for part of Kashmir, such as the valley, with buffers kept so that Pakistan is not left vulnerable, though he expects none of it to happen.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His escrima teacher's rule was to run from a knife and fight only when running is impossible, and he applies it to an enemy that will not back down. He repeats that the UAE deal has brought nothing and that Bin Bayyah and Hamza Yusuf should not be blamed for it.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Should Palestinians stay and defend the holy land at the cost of their lives? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No, in Mufti Abu Layth's view: life comes before place, a Muslim's honour outweighs the Kaaba rebuilt seven times, and the whole earth is a place of prayer. He says the war is lost and that those who insist Palestinians stay would stop caring about them once they were safe elsewhere. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the war against Israel is lost, that the preservation of life comes before holy places since a Muslim's honour outweighs the Kaaba destroyed and rebuilt seven times, and that Muslims guilt-trip Palestinians into staying and dying.
Is Jerusalem really a holy city in Islam? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In Mufti Abu Layth's view Jerusalem was never that sacred in Islam: its glorification began with Abd al-Malik's Dome of the Rock as a rival to Makkah, and he holds that al-Aqsa, 'the farthest' mosque, was in the heavens. Even if holy, it is bricks and mortar, and life comes before buildings. Mufti Abu Layth holds that from an Islamic viewpoint Jerusalem was never as sacred as it is now held to be, that its glorification began when the caliph Abd al-Malik built the Dome of the Rock as a rival to Makkah, and that in his understanding al-Masjid al-Aqsa, 'the farthest', was in the heavens rather than in Jerusalem.
A more recent answer on history/umayyads-and-abbasids exists: Why was Imam Malik flogged?
What does Mufti Abu Layth think should happen to the Palestinians in Gaza? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Since Israel is here to stay and a two-state solution will not happen, Mufti Abu Layth proposes relocating the Palestinians of Gaza and the blockaded areas across the Arab world with compensation, housing and education, spread out rather than in ghettos. He says Muslims guilt-trip Palestinians into staying and Arab states value them as a buffer zone. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Israel is here to stay, that a two-state solution would be ideal but will never happen, and that the Palestinians of Gaza and the blockaded areas should instead be relocated with compensation, housing and education across the Arab world rather than guilt-tripped into staying.
Has the UAE's recognition of Israel brought any peace? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says two weeks of bombardment followed the deal, so it is not a solution. He calls Israel a terrorist state at the state level, with war crimes documented by the UN and academics such as Chomsky and Finkelstein, and stresses this is not antisemitism. Mufti Abu Layth says that at a state level Israel is a terrorist state that has committed documented war crimes against Palestinians, that saying so is not antisemitism, and that the UAE's recognition deal has brought no peace and is not a solution.
Are Bin Bayyah and Hamza Yusuf to blame for the UAE's deal with Israel? — 17 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No, in Mufti Abu Layth's view: the UAE's ruler does not take direction from scholars, Bin Bayyah is said to have disliked the treaty while deferring to the ruler's decision, and Hamza Yusuf had nothing to do with it. He opens with condolences for the losses in Gaza.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?

Week 19, 2021 (10 May 2021 to 16 May 2021): 7 answers

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

What can people realistically do for Palestine, and is migration an option? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Archaeology has not found the kingdoms of David and Solomon, and Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims should apply the same scrutiny to their own narrations, where early scholars differed over al-Aqsa and the first qibla and the Umayyads under Abd al-Malik promoted Jerusalem with fabricated hadith to rival Ibn al-Zubayr. Mufti Abu Layth says archaeology has not substantiated the kingdoms of David and Solomon, that early Muslim scholars differed over whether al-Masjid al-Aqsa was in Jerusalem or the heavens and whether the night journey was a vision, and that the Umayyads under Abd al-Malik fabricated hadith to promote Jerusalem against Ibn al-Zubayr in Makkah.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/palestine exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife?
Is the Gaza conflict a war or a genocide, and who is egging Palestinians on? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls the conflict a genocide rather than a war and says urging Palestinians towards martyrdom from the comfort of one's home is armchair cowardice, driven by Arab buffer-zone interests and a religious-centre mentality. Mufti Abu Layth says the conflict is a genocide rather than a war, and that egging Palestinians on towards martyrdom from the comfort of one's home is an armchair-coward approach.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/palestine exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife?
What solutions are possible for Palestine? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Do protests help Palestine, and was blocking the roads in Birmingham justified? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Protests put slow pressure on politicians who can only request, and blocking Birmingham's roads at rush hour was a disservice to the Palestinian cause: it broke the law, harmed civilians and turned sentiment against Palestine. Mufti Abu Layth says blocking the roads into Birmingham at rush hour was an utter disservice to the Palestinian cause, since frustration gives nobody the right to break the law, it distressed uninvolved civilians and it increased sentiment against Palestine.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/palestine exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife?
What can ordinary people do about the Palestinian crisis, and do social-media posts help? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Global outcry and boycotts are necessary even though Israel ignores them and acts with impunity, but Instagram posts make no difference to the crisis, which is not caused by lack of awareness, so Muslims should not guilt-trip one another. Mufti Abu Layth says a global outcry is necessary even though Israel acts with impunity and people can boycott Israeli products, but that social-media posts make no difference to the crisis, so Muslims should not guilt-trip others who do not make them.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/palestine exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife?
What are the layers behind the Palestinian crisis of May 2021? — 15 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The crisis has an occupation layer, which Mufti Abu Layth calls clear oppression and a crime against humanity, and a political layer: Gulf normalisation with Israel, Netanyahu's domestic insecurity and fear politics, and Arab neighbours' interest in a Palestinian buffer zone. Mufti Abu Layth says the Palestinian crisis has an occupation layer, the illegal Israeli occupation and forced removals that are clear oppression and a crime against humanity, and a political layer involving Gulf normalisation with Israel, Netanyahu's domestic position and Arab neighbours' interest in a buffer zone.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/palestine exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth compare the Palestinian situation to facing a knife?

Week 18, 2021 (3 May 2021 to 9 May 2021): 2 answers

Sun, 09 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Did scholars let slave women uncover more than free women? — 9 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the scholars dropped their concern for modesty when it came to slave women, and calls the claim that nobody would desire them nonsense. He thinks slave women probably wore working clothes, with arms and lower legs uncovered, rather than walking about topless. Mufti Abu Layth says the claim in the books that nobody would desire a slave girl is the biggest nonsense, since men would of course desire them.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
Why did scholars say a slave woman's awrah is the same as a man's? — 9 May 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says most scholars of the past legitimised the practice of slave girls out of pragmatism, realism and sex, and even presented it as a religious act. He contrasts this with music, which they were less keen to permit, and polygamy, which few manage today. Mufti Abu Layth says that, if one is honest, the way most scholars of the past dealt with slave girls was simply an issue of pragmatism, realism and, he supposes, sex.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?

Week 17, 2021 (26 April 2021 to 2 May 2021): 29 answers

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Can I pray while carrying my child? — 27 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: the Hanafi rule that three consecutive movements break the prayer is made up, and the Prophet prayed carrying Umama; Mufti Abu Layth puts the attacks on Shaykh Aslam down to jealousy. Mufti Abu Layth says rulings such as prayer breaking after three consecutive movements are made up.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Does today's Hanafi madhhab reflect Imam Abu Hanifa? — 27 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Not in spirit: Mufti Abu Layth calls later Hanafi rulings fossilised and pedantic, behind the sectarian attacks on Shaykh Aslam, and praises Shaykh Atabek as a fresh voice. Mufti Abu Layth says the Hanafi madhhab as it is today is like a Frankenstein compared to what Imam Abu Hanifa was.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Closing: thanks, the guest's message and sign-off — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: thanks, the guest's closing message and Mufti Abu Layth's sign-off.
How is Lupe Fiasco finding Ramadan during Covid? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says Ramadan has been easy, though he misses the mosque and tarawih after staying away during Covid to protect older worshippers.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
Is life just a dream in the mind of God? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says life is real and material, the unseen is part of nature, and ordinary people do not need the supernatural.
Is Lupe Fiasco retiring from music? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says he is not retiring but reorganising his life at forty around the metaphor of a garden, preparing for major technological change.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
How did Lupe Fiasco discover Mufti Abu Layth? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says he found Mufti Abu Layth while looking for alternatives to the Salafi content that dominates Muslim YouTube, and values his different point of view.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Did Lupe Fiasco know DMX? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says he did not know DMX closely, and describes meeting Dave Chappelle.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
What does Lupe Fiasco think of Killah Priest's song B.I.B.L.E.? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest calls Killah Priest's 'B.I.B.L.E.' an amazing record about a spiritual journey, noting that studying Islam's Jewish and Christian sources creates intellectual tension.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment/music exists: Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
What inspired Lupe Fiasco's song Words I Never Said? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says 'Words I Never Said' was his attempt, at the height of his fame, to speak truth to power about wealth disparity and militarism.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment/music exists: Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
What is Lupe Fiasco's view of Kanye West's religious rebirth? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest declines to judge Kanye West's faith, praising his work ethic while disagreeing with him, and calls Jay-Z a mentor and a genius with words.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Are young people today facing an existential crisis? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says most people face a crisis of purpose rather than of existence, urges anyone with suicidal thoughts to seek expert help, and says young people can find value without conventional success.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/motivation-and-purpose exists: How much does Allah love me?
Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Intrusive or blasphemous thoughts in prayer are not a reason to worry: noticing them is a sign of faith, as a hadith says. Mufti Abu Layth adds that jinn in the Quran means the unseen and possession stories are folklore.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer/conditions-and-validity exists: Why did Abu Hanifa allow things like praying in Persian?
Is humanity becoming more or less moral? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says morality is remade daily, with no overall rise or fall and no consistent definition; Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
What inspired the story of Lupe Fiasco's album The Cool? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth describes a classical tale of a poet's journey through paradise; the guest explains the resurrection story behind his album The Cool and the slave-ship myth of Drogas Wave.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says early Muslims, including poets, had real critiques; Mufti Abu Layth says the deen should complement life rather than complicate it.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Can a Muslim work in the music industry and keep their faith? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment/music exists: Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
Are psychedelics like mushrooms and DMT haram? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he has a video saying psychedelics are not haram; the guest says he has never drunk or used drugs and judges such substances by a medicinal line.
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Why does China try to control who becomes the Dalai Lama? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says China's attempt to control the Dalai Lama's reincarnation shows a state using religion, something he sees in pieces in Muslim countries and elsewhere.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/middle-east-and-world exists: What does Mufti Abu Layth think the solution for Kashmir is?
How does the Chinese state deal with religion? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest describes Chinese paper offerings burned for the dead, a government crackdown on their modern forms, and the Anti-Spiritual Pollution Campaign as examples of the state managing religion.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/middle-east-and-world exists: What does Mufti Abu Layth think the solution for Kashmir is?
Is it normal for faith to keep changing over a lifetime? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says faith is a lifelong journey and iman an organic process, not a fixed mould to be fitted onto everyone.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
What does Lupe Fiasco think the soul is? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says exposure to many faiths has left him still searching, and that he thinks of the soul as a name for many functions of the body, holding his 'I don't know' comfortably.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Is the soul the same thing as consciousness? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest describes storytelling as a syncing of minds; Mufti Abu Layth says he feels consciousness is synonymous with the ruh and links people weakly at a distance.
Do we think in words or in images? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest argues that shapes are more fundamental than words or pictures; Mufti Abu Layth says words are also reductive, forcing profound things into limited form.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/islamic-psychology exists: Why did Salman Rushdie write The Satanic Verses?
Did Lupe Fiasco's way with words come naturally? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says words did not come naturally: he trained himself by copying words from magazine covers into raps until metaphors and images came easily.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
How did Lupe Fiasco go from science to rap? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says he wanted to be a rocket scientist but struggled with maths, and signed a record deal straight out of high school.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
What was Lupe Fiasco's childhood like? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest describes growing up in Chicago in a family of martial arts, music and engineering, giving up chess over a hadith, and turning to rap when he could not learn the clarinet.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
What does Lupe Fiasco's name Wasalu mean, and how was he raised? — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says he has never confirmed what his name Wasalu means; Mufti Abu Layth suggests the Arabic 'to connect'. Born to convert parents, he says he was born Muslim.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Opening: sound trouble and welcoming Lupe Fiasco to MindTrap — 26 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: after sound checks Mufti Abu Layth introduces his guest, the rapper Lupe Fiasco.

Week 16, 2021 (19 April 2021 to 25 April 2021): 2 answers

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Sign-off: wrapping up a late, extended stream — 19 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth closes a late, extended stream, saying he is losing his voice.
Why do Mufti Abu Layth's critics defend Bukhari reports that demean the Prophet? — 19 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Critics who defend Bukhari reports Mufti Abu Layth regards as insulting to the Prophet, such as marrying a child, forcing Safiyya, forgetting the Quran or being made impotent by magic, cannot claim to love the Prophet. Mariya al-Qibtiyya was a wife, not a concubine, and the critics' real concern is a fantasy caliphate and power. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Mariya al-Qibtiyya was a wife of the Prophet and not a concubine, and calls nonsense the teachings, some of them in Sahih al-Bukhari, that the Prophet married a child, forcibly took Safiyya, tried to force himself on a woman, forgot the Quran or was made impotent by magic.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?

Week 15, 2021 (12 April 2021 to 18 April 2021): 50 answers

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

I don't feel spiritual in Ramadan; am I a bad Muslim? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says not feeling Ramadan's atmosphere is no reflection of your faith, since worship is not measured by how good it feels. Mufti Abu Layth says not feeling the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan or hajj is no reflection of a person's faith and no cause for guilt, since worship is not measured by how it feels.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/religious-guilt-and-scrupulosity exists: Am I only praying because I fear God will punish me?
Can I skip fasting because of work, exams or health, and what do I do instead? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
It is your call: make the fast up later if you can, or give fidya if your situation will not change, which Mufti Abu Layth bases on the plain wording of Quran 2:184. Mufti Abu Layth says whether one can fast is one's own decision, that those who cannot should make the fast up later or, if their situation will not change, give fidya on the apparent reading of 2:184, and that fasting is a personal commitment, not a punishment.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Can I fast for a fixed 12 hours when the days are very long? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Follow any timetable you like; Mufti Abu Layth endorses the al-Azhar-derived fatwa that a fast of twelve hours or more is valid for anyone who needs it. Mufti Abu Layth says one may follow any reasonable fasting timetable, and that he endorses the fatwa that a fast of twelve hours or more is valid for those who need it, whose need others may not judge.
Is it wrong for a Muslim to want to make money? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says make money and enjoy what it brings, but do not love money for itself, and remember that giving opens the way to provision. Mufti Abu Layth says it is good to be enterprising and make money, provided one loves what money brings rather than money itself, and that provision is counterintuitively increased through giving.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/gratitude-giving-and-contentment exists: Which verse of the Quran promises more blessings for being grateful?
Was Adam a real person? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Mufti Abu Layth believes Adam was a literal person, the father of the cognitive revolution, though he accepts some read him as a metaphor. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes Adam was a literal person, the father of the cognitive revolution, while accepting that some see him as a metaphor.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
What does Mufti Abu Layth think of al-Shaybani's critique of the Madinan school? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls al-Shaybani's book an arrogant reply to Malik that failed from its title, since Islam was lived in Madinah and preserved in Malik's school. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Shaybani's book against the people of Madinah failed from its title, since Islam was lived and taught in Madinah and captured by Imam Malik, whose school tries to preserve the practice of Madinah.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is the pursuit of knowledge a deeper drive than sex? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes for the conscious mind, Mufti Abu Layth says, which is driven by curiosity; and the fact that being is intelligible, as DNA shows, points to a creator. Mufti Abu Layth says the conscious mind is driven by curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, and that the intelligibility of being, as seen in the coding of DNA, points to an intelligent creator.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/islamic-psychology exists: Why did Salman Rushdie write The Satanic Verses?
Are the devils really chained up during Ramadan? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No verse says so; Mufti Abu Layth reads the hadith on chained devils as meaning that good deeds become easier in Ramadan's shared spirit. Mufti Abu Layth says no verse speaks of hell during Ramadan, and that the hadith on the devils being chained means that doing good becomes easier in the shared spirit of the month.
A more recent answer on fiqh/fasting exists: How is Lupe Fiasco finding Ramadan during Covid?
How can I be sure my reason is not wrong? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali answered his doubt by relying on God; today, he says, the very existence of a consciousness that can doubt is itself the sign of God. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali resolved his doubt by reliance on God, that science has since taken us far beyond his time, and that for him the existence of consciousness is the sign of God.
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists: Is life just a dream in the mind of God?
Are many people's frustrations really about unmet sexual needs? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says much bitterness comes from unmet sexual needs, that Islam itself does not see sex negatively, and that Freud should be judged on his ideas, not his character. Mufti Abu Layth says unmet sexual needs underlie much unhappiness and bitterness, that Islam does not view sex negatively though institutionalised religion does, and that Freud's insights should be judged on their merits rather than on his character.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
What was the real crime of the people of Lut? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists: Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?
What did Ibn Rushd mean by the 'double truth' of religion and philosophy? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says it is not 'double truth', but he agrees fully with Ibn Rushd that the sharia is built for ordinary people while the gifted can find its deeper meanings. Mufti Abu Layth says he agrees fully with Ibn Rushd that the sharia is designed for ordinary people, who need structured and visible religion, while those gifted with deeper understanding can discover its deeper meanings.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Did one of al-Bukhari's teachers call Imam Malik a disbeliever? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth knows of no such takfir by a teacher of al-Bukhari; harsh words against Malik came from a contemporary who objected to his not acting on some sahih hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says he knows of no teacher of al-Bukhari who declared Imam Malik a disbeliever, and that harsh statements against Malik came from a contemporary, Ibn Abi Dhi'b [?], over Malik not acting on some sahih hadith.
A more recent answer on hadith/hadith-in-legal-reasoning exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Can the soul travel into the spiritual world through meditation or dhikr? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says such practices may work for the dedicated, and that the soul is not inside the body but a non-local consciousness the brain connects to, like a phone picking up a signal. Mufti Abu Layth says he understands the soul not as a ghost inside the body but as a non-local consciousness that the brain connects to, like a handset picking up a signal, and that collective consciousness shifts over time.
A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists: A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential
Can I pray for a non-Muslim who has died? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims may pray for a non-Muslim like DMX who touched many lives, since no one has a monopoly on salvation, and that music is not haram.
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?
When should reason take priority over religious texts? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Reason always comes first, Mufti Abu Layth says, because every reading of scripture is already an interpretation; hadith dogmatism grew from Ibn Taymiyya's era and revived under colonialism. Mufti Abu Layth says reason necessarily comes first because scripture can only be understood through human interpretation, and that hadith dogmatism took shape in the era of Ibn Taymiyya and revived under colonialism, when attacks on religion amid instability pushed people towards fundamentalism.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Calling for Facebook questions; shout-outs and a guest suggestion — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth asks for Facebook questions and responds to a suggestion for a MindTrap guest.
Is child marriage legal in Western countries? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says Western ages of consent cluster around sixteen and do not allow an adult with a child, and imams should condemn child marriage with one voice. Mufti Abu Layth says Western age-of-consent laws do not permit adults to marry or have relations with children, and that imams should speak with one voice in condemning child marriage.
A more recent answer on fiqh/marriage-contracts exists: How did Abu Hanifa solve the case of two brides sent to the wrong grooms?
What does Mufti Abu Layth think of Adnan Ibrahim? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth admires Adnan Ibrahim as a voice of reason in the Arabic-speaking world whose message is close to his own and who is what a real imam should be.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says Dr Abdul Majid accepted Bukhari because other scholars had and did not answer the points on its transmission, though he respects him for having the dialogue.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Will religious dogmatism ever disappear? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Will Mufti Abu Layth invite his critics onto MindTrap? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says he has invited many of his critics onto MindTrap for respectful dialogue, but not hate preachers or extremists.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
What is the most important thing to get right in life? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Try never to be hurtful or hateful; Mufti Abu Layth says that validates your Islam as a human being, and that disliking what people do is not the same as hating them. Mufti Abu Layth says that living one's life trying never to be hurtful or hateful is what validates one's Islam as a human being, and that disliking what people do is different from hating them.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
Can critics cancel an independent preacher? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says efforts to cancel him cannot work, because he is independent and speaks to the silent majority of ordinary Muslims, not his critics' followers.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says most of the Jesus debate questions are answered in his long reply, and that the shaykh he answered has substance but is torn between his views and his following.
How should I deal with online hate preachers? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says critics who use him for views, especially hate preachers, should be mocked and blocked, and that their obsession harms them more than him.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Why is Salafi content so dominant online? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Najdi dawah is a small puritan movement kept alive by oil money, which dominates Islamic content online only because it invested early in Q&A websites. Mufti Abu Layth says the Najdi or Salafi dawah is a cultish puritanism sustained by oil money, followed by perhaps three percent of Muslims, but dominating Islamic content online because others did not invest in it.
A more recent answer on society/technology-and-media exists: Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?
Why does Ramadan fall in different seasons each year? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the early Islamic calendar was kept in line with the seasons by an extra month, nasi, and Ramadan only began moving through the year after that practice lapsed. Mufti Abu Layth says that in his view the calendar in the Prophet's time was lunisolar, kept aligned with the seasons by an intercalary month, nasi, and that Ramadan probably began to rotate through the year only after the practice lapsed during the expansion of the state.
A more recent answer on history/pre-islamic-arabia exists: Did everyone at the time of the Prophet accept Islam without questions?
Apologies for the equipment, and no Monday Nights during Ramadan — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There will be no Monday Nights during Ramadan, though MindTrap and other content continue.
Is Mufti Abu Layth against Salafis? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says he has no problem with anyone being Salafi; his objection is to cult-like dogmatism in any group. Mufti Abu Layth says his objection is not to Salafis as a denomination but to dogmatic, cult-like mentality in any group, which he says suffocates religion.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir/salafism-and-wahhabism exists: What does the Mufti think of Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab?
More messages: a middle path between Salafism and Quranism, and 'God is not dumb' — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Supporters' messages describe finding a middle path between Salafism and Quranism and using the intellect in faith, and Mufti Abu Layth responds.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Why do some religious people dislike laughter? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says humour lets ordinary people see absurdity and question authority, which is why institutional religion dislikes it and why reports against laughter were fabricated. Mufti Abu Layth says institutionalised religion has always disliked humour because satire lets ordinary people see absurdity and question authority, and that reports against laughing much were fabricated for this reason.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Is God someone I should mainly be afraid of? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says seeing God as an angry disciplinarian is a distortion, and that Allah is the Most Merciful who invites people to reflect. Mufti Abu Layth says the picture of God as an angry, strict disciplinarian or tyrant is a distortion, and that Allah is al-Rahman al-Rahim, who invites people to ponder the cosmos.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Do I need a religious authority to own my faith? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Is everything halal unless proven haram? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says things are halal by default and prohibiting is a heavy task, and teachers should say 'in my understanding' because they could be wrong. Mufti Abu Layth says things are halal by default and declaring something haram is a heavy task, and that a teacher should present rulings as his own understanding of what God wants, acknowledging that he could be wrong.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Will traditional religious institutions survive if they do not adapt? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Is it obligatory for Muslims to establish a caliphate? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says there is no obligation to establish a caliphate, citing classical Maliki scholars and Akram Nadwi against the claim of consensus. Mufti Abu Layth says there is no obligation in Islam to establish a caliphate system, that classical Maliki scholars held this, so the claimed consensus fails, and that Akram Nadwi takes the same view.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Why are some clerics so hostile to Mufti Abu Layth? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says clerics who oppose him see in his approach the end of their institutional religion, and calls their reaction its final pangs.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Are the stories in the Quran true but not historical, like the story of Adam? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Adam was the father of humans with modern cognition, and that the tree, which the Quran never calls a fruit or apple, may have been a psychedelic plant that sparked the cognitive revolution. Mufti Abu Layth says he holds that Adam was the father of humans with modern cognition and that the forbidden tree may have been a psychedelic plant that triggered the cognitive revolution, the Quran mentioning a tree rather than a fruit.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
Are there answers to the hardest ethical questions about stories in the Quran? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he has answered every hard question on his 2016 list, such as the killing of the boy in Moses' story, by research true to the text, and others can build on it.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
How has the internet changed who gets to speak about Islam? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the internet let him reach people without the backing of mosques or organisations, which would never have given him a platform.
A more recent answer on society/technology-and-media exists: Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?
Should Muslims judge their own sources by the standards they apply to other religions? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims should hold their own sources to the standard they use for others, giving the example of Bukhari resting on one unvouched-for transmitter. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims should apply to their own tradition the critical standards they apply to other faiths, noting that Sahih al-Bukhari rests on one transmitter whom no one vouched for for about 150 years.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Humour as a natural gift — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says humour comes naturally and cannot be faked, and that he asks serious interlocutors to excuse his.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Should my faith make me happy? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says faith should make you happy, not hateful or bitter, because Islam is meant to complement daily life. Mufti Abu Layth says faith ought to make a person happy rather than hateful or bitter, and that Islam is meant to complement day-to-day life.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Reading supporters' messages: ease of deen, the Bukhari series, apostasy — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Supporters' messages thank Mufti Abu Layth for making the deen easy and for his work on Bukhari, the age of Aisha and apostasy.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Setting up the supporters' messages; technical trouble — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth prepares to read a compilation of supporters' messages and deals with technical trouble.
Responding to viewers' love: a grown-up child, and haters as a measure of impact — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel he deserves viewers' praise and reads his critics' obsession as a sign that they feel threatened by his ideas.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Questions noted for later: fasting at work, a hadith on Quran 4:159 — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth notes questions on fasting at work and on a hadith linked to Quran 4:159 to come back to, and thanks a supporter.
Does a community gathering have to be gender segregated? — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says adults do not need micromanaging and a gathering of men and women need not be segregated. Mufti Abu Layth says adults do not need to be micromanaged and that the proposed get-together would not be gender segregated.
Opening: unwell and late, the last Monday Night before Ramadan, plans for a get-together — 13 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth opens the last Monday Night before Ramadan, says either start date for Ramadan is fine, and suggests a viewers' get-together once Covid restrictions lift.

Week 14, 2021 (5 April 2021 to 11 April 2021): 39 answers

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

Closing: super chats, a session before Ramadan, and a revolution of hearts and minds — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Closing remarks: one more session before Ramadan, questions via Instagram, and a call for a faith of reason, compassion and love.
Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he dislikes his critics' conduct but has no hatred for them, and invites the critic to a dialogue on MindTrap.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/anger-and-forgiveness exists: What does holding on to bitterness do to a person?
Did Jesus survive the crucifixion? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads the cradle verse as the priests' indignation at being debated by a boy, and says Jesus was taken down from the cross alive after a few hours, which he finds more plausible than a substitute transformed to look like him.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Was Solomon's hudhud really a bird? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The hudhud is addressed in Arabic forms used only for humans, so Mufti Abu Layth reads it as a person, perhaps an agent of Solomon's intelligence service, and he rejects a reading that makes a prophet steal a throne.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Was the murdered man in the story of the cow brought back to life? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The verse of the heifer does not say the dead man was revived; like 'in retaliation there is life', it refers to lives saved when a ritual of justice averted tribal war.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Did the parting of the sea have a natural explanation? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
God acts through the laws of nature, so the parting of the sea can have a natural explanation such as a strong wind, and Moses exposed the magicians' tricks rather than outdoing them with magic.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Did Abraham really cut up birds that came back to life? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the verse of Abraham and the birds he reads a symbol: birds nurtured by Abraham come to him from afar, a sign of the soul's affinity to God, rather than birds cut up and revived.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Did Noah really live 950 years? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Noah's 950 years refers to an ancient counting system like those of the Sumerian king lists, signalled by the verse's unusual wording, not to ordinary years; he never said the Quran copied an error from the Bible.
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists: Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?
Does Mufti Abu Layth have any scholarly precedent for his views? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His views have respected precedents: al-Burzuli, a Maliki Shaykh al-Islam, held that punishments change with the age, and the subcontinent scholars he quotes were Ahl al-Hadith, not heretics. Not every untrue statement is a sin punished with hell.
A critic's reaction video: the Wahhabi jibe and the setup — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth introduces a critic's reaction video that he says distorts his views, and trades jokes about the label Wahhabi.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir/salafism-and-wahhabism exists: What does the Mufti think of Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab?
Why does Mufti Abu Layth say it is not a huge claim that Imam Malik denied the second coming? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Malik's record and Ibn Ashur's standing show a Maliki can deny the second coming, and the Dajjal reports insult the Prophet. He invites Qadhi to a dialogue on MindTrap. Mufti Abu Layth says it is not a huge claim that Imam Malik did not believe in the second coming, given his statement that Jesus died, the contents of the Muwatta and his fatwas, and that the reports of the one-eyed Dajjal and of the Prophet spying on Ibn Sayyad insult the Prophet's dignity.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Are the signs of the Hour part of Islamic creed? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
One can be a Maliki and doubt these reports: Ibn Ashur, Shaykh al-Islam of the Malikis, classed the signs of the Hour as information rather than creed, and Imam Ahmad said the malahim reports have no foundation.
A more recent answer on belief/creed-and-kalam-schools exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist
Where does the belief in the Mahdi come from? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Mahdi belief is disrespectful to the Prophet, who was the rightly guided saviour, and entered Sunni Islam from early Shia political movements; the Mahdi hadith describe figures of that time. Mufti Abu Layth says the belief in a Mahdi is disrespectful to the Prophet, who was the rightly guided saviour, and that it entered Sunni Islam from early Shia political movements, the Mahdi hadith being fabricated descriptions of figures of that time.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Did the Prophet really spy on a boy he thought was the Dajjal? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Ibn Sayyad and Dajjal reports are absurd and insult the Prophet's dignity, and their contradictory accounts of who and where the Dajjal is show they are not revelation. Mufti Abu Layth says the reports in which the Prophet spies on the child Ibn Sayyad suspecting him to be the Dajjal, and related reports in Sahih Muslim and Bukhari, are absurd and insulting to the Prophet's dignity, and that their contradictory accounts of the Dajjal's identity and location show they are not revelation.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated/about-the-prophet exists: Recap: the novel, insult versus critique, and the false story summarised
Why does the Muwatta contain hadith that Imam Malik did not follow? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Malik included in the Muwatta reports he did not practise, and the only report about Jesus there shows him telling a pig to pass in peace. Mufti Abu Layth reads this as a sign Malik rejected the reports that Jesus will return to kill pigs. Mufti Abu Layth says Imam Malik included in the Muwatta reports he did not practise, and infers from the only report about Jesus there, in which Jesus tells a pig to pass in peace, that Malik had a problem with the reports that Jesus will return and kill pigs.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school/muwatta-and-mudawwana exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Did Imam Malik believe Jesus will return? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There is a statement from Imam Malik that Jesus died, and Malik never taught the second coming in his fatwas or the Muwatta, so it is no huge claim that he did not hold it. Transmitting a report is not endorsing it. Mufti Abu Layth says there is a statement from Imam Malik that Jesus died, that Malik never taught the second coming in his fatwas or the Muwatta, and that transmitting a report is not endorsing it, so it is not a huge claim that Malik did not hold the belief.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams/imam-malik exists: Did Imam Malik reject the hadith he did not act on?
What does Yasir Qadhi argue about Malikis and the return of Jesus? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yasir Qadhi argues in the clip that the return of Jesus is established by mutawatir hadith and affirmed by the great Maliki scholars, so a Maliki cannot deny it. Mufti Abu Layth sets out the points he will answer.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Does Allah love everybody? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Allah loves His creation and detests harmful actions, not creatures. Pork being forbidden, most likely for hygiene, does not mean God hates pigs. Mufti Abu Layth says Allah loves His creation and detests harmful actions rather than creatures, so pork being forbidden, most likely for reasons of hygiene, does not mean God hates pigs.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
How can I nourish my soul this Ramadan? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
To deepen the bond with God, read even a little Quran daily, make personal dua and give charity; learning, poetry, art and meaningful music can also strengthen a person inwardly, not only more voluntary prayer. Mufti Abu Layth says that what nourishes the soul includes reading even a little Quran daily, personal dua and charity, and more generally learning, poetry, art or meaningful music, whatever strengthens a person inwardly, adding that for him personally many voluntary prayers would not do so.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment/music exists: Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
Are insects haram to eat in the Maliki school? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Insects are not haram in the Maliki school: almost everything is halal except pork and what is sacrificed to other than God. Ritual slaughter applies only to domesticated livestock, not insects. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the Maliki school almost everything is halal to eat except pork and what is sacrificed to other than God, that carrion is avoided for health, that insects are not haram, and that ritual slaughter applies only to domesticated livestock.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Where can I learn the Maliki school in English? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth suggests the translations of Aisha Bewley, Hamza Yusuf's recorded lessons on a basic Maliki text, Shaykh Ali Laraki's translation, and teachers such as Abdalhaqq Bewley.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
How was Mufti Abu Layth's video on Aisha's age received? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth is proud of the video: many people, especially women, told him it brought them back to Islam, while most clergy resent it because questioning the inherited ruling threatens their authority and livelihood.
A more recent answer on history/sirah/age-of-aisha exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
How often does Mufti Abu Layth change his views, and is that a weakness? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth changes his views when evidence is compelling and says developing one's opinions over life is a sign of intelligence, not weakness. He advises viewers to do the same. Mufti Abu Layth says that when compelling evidence comes he changes his view, that developing one's opinions over life is a hallmark of intelligence, and he advises everyone to investigate and do the same.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
Is it haram to believe the universe will never end? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
It is not haram: creation, including the afterlife, once brought into being remains forever in some form while still being other than God. Mufti Abu Layth says it is not haram to believe the universe is never-ending, depending on what is meant, since creation once brought into existence, including the afterlife, remains forever in some form while still being other than God.
A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
Quick chat items: critics seeking attention, a claim about Foucault, steroids and a joke question — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Brief replies to chat: attention-seeking critics, a claim about Foucault he cannot comment on, steroids referred to earlier videos, and a joke question.
Is the age of consent in France really 13? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth doubts the claim that France's age of consent is thirteen, and distinguishes laws on relationships between teenagers of similar age from an adult engaging with a child.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
What does Mufti Abu Layth think of France banning the hijab for girls under 18? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
If France has banned headscarves for girls under 18, he says it is an abhorrent breach of basic rights that he strongly condemns. He also opposes pressuring girls to wear it: it should be their genuine choice. Mufti Abu Layth says that if France has banned the headscarf for girls under eighteen it is an abhorrent breach of basic human rights that he strongly condemns, while he also opposes pressuring girls to wear it and holds that it should be a genuine choice.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Why are some clerics so harsh in their rulings on women? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says harsh rulings from some clergy, especially towards women, come from sexual deprivation and a closed madrasa culture, and that love and a normal life soften people. Mufti Abu Layth says that many clergy issue harsh rulings, especially towards women, out of sexual deprivation and frustration, and that their rulings would change if they lived normal lives.
A more recent answer on fiqh/hijab-and-niqab exists: Did scholars let slave women uncover more than free women?
Are disgusting sexual fetishes between spouses haram? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Such fetishes are not haram, however disgusting most people find them: contact with impurity is unclean but not forbidden, and what a consenting couple do in private is their own business. Nobody is obliged to do them. Mufti Abu Layth says that fetishes involving impurity, however disgusting, are not haram, since contact with impurity is unclean but not forbidden and only God declares something haram, and that what consenting spouses do in private is their own business.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
Did Mufti Abu Layth say incest is natural, and is homosexuality unnatural? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists: Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?
Did the Prophet say a wife should prostrate to her husband? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The report is not authentic: it was probably put into circulation to support the family hierarchy of a patriarchal society. The report urging violent jealousy over female relatives is likewise fabricated. Mufti Abu Layth says the report that the Prophet would have ordered wives to prostrate to their husbands is not authentic and was probably circulated to support the family hierarchy of a patriarchal society, and that the report urging violent jealousy over female relatives is likewise fabricated.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
Perfume reviews: his top two fragrances — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reviews perfumes and names Creed Aventus and Layton as his joint favourites.
Jealousy, entitlement and the critics who resent his following — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says much of the hostility he receives comes from jealousy and a sense of entitlement among critics who resent his following.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Can I carry a child while I pray? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says one may carry a child while praying and that Hanafi rulings such as the three-movement rule, or that laughing or reading something breaks the prayer, are made up. He sees the campaign against the preacher who showed this as sectarian jealousy. Mufti Abu Layth says that one may carry a child while praying and that Hanafi rulings such as the invalidation of prayer by three consecutive movements, by laughing or by mentally processing information are made up.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following/hanafi-school exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Is forex trading halal or haram? — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth refers the question to his earlier videos and says inherited fiqh is so out of date that much of it can no longer be applied. Mufti Abu Layth says inherited fiqh is so out of date that much of it cannot be applied and its teaching has become largely ritual, partly because past jurists closed it to later rulings.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Preview of tonight's continued response to Yasir Qadhi — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth previews the second part of his reply to Yasir Qadhi, on the Maliki school, beliefs that crept into Islam, the Mahdi and the Dajjal reports.
An Urdu poem of living on after the beloved — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads and explains an Urdu poem on living on after the beloved, a mix of despair and hope.
News clip: the Pharaohs' Golden Parade in Cairo, and the Amenhotep III theory — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A news clip on the Pharaohs' Golden Parade in Cairo, with Mufti Abu Layth recalling his discussion of whether Amenhotep III may have been Sulayman.
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists: Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?
Opening: sound check, a critic's reaction video, the Peak District and the latest MindTrap — 6 April 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping before the questions: a sound check, a note that a critic's reaction video will be discussed later, and a recommendation of the MindTrap episode on gender with Professor Adis Duderija.

Week 11, 2021 (15 March 2021 to 21 March 2021): 5 answers

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

Who are the Ibadis and what do you think of Ibadism? — 16 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Ibadis are an early, less extreme offshoot of the Khawarij who survive today in Oman and, as a small minority, became known for coexistence. Their independence from Sunnis and Shia helps corroborate early history, such as the place of Makkah. Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibadis moved away from extremism as time went by, and suggests that this may just have been adaptation.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
What does the Mufti think of Shaykh Dedew? — 16 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth has a soft spot for Shaykh Dedew and finds some of his fatawa very interesting, though he is critical in some things and dogmatic in others. Take the critical things from him and stay open-minded on the dogmatic ones.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Does using reason in Islam make someone a Mu'tazili? — 15 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Mu'tazila were defined by doctrines about sin and God's obligations, not by reason; the Sunni distrust of reason was a later reaction to losing debates. Calling someone Mu'tazili for using reason is a tactic to avoid debate. Mufti Abu Layth says Sunnis started to say that the deen is not built on intellect only as a reaction, to get back at their opponents in debate, and that later generations inherited this narrative.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
What actually separates Sunnis and Shia, and is mut'ah really a Shia thing? — 15 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Sunni-Shia split is only about who has the right to rule, the Shia holding it stays in the Prophet's bloodline. Mut'ah and wiping the feet have nothing to do with being Shia; Sunnis used them as propaganda. Mufti Abu Layth says the whole Sunni-Shia split is based on who has the right to rule, the Shia holding that it must remain within the Prophet's sacred bloodline.
A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Is Mufti Abu Layth a Mu'tazili? — 15 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth is not a Mu'tazili because he is Sunni. The Mu'tazila were an early faction defined by their view of sinners, and calling them 'super rationalists' is later Sunni propaganda.
A more recent answer on belief/creed-and-kalam-schools exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist

Week 10, 2021 (8 March 2021 to 14 March 2021): 33 answers

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Can the hadith on Jesus's return be questioned, and how many of them depend on Abu Hurayra? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Reports that go against reason can be questioned, and not one unquestionable hadith establishes the return: eighty percent of them come through Abu Hurayra alone, about half through one man, and the other companions cited are obscure. Mufti Abu Layth promises a continuing series, Disclosure with a big D. Mufti Abu Layth holds that reports which go against reason may be questioned, that eighty percent of the hadith on Jesus's return come through Abu Hurayra alone and about half through one man, and that the other companions cited are obscure, so no unquestionable hadith establishes the return.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Who was the blind narrator of the return hadith who relied on his slave girl? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
One transmitter of the return reports went blind, lost his memory and relied on his slave girl to check what he doubted; Mufti Abu Layth uses the case, with extended mockery, to argue that these hadith can be questioned. Mufti Abu Layth says a transmitter of the return reports, Yazid, went blind, lost his memory and relied on his slave girl to check what he doubted, which shows the state of some of those transmitting these hadith and why they can be questioned.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
What does Mufti Abu Layth say about the Ibn Mas'ud hadith on the end of time and Jesus's return? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Ibn Mas'ud report has unknown narrators, opens by noting the Christians' claim that Jesus will return, and ends with life regrowing from a seminal fluid sent from beneath the Throne, a detail Mufti Abu Layth calls preposterous and uses to argue that such reports can be questioned. Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibn Mas'ud report of the return opens by noting the Christians' claim that Jesus will return, which shows the belief creeping in, has unidentifiable narrators in its chain, and ends with life regrowing from a seminal fluid sent from beneath the Throne, a detail he calls preposterous.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is the hadith of Aisha about Jesus and the Dajjal reliable? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The hadith of Aisha on Jesus's return rests on a lone transmitter, an undervalued narrator who dictated 41,000 reports from memory in Isbahan with a thousand errors, and whose version alone has the Dajjal emerging from the Jews of Isbahan, which Mufti Abu Layth finds suspicious. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith of Aisha on Jesus's return rests on a lone transmitter, an undervalued narrator who dictated some forty-one thousand reports from memory in Isbahan with at least a thousand errors and whose version alone has the Dajjal emerging from the Jews of Isbahan, which he finds suspicious.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is there a single hadith on Jesus's return with an unproblematic chain? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Every chain Mufti Abu Layth examined for the strongest reports in Bukhari and Muslim contains a criticised narrator, so Qadhi's claim that they leave no doubt fails; accepting a report because al-Bukhari included it, while ignoring critics who were his equals or seniors, is arbitrary. Mufti Abu Layth says every chain he examined for the strongest reports of Jesus's return in Bukhari and Muslim has a criticised narrator, so Qadhi's claim that they leave no doubt fails, and that accepting a report because al-Bukhari included it while ignoring critics who were his equals or seniors is arbitrary.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Who are the problematic narrators in the Sahih Muslim reports on Jesus's return? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Sahih Muslim chains include a narrator who suffered memory loss, a narrator who cannot be identified and could not have met Abu Hurayra, a major mudallis whose reports some critics discarded as fabrications, and Abu al-Zubayr, whom Abu Hatim did not consider reliable. Mufti Abu Layth says the Sahih Muslim chains for Jesus's return include a narrator who suffered memory loss, a narrator who cannot be identified and could not have met Abu Hurayra, a major mudallis whose reports some critics discarded as fabrications, and Abu al-Zubayr, whom Abu Hatim did not consider reliable.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
What problems does Mufti Abu Layth find in the Sahih Muslim chains for Jesus's return? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The second Bukhari chain passes through Qutayba, who once concealed a known forger in a chain, and the Sahih Muslim chains pass through narrators faulted for lax or inaccurate transmission from al-Zuhri, notably Yunus ibn Yazid, with al-Zuhri himself recurring in each. Mufti Abu Layth says the second Bukhari chain passes through Qutayba, who once concealed a known forger in a chain and presented the report as heard from al-Layth, and that the Sahih Muslim chains pass through Yunus ibn Yazid and other narrators whose transmission from al-Zuhri the critics faulted, with al-Zuhri recurring in each.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Why does Mufti Abu Layth say the Bukhari chain for Jesus's descent is unreliable? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The first Bukhari chain leaves two narrators' names ambiguous, a practice al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar record of al-Bukhari, and passes through al-Zuhri, whom the critics describe as inserting his own words into reports and making mursal reports reach the Prophet. Mufti Abu Layth says the first Bukhari chain for Jesus's descent is unreliable because al-Bukhari left the names of Ishaq and Salih ambiguous, which he says al-Bukhari did on purpose with teachers' names so as to deceive readers, as al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar record, and because al-Zuhri was known to insert his own words into reports and to make mursal reports reach the Prophet.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Does the Quran say Jesus died, and how did the Prophet understand the verse 'when you took me'? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The verse 'I will give you death' and Jesus's words in 5:117 that he does not know what his people did after he was taken show, in Mufti Abu Layth's reading, that Jesus died; the Prophet himself, in a Bukhari report, applies the same verse to his own absence from his companions, confirming the reading. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the verse 'I will give you death' and the dialogue of 5:116-118, in which Jesus says he does not know what his people did after he was taken, show that Jesus died and will not return, and that the Prophet's own use of the verse in a Bukhari report about his companions turning bad after him confirms this reading.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Which Quranic verses count against Jesus returning? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads 43:61 as the Quran being knowledge of the Hour, as Hasan and others said, and cites 5:75, 21:34 and 43:59 against a return: Jesus ate food and was subject to natural laws, no human before the Prophet was given eternal life, and Jesus is called an example for the children of Israel alone. Mufti Abu Layth holds that 43:61 means the Quran is knowledge of the Hour, as Hasan and others said, and that 5:75, 21:34 and 43:59 count against a second coming, since Jesus ate food and was subject to natural laws, no human before the Prophet was given eternal life, and Jesus is called an example for the children of Israel alone.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Does 'he will speak to people in maturity' or 'before his death' prove that Jesus will return? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The verse about Jesus speaking in the cradle and in maturity concerns those he addresses, children and grown men, and the first to read it as a return was al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl, who died in 282 AH and transmitted strange reports. 'Before his death' was recited by Ubayy and Ibn Abbas as 'before their death' and read by commentators as referring to Jesus, the Prophet, the truth or Allah. Mufti Abu Layth holds that 'he will speak to people in the cradle and in maturity' refers to those Jesus addresses, children and grown men, not to a return, that the first to read it as a return was al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl al-Bajali (d. 282 AH), a transmitter of strange reports, and that 'before his death' was recited as 'before their death' and read by commentators as referring to Jesus, the Prophet, the truth or Allah.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Is separating hadith from the Sunnah a Hanafi and Maliki principle, and what does Mufti Abu Layth say about Salafi creed? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Distinguishing hadith from the Sunnah is the usul of the Hanafi and Maliki schools, not Abduh's invention, and Qadhi applies to Gog and Magog the very reasoning he condemns in others. Mufti Abu Layth adds that Salafi kalam rests on fabricated chains, such as companions debating whether the Quran is created, a debate that arose only around 190 to 210 AH. Mufti Abu Layth holds that distinguishing hadith from the Sunnah is the usul of the Hanafi and Maliki schools rather than an innovation of Abduh, that Qadhi applies to Gog and Magog the reasoning he condemns in others, and that Salafi kalam rests on fabrications such as chains to companions debating whether the Quran is created, a debate that arose only around 190 to 210 AH.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Is there really ijma that Jesus will return, and did Muhammad Abduh invent the denial? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says none of Qadhi's claims hold: not one of the hundred narrations is sound, Ibn Hazm recorded Muslim disagreement on the return nine centuries ago, major creed works omit it, and the Maliki authorities Qadhi cites held the reports not to be mutawatir. He announces a reply series, Disclosure with a big D. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Qadhi's claims fail: the Quran does not suggest a second coming, none of the hundred narrations is sound, Ibn Hazm recorded Muslim disagreement on the return nine centuries ago, major creed works omit it, and the Maliki authorities Qadhi cites held the reports to carry doubt rather than to be mutawatir.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Does Yasir Qadhi hold that even positions in aqidah lie within a spectrum of opinion? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi says that even in aqidah positions lie within a spectrum, that absorbing one's teachers' view does not make it true, and that no scholar's word is evidence in itself. Mufti Abu Layth says this sits ill with Qadhi declaring him a heretic for departing from the majority on the return of Jesus.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Did Yasir Qadhi say that majority scholarly opinion rests on socio-political factors? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi says correct opinion is independent of the names and number of scholars and that dominant positions rest on socio-political factors such as the Ghaznavids, the Hanbalis of Baghdad and the Seljuks. Mufti Abu Layth says this is exactly what modernists say and contradicts Qadhi's appeal to the giants on the return of Jesus.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
What has Yasir Qadhi said about challenging the giants of the Islamic tradition? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A clip circulated by a critic shows Qadhi saying that even the giants' views should not matter to a true researcher and that scholarship has become regurgitation. Mufti Abu Layth notes that the critic accuses Qadhi of exactly what Qadhi accuses Mufti of.
A more recent answer on society/education-and-madrasas/how-to-study-islam exists: Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer?
Is Yasir Qadhi consistent about whether Gog and Magog could be hidden underground? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In one clip Qadhi says it is not impossible, since Allah is all-powerful and Ibn Taymiyya's rule allows what astounds the mind, that thousands live underground; in another he says he cannot believe a tribe has been trapped for four thousand years. Mufti Abu Layth asks where the consistency is.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/text-criticism-and-reason exists: What does the Quran say against the satanic verses story?
What is Yasir Qadhi's zombie theory about Gog and Magog? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip calls a hidden tribe of billions ludicrous and floats, through a friend, the idea that Gog and Magog could be zombie-like humans. Mufti Abu Layth responds with jokes and introduces Qadhi's answer to the Google Earth objection.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Did Yasir Qadhi himself say a hadith came into Islam from Jewish sources through Abu Hurayra? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip endorses Ibn Kathir's view that the Gog and Magog report is defective and came from Israelite material through Abu Hurayra and Ka'b al-Ahbar. Mufti Abu Layth calls this hypocrisy, since Qadhi called the same claim about the Jesus reports preposterous.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Does the Muslim account of the Mahdi, Jesus and Gog and Magog parallel Jewish messianic literature? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's own clip lays out the Midrash's two messiahs, Gog and Magog and judgement, notes the parallel with the Muslim Mahdi, Messiah and Gog and Magog, and suggests both traditions simply had it. Mufti Abu Layth responds with sarcasm and notes Qadhi's admission that Muslim books contain bizarre material.
A more recent answer on dialogue/christians-and-other-faiths exists: What does Lupe Fiasco think of Killah Priest's song B.I.B.L.E.?
What did Yasir Qadhi himself say about problematic signs of the Hour such as Gog and Magog? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays Qadhi's earlier talk calling Gog and Magog the most problematic sign of the Hour and a cause of people leaving Islam. He accuses Qadhi of half truths, such as omitting that the Maliki authorities held the Jesus reports unestablished, and says a Jesus who descends from the sky to chase pigs is a reasonable thing to question.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Was Yasir Qadhi's video on the return of Jesus an academic discussion? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi's video, announced as academic, ended by fabricating a modernist-school narrative and declaring deniers heretics guilty of bid'ah, which he calls a preachy khutbah rather than academic discussion.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
How does Yasir Qadhi answer the objection that Jesus killing pigs and refusing jizya makes no sense? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip concedes that one early authority held Jesus died a natural death, and answers the objection that the return reports are irrational, Jesus killing pigs and refusing jizya, with 'Allah said so' and the claim that there will be no middle category between Islam and the Dajjal.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/text-criticism-and-reason exists: What does the Quran say against the satanic verses story?
What does Yasir Qadhi say about the claim that the return of Jesus came from Judeo-Christian sources? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip calls the claim that the return of Jesus entered Islam from Judeo-Christian sources through Wahb, Ka'b or al-Zuhri a preposterous charge without evidence that would mean the faith was corrupted and the ummah misguided for fourteen centuries. Mufti Abu Layth asks listeners to remember these words.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Is distinguishing the Sunnah from hadith a modernist invention? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says distinguishing hadith from the Sunnah is the teaching of the madhhabs and of Imam Malik, not an invention of Muhammad Abduh, and that he does not treat Bukhari as special but judges every hadith by the same criteria. Qadhi's clip calls this separation a bigger problem than denying Jesus's return.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Do those who deny Jesus's return reject the unseen, as Yasir Qadhi claims? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rejects Qadhi's charge that deniers of the return refuse the unseen: belief itself concerns the unseen God, and Mufti is preoccupied with consciousness, which science cannot explain and which he understands to be non-local. Qadhi's clip names Mufti among the heretics.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Who does Yasir Qadhi say first denied the return of Jesus, and what is the Ahmadiyya connection? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip claims ijma on the return, names Muhammad Abduh as the first to deny it and links deniers to the Ahmadiyya. Mufti Abu Layth calls the association ironic, since that movement is itself messianic, and says Qadhi's own evolution theory comes from Abduh.
A more recent answer on belief/eschatology/second-coming-of-jesus exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
What does Yasir Qadhi claim about the hadith on Jesus's return being mutawatir? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip claims the hadith of the return are too numerous to discount, narrated from about ten companions, held to be mutawatir and found in dozens of theological works, including those of the Maliki school's leading figures. Mufti Abu Layth responds with sarcasm and says the reply is still to come.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Which Quranic verses does Yasir Qadhi say point to the return of Jesus? — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi's clip cites three or four Quranic phrases, Jesus speaking in maturity, the People of the Book believing before his death, and Jesus as a sign of the Hour, and concedes they only strongly suggest a return. Mufti Abu Layth interjects that the sign of the Hour would then have come two thousand years ago.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Opening: Qadhi's post on the drama of refutations and tonight's plan — 14 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yasir Qadhi has complained about refutations; Mufti Abu Layth says ideas, not people, are being refuted and that tonight's session will reply to Qadhi's video on the second coming of Jesus.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Reply to Mufti Mangera: does the ban on muthla forbid piercing? — 10 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The clip cites the ban on muthla (mutilation) against piercing; Mufti Abu Layth explains that muthla means disfiguring bodies, especially of the dead, and mocks applying it to ear piercing.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics exists: Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic
Reply to Mufti Mangera on ear piercing: who defines normal and decent? — 10 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A played clip of Mufti Mangera allowing one or two ear piercings as 'normal' among decent people but not higher ones, which Mufti Abu Layth mocks for leaving undefined who decides what is normal.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics exists: Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic
Can I have a close non-Muslim friend and answer his salam? — 10 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rejects as ignorance and nonsense the view that a Muslim cannot have a close non-Muslim friend or return his greeting. Assim al-Hakeem's answer in the clip, that only acquaintances are allowed and a non-Muslim's salam gets a smile at most, is the view being replied to.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?

Week 9, 2021 (1 March 2021 to 7 March 2021): 47 answers

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Why did Imam Malik say nothing between spouses is haram and only pork is forbidden to eat? — 5 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Imam Malik held that nothing sexual between spouses is haram and that no meat is haram in itself except pig, and Mufti Abu Layth says such rulings defend the principle that only Allah declares things haram. Saying something is not haram is not the same as recommending it. Mufti Abu Layth says that imams such as Malik, in ruling that nothing sexual between spouses is haram and that no meat but pig is haram in itself, were not advocating those practices but defending the principle that no one may declare haram what Allah has not, since a scholar is not God.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
What counts as khamr, and is a drink with very little alcohol haram? — 5 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the Quran khamr is wine; other drinks are haram if they intoxicate similarly, but a drink so weak that normal consumption does not intoxicate is not haram. This was Abu Hanifa's ruling, for which the Hanafi school was attacked for centuries until later Hanafis grew embarrassed by it. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Quranic usage khamr is wine, that other drinks are haram when they intoxicate in a similar way, and that drinks with alcohol so weak that an average consumption does not intoxicate are not haram, which is the ruling Abu Hanifa defended.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following/hanafi-school exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Sign-off: a recap of the night — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth recaps the night's topics and signs off until next week.
Is Mohammed Hijab breaking away from the Salafis? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth thinks Hijab's point against the fatwa is fair, though his language was crude and not Mufti's style, and welcomes what he sees as Hijab outgrowing Salafism.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Is the hadith about a woman breastfeeding the adult Salim authentic? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls the report of the adult Salim being suckled fabricated and mocks al-Albani's fatwa permitting it directly, welcoming Mohammed Hijab's attack on it as a sign he is outgrowing Salafism. Mufti Abu Layth says the report that the Prophet told a woman to let the grown Salim drink her milk is fabricated, because it is ridiculous.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Can the hadith about Jesus's return be questioned? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No report on the return is beyond question: about eighty percent come through Abu Hurayra and about half through one narrator, none from Abu Bakr, Umar or Ali; the series will continue. Mufti Abu Layth says eighty percent of the hadith on Jesus's return come through Abu Hurayra alone.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Who was the blind narrator of the return hadith who relied on his slave girl? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
One transmitter of the return reports went blind, lost his memory and relied on his slave girl to check his hadith, which Mufti Abu Layth says shows the state of some of these narrators. Mufti Abu Layth says a narrator in one of the chains who transmits that Jesus will come back is not reliable.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
What does the Ibn Mas'ud hadith about the end of time say, and is it reliable? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Ibn Mas'ud report has unknown narrators, opens by citing the Christians' claim that Jesus will return, and ends with life regrowing from a fluid sent from beneath the Throne, which Mufti Abu Layth calls preposterous. Mufti Abu Layth says one report begins with the statement that the Christians claim Jesus will come back, which shows the belief creeping in.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is the hadith of Aisha about Jesus and the Dajjal reliable? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Aisha report rests on one transmitter who dictated tens of thousands of hadith from memory in Isbahan, and only his version has the Dajjal emerge from the Jews of Isbahan, which Mufti Abu Layth finds suspicious. Mufti Abu Layth says only one transmitter relates from Aisha the report with Jesus in it.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is there a single hadith on Jesus's return with a flawless chain? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Every chain he examined among the strongest Bukhari and Muslim reports, including that of al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an, has a criticised narrator, so Qadhi's 'no doubt' fails; preferring al-Bukhari over equal critics is arbitrary. Mufti Abu Layth says every single chain he examined among the strongest reports in Bukhari and Muslim has a problem in it.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Are the Sahih Muslim reports about Jesus's return reliable? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Further Sahih Muslim chains contain a narrator with memory loss, an unidentifiable narrator who could not have met Abu Hurayra, Ibn Jurayj, whom he calls a major mudallis, and Abu al-Zubayr. Mufti Abu Layth says one narrator from Abu Hurayra in a Sahih Muslim chain for the return transmits no other hadith and is a ghost who does not exist.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
What is wrong with the other Bukhari and Muslim chains on Jesus's return? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The second Bukhari chain passes through Qutayba, who once concealed a forger, and al-Zuhri; the Sahih Muslim chains include Harmala, Yunus ibn Yazid and others the critics faulted. Mufti Abu Layth says Qutayba heard a fabricated hadith from a known forger, dropped him and presented it as heard from al-Layth, which puts at least a question mark over him.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is the hadith in Bukhari about Jesus coming down reliable? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The first Bukhari chain is doubtful: al-Bukhari left two narrators unnamed, which he is known to have done deliberately, and the chain runs through al-Zuhri, who was known to insert his own words into hadith. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Bukhari on purpose referred to his teacher Muhammad ibn Yahya by names he was not known by, so as to deceive his readers.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Does the Quran say that Jesus died? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
'I will give you death' and Jesus's words at the Judgement show that he died, and the Prophet applied those words to himself in a Bukhari report, which settles the reading. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet's use of Jesus's words 'when you took me' for himself, in a report in Bukhari, shows that he understood the verse to mean Jesus had died.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Which verses of the Quran count against Jesus coming back? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
43:61 refers to the Quran as knowledge of the Hour, not to Jesus; 5:75, 21:34 and 43:59, which Qadhi does not mention, count against a return. Mufti Abu Layth says it makes much more sense to read 43:61 as speaking of the Quran, since revelation ends with it, than of Jesus as a sign of the Hour.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Does the verse about Jesus speaking 'in maturity' mean he will come back? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Neither verse proves a return: 'in the cradle and in maturity' refers to the people Jesus addresses, the return reading began with a late transmitter of strange reports, and 'before his death' has several readings. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the verse on speaking in the cradle and in maturity it is the people Jesus addresses, the child and the mature man, who are meant, not Jesus speaking at an older age.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Is separating hadith from the Sunnah a Hanafi and Maliki principle? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The hadith-Sunnah distinction is Hanafi and Maliki usul, not Abduh's invention; Mufti Abu Layth lists Qadhi's inconsistencies and says Salafi kalam rests on fabricated chains. Mufti Abu Layth says that distinguishing hadith from the Sunnah is the usul of the Hanafi and Maliki madhhabs.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Is there really scholarly consensus that Jesus will return? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rejects Qadhi's claims one by one: the Quran does not suggest a return, no narration is sound, Ibn Hazm recorded disagreement on it, and the Maliki authorities did not hold the reports to be mutawatir. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran does not strongly suggest a second coming of Jesus, contrary to Qadhi's claim.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Can positions in aqidah fall within a range of scholarly opinion? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth shows Qadhi teaching that even aqidah positions lie on a spectrum and that no scholar's word is evidence in itself, while calling Mufti a heretic for departing from the majority.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Does the majority of scholars holding a view make it right? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth shows Qadhi saying that majority opinion rests on socio-political factors and that numbers do not make a view right, against his own appeal to the giants on the second coming.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Has Yasir Qadhi said that the views of great scholars should not bind a researcher? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays a clip of Qadhi urging researchers to break from inherited scholarship, and notes that the critic sharing it accuses Qadhi of the modernism Qadhi charges others with.
A more recent answer on society/education-and-madrasas/how-to-study-islam exists: Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer?
Has Yasir Qadhi been consistent about whether Gog and Magog could be hidden underground? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth sets an older Qadhi clip defending the Gog and Magog hadith as 'not impossible' against his later statement that he cannot believe it.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/text-criticism-and-reason exists: What does the Quran say against the satanic verses story?
What is Yasir Qadhi's zombie theory of Gog and Magog? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi rejects a hidden tribe of Gog and Magog as irrational and floats a zombie theory instead, which Mufti Abu Layth mocks.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Did Yasir Qadhi himself say a hadith came into Islam from Jewish lore? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi is inconsistent: he calls Israelite origins for the return preposterous, yet with Ibn Kathir firmly believes the Gog and Magog report came from Israelite lore through Abu Hurayra's circle.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Do Muslim beliefs about the Mahdi, Jesus and Gog and Magog mirror Jewish messianic texts? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi sets out the Jewish belief in a minor and a major messiah alongside Gog and Magog, mirroring Muslim end-time beliefs; Mufti Abu Layth mocks his 'what a coincidence'.
A more recent answer on dialogue/christians-and-other-faiths exists: What does Lupe Fiasco think of Killah Priest's song B.I.B.L.E.?
Is Yasir Qadhi giving the whole picture on the Maliki scholars and Jesus's return? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Using Qadhi's own talk on Gog and Magog, Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi tells half truths, citing the Maliki authorities without their view that the hadith on Jesus are not conclusively established.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Was Yasir Qadhi's lecture on Jesus's return really academic? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Qadhi's lecture, billed as academic, ended by branding deniers of the return innovators and heretics, making it a preachy Friday sermon rather than an academic discussion.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
How does Yasir Qadhi answer the objection that Jesus killing pigs makes no sense? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi admits one early authority held that Jesus died, and answers objections to Jesus killing pigs and refusing the jizya with 'Allah said so'.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/text-criticism-and-reason exists: What does the Quran say against the satanic verses story?
What does Yasir Qadhi say about the return of Jesus coming from Jewish and Christian sources? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi calls the claim that the return came from Judeo-Christian sources baseless and says it would destroy Islamic epistemology; Mufti Abu Layth marks his words for later.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Is distinguishing the Sunnah from hadith a modernist invention? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Qadhi calls the hadith-Sunnah distinction a modernist invention worse than denying the return; Mufti Abu Layth says it is what the madhhabs and Imam Malik actually teach, and that Bukhari is not beyond criticism.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Do people who deny Jesus's return reject the unseen? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rejects Qadhi's charge that deniers of the return reject the unseen: belief itself is in the unseen God, and he is himself preoccupied with consciousness, which science cannot explain.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Was Muhammad Abduh the first Muslim to deny the return of Jesus? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi claims ijma on the return, names Muhammad Abduh as the first to deny it and links deniers to the Ahmadiyya; Mufti Abu Layth calls the link ironic, since the Ahmadiyya is built on a messianic claim.
A more recent answer on belief/eschatology/second-coming-of-jesus exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Are the hadith about Jesus's return mutawatir, as Yasir Qadhi claims? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi says the hadith on Jesus's return are mutawatir, found in dozens of tafsir and creed works and held by the Maliki authorities; Mufti Abu Layth answers with sarcasm.
A more recent answer on hadith/mutawatir-and-epistemology exists: Is the Quran-only position an argument from epistemology or from principle?
Which Quranic verses does Yasir Qadhi say point to Jesus coming back? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Qadhi says three verses strongly suggest Jesus's return; Mufti Abu Layth mocks the readings and says the return is not in the Quran.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Qadhi's post on the 'drama of refutations', and tonight's reply — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Yasir Qadhi, who complained of the drama of refutations, cannot change the rules after his clips on the second coming of Jesus, and introduces his reply.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Why did Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh leave Islam for a time? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Not doubt about the Quran: he feels the man was incentivised by the Makkans and rewarded for intelligence about Madinah, and he later returned to Islam and governed in Egypt. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels the apostasy asked about was not a theological crisis but a case of being incentivised by the Makkans.
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists: Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?
Has Islam become a religion about Muhammad rather than the religion he brought? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: there is a deep human need for a human archetype, not someone to pray to, and for Muslims that is the Prophet. He adds that his own life changed in the Prophet's mosque. Mufti Abu Layth says human beings have a fundamental need, deep within the psyche, for a human archetype, not one to pray to.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Is the great love Muslims have for the Prophet a kind of prophet worship? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Muslims' love for the Prophet is not prophet worship: people need a human figure to love, and for Muslims it is the Prophet, though praying to him is wrong. He strongly disagrees with the shaykh and calls it an unnecessary battle.
A more recent answer on belief/tawhid-and-shirk exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Can the revelation of the Quran be explained without the supernatural? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The words of revelation manifested in the Prophet's mind rather than being composed by him; whether that counts as supernatural depends on the definition, and trance experiences are only an approximation. Mufti Abu Layth says he is not saying the Prophet was making the words of the Quran, but that the words were manifesting to him.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Do Muslims whitewash their own historical heroes? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes, every community whitewashes its heroes, because history records what its writers deem accomplishments; a fairer test is what a figure's adversaries said, as with Salah al-Din or Jewish sources on Umar. Mufti Abu Layth says that of course everybody, Muslims included, whitewashes their historical figures.
Was the Prophet Moses actually the pharaoh Akhenaten? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth leans towards the theory that Moses was Akhenaten but says his research is ongoing and it is not established; he notes that the Levites bore Egyptian names. Mufti Abu Layth says he is inclined towards the theory that Moses was Akhenaten, though his research is still ongoing and he cannot say it as a fact.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Does Ibn Hazm contradict himself in The Ring of the Dove? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth knows of no contradiction; he describes The Ring of the Dove as Ibn Hazm's mature study of the psychology of love and retells one of its bawdy stories.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Without colonialism and the Mongols, would the Muslim world have had its own enlightenment? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Do I have to believe Umar and Uthman were better than Ali? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: preferring one close companion over another is a personal preference, and he calls arguing over the ranking childish; treating Ali as infallible is equally wrong. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his opinion, arguing over which of the Prophet's close companions was better is just childishness.
A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Was Ali born inside the Kaaba? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
It may have happened but is uncertain, and most likely means the homes of Banu Hashim attached to the Kaaba rather than the cube itself; Ali's greatness does not depend on it. Mufti Abu Layth says Ali's value should not be based on whether he was born in the Kaaba or not.
A more recent answer on history/sirah exists: How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?
Is Cardano going to shoot up in value? — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth is suspicious of big announcements that funds will move money out of bitcoin into other coins, suspecting they may be ploys to move prices. Mufti Abu Layth says he is a bit suspicious when big investors announce they will move money out of bitcoin into other coins.
A more recent answer on fiqh/finance exists: Is it wrong to want to be rich?
Opening: tonight's plan, the Disclosure series, a Twitter storm and a song — 2 March 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth sets out tonight's plan, chiefly a long reply to Yasir Qadhi on the second coming of Jesus and a Twitter storm over a suckling fatwa, and plays a song.

Week 8, 2021 (22 February 2021 to 28 February 2021): 3 answers

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

An invitation to MindTrap on aqidah and Bukhari, and an open challenge to Salafi imams — 22 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth invites Abdul Rahman Hassan, and any Salafi imam, to discuss aqidah or Bukhari on MindTrap, challenging them to prove the Salafi creed from the Quran and Sunnah alone. Mufti Abu Layth says his challenge is that Salafi imams will not be able to prove their aqidah from the Quran or Sunnah alone.
A more recent answer on belief/creed-and-kalam-schools exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist
Did the Prophet say he would kill the lineage of the first Khariji? — 22 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the speaker, carried away defending the Saudi rulers, attributed to the Prophet words he did not say: in the hadith the Prophet stopped Umar from killing the man. Respect for the Prophet comes before kings.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Abdul Rahman Hassan's clip: the first Khariji, protest, and never criticising rulers — 22 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks a clip in which Abdul Rahman Hassan presents protest against rulers as the mentality of the first Khariji, reading it as a defence of the Saudi rulers.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?

Week 7, 2021 (15 February 2021 to 21 February 2021): 58 answers

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

Sign-off: subscribe, the Discord coming soon, take the chance — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth closes the stream with reminders to subscribe and a note that the Discord is on its way.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Does the Quran use metaphors, like calling people angels? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes, he says the Quran is full of metaphors, from God as light to the wall that 'wanted' to fall, and humans are called angels just as they are called devils. Mufti Abu Layth says there are many metaphors in the Quran, such as Allah saying he is light, which is not meant in a literal sense.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Is drinking poison haram in Islam? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Drinking poison is categorically haram, he says, so it is inconsistent to call DMT haram while justifying publicly drinking poison. Mufti Abu Layth says drinking poison is categorically haram in Islam, with no ifs or buts.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics exists: Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic
Are DMT and magic mushrooms haram? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
DMT and psilocybin are not haram, he says, though they raise legal issues; brain studies give abundant evidence of their effect on consciousness. Mufti Abu Layth says DMT is definitely not haram, nor is psilocybin, though these are issues of legality.
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Is smoking marijuana haram? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Marijuana is haram for the young because of the harm, he says, but not for an adult whose brain has developed, though Islam does not encourage it. Mufti Abu Layth says that once a person's brain has developed, usually around 25, it would not be haram for them to take marijuana, though Islam does not encourage it.
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances exists: What counts as khamr, and is a drink with very little alcohol haram?
The preacher on DMT: 'no proof of the unseen', and tahajjud instead — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth ridicules the preacher's claim that there is no scientific proof DMT users reach the unseen, asking what such proof could even look like.
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Is cannabis an intoxicant like alcohol in Islam? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says marijuana is not an intoxicant in the way alcohol is, and accuses the preacher of not understanding the difference between psychoactive substances and intoxicants.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics exists: Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic
Did Abu Hanifa allow nabidh only as medicine? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the reports Abu Hanifa's school transmitted, of Umar and Ibn Mas'ud drinking and diluting nabidh, are about drinking with food, not medicine.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following/hanafi-school exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Does an Islamic judge always give the maximum punishment for theft? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says a qadi would weigh the circumstances, much as courts in England do today, and that this is how the Sharia would work; the hudud would be different now. Mufti Abu Layth says a qadi's judgement would be not unlike how the courts work in England today, and that is how the Sharia would work, more or less.
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance exists: Why does China try to control who becomes the Dalai Lama?
Are children held accountable in Islam for bullying or hurting others? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Children are accountable, he says, in a way suited to their age: the laws for them are lighter, but a child who harms another does not get a free pass. Mufti Abu Layth says children are still accountable in their own way, commensurate with being a child, so the laws for them are more relaxed and less stringent than for adults.
A more recent answer on relationships/parents-and-children/raising-children exists: How did Imam Malik come to study religion?
Can I pray in my car if I don't feel safe praying outside? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: in the worst case, if you need to or do not feel safe praying outside, you can pray in your car. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the worst case, if one needs to pray in a car or does not feel safe, one can.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Who are the Ibadis and what does the Mufti think of them? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibadis, an early and now peaceful offshoot of the Khawarij based in Oman, give a third tradition by which to cross-check claims, such as the Petra thesis. Mufti Abu Layth says the Ibadis help form a kind of triangulation method in Islam because they are very early.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Was Adam's garden on earth or in heaven? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: the story of Adam took place on earth, he says; he was not beamed down from paradise. Mufti Abu Layth says the story of Adam obviously took place on earth, and that Adam and his wife were not beamed down.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
A missed Jeffrey Lang question, Melchert's book, and a joke about 'protection' — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he will look into Christopher Melchert's book on the formation of the Sunni schools of law, and jokes about an earlier question.
Does Islam teach us to show affection? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There are countless hadith on showing compassion and affection, he says, but he cannot follow the question about Raja Dahir. Mufti Abu Layth says there are countless hadith about showing shafaqa, compassion and affection.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
What does the Mufti think of Shaykh Dedew, and did Imam Ahmad dislike Abu Hanifa? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Imam Ahmad did say harsh things about Abu Hanifa, he says; of Shaykh Dedew, take his critical views and stay open-minded on his dogmatic ones.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
What does the Mufti think of the Naqshbandi Sufi order? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says many Sufi orders have become institutionalised and dogmatic, the very thing mysticism set out to defy. Mufti Abu Layth says many Sufi orders have become very institutionalised, the very monster they originally set out to defy.
A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists: A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential
Chat banter: jinn-obsessed people, a 'space gun' and Harun Yahya's sentence — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Light banter with the chat, including a joke about people obsessed with jinn and the remark that he would have liked Harun Yahya on MindTrap before his long prison sentence.
An open challenge: defend Salafi aqidah from the Quran alone — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth repeats his open challenge to Abdul Rahman Hassan and any Salafi imam to defend Salafi aqidah from the Quran alone, on MindTrap.
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists: Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?
Did the Prophet say he would kill the first Khariji's descendants? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet never said 'I will kill his lineage'; in the Bukhari report he stopped Umar from killing the man, so the clip misrepresents the Prophet to defend rulers.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Can a Muslim have a close non-Muslim friend? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls the teaching that Muslims cannot have close non-Muslim friends ignorance and venom that makes the deen suffer.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
A mufti's clip on ear piercing: 'decency', 'manipulation' and muthla — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth mocks a mufti's argument that piercing beyond the earlobe is abnormal and amounts to muthla, saying muthla means disfiguring a body, not piercing it.
A more recent answer on fiqh/dress-and-appearance/jewellery-gold-and-silk exists: Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
Is playing chess haram? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No, chess is not haram, he says; Imam Malik discouraged it as a waste of life but never called it haram. Mufti Abu Layth says playing chess is not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
How did the Maliki school spread to North Africa and Spain? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Maliki school had already spread in Imam Malik's lifetime through North Africa to al-Andalus, and into Iraq, especially Basra. Mufti Abu Layth says the Maliki school had spread in Imam Malik's lifetime all the way to the Iberian peninsula, through North Africa.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is Sidrat al-Muntaha a real tree? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the lote tree, Sidrat al-Muntaha, is symbolic language and there is no literal tree. Mufti Abu Layth says the language of the lote tree, Sidrat al-Muntaha, is all symbolic and there is no tree.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Did all prophets after Abraham come from his family? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the Quran nowhere limits prophets to Abraham's line, he says; the Israelites' favour is relative, and other peoples were favoured differently. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran nowhere says that prophets came only from Abraham's line.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Can atheism explain consciousness? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says atheists have strong points, but their case collapses at consciousness and quantum physics; atheism only works against Newtonian, institutional religion. Mufti Abu Layth says that while atheists have strong arguments on many things, overall their case collapses when it comes face to face with consciousness.
A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
Was Islam spread by the sword? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Islam spread by zeal, not the sword, he says; forced conversion rarely lasts, as British rule in India showed, though Islam is not pacifist. Mufti Abu Layth says Islam spread not by force but by zeal, and that the idea it was spread by the sword is absurd.
A more recent answer on history/orthodoxy-and-how-islam-spread exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist
Why is quoting science to defend hadith like camel urine risky? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Hijab cannot yet leave his Salafi audience, and that using science to prove absurd claims usually backfires, as with camel-urine research and earlier polemics. Mufti Abu Layth says that when you quote scientific material to prove absurdities, it will more often than not come back and sting you.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Did the Prophet tell people to drink camel urine as medicine? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says camel urine is not medicine and the Prophet never really told anyone to drink it; the report is weak in its chain and, if taken at all, reads as a rebuke.
A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
A prospective MindTrap guest who has gone quiet — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A planned MindTrap conversation with a speaker who offered to come on was postponed, and Mufti Abu Layth has not heard back since.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Who is the Mufti's favourite Western philosopher? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth names no single favourite but likes Wittgenstein, Nietzsche and Diogenes, and feels Muslims have been left out of philosophy in recent centuries. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that in some ways Muslims have been left out of philosophy in recent centuries, which is a shame.
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists: Is life just a dream in the mind of God?
Why does the Quran focus so much on the Israelites? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Most peoples had prophets, he says; the Israelites are highlighted because in the Prophet's Arabia they were seen as the scholars of the people of scripture. Mufti Abu Layth says the Israelites are highlighted in the Quran because around the Prophet's time in Arabia they were seen as the academics of the people of scripture.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Why does Surah al-Kafirun say 'ma' (what) instead of 'man' (who) for God? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth thinks ma is used because it qualifies how God is perceived, since the Meccans also worshipped Allah through others, though he says this is his own understanding. Mufti Abu Layth says that, as he assumes and understands it, God knowing best, ma in 109:2-5 qualifies not just God but how God is to be perceived.
A more recent answer on quran/arabic-language exists: Is the 'light' that came with the clear book in 5:15 the Prophet or the Quran itself?
Is following the Sunnah like believing in the Trinity? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: following the Sunnah is of course not akin to the Trinity. Mufti Abu Layth says the quick answer is that following the Sunnah is of course not akin to the Trinity.
A more recent answer on belief/tawhid-and-shirk exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Does Quran 33:40 mean the Prophet's descendants cannot rule? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says 33:40 simply states that the Prophet is not the father of their men but the seal of the prophets; it is not a proof that his descendants may not rule. Mufti Abu Layth says verse 33:40 is not a proof that the Prophet's descendants are not to rule.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?
Does the story of Dhul Qarnayn mean the earth is flat? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No, he says the story of Dhul Qarnayn does not refer to a flat earth, and Muslims should stop buying into the flat-earth narrative. Mufti Abu Layth says the story of Dhul Qarnayn does not refer to a flat earth.
Did the Prophet order a scribe killed for leaving Islam? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Not for apostasy, he says: the scribe was not executed, and the issue was treason, since he exposed Madinah's weak points to its enemies; apostasy laws were treason laws. Mufti Abu Layth says the apostasy laws of that time were in essence treason laws.
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists: Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?
Does the Quran say Jesus was raised up alive? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth refers viewers to his detailed videos and says the Quran does not say how Jesus died, which does not mean he did not die, just as it is silent on Moses' death. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran does not say how Jesus died, which does not mean he did not die, just as it does not say how Moses died.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Did Imam Ahmad really refuse to say the Quran is created? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says later Hanbalis made Imam Ahmad a hero of the Mihna, though he likely said the Quran was created to save himself; Ash'ari books also call the worded Quran created. Mufti Abu Layth says that, to be honest, the account that Imam Ahmad said the Quran was created to please the caliph and was let off is not hard to believe, since saying so to save one's life would not be haram.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Do Ash'aris believe the Quran is created? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Ash'ari texts do teach that the Arabic Quran is created, but use the word muhdath instead of makhluq because of the stigma; many Ash'aris today do not know this. Mufti Abu Layth says the Ash'aris believe the Quran was created but, embarrassed by it, hide the wording behind terms the public would not understand.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
What does the Mufti think of Fethullah Gulen? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he knows little about Gulen beyond his influential network of schools with an Islamic ethos, and will read up on him.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Were the Mu'tazila really defined by their use of reason? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Mu'tazila were defined by doctrines like a sinner leaving Islam and God being duty-bound, not by reason; the Sunni rejection of reason came later as a reaction. Mufti Abu Layth says what split the Mu'tazila off was nothing to do with reason, but doctrines such as a sinner no longer being a Muslim and God being duty-bound to reward good.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Why isn't the Mufti a Mu'tazili? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he is simply Sunni; sects are defined by core doctrines, the Shia by the sacred bloodline's right to rule, and mut'ah was pinned on them as propaganda. Mufti Abu Layth says mut'ah had nothing to do with being a Shia, and that tying it to them was a propaganda campaign.
A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Is the devil a real creature or a symbol of bad impulses? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth presents two readings of Shaytan, a literal creature or a personification of negative impulses, and refers viewers to his detailed video.
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings exists: Are the devils really chained up during Ramadan?
Did the companions actually see the angel Jibril? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the report that it was Jibril may be the companion's interpretation, not the Prophet's words; repeated 'he said' in Arabic narration makes the speaker unclear. Mufti Abu Layth says that, depending on how the report is read, its statement that the figure was Jibril is the companion's interpretation rather than something the Prophet taught them.
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings exists: Are the devils really chained up during Ramadan?
Chat remarks: an unclear music question and a jibe about his earring — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth skips a music question he cannot make sense of and laughs off a jibe that his earring and necklace make him look like a woman.
What does the Mufti think of liberal Islam? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Does the Quran really say Jesus had no father? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran's elliptical text leaves readers to fill gaps, and that 3:59 on Jesus and Adam allows many readings; he does not believe in the virgin birth. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not believe in the virgin birth, as many of the mufassirun do not.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Why didn't the Prophet explain every verse of the Quran himself? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Leaving the Quran undefined was a blessing, he says: a fixed tafsir would have restricted it, while leaving it to each age's understanding gives it timelessness. Mufti Abu Layth says that leaving the Quran to human understanding, read in light of each age, rather than defining everything, is what gives it its timelessness.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
What does the Mufti think of Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Where are most of the Mufti's viewers from? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His analytics show most of his viewers are in the UK, he says, though the live audience seems to be mostly Canadian and American because of the late hour.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Is celebrating Valentine's Day haram? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Valentine's Day is not haram and need not be bad, he says, but do not let relationships become your identity or worth; keep your own goals and purpose. Mufti Abu Layth says Valentine's Day is not in itself forbidden or haram, and need not even be a bad thing.
An Urdu poem: if anyone asks who I am, say nobody special — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads and briefly explains an Urdu poem about being nobody special and about a companion whose absence empties life.
A more recent answer on arts/urdu-poetry exists: An Urdu poem of living on after the beloved
Tonight's clips under the microscope, and a project coming soon — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth previews the clips he will respond to tonight, on ear piercing, non-Muslim friends, the Khawarij and drugs, and says a new project is coming soon.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Will you give talks in Mirpuri? — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No, he says he could not give talks in Mirpuri; his audience is the younger community, and others already serve the elderly in that language.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Opening: sound check, greetings and quick replies to the chat — 16 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping before the questions: a sound check, greetings and quick replies to the chat, including the streaming software he uses.
Why does Bukhari accept a narrator who praised Ali's killer while Shia narrators are rejected? — 15 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls it a double standard that al-Bukhari accepts as trustworthy a narrator who praised Ibn Muljam for killing Ali, while reports from Imam Jafar and other Shia imams are rejected because of their source. Mufti Abu Layth says it is prejudice and a double standard that al-Bukhari accepts as trustworthy a narrator who openly praised Ibn Muljam for killing Ali, while reports from Imam Jafar and the other Shia imams are rejected because they come from Shia sources.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?

Week 6, 2021 (8 February 2021 to 14 February 2021): 40 answers

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Can I blindly follow scholars in matters of belief? — 14 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth says blind following in belief is forbidden by scholarly consensus, and the majority of one school is not ijma'. Mufti Abu Layth says it is forbidden, by the consensus of the scholars, to blindly follow others in matters of belief.
A more recent answer on belief/creed-and-kalam-schools exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist
Do Muslims have to believe that Jesus will come back? — 14 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rejects the hadith of Jesus returning as a judge who offers Islam or the sword, saying it came from Christian belief and clashes with the Quran's no compulsion in religion. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith of Jesus descending as a judge on earth was made up from Christian belief taken from the Bible.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
What do you think of Mu'awiya? — 13 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth highly respects Mu'awiya as a great figure and admires his statesmanship, citing a story of his generosity to a woman who favoured Ali. Mufti Abu Layth says he sees Mu'awiya as a great figure in Islam whom he highly respects.
A more recent answer on history/early-succession-and-civil-strife exists: Who are the Ibadis and what do you think of Ibadism?
Closing: the members' Discord, a tractor story and sign-off — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth previews the members' Discord server and signs off with a story.
Is it haram to flip a coin to make a decision? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says flipping a coin is not haram, but important decisions should be made by reasoning, not by a coin or a dream. Mufti Abu Layth says flipping coins is not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/speech-and-everyday-conduct exists: Does Mufti Abu Layth have any scholarly precedent for his views?
Did Maliki scholars really allow fines instead of hudud punishments? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Maliki fatwa allowing punishment through wealth was the work of a major scholar and was practised as law for centuries, not a forgotten opinion. Mufti Abu Layth says the fatwa on punishing with wealth that he cites was acted upon as the law and understood as the sharia for hundreds of years.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Why do critics keep attacking Shabir Ally? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the critics target Shabir Ally as a soft target who will not hit back, and repeats his offer to debate them.
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists: Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?
Clips: three critics' videos attacking Shabir Ally — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks videos in which three critics attack Shabir Ally's views, including his view on hudud.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics exists: Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic
Is Mufti Abu Layth a feminist? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he would like to think he is a feminist, though feminists seem not to like him.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
What does Islam say about the red pill movement? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says hating on women, or men, is ridiculous, though he grants some red pill points about how society treats the sexes. Mufti Abu Layth says he finds hating on any gender, whether men or women, to be ridiculous.
A more recent answer on relationships/masculinity-and-gender-roles exists: How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?
Who is right in India's farmers' protests? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth stands with India's protesting farmers, saying laws affecting them must not be imposed without their consent.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/india-and-hindutva exists: What does Mufti Abu Layth think the solution for Kashmir is?
What happened between Mufti Abu Layth and a Moroccan shaykh? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says a Moroccan shaykh he once visited later called him deviant, and he responded by pointing to the shaykh's past conviction.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics exists: Donors, deathbed remarks and 'no hatred': an invitation to the critic
Are the Prophet's parents in heaven or hell? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet's parents are unquestionably among the saved. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet's parents are unquestionably from the people of salvation.
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?
Is it haram to hit someone in the face in boxing or MMA training? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says hitting the face in sparring is fine; the hadith against striking the face concerned discipline, not fighting practice. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith about not hitting the face was about discipline, not about training or practising the art of fighting.
A more recent answer on relationships/parents-and-children/raising-children exists: How did Imam Malik come to study religion?
What was Mufti Abu Layth's madrasa in Pakistan like? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says his madrasa's head was not hot-headed, and that Barelvi radicalism is recent while militancy has long existed in parts of the Deobandi world. Mufti Abu Layth says the Barelvi scene in Pakistan has only recently become extreme.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Why does every spiritual awakening story have a time of withdrawal? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth agrees that the ascetic phase in awakening stories is an archetype, like Tolstoy's two plots. Mufti Abu Layth says the ascetic phase in awakening narratives is like an archetype.
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas/narrative-and-story exists: What inspired the story of Lupe Fiasco's album The Cool?
Why is Pakistan so full of religious extremism? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says religious militancy in Pakistan was boosted by the CIA-backed Afghan jihad against the Soviets and is still mass-produced by madrasa networks. Mufti Abu Layth says the CIA and the war against the Russians played a facilitating, enabling role in boosting the extremist tradition in Pakistan and the Islamic world, though they are not solely responsible.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/pakistan exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Is trading covered calls on stocks halal? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says covered calls are halal, and he does not consider any of today's regulated trades haram. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel any of today's trades are haram, since they operate within a framework of statutory regulation.
A more recent answer on fiqh/finance exists: Is it wrong to want to be rich?
Is it wrong in Islam to want to be rich? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Islam is not against wealth; what is haram is arrogance and looking down on others, and he encourages people to make money and enjoy it. Mufti Abu Layth says Islam is not against the aggregation of wealth.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/gratitude-giving-and-contentment exists: Which verse of the Quran promises more blessings for being grateful?
Chat banter about embarrassing names — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth jokes about names that sound embarrassing in English and says people should change them by deed poll.
What accent does Mufti Abu Layth have? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he has no set accent, and that in Britain one can usually hear a caller's ethnicity in the texture of their voice. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the UK, with British English, one can usually tell a person's ethnicity over the phone from the texture of their voice.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Why does Birmingham have so many different Muslim sects? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Birmingham's many strong sects cancel each other out, which he thinks is a good thing compared with towns one sect dominates. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Birmingham every sect has a strong presence, and that he thinks that is a good thing.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
What is Birmingham really like for Muslims? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth defends Birmingham but calls drugs a cancer in its Muslim community, and says cannabis should be legalised and regulated. Mufti Abu Layth says he thinks several drugs should be legalised, especially things like cannabis.
A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Is it haram to use a sensory deprivation tank or meditation to hallucinate? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says using sensory deprivation tanks or meditation to bring on hallucinations is not haram. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think setting oneself up to hallucinate through sensory deprivation tanks or meditation is haram.
A more recent answer on belief/spiritual-experience-and-psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Should I use water or toilet paper after going to the toilet? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says a person should always clean with water after the toilet where possible, with paper only as a fallback. Mufti Abu Layth says a person should always, if possible, use water when cleaning after the toilet.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
Debate invitations to Abdul Rahman Hassan and 'Danny boy' — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth invites Abdul Rahman Hassan to defend Salafi creed and 'Danny boy' to define ijma', saying critics pick on Shabir Ally instead.
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists: Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?
Did the companions really see the angel Jibril as a man? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says only the Prophet saw Jibril, in a trance-like vision; companions who thought a stranger was Jibril were assuming. Mufti Abu Layth says that when the Prophet sees Jibril it is in a trance-like state, a vision the Prophet is having alone.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
What qualifications does Mufti Abu Layth have? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth lists degrees in psychology and education, an alim and mufti course and ijazahs, but says degrees mean little to him.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Is the Quran's verse about the stupor of death talking about DMT? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the verse is not about DMT specifically, though the DMT death experience could relate to it; he sees psychedelics as a portal to the hereafter where legal. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think the verse is talking about DMT specifically, but that the DMT death experience could also relate to it.
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Can al-Firabri, the transmitter of Sahih al-Bukhari, be trusted? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Firabri deserves some suspicion: not evil, but not the great imam later generations made him. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Firabri, the transmitter of Sahih al-Bukhari, is somewhat dubious and that there must be some level of suspicion towards him.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Is it haram to watch Netflix? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says watching Netflix is of course not haram. Mufti Abu Layth says that of course watching Netflix is not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment exists: Is playing chess haram?
Losing muscle in lockdown and a members' Discord server — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth announces a members' Discord server linked to Patreon, separate from the open fan group.
Yasir Qadhi's mugs and Bollywood lines: do his critics watch him? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays a clip of Yasir Qadhi with branded mugs and wonders aloud how closely his critics watch him.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Were some of the great imams autistic? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he feels Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Shafi'i were autistic, and suspects Ibn Taymiyya had bipolar or a psychotic disorder. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels people like Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Imam al-Shafi'i were autistic.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists: How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?
Was al-Ghazali against science and philosophy? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says al-Ghazali was not against reason at first, but after a crisis of faith he turned to ascetic mysticism, and through later Sufism this indirectly harmed the voice of reason. Mufti Abu Layth says it is true that al-Ghazali's influence had a detrimental impact on the voice of reason, although he thinks it did so indirectly.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Is pork the only meat that is haram in the Maliki school? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says that in the Maliki school no meat is haram in itself except the pig, which does not mean the imams urged people to eat everything. Mufti Abu Layth says that in the Maliki school no meat is haram to eat in and of itself except the pig.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
What counts as khamr, and is a drink with a little alcohol haram? — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says khamr in the Quran meant wine; other drinks were haram only when they intoxicated like it, which was Abu Hanifa's position. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Quranic terminology khamr was just wine.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
A sung Andalusian Arabic poem shared from YouTube — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays a sung classical Arabic poem and calls it majestic.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Perfume reviews, a joke question and the Dogecoin rally — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rates perfumes, with Tiziana Terenzi as the house that has impressed him most, and notes the crypto bull run with a word of caution.
Opening: sound check, a lockdown haircut and a news story — 9 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth checks the sound, jokes about a lockdown haircut and shares an odd news story.

Week 5, 2021 (1 February 2021 to 7 February 2021): 31 answers

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

Sign-off: Mind Trap or meetup this week, and thanks to patrons — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth signs off, promising a Mind Trap or meetup this week and thanking his patrons.
Is jinn possession real? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There is no such thing as jinn possession, Mufti Abu Layth says; these are mental health issues, and exorcisms can be abuse.
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists: Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?
How can God be timeless and still perceive time? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Linear time is our perspective, Mufti Abu Layth says, not necessarily how God sees events; he also says tattoos are not haram for men. Mufti Abu Layth says that perceiving events in linear time is our perspective and does not mean that time is like that.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Why names intrigue Mufti Abu Layth: a name that sounds rude in Urdu — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth jokes about a name that sounds rude in Urdu and says he finds names intriguing.
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas/language-and-semiotics exists: Do we think in words or in images?
Chat interlude: short sellers buying back, new moderators and Shaykh Atabek on Mind Trap — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Chat interlude: Mufti Abu Layth appoints new moderators and recommends his Mind Trap with Shaykh Atabek.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Is trading stocks, crypto or on margin halal? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
What happened with GameStop, Reddit and Wall Street? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth explains margin trading, short selling and how Reddit traders squeezed Wall Street funds over GameStop.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Clip: a raven mimicking human speech — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth shows a raven mimicking speech and says crows and ravens are equally intelligent corvids.
A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
Did Cain invent burial after watching the raven? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Cain did not invent burial, Mufti Abu Layth says; a raven mourning its dead shamed him into burying his brother. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think Cain was the first person to invent a burial.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
What does the raven in the story of Cain and Abel mean? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads the Cain and Abel verses as allowing more than one grammatical reading, and takes God to be the one teaching Cain. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his understanding, the one teaching Cain in the verse is God, though some have understood it as the raven.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Kidnapped in Cairo: Mufti Abu Layth and the Egyptian police — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth recounts being kidnapped in Cairo and the farcical police inquiry that followed.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Is the hadith that nobody will believe in Allah at the end of time authentic? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Most end-times hadith are made up, Mufti Abu Layth says, citing Imam Ahmad on genres with no basis. Mufti Abu Layth says that most hadith to do with the end of times are usually made up.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Does being fair to two wives mean treating them exactly the same? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Justice between wives is not mirror-image equality but fairness according to the understanding agreed, without oppression, Mufti Abu Layth says. Mufti Abu Layth says that justice between wives means a fairness based on the understanding the spouses have.
A more recent answer on fiqh/polygamy-and-mutah exists: Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?
If the hijab has become sexualised, should scholars still push it? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth argues that since the hijab is now widely sexualised, fatwas should not keep pushing it, though people may wear it as culture. Mufti Abu Layth says he would argue that, under these circumstances of sexualisation, the hijab should not still be pushed forward by fatwas.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
What do you think of Imam al-Shatibi? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls Imam al-Shatibi an absolute legend and the real founding father of maqasid, the objectives of the Sharia. Mufti Abu Layth says al-Shatibi really brought the objectives of the Sharia to life, so that everybody after him is indebted to him, and that he absolutely loves him for that.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Damascus, 1998: the two people who inspired Mufti Abu Layth to memorise the Quran — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth credits a scholar's Quran ijazah and a convert classmate who memorised on the bus with starting his own memorisation in Damascus.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
What do you think of Abdur Rahman Mangera? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls Abdur Rahman Mangera very talented and respectful, but says his thinking is ultimately closed Deobandi thinking.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
A modern Arabic love poem: choosing honour over a friend's wife — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reads an Arabic love poem in which the poet turns down his friend's wife, preferring honour to betrayal.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Is it haram to have an anal swab test for COVID? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
An anal-swab COVID test is not haram, Mufti Abu Layth says, any more than a colonoscopy, if that is the test. Mufti Abu Layth says that a rectal swab test for COVID is permissible if that is the test, and that it is not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/medical-ethics exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
Why not invite your critics to give their side of Islamic history? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says his account was analysis, not a 'side', and renews his standing invitation to the commentator to come on Mind Trap.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Umayyad, Abbasid and Zubayrid politics behind the recording of history — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth argues that rival Umayyad, Abbasid and Zubayrid narratives gave motives to shape reports such as those through Hisham ibn Urwa. Mufti Abu Layth says that the Abbasid movement, when it rose to overthrow the Umayyads, was a Shia movement.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Is rejecting embarrassing hadith about the Prophet just whitewashing history? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the 'they would not invent it' argument is cogent at face value, but a fair critic must also ask who had a motive to fabricate a report. Mufti Abu Layth says that, to be fair, one must ask whether one can think of any motive for people to have fabricated a hadith, which critics do not do or do not do fairly.
A more recent answer on history/sirah/age-of-aisha exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Are near-death experiences real or just chemicals in the brain? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth feels near-death experiences are real portals, not just brain chemistry, pointing to cardiac-arrest studies. Mufti Abu Layth says he definitely feels near-death experiences are valid portals and not just chemicals in the brain.
A more recent answer on belief/spiritual-experience-and-psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Did the early Muslims respect the Torah and Bible, and are they corrupted? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Bible has changed in words, stories and translation, but Mufti Abu Layth says its core message is still valid and the Quran does not call it wholly corrupted. Mufti Abu Layth says that in much of the Bible words, stories and translations would have changed, but its message would still be very much valid.
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists: Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?
Can men wear gold? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Men can wear gold, in Mufti Abu Layth's understanding; the Prophet discouraged it because Medina needed to stay on a war footing. Mufti Abu Layth says that men can wear gold in his understanding.
A more recent answer on history/sirah exists: How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?
Tonight's plan: the raven of Cain and Abel, and Reddit versus Wall Street — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth announces the night's topics: the raven in the story of Cain and Abel, and what the Reddit versus Wall Street saga says about money.
Opening: travel declarations, the 200th session and plans for the channel — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth marks his 200th session, mocks the new travel declarations and sets out plans for the channel.
Did Shadee Elmasry mistranslate Ibn Ashur on purpose? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the mistranslation shows either incompetence in Arabic or deliberate misleading.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Did Ibn Ashur say nothing in the Quran goes against the second coming of Jesus? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Ashur wrote that the Quran does not deal with the second coming, not that nothing in it opposes it; the post confused yata'arrad with a verb meaning 'to oppose'. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Ibn Ashur's words the Quran does not deal with the second coming when it counts out the blessings of Jesus, rather than saying nothing in the Quran opposes it.
A more recent answer on quran/arabic-language exists: Is the 'light' that came with the clear book in 5:15 the Prophet or the Quran itself?
Did Ibn Ashur believe Jesus died? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth shows that Ibn Ashur read 'inni mutawaffika' as real death, cited Imam Malik for it, and took texts calling Jesus alive as an honorific life like that of martyrs.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?
Did Ibn Ashur say Muslims must believe Jesus was raised alive? — 2 February 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth shows that Ibn Ashur, quoted in Shadee Elmasry's post, held only that Jesus was not killed or crucified and was raised and saved, leaving how it happened open to interpretation.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?

Week 4, 2021 (25 January 2021 to 31 January 2021): 59 answers

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Closing: thanks, a promised follow-up and the guest's book on Hanafi principles — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth thanks the guest, promises a follow-up, and recommends his book Hanafi Principles of Testing Hadith.
When should I pray Isha in the UK summer when it never gets fully dark? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says that where twilight never fades, the Hanafi school allows Isha to be prayed keeping the order of prayers, rather than dividing the night into seven.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
What does Shaykh Atabek think of his debate on the Isha time? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says his much-watched exchange on the Isha time was not a real debate, since his opponent never addressed his proofs.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
The guest's laptop battery runs low; viewers' questions deferred — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest's laptop is running out of battery, so viewers' questions are kept for a follow-up session.
Did Abu Hanifa really write al-Fiqh al-Akbar? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says Abu Hanifa did write al-Fiqh al-Akbar but the text has later additions, and that Zufar's books survive only in fragments.
A more recent answer on belief/creed-and-kalam-schools exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist
Who was Abu Hanifa's most trusted student? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest relies chiefly on Zufar, whom he says Abu Hanifa himself authorised to teach, over Imam Muhammad, who was a teenager when Abu Hanifa died; Zufar's sidelining is left for another session.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following/hanafi-school exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Did Abu Hanifa allow drinks with a little alcohol? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says Abu Hanifa's ruling that mildly fermented non-wine drinks are not haram shows he followed the Quran over reports; Mufti Abu Layth says the lesson is his way of thinking.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following/hanafi-school exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Did the early Hanafis hold that apostates should be killed? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the early Hanafi view, from Abu Hanifa and Zufar, is that apostasy itself carries no punishment and only an actual threat is punished; Mufti Abu Layth calls today's Hanafi blasphemy laws upside down.
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists: Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?
What is wijada, and why does it matter for the hadith on killing apostates? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the apostasy hadith cannot justify killing, since its own wording is not followed and it reaches us only by wijada; Mufti Abu Layth blames the Salafi call for putting raw hadith in place of the madhhabs.
A more recent answer on hadith/hadith-in-legal-reasoning exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Why do Hanafis defend Sahih al-Bukhari when their school differs from it? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Bukhari has question marks and is not the gold standard; the guest says its canonisation was an Abbasid-era Athari project, and that for Hanafis the Athar of their own imams should rank highest.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Is the Musnad really Imam Ahmad's book, and is it authentic? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Musnad is Imam Ahmad's draft but cannot be authentic by its own rules, since it reached us by wijada with additions by his son; Mufti Abu Layth holds that it was not Ahmad's book at all.
A more recent answer on hadith/collections-and-compilation exists: Is the Muwatta of Imam Malik more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari?
Was there a power struggle in the early Hanafi school? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth feels the early Hanafi school saw power struggles and that Abu Yusuf lacked Abu Hanifa's reason; the guest calls Ahmad ibn Hanbal the greatest muhaddith but not a jurist of the first rank.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists: How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?
Why does Shaykh Atabek want to restore the early Hanafi school? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest wants to restore the early Hanafi school of a fully independent Abu Hanifa; Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa championed reason but his school later became almost his opposite.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following/hanafi-school exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Could a senior scholar ever publicly change his fatwa on mortgages? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth doubts the jurist could ever publicly accept the guest's view; the guest says almost no scholar is fully independent of politics, audience or salary.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
What happened when Shaykh Atabek wrote to Mufti Taqi Usmani about mortgages? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says his respectful open letter to Mufti Taqi Usmani on mortgages got no reply, only an abusive reaction from students, which he does not think the mufti ordered.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Isn't calling a mortgage agency just a loophole for interest? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the loophole charge is backwards: what counts is what is technically happening, and a bank that also gives loans can still offer a permissible mortgage, as a pub also sells food.
Is a mortgage riba? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says a mortgage is not riba because the bank acts as an agent buying a specific house and then sells it on in instalments; riba is only a free loan repaid with extra.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Is growing a beard obligatory in the Hanafi school? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says Hanafi principles act as a constitution before which everyone is equal, and that by them keeping the beard is mubah, not wajib as subcontinent scholars concluded.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
How do people react when a scholar from Uzbekistan challenges subcontinent scholars? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says UK Islam comes almost wholly from Indo-Pakistani and Saudi culture; the guest says challenging subcontinent scholars from Uzbekistan draws harsh reactions, but open-minded people keep him going.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
How did Shaykh Atabek Shukurov become a scholar? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest traces his path from a Soviet childhood through Karachi and Saudi Arabia to eight years in Syria, where he learned to compare inherited cultures with the classical texts.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
What is Shaykh Atabek Shukurov working on, and why does he teach principles before rulings? — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says his main work is separating inherited culture from religion and teaching principles before detailed rulings, alongside a college of traditional medicine and writing books.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Opening: welcoming Shaykh Atabek Shukurov and an audio check — 29 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth welcomes Shaykh Atabek Shukurov from Uzbekistan, introduced as a voice of reason, and checks the audio.
Sign-off: subscribers, Patreon, Discord and next MindTrap — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth signs off, thanks subscribers and patrons, and announces a MindTrap episode later in the week.
Dawah Man on intimacy positions, citing Ibn al-Qayyim, played and mocked — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks a preacher's advice, attributed to Ibn al-Qayyim, against the woman-on-top position as encouraging femininity in men.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
How could Abu Hurayra narrate 5,000 hadith after only two years with the Prophet? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says it is implausible that Abu Hurayra narrated so much after about two years with the Prophet, that Umar restrained him, and that impossible reports such as the Ruqayya comb story should be rejected by Sunnis themselves. Mufti Abu Layth says it is implausible that Abu Hurayra, who spent about two years with the Prophet, narrated some five thousand hadith, that false memories likely entered his reports, and that Sunnis should themselves reject reports that are factually impossible.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Did Jesus really speak as a newborn baby in the Quran? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran does not state that Jesus spoke as a newborn, and that the cradle verse points to the episode in Luke of the boy Jesus arguing with the Temple priests. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran does not state that Jesus spoke as a newborn, and that its reference to his speaking from the cradle as a boy points to the episode in Luke of the young Jesus arguing with the Temple priests.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
What does the Mufti think of Dr Umar Faruq Abdullah? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls Dr Umar Faruq Abdullah exceptionally talented, with remarkable Arabic, but says his later turn to a pir-style spiritual role wastes that talent.
A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists: A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential
Was docetism about someone else being crucified in Jesus's place? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says docetism was a debate over whether Jesus was truly human, and that the Quran says the crucifixion only appeared to succeed, not that a look-alike was crucified.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Quick chat: Mufti Abu Layth's taste in music — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth answers a chat question about the music he listens to.
Quick chat: LSD, paratha and nihari, and jinn as microbes — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In quick chat replies he refers to his video on psychedelics, jokes about food, and says reading jinn as microbes is one interpretation, held by Rashid Rida.
A more recent answer on fiqh/intoxicants-and-substances/psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Should we throw away hadith altogether? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says the hadith tradition is a beautiful, unparalleled record of the Prophet that should be filtered for corrupted reports, not discarded. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith tradition is a beautiful and unparalleled record of the Prophet that should be filtered for the reports that became corrupted, not thrown away.
A more recent answer on hadith/quran-only-movement exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Could the hadith tradition evolve like a living organism? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
As food for thought, he suggests that the hadith system, like other belief systems, behaves like an evolving organism that drives people to standardise and preserve it. Mufti Abu Layth suggests, as food for thought, that the hadith system behaves like an evolving organism that, without consciousness, drives those engaged with it to standardise and correct it so that it survives.
A more recent answer on hadith/collections-and-compilation exists: Is the Muwatta of Imam Malik more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari?
How could hadith chains and texts have been standardised over time? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says editors who standardised variant chains and texts, as Ahmad Shakir did with Ibn Jurayj's version, erased how reports were really transmitted, and that this may have happened unnoticed in the classical collections. Mufti Abu Layth says editors who standardise variant chains and texts to match the majority, even with good intentions, erase evidence of how reports were actually transmitted, and that this may also have happened unnoticed with the classical hadith collections.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
If a hadith is also in other books besides Bukhari, does that confirm it? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Not necessarily: he says transmitters and editors, often with good intentions, aligned names and texts with versions they knew, as Ahmad Shakir did in al-Muhalla, so parallel versions may not be independent. Mufti Abu Layth says that later transmitters and editors, even with good intentions, may have altered reports and names to match versions they knew, so that the same hadith appearing in other books need not be independent of al-Bukhari.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Would the Mufti make peace with Farid? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he holds no hatred for Farid and would return respect if shown it, but answers public takfir against him with mockery and sees no reason to stop.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
The snowman fatwas: building a snowman as an idol, or permitted by the dolls hadith — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks two fatwas on snowmen, one calling them idols and one permitting them by a hadith about dolls, saying such reasoning makes Muslims a laughing stock.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Quick chat: Mufti Abu Layth's height and diet — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth answers chat questions about his height and diet.
An invitation to Sunni Defence, bad blood with Farid, and interrupting in debates — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth invites a presenter of Sunni Defence to discuss BukhariGate on MindTrap, describes the bad blood with Farid, and defends occasional interruptions in debate.
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists: Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?
Is Mufti Abu Layth against Imam Bukhari? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says he respects al-Bukhari as an outstanding hadith scholar, though not infallible, but holds that the book reaching us was altered in transmission, so troubling reports deserve caution. Mufti Abu Layth says he has never been against Imam Bukhari, whom he regards as an outstanding though fallible hadith scholar, but holds that the book reaching us was altered in transmission, so reports in it that disrespect the prophets or concern killing should be treated with caution.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
How did the BukhariGate discussion go on manuscripts and problematic hadith? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the guest did not contest the manuscript evidence, and that defending the problematic reports amounts to claiming the Prophet could err but al-Bukhari could not. Mufti Abu Layth says that defending reports in Bukhari which portray the Prophet as bewitched or forgetting the Quran amounts to claiming the Prophet could err but al-Bukhari could not, when errors in the book's transmission are far more likely.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Did the debate with Dr Abdullah Abdul Majid answer the BukhariGate challenge? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the discussion did not settle BukhariGate but strengthened it, since doubts about the book's transmission mean reports contradicting reason or the Quran should be set aside. Mufti Abu Layth says the discussion did not put BukhariGate to rest but further cemented it, and that because Sahih al-Bukhari cannot be shown with certainty to reach us exactly from its author, reports in it that contradict reason, the Quran or Islam's principles should be set aside.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
What does the Mufti think of Pir Naseeruddin Naseer? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Pir Naseeruddin Naseer was a widely respected authority across the spectrum of Sunnis.
A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists: A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential
How should I deal with the misogynistic things some scholars wrote about women? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Do not let contemporary misogynists hijack your Islam, and read past scholars' views on women as reflections of their own age, which do not confine Islam. Mufti Abu Layth says contemporary misogyny should not be allowed to hijack one's Islam, and that past scholars' writings about women reflect their own age and do not confine Islam, which each age reflects in its own way.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Can a woman become a mufti? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: anyone, a woman included, can become a mufti, but must persevere through often dogmatic institutions, in a field he says is neglected and lacks support. Mufti Abu Layth says a woman can become a mufti, that the field of Islamic scholarship is neglected and attracts little talent because it lacks support, and that anyone who wants to become a mufti must persevere through often dogmatic institutions.
A more recent answer on society/education-and-madrasas/how-to-study-islam exists: Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer?
Do creation myths in other cultures share a source with the Islamic account? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth feels the world's creation myths probably share a common origin, and suggests the name Adam predates Arabic and Hebrew, possibly from Sanskrit, though he is not sure. Mufti Abu Layth says many cultures' creation myths seem to share a common origin, and that the name Adam is not of Arabic origin and may be older, possibly Sanskrit, though he is not certain.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
Can a woman be an imam and lead the prayer? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: a woman can be an imam and her leading the prayer is valid, though whether it works in practice depends on her society accepting it. Mufti Abu Layth says a woman can be an imam and her leading the prayer is permissible and valid, though whether imamship works in practice depends on whether her society accepts it.
If a lot of anything can intoxicate, does that make tiny amounts of alcohol haram? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The hadith refers to drinks that intoxicate in the amount normally drunk, so a little of such a drink is haram; foods with trace alcohol that cannot intoxicate are not covered. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith refers to drinks that intoxicate in the amounts normally drunk, so even a small amount of such a drink is haram, while foods with trace alcohol that cannot intoxicate in normal consumption are not covered.
A more recent answer on hadith/individual-hadith-explained exists: Does the Quran say Jesus died, and how did the Prophet understand the verse 'when you took me'?
Is Prophet Shu'ayb the same as Jethro in the Bible? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
At face value they seem to be the same person, since Moses goes to the priest of Midian in both accounts, but he says he has not researched it.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
If the Prophet couldn't forbid what Allah allowed, how can scholars issue fatwas? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The verse rebukes the Prophet for forbidding himself something permissible to please others, not for legislating; things are permissible by default, so declaring something haram is a weighty step. Mufti Abu Layth says 66:1 addresses the Prophet for forbidding himself something permissible to console others, not for legislating, and that because everything is permissible by default, declaring something haram is a weighty matter, while a prohibition lapses when its reason disappears.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Can I do tayammum instead of wudu if water makes my cough worse? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: tayammum is allowed for anyone with an excuse, and whether the excuse applies is for the person to judge. Mufti Abu Layth says someone whose cough worsens with water may perform tayammum, since the Quran allows it for those with an excuse, and that the person judges for themselves whether the excuse applies.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
At what age should children start learning about Islam, and what should they learn? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Keep early religious education basic and natural, such as reading the Quran, the prayer and the stories of the prophets, with deeper study when children are older; he admits it depends on the child. Mufti Abu Layth says that, as far as he can tell, it is fine for young children to learn only the basics, such as reading the Quran, the prayer and the stories of the prophets, with deeper teaching when they are older, while admitting he is unsure and that it depends on the child.
A more recent answer on relationships/parents-and-children/raising-children exists: How did Imam Malik come to study religion?
Will the Mufti open an academy to train muftis? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says founding an institution drains one's life and takes away the freedom to think and speak, and that online teaching and books reach more people.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Why does the Quran seem focused on men, and why are two women witnesses needed? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Quran asks for two women witnesses only for debt contracts, because a lone woman was easier to intimidate, not because women are lesser; otherwise one woman equals one man, and the masculine address reflects historically patriarchal societies. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran's requirement of two women witnesses applies only to debt transactions, because a lone woman was easier to intimidate, and not because women are deficient, and that otherwise one woman's testimony equals one man's.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
Did Covid-19 come from the Wuhan lab? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth denies spreading conspiracy theories but says Covid-19 escaped from the Wuhan laboratory, in his view by accident rather than design, after being engineered there. Mufti Abu Layth says Covid-19 escaped, in his view accidentally and not as a plot, from the Wuhan laboratory where it had been engineered.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
Perfumes, quick chat replies and gym injuries — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth chats about perfumes, jokes about a chat question and describes injuring himself exercising at home after Covid.
Was Covid-19 made in a lab? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he believes Covid-19 came out of a laboratory and was engineered, pointing to reports that it spares children and relies on cholesterol. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes Covid-19 came out of a laboratory and was bioengineered, citing reports that it spares children and relies on cholesterol to infect.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
A clip on parent titles for LGBTQIA+ families, and gender-neutral language — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists: Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?
Opening: greetings and the night's agenda — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth opens the session and sets out the night's topics, from his BukhariGate afterthoughts and the hadith ripple effect to a docetism clip and a snowman fatwa.
Is it haram to eat meat that is not halal-slaughtered, like a non-halal burger? — 26 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Eating meat that is not dhabiha is not haram in Mufti Abu Layth's view, because its original purpose of separating Muslims from pagan sacrifice has lapsed. He still supports and advocates halal meat for its identity value and eats it himself. Mufti Abu Layth holds that eating meat that is not dhabiha is not haram today, because the primary purpose of halal slaughter, distinguishing Muslims from those who offered meat to pagan gods, has lapsed, while he still supports and advocates halal meat for its remaining identity value.
A more recent answer on fiqh/food exists: Does Allah love everybody?

Week 3, 2021 (18 January 2021 to 24 January 2021): 41 answers

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

Closing: subscribe, thanks to patrons, and this week's Mind Trap — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Sign-off: Mufti Abu Layth thanks viewers, shares his social media links and says a Mind Trap discussion is due this week.
A risque proverb from al-Andalus: 'the nerves are connected' — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A bawdy Andalusian proverb, 'the nerves are connected', shared by Mufti Abu Layth as a joke.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Reaction to a niqabi's clip using driving as a metaphor for sex — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A clip of a woman in niqab using a driving metaphor for intimacy, in which Mufti Abu Layth sees nothing wrong.
A more recent answer on relationships/marriage/intimacy exists: Are many people's frustrations really about unmet sexual needs?
Does the Quran say nothing against Jesus' second coming? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the post mistranslates the tafsir: it says the Quran does not address the second coming, not that nothing in the Quran opposes it.
A more recent answer on quran/arabic-language exists: Is the 'light' that came with the clear book in 5:15 the Prophet or the Quran itself?
Did Ibn Ashur say Jesus was raised alive and will return? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says a preacher's post misquotes the tafsir it cites, which takes the verse to mean Jesus really died and leaves how he was raised open to interpretation.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Why did Moses have to strike the sea with his staff for it to part? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The sea did not part instantly but over a long while, Mufti Abu Layth says; striking it showed the Israelites the way would be through it. Mufti Abu Layth says the sea did not just part; it took a long while.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Is it haram to eat with my left hand? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Eating with the left hand is not haram, Mufti Abu Layth says; the right hand is good etiquette taught to a child, so do it if you can. Mufti Abu Layth says eating with the left hand is not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/food exists: Does Allah love everybody?
Can I say Prophet Yusuf was more handsome than Prophet Muhammad? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Praising Yusuf's beauty takes nothing from the Prophet Muhammad, Mufti Abu Layth says; the prophets are not in a competition. Mufti Abu Layth says the prophets are not in a competition, so saying Yusuf was especially handsome does not require insisting the Prophet Muhammad was more handsome.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
How do I explain to someone why believing in God matters? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth believes consciousness is the modern gateway back to God, and that following it will lead there. Mufti Abu Layth says he honestly believes the modern gateway to God is through consciousness.
A more recent answer on belief/soul-nafs-and-consciousness exists: What does Lupe Fiasco think the soul is?
Do I pay zakat again on savings that haven't grown? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Zakat is due again each year on the same savings, Mufti Abu Layth says, giving it as what is technically said.
How does Ibn Rushd compare to other critical-minded scholars? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Ibn Rushd is the most philosophical and most inclined to reason of the critical-minded scholars, Mufti Abu Layth says, and steadier in temperament than one he calls quick to takfir. Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Rushd is more inclined towards reason than the other critical-minded scholars he was asked about, though all of them are critical-minded.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
What did Ibn Rushd say about women's abilities? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth highlights Ibn Rushd's argument, 900 years ago, that women equal men in ability and that confining them to the home impoverished his cities.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
How did Ibn Rushd answer al-Ghazali's attack on the philosophers? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth explains that Ibn Rushd answered al-Ghazali by showing that what he refuted was mostly neoplatonism, not Aristotle. Mufti Abu Layth says it was true that al-Ghazali's sources on the philosophers had been ill-informed, because early translations mixed up Aristotle's and Plato's views.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Why did Ibn Rushd fall from favour with the caliph? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth relates two accounts of Ibn Rushd's fall, a remark on a storm and an insult to the caliph, and finds the first believable though unproven. Mufti Abu Layth says he is not sure the report that Ibn Rushd doubted the reality of a Quranic story is true, but that it is believable he said such things because his views were very philosophical.
A more recent answer on history/al-andalus-and-the-maghrib exists: Do Muslims whitewash their own historical heroes?
Who was Ibn Rushd (Averroes)? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth presents Ibn Rushd as a Maliki judge, physician and the great commentator on Aristotle, honoured in Europe but exiled and neglected by Muslims. Mufti Abu Layth says it is a shame that Muslims ignored Ibn Rushd, since he was such a legend in philosophy.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists: How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?
'Danny Boy's' Telegram post calling female academics 'snarling witches' — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth mocks a commentator's post calling female Islamic Studies academics 'snarling witches', and says men who block women's education are insecure.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
People are cruel: complaints used to try to stop a retreat he spoke at — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth recounts how a self-styled journalist tried to get a 2016 retreat he spoke at cancelled by complaining to the venue and the police.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Has Zaytuna College limited what Hamza Yusuf can say? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Hamza Yusuf's rise was remarkable but that Zaytuna now constrains him, so he avoids anything controversial; Mufti prefers his own freedom.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Why don't you open an Islamic academy? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth will not open an academy because he feels institutions consume their founders and religion is a hard market to sustain one in. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels institutions and academies suck the soul and life out of an individual.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
How do I find the true Sunnah in the hadith books? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The true Sunnah does not clash with reason, the Quran or Islamic principles, Mufti Abu Layth says, and the safer way is to take it from fiqh. Mufti Abu Layth says the true Sunnah does not clash with reason, does not go against the Quran and does not uproot an Islamic principle.
A more recent answer on hadith/sunnah-versus-hadith exists: Does the Muwatta show that the Companions' practice had already changed by Malik's time?
Why does Islam describe Paradise in such sensual terms? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Paradise is described sensually because that imagery works for people, Mufti Abu Layth says, meaning it functionally rather than cynically. Mufti Abu Layth says Paradise is described sensuously because it sells, in a functional rather than a bad sense.
Why is it so hard to find real, honest people? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says nobody fully knows anyone, social media feeds an endless search for someone better, and the appalling conduct of some Muslim men pushes women into hardline feminism. Mufti Abu Layth says the appalling attitude of some Muslim minority ethnic men in Britain unfortunately pushes many women into hardline feminism.
A more recent answer on relationships/masculinity-and-gender-roles exists: How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?
What can I do if I can't afford to marry but want to avoid zina? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth has no easy answer: religion is failing people here because scholars and cultures will not discuss options, and marriage has become too costly for the young. Mufti Abu Layth says religion is failing people on this, not because it lacks the inbuilt mechanisms, but because scholars are not ready to have that conversation.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Is it halal to perform music or dance at concerts for a living? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Dance is not haram in itself, Mufti Abu Layth says, but Muslim cultures look down on it as a profession, especially for women, so propriety should be kept in mind. Mufti Abu Layth says dance in and of itself is not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment/music exists: Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
What is the Ark of the Covenant in Islam? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The Quran mentions the Ark (tabut) without saying what was in it, Mufti Abu Layth says; one early Maliki linguist described the sakinah in a way that resembles the cherubim. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran briefly mentions the Ark of the Covenant but it is not clear what the things in it were.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Will I go to hell for not shaving my pubic hair? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Nobody goes to hell for not shaving pubic hair, Mufti Abu Layth says; it is a matter of hygiene, which religion tied to reward and closeness to God. Mufti Abu Layth says nobody is going to hell for not shaving pubic hair; it is a hygiene matter.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
A debater, Saqib Shaami's crew and a conference on the finality of prophethood — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth recalls a debater facing down Saqib Shaami's entourage when it disrupted a finality-of-prophethood conference in Birmingham.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Who is Dr Abdul Majid, your Mind Trap guest? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth will discuss BukhariGate with Dr Abdul Majid on Mind Trap, despite past hostile videos, and hopes it will be positive. Mufti Abu Layth says swearing is not haram.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
If money was earned in a haram way, is it haram for whoever receives it? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Money is not haram in itself, Mufti Abu Layth says: the sin lies with whoever earned it unlawfully, not with someone who later receives it unknowingly. Mufti Abu Layth says money in and of itself carries no intrinsic moral value; it is how it is earned that makes it haram or halal.
A more recent answer on fiqh/finance exists: Is it wrong to want to be rich?
Does smoking break my wudu? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Smoking does not break wudu, Mufti Abu Layth says; only relieving oneself and meaningful sexual activity do, not a peck on the cheek or eating. Mufti Abu Layth says smoking does not break wudu.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
Are video games haram? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Video games are not haram, Mufti Abu Layth says, and he plans to play some on future streams. Mufti Abu Layth says video games are not haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment exists: Is playing chess haram?
Under the microscope: a text on the fast breaking through a 'direct channel' — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth mocks a fiqh text saying the fast breaks when a substance reaches the stomach or brain through a 'direct channel'.
A more recent answer on fiqh/fasting/what-breaks-the-fast exists: Is the daytime ban on eating and intimacy in Ramadan stated in the Quran or inferred?
Does joking and laughing a lot mean I lack high aspiration? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth rejects a preacher's claim that joking and laughing show low aspiration, calling laughter the very definition of happiness and joy.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
What do you think of the Muslim community in Birmingham? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Does a bald woman have to wear hijab? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth gives no ruling: he jokes about the wording and muses on hair loss in women and men.
A more recent answer on fiqh/hijab-and-niqab exists: Did scholars let slave women uncover more than free women?
Will you ever do a Mind Trap with Mohammed Hijab? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth would welcome Mohammed Hijab on Mind Trap but doubts he would risk it, and would be glad to host Shaykh Imran Hosein.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Why are British politicians so bad at interviews? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the English are not bad at interviews: Boris Johnson is very intelligent and plays up his clumsiness, and the elite grew richer in the pandemic.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
Clip: Matt Hancock pressed on voting against free school meals — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A clip of Matt Hancock pressed on voting against free school meals, which Mufti Abu Layth calls the unconscionable neglect of this government.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
Will you discuss reincarnation with a guest on Mind Trap? — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth is still looking for the right guest to discuss reincarnation on Mind Trap, and has only skimmed the Shia response a viewer mentions.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
A classical Arabic love poem on how the prophets' attributes are shared out — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth recites a classical Arabic love poem in which the beloved gets the prophets' beauty and the poet their sorrows.
A more recent answer on arts/arabic-poetry-and-letters exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Opening: a near-sabotaged stream, a birthday treat and tonight's plan — 19 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth overcomes technical trouble, thanks his patrons and sets out the night's plan, from a preacher's misquotations to Ibn Rushd.

Week 2, 2021 (11 January 2021 to 17 January 2021): 44 answers

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

Why was Ibn Taymiyya put in prison? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Ibn Taymiyya made powerful enemies by declaring Muslims kafir, and Maliki judges finally jailed him over his fatwa, voiced by his student in Jerusalem, that one may not travel to visit the Prophet's grave. Mufti Abu Layth calls the view foolish but says no one should be punished for an opinion. Mufti Abu Layth says Ibn Taymiyya was imprisoned over his fatwa that one may not travel to visit the Prophet, an opinion he calls foolish but says should not be punished, since people should not be persecuted over religious differences.
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/apostasy-and-blasphemy exists: Is someone who says something wrong about the Prophet guilty of blasphemy?
Sign-off: subscribe, Patreon sessions, and Instagram for contact — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Sign-off: thanks to viewers and patrons, and Instagram as the way to reach him.
A preacher's 'discoveries': Gog and Magog in Kyrgyzstan and Noah's ark at al-Judi — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mockery of a preacher's claims to have located Gog and Magog in Kyrgyzstan and Noah's ark in Turkey.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets exists: What was the real crime of the people of Lut?
Is the hadith 'if there were a prophet after me it would be Umar' authentic? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith is a fabrication, made up to glorify Umar; one may revere Umar and still disagree with his opinions. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith 'if there were a prophet after me it would be Umar' is not an established hadith from the Prophet but a fabrication.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Is tahajjud the best way to get close to God? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Night prayer is one good way, he says, but God is always with you; if your lifestyle does not suit it, another practice that works for you is fine. Mufti Abu Layth says God is not restricted to certain times or places but is always with you.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Is it unfair that some are born Muslim, and is God's throne literal? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the throne is a literary expression meaning the kingdom is God's, and that salvation in the hereafter is not the exclusive property of Muslims. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran's description of God establishing Himself over the throne is not literal but a literary expression meaning that the kingdom is His.
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?
What does Islamic law say about the harms of social media? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth agrees fiqh is out of sync with problems like social media's harms and needs updating. Mufti Abu Layth says fiqh is definitely out of sync and needs to catch up and be updated.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Is process theology compatible with the Quran? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says its idea that God depends on creation as creation depends on God is not the Quranic worldview. Mufti Abu Layth says the process-relational idea that God is dependent on creation as creation is dependent on God is not the Quranic worldview.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Two to three months in prison: learning, poetry and the humanity of inmates — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A personal story: prison was bearable, even fruitful, and he found a humane side in feared inmates.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
What was the hardest time of your life? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth names his arrest as the most overwhelming time of his life: it left an imprint, but he says he came back stronger and many opportunities followed.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Mind Trap guest suggestions and the 'blacklisting' mentality — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Guest suggestions for Mind Trap; he says his only criteria are that guests be interesting and interested, and he criticises the blacklisting culture.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
What do you think of a particular online activist? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth warns that anyone who says Muslims need to take over the world should set alarm bells ringing. Mufti Abu Layth says that anybody who tells you that we need to take over the world should set alarm bells ringing.
A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Will you invite Javed Ahmad Ghamidi onto Mind Trap? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says, as his personal view, that Ghamidi himself is down to earth, but the team around him is protective and hard to reach; Dr Shehzad Saleem is the exception.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Does Sahih al-Bukhari really say God dangled in front of the Prophet? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Bukhari report of God 'dangling' before the Prophet is unacceptable, and any hadith that clashes with reason or the Quran must be rejected. Mufti Abu Layth says that describing God as dangling in front of the Prophet, as in this hadith, is utterly unacceptable.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Why do clever preachers stay stuck in dogmatism? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says knowing a lot is not the same as reasoning well; much of the dogmatist scene relies on rote learning, and Zakir Naik has done Islam real damage.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Could Socrates or the Buddha have been prophets? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth believes figures such as the Buddha, Socrates and Zarathustra could have been prophets, though we cannot know since Islam does not mention them. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes figures such as the Buddha and Socrates could have been prophets, though we just don't know.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
If you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says scholars who believed in the evil eye were following the science of their day, and one does not take science from them. Mufti Abu Layth says the evil eye was the science of the day, based on the belief that the eye shoots out rays, rather than a matter of religion for them.
A more recent answer on history/scholars-and-imams exists: How did Abu Hanifa become a scholar after starting out as a merchant?
Why do you call yourself a Maliki? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls himself Maliki because he follows the lens of the school of Medina: the Quran at the centre, Medinan practice, reason and the aims of the shari'ah. Mufti Abu Layth says the school of Medina placed the Quran centrally, gave precedence to the inherited practice of Medina and held reason to be vital.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Can I work as a recruiter if some of the jobs are in banking? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes, he says one may work as a recruiter for such a company; it is not haram in his understanding. Mufti Abu Layth says one may work for such a company and that these things are not haram in his understanding.
A more recent answer on fiqh/finance exists: Is it wrong to want to be rich?
Am I doing wrong if I follow a minority opinion? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the hadith is weak, and even its valid meaning is about the whole ummah agreeing, not about majorities, so following a minority view is not doom. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith that the ummah will not agree upon misguidance is unfortunately weak, although its meaning is kind of valid.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Can a woman lead the prayer or give the khutbah? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes, he says a woman may lead the prayer, give the adhan or the khutbah; it is not invalid, it is just generally not done. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not believe it is haram or invalid for a woman to lead the prayer, give the khutbah or be the imam.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender/women-in-worship-and-mosques exists: Can a woman be an imam and lead the prayer?
Announcement: a Mind Trap discussion with Dr Abdullah Abdul Majid on BukhariGate — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Announcement: a Mind Trap discussion on BukhariGate with Dr Abdullah Abdul Majid is set for next Thursday, and he asks viewers to be respectful.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Staying positive: the 'Super Mario effect' and Pogba's advice — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
An interlude on positivity: learning as a game and a footballer's advice on gratitude and goals.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/motivation-and-purpose/goals-and-habits exists: Am I only praying because I fear God will punish me?
Should I study at Dar al-Mustafa in Yemen or at al-Azhar? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth would not go to Yemen now because it is unstable; al-Azhar is still an option, and short stints abroad after local study may be best. Mufti Abu Layth says Yemen is not a very stable location right now and he does not think it would be very wise to go there.
A more recent answer on society/education-and-madrasas/how-to-study-islam exists: Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer?
Does the Quran clearly forbid homosexuality? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on relationships/sexuality-and-orientation exists: Is it okay for adults or children to change gender?
Why wasn't the Quran compiled as a book in the Prophet's time? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran was written but not bound as a book in the Prophet's lifetime because it was dynamic, allowing variations that did not change its meaning. Mufti Abu Layth says he would feel the Quran was not collected as a book because it was dynamic in nature, allowing substitutable variations that did not change the meaning.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Why would God stop sending revelation? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Revelation as a religion has ended, he says, but the Prophet said it continues in dreams, which can guide a person but are not for preaching. Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet did not say revelation per se ends, but that revelation in its formal manner as a religion ends.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Will you critique Sahih Muslim like you did al-Bukhari? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth chose al-Bukhari, not Muslim or others, because it is the symbol of the Salafi-Wahhabi legacy; that is the fortress he wanted to take on. Mufti Abu Layth says he went for al-Bukhari because it has become the symbol of the legacy of Islam as promoted by the Salafis and Wahhabis.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Why can't there be any prophets after Muhammad? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says no new prophet or world religion will come after Muhammad; the statement about his son Ibrahim, if true, was hyperbole. Mufti Abu Layth says the statement that the Prophet's son Ibrahim would have been a prophet had he lived is, if true, hyperbole.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Poetry: a ghazal on love, beauty and patience — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A poetry interlude: he reads and explains a poem about love, beauty and patience.
A more recent answer on arts/urdu-poetry exists: An Urdu poem of living on after the beloved
Super chats read out: bitcoin, an escort question, prophethood and the story of Lut — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: super chats are read out, with the questions on prophethood and on the story of Lut kept for later.
What do you think of Harun Yahya and his books? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says Harun Yahya's scientific-miracles books spread a lot of wrong information, and mocks the 1,000-year sentence given to Adnan Oktar.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
What do you think of Shaykh al-Sha'rawi? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His thoughts on al-Sha'rawi are positive, though he says he has not been influenced by him.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Who is Surah al-Munafiqun about? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says that, though the verses are general, Surah al-Munafiqun referred at the time to the hypocrites of Medina. Mufti Abu Layth says that, although the verses are general, Surah al-Munafiqun would at the time have referred to the hypocrites within Medina.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Are king prawns halal? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes, prawns are halal: in the school of Medina everything from the sea is halal, and only the pig is haram by its nature. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Islam everything in the sea is halal, according to the school of Medina.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Do I have to be in a state of purity to say verses of the Quran? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says religion should be natural, not ritualistic: the menstrual state is not impure, and revelation came to the Prophet while in bed with Aisha. Mufti Abu Layth says these kinds of hadiths are to him an encouragement showing that the deen ought to be very natural to our lives.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
Has Islam become more polarised between puritans and liberals? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Has the Salafi movement done more good or harm? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Salafi dawah revived interest in hadith and forced a re-evaluation, but its dislodging of the tradition did far more damage overall. Mufti Abu Layth says the biggest problem of the Salafi dawah was that it dislodged the entire tradition that was the general understanding of Islam.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
What do you think of a particular Salafi preacher? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
From what he has heard, he says the preacher is generally level-headed and balanced within the Salafi dawah, though he has not followed him closely.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Chat round: Trump's Twitter ban, Surah Ya Sin in the morning, and banter — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Light chat: he is unsure how he feels about Trump's Twitter ban and says reciting Ya Sin each morning is not a sunnah.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Is America really as wild as you say? — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he was not dissing the US, but that it is a paradox: great wealth and innovation alongside poverty, no free health care and routine school shootings. Mufti Abu Layth says the perception of the United States is sometimes quite deceptive.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Not just Trump: why he sees the Capitol riot as reflective of the United States — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth sees the Capitol riot as a symptom of the United States as a whole, not just of Trump, pointing to school shootings, inequality and race relations. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think the Capitol riot is just Trump, but that it is in many ways reflective of the United States.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
The storming of the US Capitol and Trump's 'go home, we love you' video — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Clips of the Capitol riot and Trump's 'go home, we love you' video, with Mufti Abu Layth's mocking commentary.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Opening: sound check, how he is feeling, and tonight's plan — 12 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: greetings, a sound check, and the list of tonight's topics, from world events to a hadith describing God.

Week 1, 2021 (4 January 2021 to 10 January 2021): 42 answers

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Rumours that Mufti Abu Layth is behind a social media preacher — 8 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth dismisses as a crazy conspiracy theory the claim that he, Yasir Qadhi or Mohammed Hijab is behind a social media preacher he likes.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Do I have to go to jumu'ah every Friday if I live in a non-Muslim country? — 7 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In his understanding jumu'ah is not mandatory on each individual in countries like the UK that are not Muslim countries, though holding it communally is good. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel jumu'ah is mandatory on each individual in countries that are not Muslim countries, such as the UK.
A more recent answer on fiqh/prayer/congregation-and-jumuah exists: Can a woman be an imam and lead the prayer?
Why do some women feel they must wear the niqab? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth blames men rather than women: men convince women they need the niqab by making them fear hell, sometimes out of insecurity. He calls the extreme mindsets this produces worrying. Mufti Abu Layth says that, although women who wear the niqab will not admit it, it is really men who have convinced them they need it.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
Is the niqab required, and is it right to make women take it off? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The face veil has no basis in the Quran and Sunnah, being the opinion of some later scholars. Forcing a woman to remove it is still wrong; one may only advise. Mufti Abu Layth says the face veil has no basis in the Quran and Sunnah, but force of any kind to remove it is wrong.
A more recent answer on society/women-and-gender exists: Who carried on Imam Malik's teaching after him?
Closing: subscribe, a DNA result next week, Patreon sessions — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Sign-off: subscribe, a DNA result promised for next week, and Patreon sessions resuming.
Did the Prophet fall in love with Zaynab bint Jahsh? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says the early hadith collections do not carry the love story, and it makes no sense given the Prophet had known Zaynab all his life. Mufti Abu Layth says that many of the major early muhaddithun, including Malik, do not transmit the love story of the Prophet and Zaynab.
A more recent answer on history/sirah/defending-the-prophet exists: Should loyalty to a scholar ever come before the honour of the Prophet?
Why is Yasir Qadhi saying the Prophet was infatuated with Zaynab? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth finds Yasir Qadhi's recent claim, that the Prophet's infatuation with Zaynab was the early normative account, baffling and harmful, and plays clips to show it.
A more recent answer on dialogue/responses-to-critics/yasir-qadhi exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Is anal intercourse with my wife haram? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says no sahih hadith makes anal intercourse with one's wife haram, and that preachers should stop guilt-tripping people over private matters.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
A preacher's video on masturbation: would you do it in front of your parents? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks a preacher's anti-masturbation video built on the question of whether you would do it in front of your parents.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
What miracle do you have as a saint? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth answers with a joke about Sufi hagiographies rather than claiming any karama.
A more recent answer on belief/sufism exists: A fate worse than death: each of us is a mirror for divine potential
Do Shia scholars treat ordinary people better than Salafi scholars do? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The problem lies in the extremes of both; from the few clips he has seen he cannot promote Ammar Nakshawani, though he may be wrong.
A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Was Christianity still a true religion until Muhammad's first revelation? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth reframes the question: Jesus was sent to the Israelites, not the Arabs, and monotheists existed in Arabia before the Prophet. Mufti Abu Layth says Jesus was never sent to the Arabs but to the Israelites.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/jesus exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
Did early Muslims really not count Ali as the fourth rightly guided caliph? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Ali is a hero of Islam and preferring him is a personal matter, but he rejects the story of Umar burning Fatima's door and urges moving on. Mufti Abu Layth says that if somebody considers Ali the best of all the companions, to him that is not a problematic statement but a personal preference.
A more recent answer on dialogue/sunni-shia-dialogue exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
What does rightly guided caliph mean, and did Muawiya see Ali as one? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The term rashidun came later; he thinks Muawiya saw Ali as more pious but himself as the better ruler, and that piety and governing skill rarely coincide. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his assessment, Muawiya would have thought that from a political perspective he could run the show better than Ali.
A more recent answer on fiqh/public-law-and-governance/caliphate exists: Is it obligatory for Muslims to establish a caliphate?
Can a Christian really speak with God? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Anyone can have a direct line to God whatever they call Him; he says the atheist one-god-further argument is a fallacy. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes that anybody and everybody has a direct line to Allah, whatever they call him.
A more recent answer on belief/salvation-and-non-muslims exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?
Will Lupe Fiasco come on Mind Trap? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: Lupe Fiasco has agreed in principle, and Mufti Abu Layth says he will follow it up.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Is it haram to celebrate my birthday? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Celebrating birthdays is fine and entirely your choice; he also recommends older friends for perspective when age brings anxiety. Mufti Abu Layth says it is absolutely fine to celebrate your birthday if you want to, since there is no religion attached to it.
A more recent answer on relationships/friendship-and-social-life exists: Can I have a close non-Muslim friend and answer his salam?
As an actor, are there scenes that would be haram for me to perform? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth jokes rather than answers, saying he could think of one or two such scenes.
A more recent answer on fiqh/entertainment exists: Is playing chess haram?
How can I make the new year a more positive one? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
His tips for the year: speak positively, smile, leave toxic circles and start something new, whether a skill or an investment. Mufti Abu Layth advises that people stop responding with negative words such as not bad and respond with positive words instead.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/motivation-and-purpose/goals-and-habits exists: Am I only praying because I fear God will punish me?
Will Hamza Tzortzis or Nouman Ali Khan come on Mind Trap? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth would love to host them on Mind Trap and will resume after his Covid recovery; Shady Nasser has agreed to come on.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
If miracles don't break nature's laws, what is the point of miracles? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Belief does not need supernatural miracles; private belief in them is fine, but preaching them as standard Islam damages Islam. Mufti Abu Layth says Muslims may privately believe in supernatural miracle stories, though he does not think they are correct; his only problem is when they are preached as standard Islam.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Is the Quran a miracle that proves Islam to everyone? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth holds the Quran is subjectively miraculous in its effect but not a universal miracle that converts all who hear it, and he cut the exchange short out of discomfort. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran is miraculous in the emotions and experiences it creates subjectively, but cannot be called a universal miracle that makes everyone who hears it Muslim.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Do you believe in miracles? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth accepts miracles in the sense of life's wonders and timely help, but says God does not break His laws of nature and the supernatural signs failed their stated purpose. Mufti Abu Layth says God does not break his laws of nature, because they are his laws.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Is the story of Lilith in the Bible? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the story comes from Jewish commentary on Genesis; the Bible only names Lilith vaguely in Isaiah as an evil spirit. Mufti Abu Layth says the exact story of Lilith is not in the Bible but in the mythology surrounding Genesis, though her name appears in the book of Isaiah.
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists: Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?
Who was Lilith in Jewish legend? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth retells the Jewish legend of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who left him over equality and became a night demon.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/adam-and-creation exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
Dawah Man on pigs, wife-sharing and handshakes, played and mocked — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth plays and mocks Dawah Man's claims about pigs and handshakes, and says shaking hands is not haram.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
How can we stop Salafi ideas from dominating how people see Islam? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Denounce every preacher of hatred, Shia or Salafi, and spread a reasoned narrative; he feels the Salafi dawah is already losing ground.
A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Was the woman who refused the Prophet in Bukhari's divorce chapter his wife? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The chapter's reports are confused and defenders strain to reconcile them; he says hadith scholars, like doctors, were institutionalised in their field. Mufti Abu Layth says that most scholars of Islam in the past who were invested in a particular field were institutionalised by it and did not critique it the way an outsider does, though a few thought out of the box.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Do I lose good deeds if I keep a dog as a pet? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No, owning a dog does not cost you reward; he reads the dog hadith as hygiene measures against diseases like rabies, citing Ibn Rushd al-Jadd. Mufti Abu Layth says owning a dog does not make you lose rewards.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
Can I take a mortgage, and can I urinate standing up? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Bank interest is not the Quran's riba in his understanding, and urinating standing up is fine, with care over splashing. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his understanding, the riba of the Quran refers to loan-sharking and not to regular bank interest.
A more recent answer on fiqh/purification exists: Why does the guest's prayer have no fixed number of units, and what counts as wudu?
How do I deal with toxic people and negativity around me? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Leave toxic groups and block negativity, since people can never be pleased; he adds that he finds most religious circles toxic. Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his perspective, most religious circles are unfortunately toxic, suffocating and claustrophobic.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/motivation-and-purpose/goals-and-habits exists: Am I only praying because I fear God will punish me?
Is it haram for a mother to kiss her child on the lips? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
There is nothing haram in a mother kissing her child; he says the haram lies in the perverted comments, and the Prophet kissed his grandsons.
A more recent answer on society/technology-and-media/social-media exists: What can ordinary people do about the Palestinian crisis, and do social-media posts help?
Can we call coronavirus the UK virus? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the virus did not originate in the UK, which only has a mutation; he believes it came from the Wuhan lab, though not on purpose. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes the coronavirus came from the Wuhan lab and was manipulated there, though not released on purpose.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
Which hadith book is the most authentic? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth takes each hadith on its merits rather than trusting one book; if anything, he would call Imam Malik's Muwatta the most authentic. Mufti Abu Layth says he would not single out a particular hadith book, taking each hadith on its merits, but if anything he supposes he would call the Muwatta of Imam Malik the most authentic.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
Banter: what he is drinking, and a shout-out — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Banter about his drink and a shout-out before the questions.
Is the great reset or a depopulation plot real? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he does not believe in a great reset or depopulation plot by governments, though some individuals may wish for such a thing. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not think anything like a great reset plot is at play with governments, and that he does not buy into such conspiracies.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Dr Abdul Majid's response to BukhariGate, and an invitation to Mind Trap — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth has invited Dr Abdul Majid onto Mind Trap to discuss BukhariGate, and says he found no actual refutation in the response he watched.
A more recent answer on hadith/bukhari exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth challenge hadith in BukhariGate, and can the Prophet be called the most beloved of creation?
If I sleep late and wake up at asr, can I pray the missed prayers together then? — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
If you wake at asr after sleeping late, pray when you wake; he says the religion is meant to be easy, as the Prophet taught. Mufti Abu Layth says that if someone who sleeps late wakes up at asr time, that is when they pray, as the hadith says: when you wake up, pray.
A more recent answer on fiqh/madhhabs-and-following exists: What did Abu Hanifa say about Imam Malik?
Opening: sound check, Covid recovery, a spoof of the lockdown announcement — 5 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth reports on his Covid recovery, plays a spoof of the UK lockdown announcement and mocks the vaccine promises.
A more recent answer on society/current-events/covid-19 exists: Is it wrong to joke about people who are seriously ill with covid?
Why are Salafi scholars now saying masturbation is not a sin after years of calling it haram? — 4 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says these scholars owe an apology to the Muslims they guilt-tripped for decades, since Ibn Hazm's and the Hanbali view were known to them all along and nothing new has come to light. He attributes the reversal to imams saying what the public expects until they feel they can say otherwise.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Reaction to the clip: Qadhi joins Zakir Naik in calling it not haram, with jokes about 'the nobility' — 4 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth notes that Yasir Qadhi, like Zakir Naik before him, now says masturbation is not haram but merely not a noble deed, and jokes about left-handers and 'the nobility'.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Is masturbation haram in Islam? — 4 January 2021, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Yasir Qadhi says the majority hold masturbation to be haram, but that others held it makruh or permissible, citing Ibn Abbas's reply to a young man and Ibn Hazm, and that he believes there is no sin in it although it is better avoided. This is Qadhi's view played for discussion, not Mufti Abu Layth's own statement.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?

Week 51, 2020 (14 December 2020 to 20 December 2020): 1 answer

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is football really more haram than alcohol and gambling? — 16 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls a fatwa that football is more haram than alcohol and gambling the most ridiculous he has seen recently. Mufti Abu Layth says a fatwa declaring football more haram than alcohol and gambling is the most ridiculous fatwa he has come across in recent times.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?

Week 50, 2020 (7 December 2020 to 13 December 2020): 43 answers

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

Closing: the guest's projects, his statement of faith, and a safe space for views — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest describes his planned article and book, affirms that he believes the Quran is divine revelation and that his views are legitimate, and Mufti Abu Layth says no one has the authority to silence learned opinions by calling them misguided.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Are the jinn real, or a symbol? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Quran rearticulated a late antique belief in jinn to subordinate them to God, that he does not literally believe in them, and that Shaytan personifies human evil; Mufti Abu Layth agrees that inner impulses are personified as good and bad forces.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Why does the guest criticise Yasir Qadhi's views on jinn and evolution? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest criticises Yasir Qadhi's dogmatic style and his literal readings of Dhul Qarnayn, evolution and jinn, offering a medical explanation for exorcism accounts; Mufti Abu Layth jokes about the zombie theory and calls Brubaker courteous.
A more recent answer on quran/quran-and-science/evolution exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
Why does the Quran give so little detail about some prophets? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the brief, repeated stories are archetypes recalled to console the Prophet, which audiences already knew; Mufti Abu Layth argues that following an archetype does not show a story was invented.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
What do the unusual words in the Dhul Qarnayn verses mean? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth argues the wording of 18:83-90 is too vague to be a retelling of the Alexander legend; the guest says the Syriac subtext explains it and that without it the passage invites endless speculative readings, and they agree to differ.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Why does the Quran tell the story of Dhul Qarnayn so briefly? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Quran retells the known legend concisely to show the Prophet's knowledge from God, while stripping its Christian imperial ending; Mufti Abu Layth objects that its unusual wording is too vague for that.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Is the Dhul Qarnayn story based on the legend of Alexander? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says scholarship shows the Dhul Qarnayn story derives from a Byzantine Christian legend of Alexander walling in Gog and Magog, known to the Quran's first audience; Mufti Abu Layth asks why the Quran then tells it so ambiguously.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Who was Dhul Qarnayn, and who are Gog and Magog? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth identifies Dhul Qarnayn most likely with Cyrus the Great and reads Gog and Magog as havoc-wreaking forces, later the colonial powers; the guest says this already relies on ad hoc literary reinterpretation.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Does the Quran actually say the miracles happened? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran often never states that a miracle occurred, as with the table for Jesus, and that the prophets were real though later assumptions colour them; the guest says the Quran rearticulates the discourses of its milieu.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Does the Quran treat every human life as sacred, even in war? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Quran holds every human soul sacred, which classical exegetes on jihad missed; Mufti Abu Layth says Muslim scholarship must shift from outdated fiqh to ethics.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Is the story of Adam in the Quran a myth? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest reads the Adam story as sacred myth whose point is human dignity, improving on the Babylonian and biblical accounts by removing original sin and blame of the woman; Mufti Abu Layth holds the figures and events were real but told to appeal to listeners.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Should archaeology worry believers about the Quran's stories? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest, as a self-described Islamic modernist following Fazlur Rahman, says believers need not fear archaeology, since the Quran re-attributes Jesus' miracles to God for theological rather than historical ends.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Who were the riders seen at Badr? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth takes the Badr angels as strength and vigour rather than a physical event and floats a theory that the riders seen were Persian knights of the House of Karen; the guest prefers a purely literary reading.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Did angels really fight at the battle of Badr? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the angels at Badr are a literary description of God strengthening the believers' hearts, since the named Muslims who killed the enemy chiefs are known, and that the same reading applies to earlier prophets' stories.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Did the Prophet Muhammad perform miracles? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest argues that the Quran implies the Prophet performed no miracles and ties signs to compulsion, so traditionalists read miracles in from hadith; both speakers appear to reject the view that every prophet needs a miracle.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Did Jesus really speak in the cradle, and did the earlier prophets exist? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says historians can be confident that Muhammad and Jesus existed but less so of earlier figures, and that the Quran's Jesus stories, such as speaking in the cradle, are dramatised; Mufti Abu Layth says no clear verse says Jesus spoke in the cradle.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Why does the Quran tell the same story in different ways? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Quran's stories are set in sacred, not historical, time and follow archetypes that speak to the Prophet's own circumstances, which is why the same story, such as Lot's or the golden calf, is told differently.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Are paradise and hell in the Quran meant literally? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest, following Ibn Rushd against al-Ghazali, says belief requires accepting the afterlife, not literal readings of its details; Mufti Abu Layth agrees the afterlife is symbolic but says the prophets' stories are of this world.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Does the Quran speak in symbols and metaphors? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth agrees with Ibn Rushd that the Quran speaks in symbols and that scripture is a kind of art, but asks whether the guest thinks the prophets and their stories are fictitious.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Can I accept evolution and still take the Quran's stories as true? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest calls for reading the Quran wholesale as sacred literature, accepting evolution as scientific fact while holding that religion's symbolic truths, not science, ground human rights and meaning.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Are the stories in the Quran meant to be literal history? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest argues, following Khalafallah and Ibn Rushd, that the Quran's stories are sacred literature and legend, using symbol and parable for theological ends rather than reporting literal history.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
How should the stories in the Quran be read? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest describes his dissertation on jihad in the Quran and his project translating Muhammad Ahmad Khalafallah's suppressed study of the Quran's narrative art, which he says is right.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
If we all recognise harm, why do people still do terrible things? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says empathy can be overridden by instincts such as power, and that a shared consciousness shapes the moral feel of an age; he notes the Quran commands justice without defining it, which the guest links to the Mu'tazila.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Do animals have morality, and does that mean morality just evolved? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth sees a sense of justice in primates as evidence of a raw moral fitrah that humans develop further; the guest warns this can suggest morality is merely evolved and says rooting it in God is the necessary step.
A more recent answer on quran/quran-and-science/evolution exists: Where do Neanderthals fit in the Islamic story of Adam?
Does God's morality change over time? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says universal morality does not change, only ritual law: the Quran corrects the biblical conquest narrative by implying the Israelites inherited Egypt rather than slaughtering another people.
A more recent answer on quran/stories-of-the-prophets/moses exists: What do you think of the rational readings of the Quran on the Marvelous Quran channel?
If morality is universal, why was slavery accepted for so long? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says moral ideals exist in God and humans approximate them; past acceptance of slavery came from not recognising others' full humanity, and ritual laws such as the pork prohibition differ from universal moral law.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
Is morality an instinct God put in us? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth holds that the fitrah is a hardwired moral instinct of recognising harm and feeling empathy, built on by environment and a collective consciousness; the guest adds that morality can be confidently grounded in God.
A more recent answer on arts/philosophy-and-ideas exists: Is life just a dream in the mind of God?
Where does morality come from if not from God? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says a theist can ground moral realism in God while an atheist who relies on evolution alone cannot, and that traditionalist debaters exploit opponents who know little philosophy.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Isn't reason subjective, and is something good only because God commands it? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says the Ash'ari voluntarist view of ethics is the real relativism and argues for universal moral values grounded in God's nature; Mufti Abu Layth calls the Ash'ari denial of inherent good and bad nonsense.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
If blind following in faith is forbidden, why must I accept a school's creed without question? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth finds it paradoxical that schools forbid blind following in faith but demand blind acceptance of their creeds; the guest says traditionalists use reason only to reach revelation and then discard it, whereas reason must stay in continuous use.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Does traditional orthodoxy lead to extremism? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says today's orthodoxy promotes reactionary conservatism that can mutate into groups like the Taliban and ISIS, and proposes reviving the philosophers, Mu'tazila and modernists; Mufti Abu Layth agrees some non-violent groups create a springboard for extremism.
A more recent answer on society/extremism-crime-and-justice exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Why don't madrasas teach the Islamic philosophers and the Mu'tazila? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says traditionalists value only a narrow sliver of Islam's diverse intellectual heritage, ignoring the philosophers, the early Qadariyya and Mu'tazila, Shia thinkers and modernists, and that he found answers on religion and science in Ibn Rushd.
A more recent answer on history/orthodoxy-and-how-islam-spread exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist
Are madrasas failing their students? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the madrasa phenomenon is dysfunctional and dumbs students down though it supplies the raw materials; both say those who leave orthodox positions are ostracised, and the guest recommends a few years of traditional study combined with academic study.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Should I go to Madinah University or a madrasa to study Islam? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest advises open-minded, critical thinkers against a traditional madrasa, which he says selects, programmes and isolates its students from current scholarship, citing his own rejection by Madinah University.
A more recent answer on society/education-and-madrasas/how-to-study-islam exists: Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer?
Is it better to study Islam at a madrasa or at a Western university? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest says he chose the critical academic study of Islam over al-Azhar, considering it superior, though he took two years of al-Azhar's online programme and recommends combining traditional and academic study.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Why did a medical doctor choose to study religion at Harvard? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The guest describes training as a physician and then turning to Arabic and Islamic studies at Berkeley and Harvard, where he is now a PhD candidate in the study of religion, despite his family's initial unease.
A more recent answer on dialogue/guest-conversations exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Did Zakir Naik say masturbation is not haram? — 11 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Zakir Naik has said masturbation is not haram but only discouraged. Mufti Abu Layth says those who preached it as haram for decades owe people an admission and an apology, and ridicules the view that only one's own hand makes it haram.
A more recent answer on fiqh/sexual-ethics exists: Did some Muslim scholars say homosexuality is not haram?
Can we substitute words of the Quran today as the companions did? — 10 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the Quran was dynamic in the Prophet's time, but after Uthman's codex and the canonised readings it has reached us fixed, so changing it today would not be correct. He feels word substitution was the original default, not a mere dispensation. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels that the companions' substituting of words was the default ruling for the Quran rather than merely a dispensation.
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists: Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?
Was the Quran always fixed word for word, or was it flexible at first? — 10 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth holds the Quran was dynamic in the Prophet's time, with companions allowed to substitute synonyms, and that a fixed vowel-for-vowel text is a modern idea. Writing it down in a worldly script brought its own constraints. Mufti Abu Layth says he finds himself in line with the view that the Arabic Quran came into being in the mind of the Prophet, revealed to him and not invented by him.
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists: Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?
Yasir Qadhi still has not explained his 'holes in the narrative' — 10 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says that the controversy over 'holes in the narrative' is one Yasir Qadhi landed himself in deeply, since he never offered a response or clarity at the time beyond suggesting people take his course. He expects critics like Jay Smith to chase him over it because they know he cannot answer it. He jokes at length about Yasir Qadhi wanting Muslims to popularise the word 'ultracrepidarian', saying it shows he has lived most of his life in a library. He says he respects him for saying he holds a different view and for raising awareness that there are some forty views, but is disappointed that in what was meant as his final word he again evaded explaining what he actually believes.
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists: Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?
Is Jay Smith a reliable critic of the Quran's preservation? — 10 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he agrees with Yasir Qadhi that Jay Smith and David Wood are not clued up and chase sensation, repeating academics' summaries without understanding them.
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists: Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?
Yasir Qadhi's reply to Jay Smith over 'holes in the standard narrative' — 10 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A played clip of Yasir Qadhi answering Christian polemicists who used his 'holes in the standard narrative' remark, calling them unqualified and likening variant readings to accents.
A more recent answer on quran/preservation-and-qiraat exists: Why is lanasfa'an in Quran 96:15 written with an alif, and is it a mistake?
Is it haram for men to wear necklaces, rings or earrings? — 9 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth disagrees with Yasir Qadhi that men's jewellery is effeminate, saying men have always worn it and Western executives are no benchmark for Islamic etiquette.
A more recent answer on relationships/masculinity-and-gender-roles exists: How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?

Week 49, 2020 (30 November 2020 to 6 December 2020): 2 answers

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Did Imam Malik and Abu Hanifa study under Imam Jafar al-Sadiq, and what did they learn from him? — 6 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Malik and Abu Hanifa kept Imam Jafar's company and attended his circles but transmitted nothing from him, which Mufti Abu Layth explains by their disagreement with teaching that largely reflected the Shia da'wah. He calls the claim that they took only 'spirituality' from him absurd. Mufti Abu Layth thinks Imam Malik and Abu Hanifa attended Imam Jafar's circles and kept his company but transmitted nothing from him to Sunni circles because the bulk of his teaching reflected the Shia da'wah, which they did not agree with, and he calls the explanation that they took only 'spirituality' from him absurd.
A more recent answer on hadith/collections-and-compilation exists: Is the Muwatta of Imam Malik more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari?
Why don't Sunni imams like Malik and Abu Hanifa transmit from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq? — 6 December 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth's theory is that the early imams of the Ahl al-Bayt were for the most part as the Shia describe them, so Malik and Abu Hanifa, though respectful of them, did not transmit from them because it would have caused a political storm. He adds that this does not make the Shia theological claims more authentic. Mufti Abu Layth offers as his own theory that the early imams of the Ahl al-Bayt up to Jafar al-Sadiq were for the most part as the Shia describe them rather than Sunni, and that Imam Malik and Abu Hanifa, though on good terms with them, did not transmit from them because their views would have caused a political storm, while adding that this does not in his view make the Shia theological claims more authentic.
A more recent answer on hadith/collections-and-compilation exists: Is the Muwatta of Imam Malik more authentic than Sahih al-Bukhari?

Week 47, 2020 (16 November 2020 to 22 November 2020): 11 answers

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Is Omar Suleiman trained as a scholar, and will anyone debate Mufti Abu Layth on jinn possession? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth challenges any shaykh to debate jinn possession on his show and says Omar Suleiman, though commendable for his civil rights work, is not trained as a scholar or qualified to give rulings.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Is the jinn exorcism and ruqya industry a fraud? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The ruqya industry is largely a fraud drenched in abuse; the Mu'tazila, who rejected possession, were never afflicted, and al-Jahiz already recorded a practitioner using a possession claim to explain away a lost virginity. Mufti Abu Layth says the exorcism and ruqya industry is largely fraudulent and drenched in abuse, and he cites al-Jahiz's observation that no Mu'tazili, who rejected possession, was ever afflicted by a jinn.
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists: Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?
Do any authentic hadith prove jinn possession? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The hadith cited for possession prove nothing: the Bukhari report that Satan runs in the veins concerns suspicion, the Bukhari report of the epileptic woman treats epilepsy as an illness to be borne patiently, and the remaining reports are weak. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith cited for possession prove nothing: the Bukhari report that Satan runs in the veins concerns suspicion, the Bukhari report of the epileptic woman treats epilepsy as an illness to be borne patiently, and the remaining reports in Ibn Majah and elsewhere are weak.
A more recent answer on hadith/false-and-fabricated exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
What did classical scholars say about whether jinn can harm or possess people? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Imam al-Shafi'i rejected the testimony of anyone claiming to see jinn, Ibn Hazm forbade adding to what Allah said about them, and al-Tahawi held that Satan can only insinuate, not harm; what is called possession is mental illness, and accepting it would void responsibility. Mufti Abu Layth cites al-Shafi'i's refusal of the testimony of anyone who claims to have seen the jinn, Ibn Hazm's ban on adding to what is soundly narrated about them and al-Tahawi's denial that Satan can cause actual harm, and says that what is called possession is mental illness and that accepting possession would leave no will and no taklif.
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/jinn-possession exists: Do obscene or blasphemous thoughts during prayer ruin my salah?
If a jinn could possess me, how could I be blamed for anything? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Satan's own words in 14:22, that he had no power over people and only invited them, rule out possession: if the devil could physically prevent prayer or cause harm, people could not be blamed and responsibility would collapse. Mufti Abu Layth holds that 14:22, in which Satan says he had no power over people and only invited them, rules out jinn possession, because if the devil could physically prevent prayer or cause illness people could not be blamed and moral responsibility would be meaningless.
A more recent answer on belief/free-will-and-destiny exists: If most people love praise and are punished, how is God the most merciful?
Does the riba verse prove that jinn can possess people? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The riba verse 2:275 uses the image of being struck by the devil as a frame of reference the Arabs knew, like the heads of devils in 37:65; it does not establish possession. Mufti Abu Layth says the riba verse 2:275 uses the image of being struck by the devil as a frame of reference the Arabs knew, just as 37:65 likens the tree of hell to the heads of devils, and that it does not establish jinn possession.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
What would jinn gain by possessing people, and what follows if they could? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
If jinn could possess people or take any form, nothing in Islam could be trusted and no one would be responsible for their crimes; Mufti Abu Layth notes that only Muslims who believe in possession seem to be afflicted. Mufti Abu Layth says that if jinn could possess people or take any form, as Ibn Taymiyya held, nothing in Islam could be trusted and no one would be responsible for their crimes, and he notes that only Muslims who believe in possession seem to be afflicted by it.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Can there be a balanced view on whether jinn possess people? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A supernatural claim cannot be balanced; possession is either real or not. If disobedience, missing prayer and riba invited possession, most of the globe would be possessed. Mufti Abu Layth says there can be no balanced version of a supernatural claim, since jinn possession is either real or not, and that if disobedience, missing prayer or riba invited possession then most of the globe would be possessed.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
The clip: Omar Suleiman on jinn possession, the riba verse and disobedience — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
In the clip Omar Suleiman says jinn possession is real and affirmed by the riba verse, that most imams have seen supernatural cases, and that disobedience, especially leaving prayer and riba, removes Allah's protection and invites possession.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Why do popular preachers promote belief in jinn possession? — 21 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth will answer Omar Suleiman's clip as a prime example of preachers promoting superstition; he says they appease the market that buys their commodity.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Would the Mufti debate a Salafi scholar on aqidah? — 17 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Yes: he challenges any learned Salafi to prove their aqidah obligatory from the Quran alone. He says he is sure none can do it clearly. Mufti Abu Layth says he guarantees that no Salafi scholar can clearly prove from the Quran alone that the Salafi aqidah, as they preach it, is valid and a must.
A more recent answer on belief/creed-and-kalam-schools exists: Why orthodoxy took hold, and who wrote the checklist

Week 46, 2020 (9 November 2020 to 15 November 2020): 10 answers

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

Is Surat al-Falaq about protection from the evil eye? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: it seeks refuge from the harm envious people act out and from the superstitious culture around magic, not from an evil eye. The Quran's silence on the evil eye is, to him, a sign of its truth. Mufti Abu Layth says that in Surat al-Falaq one seeks refuge from the harm envious people act out, not from an evil eye.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/short-surahs exists: Why does Surah al-Kafirun say 'ma' (what) instead of 'man' (who) for God?
Are the hadith about the evil eye authentic? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: he says the evil eye hadith rest on weak or criticised narrators and odd reports, and a belief so important would have come from many companions and the Quran. He calls them baseless. Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith on the evil eye are baseless and all problematic.
A more recent answer on hadith/authentication/narrator-criticism exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Does Surah Yusuf prove the evil eye is real? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Jacob told his sons to use different gates for their safety and to avoid drawing attention, not because of the evil eye. They had already been to Egypt, so the evil eye reading makes no sense. Mufti Abu Layth says Jacob told his sons to split up at the gates to look out for them, not because of the evil eye, which makes no sense since they had already been to Egypt.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?
Confirmation bias: reading the evil eye into the Quran — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says that people came to Islam already believing the evil eye was science and, through confirmation bias, found it in verses that do not mention it, such as the verse about eyes almost making the Prophet slip, even though many exegetes did not read it that way. He recommends the Urdu tafsir of Abdul Karim Athari, whom he describes as coming from a small, unusually reason-based circle within the Ahl-e-Hadith of India, and says Athari also reads the verse as the disbelievers staring as though to trip the Prophet, before calling him insane. Mufti Abu Layth says people approached the Quran with a confirmation bias, already believing in the evil eye, and so found it in verses that do not mention it.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?
Is the evil eye based on science? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
It rested on the old belief that eyes shoot out rays, which people once took as science; Ibn al-Qayyim described envious 'arrows' from the eye. Ibn al-Haytham and later science showed that eyes only take in light. Mufti Abu Layth says that in antiquity the evil eye was regarded as science, built on the belief that the eyes emit rays, a theory since debunked.
A more recent answer on arts/science-and-the-universe exists: Can a pregnancy last for years, as was said of Imam Malik's birth?
Why did so many cultures believe in the evil eye? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Because people long believed the eye actively shot out rays, and the belief helped explain sudden illness and misfortune. He says the evil eye itself is nonsense. Mufti Abu Layth says the evil eye is nonsense and does not have a reality.
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists: Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?
If the evil eye is real, why doesn't the Quran mention it? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The evil eye was believed to be an unseen force causing illness, death and impotence, yet the Quran never mentions it, unlike older scriptures. He finds that silence telling for something said to affect everyone.
A more recent answer on belief/unseen-beings/magic-evil-eye-and-superstition exists: If you deny the evil eye, why do you cite scholars who believed in it?
Does the Quran mention the evil eye? — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the Quran mentions envy (hasad) but never the evil eye, and the verse about eyes making the Prophet slip is a metaphor for hateful stares, as Ibn Ashur and others explain. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran has never once mentioned the evil eye, only envy, which is a different word.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?
A clip of Shaykh Hassan Ali on the evil eye from loved ones — 15 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
A played clip in which Shaykh Hassan Ali says the evil eye can come even from loving relatives, with a story about his own son.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?
Mufti Abu Layth challenges Shadee Elmasry to debate Maliki fiqh — 12 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says his critics do not know Maliki fiqh and challenges them to debate him on any Maliki topic.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?

Week 45, 2020 (2 November 2020 to 8 November 2020): 1 answer

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

What does Mufti Abu Layth think of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf? — 5 November 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth loves Hamza Yusuf as an icon for Western Muslims and a key inspiration for his own studies, while disagreeing with his neo-traditionalist views. He adds second-hand reports that his personal manner can seem unwelcoming, and says their personalities would probably not match.
A more recent answer on dialogue/views-on-contemporary-scholars exists: Should scholars publicly condemn a scholar said to have joined in a libation ritual?

Week 44, 2020 (26 October 2020 to 1 November 2020): 47 answers

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Light-hearted replies to viewers about what to boycott — 29 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Jokes about what to boycott; Mufti Abu Layth doubts Mohammed Hijab would come on to debate.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Do I have to boycott French products? — 29 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: boycotting is a personal choice and understandable, and state-level boycotts make sense, but Muslims who do not boycott should not be guilt-tripped. Mufti Abu Layth says that if a Muslim does not boycott France, they should not be guilt-tripped, since it is a personal choice.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Was it right for the French government to display the cartoons? — 29 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: individuals and satirists may draw them, but a government represents all its citizens, including Muslims, and Macron's move was poorly managed and provocative. Mufti Abu Layth says governments should not get involved in displaying such cartoons, since they are there to represent all the people.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Does Islam justify killing someone for showing cartoons of the Prophet? — 29 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: the killing was barbaric and unacceptable in Islam, and the teacher was within his rights, though being killed does not automatically make him a state hero. Mufti Abu Layth says the killing of the teacher was utterly unacceptable from an Islamic perspective.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
How should Muslims respond to cartoons of the Prophet? — 29 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Ignore them: people have the right to criticise religion, and the cartoons are drawn to provoke a reaction. Mufti Abu Layth says that if people want to draw cartoons of the Prophet, Muslims should just ignore it.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
If God never commanded the sacrifice, why do the early sources all say he did? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth agrees that no primary sources support his reading and explains it by early Muslims absorbing Israelite material, by the brutal environment of the age being projected onto God, and by the absence of anything from the Prophet saying God commanded it. He repeats that a God who stages a mock execution of a child is unacceptable, and that Allah never says the command was his. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the absence of early sources for his reading is explained by early Muslims absorbing Israelite narratives and projecting a brutal environment onto God, that nothing established from the Prophet says God commanded the sacrifice, and that Allah's silence on the command's origin ends the debate.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Are Muslims who believe God commanded the sacrifice guilty of blasphemy? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: Mufti Abu Layth does not accuse individual Muslims of blasphemy, because they repeat a story they were raised with and have not examined it. He distinguishes this from agenda-driven claims about the Prophet, and ridicules the defence that God only asked Ibrahim to assist his son's suicide. Mufti Abu Layth says that he does not accuse individual Muslims who hold the belief of blasphemy, since they repeat an inherited story without having thought about it.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir exists: Should Sunnis preach to Shia Muslims about what they get wrong?
Did the classical scholars ever question whether God would command Ibrahim to kill his son? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says earlier scholars debated the side issues, such as rulings coming through dreams or abrogation before an act, but none asked whether God would want a father to kill his son. He satirises the discussions as all grammar and no elephant in the room. Mufti Abu Layth says the scholars of the past discussed every subsidiary question of the sacrifice story without ever asking whether God would want a father to kill his son.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Why does the biblical tradition say God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Israelites adopted the name Yahweh, a Near Eastern war god from the household of El, and that god's brutal character carried over into their picture of God, making such a command plausible to them. For Muslims, he says, that is not the true image of Allah. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Israelite picture of God inherited the brutal character of the war god Yahweh, which made a command to sacrifice a son plausible to them, and that this is not the true image of Allah.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Is it wrong to believe that God asked Ibrahim to kill his son? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the belief is absurd and, on inspection, blasphemous, because it has God asking a father to murder his child for his pleasure and then stopping him, like a mock execution. The Quran never says God told Ibrahim to sacrifice, though it could have. Mufti Abu Layth says the belief that God commanded Ibrahim to kill his son is absurd, sadistic and, upon true inspection, blasphemous, since the Quran never says God gave the command though it could have.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Why did most commentators say God commanded the sacrifice? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Ibn Abbas is reported to have read Ibrahim's words as 'I think I have been commanded', and some commentators say the relief itself was the test. Mufti Abu Layth attributes the common view to early Muslims absorbing Jewish narratives. Mufti Abu Layth says the traditional view that God commanded the sacrifice entered Islamic thought through Jewish and Judaeo-Christian narratives taken by early Muslims, and he cites the reading attributed to Ibn Abbas that Ibrahim saw something that suggested to him he had been commanded.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Does the Quran say the sacrifice of Ibrahim's son was a test from God? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
The verses say Ibrahim was truthful to his vision and that this was a clear trial, but never that God sent the dream or the trial. In Mufti Abu Layth's reading the ransom of a ram rescued the son and ended human sacrifice. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the words 'this was indeed the clear trial' in 37:106 do not say the trial came from God, that Allah never says he showed Ibrahim the dream, and that the ransom of the ram rescued the son and declared human sacrifice forbidden thereafter.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir exists: Why are two of the daily prayers recited silently when 17:110 says not to be silent?
Where did the idea of sacrificing a son come from in Ibrahim's time? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Human sacrifice to gods such as Moloch and Baal was a widespread practice of the ancient Near East, and the Bible's story of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter shows it. Mufti Abu Layth says this surrounding culture explains how such a dream could come to Ibrahim. Mufti Abu Layth holds that Ibrahim's dream of sacrificing his son is explained by the surrounding Near Eastern culture of human sacrifice working on the subconscious, not by a command from God.
A more recent answer on history/ancient-near-east-and-scripture exists: Is there archaeological evidence for David's kingdom, and how did Jerusalem become holy for Muslims?
Did God really command Ibrahim to sacrifice his son? — 28 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
No: in Mufti Abu Layth's reading the command did not come from God, and the Quran in Surah al-Saffat only reports that Ibrahim saw a dream and that his son urged him to act on it. The notion of sacrificing a son is traced to the culture of the ancient Near East. Mufti Abu Layth holds that the command to sacrifice his son did not come from God, and that the Quran in Surah al-Saffat reports only that Ibrahim saw a dream which his son urged him to carry out.
A more recent answer on quran/hermeneutics exists: Does 3:188 mean everyone who likes praise will be punished?
Mufti Abu Layth closes the stream and announces Mind Trap — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Sign-off: Mufti Abu Layth announces a Mind Trap guest for the next day and thanks supporters.
Mufti Abu Layth mocks a critic's clip on intimacy and slit bedsheets — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth ridicules a critic's story that intimacy was once seen as so foul that couples used slit bedsheets.
A more recent answer on relationships/marriage/intimacy exists: Are many people's frustrations really about unmet sexual needs?
Did Imam Malik say that Jesus died? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says there is no Quranic verse on a second coming and that the Imam Malik report of Jesus's death is in a reliable Maliki source.
A more recent answer on fiqh/maliki-school exists: Why does the practice of Madinah matter more than a single hadith?
Is the second coming of Jesus the right answer to the Qadianis? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says that the real answer to the Qadiani claim is that no messiah is coming, not a defence of the second coming. Mufti Abu Layth says that people like him do not believe in awaiting a messiah.
A more recent answer on belief/eschatology/second-coming-of-jesus exists: Where are the answers to the questions on the Jesus debate?
Do people with schizophrenia have real religious insight? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says an overlap between such disorders and religiosity is plausible, but it would be a correlation, not proof of cause. Mufti Abu Layth says there could be an overlap between certain disorders and high religiosity, both linked with high temporal-lobe activity, but that it would be a correlation, not a causative demonstration.
A more recent answer on belief/prophethood-and-miracles exists: Can the Quran be used to call the Prophet the best of creation?
Why do you believe in God and that the Quran is from God? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says consciousness points to the transcendent divine, and that among world religions only Islam passes the test of reason for him. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels consciousness cannot come from nothing and is, to him, reflective of the transcendent divine.
A more recent answer on belief/reason-and-revelation exists: Why did Mufti Abu Layth bring up 3:188 against the Quran-only position?
Can I recite the Quran in the shower? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says deliberately reciting the Quran in the shower is bad etiquette, though a verse slipping out by habit is fine. Mufti Abu Layth says intentionally reciting the Quran in the shower is very bad etiquette, because the Quran has a sanctity.
A more recent answer on quran/memorisation-and-recitation exists: Damascus, 1998: the two people who inspired Mufti Abu Layth to memorise the Quran
Mufti Abu Layth's chat round: Birmingham over London and channel housekeeping — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth picks Birmingham over London and handles housekeeping in the chat.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
How do I stop hating people who hurt me? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth advises keeping hatred to a minimum, of men or anyone, because hate is baggage that harms the person who carries it. Mufti Abu Layth says life will always be better with the least amount of hate one carries around.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/character-and-virtue exists: Spread love, and take account of the damage our words have done
What do you think about men who 'simp' for women? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says self-respect matters and feels distinct manliness is becoming rarer among young men, though he says each to their own. Mufti Abu Layth says he feels there is something distinctively manly that is becoming a rarer quality in the current younger generation.
A more recent answer on relationships/masculinity-and-gender-roles exists: How did the Prophet balance gentleness and strength?
Is non-halal chicken and beef actually haram? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says eating non-dhabiha meat is not haram, since its original purpose has gone, but he advocates halal meat for the sake of identity. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel it would be haram if a person ate non-dhabiha meat, but that because of identity Muslims should stick to halal meat.
A more recent answer on fiqh/food exists: Does Allah love everybody?
Can a non-Muslim descendant of the Prophet claim sharif status? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says sharif status is a political institution rather than something Islam brought, and descendants of the Prophet can be non-Muslims. Mufti Abu Layth says sharif status is more a political thing and not really something Islam inherently brings with it.
A more recent answer on society/race-and-identity exists: What accent does Mufti Abu Layth have?
Who were the Bedouin Arabs criticised in Surah al-Tawbah? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the a'rab of Surah al-Tawbah were semi-nomadic raiding tribes not under settled rule, some of whom joined only as a power play. Mufti Abu Layth says the verses speak of the tribes of the Hijaz and beyond that were not under established rule.
A more recent answer on quran/tafsir/contested-verses exists: Is Quran 22:52 about the satanic verses incident?
Would you debate a Salafi scholar? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth challenges any Salafi scholar to debate him and prove a practice they call obligatory from the Quran or sunnah alone.
A more recent answer on belief/sectarianism-and-takfir/salafism-and-wahhabism exists: What does the Mufti think of Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab?
Was it right to slap someone for insulting Islam? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth condemns the assault outright, but says provocative critics should be wary and take precautions, since some will not be as civil. Mufti Abu Layth says he condemns any kind of assault.
A more recent answer on society/dawah-and-debate-culture exists: How should Muslims engage people with very different views of the religion?
Would you debate Mohammed Hijab or talk with Richard Dawkins? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth doubts Mohammed Hijab would come on Mind Trap, and says he would love to talk with Richard Dawkins, whom he admires.
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists: Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?
Should Muslims boycott France over the cartoons? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth condemns the killing outright but says Macron was wrong to project the cartoons; boycotts are understandable but no one should be guilt-tripped. Mufti Abu Layth says that individuals may publish such cartoons as their right, but governments should not get involved in these things.
A more recent answer on society/blasphemy-and-free-speech exists: How scholars' rhetoric fed Pakistan's blasphemy killings, in Mufti Abu Layth's view
Why is Khabib such a hero to Muslims? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth calls Khabib a phenomenon and admires him for openly wearing his Islam, while saying he took McGregor's hype too personally.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Are jinn just archetypes in our unconscious mind? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth thinks the jinn are beings in a dimension of consciousness we cannot normally reach, not mental archetypes. Mufti Abu Layth says he thinks the jinn are things that exist in a dimension of consciousness that we generally do not have access to.
A more recent answer on belief/spiritual-experience-and-psychedelics exists: Is a DMT ego death the same as the Sufi idea of fana?
Are there other narrations of Aisha's age besides Bukhari's? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says every chain on Aisha's age was engineered, with Hisham as the common link and Iraqi narrators throughout. Mufti Abu Layth says every single chain of narration about the age of Aisha was fabricated, which he rephrases as engineered.
A more recent answer on history/sirah/age-of-aisha exists: Why does Mufti Abu Layth see the Quran-only movement as a reaction of anger?
Why do imams in the West wear 'Islamic' robes? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
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.
A more recent answer on society/islam-and-modernity exists: Should all religions be free to compete without state backing?
Did the Prophet forbid Ali from taking a second wife? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Prophet objected not to Ali taking a second wife but to his marrying the daughter of Abu Jahl. Mufti Abu Layth says that, to be honest, he does not think the Prophet would have stopped Ali from taking a second wife.
A more recent answer on fiqh/polygamy-and-mutah exists: Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?
Does God really care whether I have a beard? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the Sharia exists to preserve life and order, and that picturing God as obsessed with beards shrinks God into a child throwing tantrums. Mufti Abu Layth says the basis of the Sharia was the preservation of life.
A more recent answer on belief/god-and-attributes exists: How much does Allah love me?
Mufti Abu Layth's chat round: Sunni and Maliki, beards and quick answers — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Quick answers: Mufti Abu Layth says he is Sunni and Maliki, and that the din is not in the beard.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Is Sharia-compliant investing really different from normal investing? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says ethical investing is fine, but interest loopholes are absurd: bank interest is not Quranic riba and mortgages are permissible. Mufti Abu Layth says he does not believe the modern interest system is the riba of the Quran, and that mortgages are permissible.
A more recent answer on fiqh/legal-theory exists: If reason helps us understand the Quran, does the reasoning of earlier scholars matter too?
What does 'justice' mean in the Quran's verse on marrying more than one wife? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says the verse requires equal treatment of wives as the benchmark, accepting human shortfalls, and does not rule polygamy out. Mufti Abu Layth says the verse on never being truly just does not mean that polygamy cannot really be done.
A more recent answer on fiqh/polygamy-and-mutah exists: Is there an LGBTQ push in media and schools?
Mufti Abu Layth's chat round: answering critics, soft drinks and Syrian rue — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says he only answers persistent public critics, that non-alcoholic drinks are halal, and that he has not read the reports on Syrian rue.
A more recent answer on dialogue/the-mufti-and-the-channel exists: Response to accusations over Palestine remarks and claims he is not Muslim
Who do you think will win the US election? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth has a scary feeling that Trump will win again but says it would not be the end of the world; he cannot understand Americans' resistance to free health care. Mufti Abu Layth says he has a scary feeling that Donald Trump is going to win again.
A more recent answer on society/current-events exists: What was Salman Rushdie's family background?
Mufti Abu Layth's sixth-form story: walking out and landing a college place by mistake — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth tells how walking out of sixth form with a friend led, by a case of mistaken identity, to a place on a business course the same day.
A more recent answer on wellbeing/personal-stories exists: Is there a middle way between rejecting all hadith and accepting every hadith?
Why don't scholars like Yasir Qadhi come on Mind Trap with you? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says critics such as Yasir Qadhi will not join him on Mind Trap, and he feels the real reason is that they are intimidated by him.
A more recent answer on dialogue/debate-challenges-and-reviews exists: Did Dr Abdul Majid refute Mufti Abu Layth's BukhariGate arguments?
How do I heal my inner child, and how should I raise my children? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says we are an extension of our inner child and that reconnecting with it can be unnerving but healing; with children, go with your heart and build a qualitative bond. Mufti Abu Layth says he thinks we ultimately are an extension of our inner child.
A more recent answer on relationships/parents-and-children/raising-children exists: How did Imam Malik come to study religion?
Which civil war did early Muslims mean by 'the fitnah'? — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Mufti Abu Layth says it is often unclear which civil war early scholars meant by 'the fitnah', as several upheavals were each called the great one. Mufti Abu Layth says the numbering of the early fitnahs is sometimes quite arbitrary, and not everybody agrees on which they call the greatest.
A more recent answer on history/umayyads-and-abbasids exists: Why was Imam Malik flogged?
Mufti Abu Layth opens the stream and lists tonight's topics — 27 October 2020, auto-transcribed, may contain errors
Housekeeping: Mufti Abu Layth opens the stream and lists the night's topics, from Khabib and the French cartoon crisis to a reply to a critic.