# Why does hadith dogmatism fail, according to the war-wager paradox?

*The crocodile paradox, the return to Imam Malik's method, and sign-off*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/davfpkd1eco/s/3/
- Date: 2018-09-20 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: The War-Wager Hadith Paradox (Debunking Dogmatism) -Mufti Abu Layth (15:43–19:29)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAVFpkd1ECo&t=943s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/davfpkd1eco/

**Topics:** Mutawatir and certainty; Hadith in legal reasoning and hadith absolutism

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Using the crocodile paradox, he argues that a sound system cannot produce an unsound result, so hadith dogmatism fails and Imam Malik's method should be followed instead.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says hadith dogmatism, which lets reports override the Quran, does not work and that Muslims should return to the method taught by Imam Malik.

**Evidence, his words at 17:47:** “this hadith dogmatism this hadith cancelling out or on perspective does not work and we need to really resort to the method taught to us by the likes of imam malik” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAVFpkd1ECo&t=1067s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth compares the situation to the crocodile paradox, in which a crocodile that has taken a child promises to return it if the mother correctly says what it will do, and she answers that it will not return the child, leaving the crocodile unable to act without contradicting itself. In the same way, he says, if the dogmatists' system is airtight its result should be sound, and since the result is not sound, neither is the system. He says the paradox shows that hadith dogmatism, in which hadith cancel out the Quran, does not work, and that Muslims should return to the method taught by Imam Malik, the scholar of Madinah, who warned that isolated reports can snatch the religion away [?]. He then closes the session, saying it is very late, and signs off with prayers for his viewers.

## Sources and names cited

- Imam Malik
- khabar al-ahad [?]
- The Quran takes precedence over an isolated hadith

## Transcript (machine tier, 15:43–19:29)

[15:14] that the system is is problematic as is the result because if the result is problematic the system is problematic if the system is sound the result must be sound which it isn't you see so with that people I present that to you it's a bit light you see they're stupefied because whatever if you ask them the result is like it's like the paradox people I don't know if you've come across the crocodile paradox but the cracker or the crocodile peridot is where the parent it's the mother has had in this in this

[15:52] story in this story that the mother has had its child kidnapped by a crocodile and the crocodile one that has surprisingly reasoning faculties besides to reason to give a chance to the parent and he says well says to the mother I tell you what if you can tell me what I'm going to do with this child I will if you get it correct right I will give you the child you see so the mother was

[16:31] about to say well I hope you'd let the child go but then it the mother realizes and says to the crocodile that you're going to eat the child like you will not give the child the by setting up a paradox because now whatever the crocodile is about to do backfires because if that because if the crocodile was going to keep the child it must

[17:09] therefore honor its word and give back the child you see so and if it and if it wasn't and it keeps the child it's still stuck because do you get the paradox you see it's an amazing product because it totally stupefies the person because the crocodile in that situation is kind of stuck that it thinks well you see because if I now eat the child well well that's what I was going to do so I now if I honor my word or to return the child and if I were

[17:47] turn might return the child because I was gonna return the child anyway then the child gets away anyway so in both situations the mother kind of wins it's a win-win so in the same way when you ask these people well is this system ear tight because if it is why then the result is a tight and you see it becomes a kind of paradox so I wanted to share that and I've turned that the war wager had these paradox and it just goes to demonstrate that this hadith dogmatism this hadith cancelling out or on

[18:26] perspective does not work and we need to really resort to the method taught to us by the likes of imam malik the dawn of our own medina who said that who's who taught us that look this one-on-one may snatch the Deen from in front of you right people with that I know it's me wow that is late guys all right shall la got a wrap up with that shall LA as always you've been awesome it is incredibly late here I think I need to get some food in Charlotte so

[19:05] with that gonna love you and leave you all in Charlotte may you all have an awesome week may allah subhanaw taala bless you and keep you all forever smiling take very good care of yourselves people Shalala stay in touch stay awesome stay blessed over and out people Salam o aleikum or a little lighter ila or butter cattle

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment DAVFpkd1ECo/s/3. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/davfpkd1eco/s/3/

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