# Did the companions actually see the angel Jibril?

*Did the companions see Jibril? The narrator's interpretation, not the Prophet's words*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/12/
- Date: 2021-02-16 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #202| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (39:54–42:20)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=2394s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/

**Topics:** Individual hadith explained; Jinn, angels and the devil

**Question as asked:** Last week you said the companions didn't see Jibril, but the hadith says it was, and then the Prophet confirmed it.

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** 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.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** 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.

**Evidence, his words at 40:34:** “so this hadith is really the interpretation that he says that that was jibril and the he here was the companion now they assumed that it's not that the prophet taught them” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=2434s)

## Longer summary

Saying he had already answered the liberal Islam question, Mufti Abu Layth takes a chat objection: last week he said the companions did not see Jibril, but the hadith says it was Jibril and the Prophet confirmed it. He answers yes and no: it depends how one reads the report, since its 'he said' may be the companion's interpretation that it was Jibril rather than something the Prophet taught. He explains that Arabic narration often repeats 'he said' without restating the pronoun, so it can be unclear to whom it goes back, and a narrator may assume the Prophet said a part that was in fact the companion's explanation of the event.

## Sources and names cited

- Jibril
- report: jibril asks the prophet about iman and the signs of the hour [?]

## Transcript (machine tier, 39:54–42:20)

[39:16] ah ah your hobbies this is the thing you see the weird world where they walk around in a frock and sandals all day [Laughter] wearing at the bottom on their heads with eyeliner on and then they say having a necklace like this makes you a woman [Laughter] ah god the joys of being a wahabi it's just uh it's fun fun and games

[39:54] people fun and games not so turn 80 says you ain't gonna answer the question i thought i just answered this question liberal islam wasn't it i just said that this this is really it's a misapplied term doesn't really mean anything right so orenthal james musti last week you said the companions didn't see jibrael but the hadith says it was and then the prophet confirmed it now you see yes and no

[40:34] so i did explain that it depends how you're reading that because when it says he said that you know this is his interpretation or are you reading it as this is what the prophet said so this hadith is really the interpretation that he says that that was jibril and the he here was the companion now they assumed that it's not that the prophet taught them

[41:13] that so that's what i'm saying that these wordings because in arabic you see you don't use the pronoun again you just have a lot of he said he said like you know and this tala who is it going back to so on certain occasions that's one point that causes a lot of it doesn't you see it can cause confusion or there just becomes a widespread interpretation that oh this is actually referring to the prophet here or is referring to this person or you've got

[41:51] the person narrating it assuming this person is saying the prophet said it you understand so if i'm giving a story and i'm telling you so in this case i believe it's um saying that oh this person came and this this this and and he said this we ask the prophet and then he says

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment --PntsaR8ck/s/12. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/12/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.