Insights to a personal journey: An interview with Mufti Abu Layth

AB known as Mu AB Al Maliki I think when it comes to matters of the dean that this is really something that Allah subhana ta'ala inspired people to take this path I mean it wasn't when it when it happened it wasn't something like a plan that I'd had from ages before it was just that I just really got so interested in the dean and I wanted to just learn more it began with small

things um just wanting to have some understanding of the Arabic language and then it just got deeper and deeper I want to have a a deeper understanding and maybe understand some of the Quran to understanding the entire Quran to aith and it just it's actually quite addictive so that that's how it is

really initially myself I'm you see I wasn't necessarily born and I mean I wasn't raised in a very religious family or anything like this my background uh just normal I suppose had the cultural understanding of Islam I would have had no I wasn't actually into education either as somebody when I went to school and stuff like that I wasn't at all into studying I wasn't interested in in that at all so I wouldn't have had any if you told me back then let's say when I was at school or even when I was at college or just

going to college at that if you told me oh that you know would you like to become a Muti I mean I I don't think I would have actually known back then what a Muti was or even perhaps may have heard of the word Muti but if you told me would you be interested in studying Islam to this extent and would you or you would end up doing this I would have actually I mean it would just if anything just been humorous I would never have believed that oh yeah I would go off and end up becoming a Muti and studying like this because I had I was not my life wasn't really aimed in that direction so I didn't know and even when I began my studies I didn't have this

understanding that it would lead to this um you know training to be a Muti it was like I said it was very incremental and I think it is seriously it's something which um Allah subhana ta'ala inspires individuals and you sometimes get a almost like a a belief that you can do something that you can can learn and I think that experience that you know sometimes people call it like or something in Arabic that the chest almost expands to it it warms to this feeling that actually I can do this so it was like the first time somebody said

to me one of my teachers said to me I was just learning Arabic at a very basic level and I was just coming to terms with the fundamental structures of the Arabic language and I was actually doing this on my own I actually when I studied initially I just ended up because I couldn't find teachers and things like this so I did have teachers and they were had commitments I just ended up buying a book and just going through that book on my own every day I would just go through it for you know whether it's 20 30 minutes and I would just cover that and that's how I would learn and I remember when somebody first told me one of my teachers told me that why why don't you travel abroad why don't you go to

Syria and you're talking to me who at the time I would have probably just been 17 from a very almost like a sheltered perspective hadn't really probably you know leisurely traveled almost outside of the city almost like a you know just like a from a very I I did feel that my perspectives were very sheltered at the time for me that was impossible I I felt that to to go to another country just set up just get up go to another country and study

and that that was inconceivable the amazing thing was that I actually remember at the time and I actually remember it vividly that I set off from the teachers home and and I went to I was going to the local Masid and at the time I remember just a feeling thinking that you know what maybe it's actually possible and that feeling I would seriously say that whenever I've had that feeling in life and and I encourage people to kind of to kind of follow on with these intuitions

so that type of intuitive feeling whenever I've had that I've pursued it and it's always kind of planned out so it was this type of feeling that maybe I can go to Syria may you know what maybe this isn't impossible and I started speaking to one person you started speaking to another I started and before you you before I knew it I was going to Syria so and it just you know one thing led to another and even there I wasn't thinking oh this is going to end up it was just I was there for a little while then I got interested in doing h of the Quran I thought that you know I really want to memorize the Quran and it was unfortunate that at the time

in Syria there was no M or facilities that allowed full-time memorization of the Quran and I just began on my own I would just and I did a few Jews like that every day I would just do a certain amount but I started started to then realize that as a proper commitment to memorizing the Quran it just won't be feasible so that's when I thought okay maybe go to a different part of the world and I went to Pakistan and and likewise from one thing from hi I thought you know what maybe I can get some books and learn some books and learn some and some and get onto the course and I thought you know what maybe I can become an and from theim thing I thought you know what maybe I could just

do this muy thing and I have to say wall that it has been the most incredible achievement that personally I've ever you know and with from Allah ever managed to to kind of obtain and Achieve you see why the Maliki maab is a very interesting question I think I mean I wasn't from that background from a more more of a hanfi background and hanfi F was what I was initially learning I have to say that I

seriously feel that mhbs have a personality and we as people we sometimes may find our personalities kind of align themselves almost gel with the personality of a particular maab and I genuinely initially it began with just that spark like an interest in the in the M I heard about it from different places I'd heard of Concepts like the practice of the people of Medina I'd heard that the maab you know that this amazing personality IM Malik one two of my teachers were Maliki so

that initial spark the more I started to kind of learn about it I I began to realize that the the the type of nature of the M was one that I really felt I don't know I just felt at the time so drawn to it that it um just seemed like things which I would be very comfortable with I know that sounds maybe a bit strange what's even stranger is that as I began to learn the methab more and develop F further in into the me it it really the personality of it

was evidently so congruent with my own personality it's I mean that is something I could not have known initially but it really was and this and I'd like to just draw just maybe just give an example um the Maliki m is really big on keeping things natural and you'll see this as a as almost like an U an underpinning theme that goes right throughout the so you'll see things like whether it's a in Salah or it's a m in or something else or whether it's in the chapters of nah or other things you will

see that the always seems to emphasize that look just keep it natural you know like Salah is a good thing that everybody can relate to so here's a question how do I stand in Salah where should my feet look just stand naturally the the Maliki has the position also of holding the hands for example or you can let them hang but how should I hold my hand just however it comes together naturally okay how should I how many T should I say say look whatever comes naturally to you this is the type of theme that you see repeating itself right throughout the maab and I found that really

resonating with me as opposed to having finite things you know like no no you must do things in a specific way no your fingers must be like this and no you must say this only three times or no you can so I found this very natural type of connection within theab once again these type of little these type of small things like when you're in Salah you can you can make any Dua you like you can talk about anything you can even say in any language these things to me brought about a greater reality of what I would have perceived the F to be anyway so this is

what I'm saying it really kind of touched home with me my favorite Islamic science that's a good question I do feel that I'm I have actually been drawn to many Islamic sciences and I've um quite fond of many of them but if I had to choose I would say F reason being that I think as a person maybe my personality it's really uh somebody that's always been fascinated

with uh um certain debates certain angles that people have when they're trying to I don't know win over an argument the whether it's philosophical whether it's logical these type of things have always just and I don't even mean from an academic perspective I just mean even growing up I've been fascinated by things like that so I found myself more drawn to F the whole the battling of the M you know the the the evidence that this has over that maab and so on and the arguments so I found that very compelling and so I've

definitely immersed myself into the realm of f besides that I mean I've had a an interest in things like Hadith I've had an interest in also in the Arabic language quite um for a while quite expansively really I I looked into Arabic grammar and we're talking about things like once again drawn to that the almost argumentative that type of debating angle where I looked at things like uh the the schools of grammar the kufic school of grammar the basri school of grammar how they originated who were the key people the positions they held why for example uh

we will see things like why for example disagrees with KH on certain points or and how that all plays out there was a particular point during my studies where I'd really I I got immersed into all of that and it it was amazing I would say but the only problem with things like grammar and n and um is perhaps finding that that type of medium to keep it alive whereas with F I think more people can relate to it therefore you can keep it alive and you'll probably struggle to do so with other

very specific Sciences like Grandma what's the hype about Islamic Spain alandus is an amazing part of our history um one I'm particularly attached to a reason being that naturally it's very close to where we are as in in Britain today it's you know we're only you know about a thousand what is

it um miles really off from what what would have been almost the hot and the central bed of Islamic Spain now besides the proximity angle that is close to us there was the thing that it was the land of Islam really the Bastion of Islam within Europe within you know on European soil and one which span centuries CES you know we're talking almost eight centuries of Muslim not just presence but prominence almost uh during many parts of that on European uh

soil within Europe as natives not as immigrants and a civilization that flourished and almost one could say led the way for the rest of Europe to follow so there's that angle there's there's um the side of it being being Maliki in following the school of Madina I do believe that having the Maliki maab as almost its you know as one of its kind of driving forces in shaping the society was instrumental in its survival I I do feel I mean that's a perhaps people will

argue with me on that but I feel that the Malik due to principles like due to its elasticity um of understanding due to its push on Mas we find that the Andi they had perhaps I mean in you know maybe they you know they were equipped and I believe sufficiently and adequately equipped to tackle the situations that they faced but not only tackle them but to come out on top and to help shape a civilization that can

now shed light for Upon Our times and guide us in this day and age and a time of confusion so there is that angle that yes obviously I have that Maliki connection and the proximity but I also feel that the history is just incredible it's something I can't really sum into just words just you know in a few sentences I would say that please for anybody out there that has a slight interest in history you must study uh the history of

alandus it is it really encapsulates almost the entire history from a personality perspective of of Islam almost you will see amazing uh phenomenon amazing phenomena you will see things like the Advent of Islam how it incredibly kind of takes ground like with such Pace you will see it kind of rising you will see the political uh angle you will see things like amazing

heroism like you know heroic type of um just roles taken by the people of alelo you will at the same time see things like betrayal you will see incidents of um whether it's hate and bitter politics but at the same time equally met with amazing courage you will see it was a land which declared its own caliphate I mean where where do you find that where it becomes the most powerful kingdom known on Earth at the time with the rise of abdurahman III who declares himself

the Khalifa of the Muslim World taking alelos to a new paradigm altogether so you see all of this yet at the same time then you see it going through you know Decay and then rise and if anything it's like a roller coaster ride of Islamic civilization through history with an unfortunate demise almost but it it does leave us still with Incredible lessons teaching us that what Rises also

falls but in the aftermath we still find um still beautiful courage displayed by the Muslims that were there and an everlasting message that they left for Muslims that would come after them in Europe so I I I mean that's some of what the hype is about I believe that it has un and changed it in unprecedented ways really and I believe the social media is is

instrumental to teaching and to to dawa in general I know it's helped me um ever so much and I know it's helped many people really just reach out to other people that would have been almost impossible to to connect with uh if it were not for social media difference in Islam is is definitely a mercy and anybody I cannot understand anybody that would wish to contradict that message it is absolutely

a mer a mercy and it is a message of Tolerance and acceptance I I do get attacked a lot for my appearance it doesn't really bother me to that extent now um [Music] um one of the reasons I persist if you like is because I feel that first of all I'm not I haven't done anything wrong from an Islamic perspective I have always demonstrated um what I believe sufficiently with

evidences um academically from a veryy perspective that what I'm doing is not really wrong I believe that the that it's fine within Islam the alternative angle is that well okay even if it is fine but you're a Muti and you should know better this is the angle that people come with at times that they accept that okay this isn't necessarily I mean there's some that won't accept but there's many that will accept but they will just struggle with me as a Muti being having an appearance like this and I feel that we have enough we

have many mutis or imams or that don't for example have this appearance that have a very let's say an Eastern Outlook in terms of their appearance they will wear the th they will wear the IM and we have that as a role model for people but I believe that there's many Muslims out there many hundreds of thousands of Muslims who are not interested in the dean but have a certain interest and I know people that would want to associate with the dean but they feel they cannot become that person they feel that look I I'm interested in this this whole thing I want to be a part of

it I want to connect but I cannot become that if that what the if that's what the end product must categorically look like so I believe that if we can provide these people an alternative role model that look you don't have to be like that Islam is for all places and all times it's for all cultures so if if there's even some people that I can reach out with that message and and believe me and this is something which many people don't see they see sometimes on social media a lot of the hate um kind of targeted at me and pointed at me what they don't see sometimes is a lot of the support and a

lot of those people who have chosen to study the dean that do contact me privately that do talk to me that do kind of share their type of insights with me they don't get to see that positive side and and alhamdulillah if if it can provide some then you know it's worth the little slack that I get in in in place of

it the message to those who attack me H I'd like to say just hate is going to hate no I mean I think on a on a realistic note I I would say look we have a difference um you don't like the way I dress you don't like the way I that's fine I'm not telling you to embrace it I don't have a problem with the way you dress I don't have a problem with the way you decide to do your hair or to shape your beard if we can just accept that what I'm doing is based on reason it is based on aspects of the Deen I do believe it

to be permissible to be valid and we may have a difference of opinion here you may disagree with me but but I would just appreciate if you respect the difference that's all look and I'd like to remind us that we agree on so much more so to disagree on just you know you look at my appearance and you think I would also like to bring you know these people's attention to many of the worldwide and especially within let's say since we have things like photographs and stuff like that if we just take a look at this last century and we take a look at a lot of the the

esteemed from um especially that are non let's say Hani so if you're going to look at the from the Maliki and from let's say Northwest North Africa in general you will see many that would have had things like kept a go beard or many of them some of them let's say the of the grand Muhammad Hussein I mean if you look at him he was clean shaven Maliki in I mean if you look at a lot of the the the leading of of the Zuna Tunis you will see many of them were either clean shaven or next to clean shaven or small stubble like beard

or some of them are very trimmed beard many of the they they wear suits so just because people haven't actually been um exposed to this does not mean and now maybe they're seeing me they're thinking everybody is like I don't know like let's say dressed the way people do in Saudi Arabia or in the Gulf or in Pakistan and they're going to assume that well just because everybody either dresses like that or there's you it's not quite like that I mean there's many people who have you know exercised that the dean has not actually um you know it does not mandate a particular type of

uniform what does the future hold and what does the F future hold for for me me to be specific Allah I mean to be honest I've never even the things that Allah subhana wa taala allowed me to uh let's say achieve or accomplish I had never planned them and I believe that I always I I believe that there will be great things great things and by no doing of mine I I Believe by the mercy of Allah Allah will uh allow great things to unfold and I would like if if I could play a role in that I would like my role to be one

which spreads a message of inclusivity of compassion and love with respect in a day and age where there is such bitter type of uh almost hate and sectarianism and and intolerance I also would like to spread a greater understanding of the school of Medina because I feel that this school of Medina in my personal understanding and I respect all but I believe the school of Medina the Malik maab is one which not only has a a pristine

understanding and an unbroken chain um right back to Medina and the messenger of Allah sallallah alaihi wasallam but I also feel that it's it's take and understanding on maid on understanding the objectives and not only understanding them but using them deploying them as a tool whilst at the same time being so entrenched in the Sunnah I feel that this is a perspective or an outlook on the dean which is so needed in the west so I would like to if

I can be play a role in expanding the understanding or the awareness of the school of Medina um so for those who struggle perhaps because sometimes people feel that I can't Embrace some rulings within Islam and thereby they abandon Islam almost what they're unaware is that that is actually just a f perspective it's not actually Islam that they've abandoned and to kind of at least give these people an opportunity to embrace the dean wholeheartedly so if I could play any role in that that would be an amazing amazing uh achievement and a

blessing from Allah Last Words comments I think that's okay funny face okay so