# If Turkey can reconvert the Hagia Sophia, can Israel or India reconvert mosques too?

*Might is right: Thrasymachus, al-Aqsa, the Babri Masjid and the rise of right-wing fascism*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/a6h5lye4mn8/s/24/
- Date: 2020-07-14 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth 173 (1:33:19–1:37:09)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6H5lYE4MN8&t=5599s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/a6h5lye4mn8/

**Topics:** Middle East and the wider world; Palestine and Gaza; India and Hindutva

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** By the 'might is right' logic behind the reconversion, Israel could reclaim al-Aqsa and India's Hindus the Babri Masjid, so Muslims who celebrate cannot then complain.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that if Muslims justify the reconversion by the principle that might is right, they cannot complain when, by the same logic, Israel converts al-Aqsa back into the Temple of Solomon or India's Hindu majority converts mosques into temples.

**Evidence, his words at 1:33:19:** “if you want to abide by this fair enough but don't come crying tomorrow when Masjid al-aqsa because it's under Israeli control is then converted back to the Temple of Solomon” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6H5lYE4MN8&t=5599s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth calls the majority argument the law of Thrasymachus, Socrates' contemporary, that might is right. If Muslims abide by it, he says, they cannot complain when al-Aqsa, under Israeli control, is converted back into the Temple of Solomon that stood there first, or when India's Hindu majority converts the Babri Masjid and other mosques said to stand on temples. He accepts it was a mosque for centuries, but it was a cathedral before and a museum for decades, and no one lacks a place to pray. He adds that the adhan over loudspeakers is itself a bid'ah, but lets that pass, and says power swings both ways: by that argument he feels Israel would have every right over al-Aqsa. He sees it as part of the right-wing fascism rising in the world.

## Sources and names cited

- Thrasymachus
- Socrates
- might is right (the law of Thrasymachus), rejected
- al-Masjid al-Aqsa
- the Babri Masjid
- bid'ah (the adhan over loudspeakers, in passing)
- the reconversion of the Hagia Sophia to a mosque

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:33:19–1:37:09)

[1:32:39] announcing every day five times a day the athan stop acting like you've never heard the Athan stop being such a drama queen you know this whole thing people saying oh my god it's a little girl look I want to say to all these people who are having this cathartic moment of joy and they saying well we have the legal right because democratically there are more Muslims I mean there's atheists and Christians there as well but there are more Muslims in Turkey clearly and therefore it's under our of jurisdiction we can turn into a mosque this thing which which I

[1:33:19] will call the throw Simeon rule that so you know Thrasymachus who was a contemporary of Socrates he believed that might was right that if you've got the power you can do it might is right so this law or the principle or you know through silicon principle or the law of Thrasymachus if you want to abide by this fair enough but don't come crying tomorrow when Masjid al-aqsa because it's under Israeli control is then converted back to the Temple of Solomon because it was the Temple of Solomon

[1:33:57] that before it became any must cheat and it is under their control don't come crying back where in about the Babri Masjid or any of these are the mustards in India that they say was a man there was ramen there that this Masjid used to belong to such in such temple of such-and-such Lord before it became a Masjid it is our right as a Democratic majority of India as Hindus to convert those much heads back to Hindu temples why not all we need is you know it's the law it's the law of Thrasymachus might is right it's

[1:34:34] whoever has the majority all we need is a legal right and we can do it so why are you crying your heads off at things like Jerusalem what's your problem or is it all a ChaCha when it's against us then it's bad you know this is the stupidity the lack of insight in this day and age I accept that it was a Masjid you know for many years but before that it was a Cathedral now for decades it's been a museum you don't need a new mosque you don't need you know people are not dying

[1:35:13] to pray you know this kind of like oh my god we've got no way to pray right leave it let things be you know you've got a must-read for minutes in front of it literally that capacitate thousands right and you've got hundreds of messages in Istanbul so you know there's no shortage of mustards now you're gonna say well you know no no no the power of Islam I want to hear the Adhan is so beautiful like I've never heard the Athan even though that large must read over these and not sing it every day and all these are the hundreds of messages are announcing it on speakers which is a bid ah let alone that we don't go into

[1:35:52] that discussion the Athan was never meant to be you know kind of like yelled on the top of speakers but anyway cello will let that slide the point is that you've got the event but no we want to hear it from this museum because Islam is we've got power TK but the power that that that swings both ways you see and tomorrow and Israel is expanding this is why I you know like you can't then have this kind you can't plate like that I feel by that argument Israel absolutely has the right

[1:36:29] by that argument to take down what is it much the locks on converted why doesn't it by that argument by the principle of Thrasymachus it's veil and their legal rights the courts have ruled and they've got the power and it was first of all Temple of Solomon before it was any Masjid so yeah so I I feel that this is you know part of this is the right-wing fascism that is rising in the world today and it's not just Hindu Nationals it's not just Trump supporters it's not just

[1:37:08] far-right Jewish Zionists it's also Muslims as well who are doing exactly the same thing except they're coming back crying wolf when you know when it's being done against Muslims so I would say look just think these things through for God's sake that you do you really need a must and people say well it's still gonna be a museum but it's gonna be a Masjid as well Wow you know and oh and when it was a Masjid it was a walk I heard this one guy say when it was a mercy there was a walk and endowment and a walk can never

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment a6H5lYE4MN8/s/24. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/a6h5lye4mn8/s/24/

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