# Did the Prophet teach a formal creed of what Muslims must believe? *Policing ideas is the antithesis of Islam: the Prophet taught faith, not creed* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ewmbn7jv9dk/s/4/ - Date: 2019-08-21 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Don't let people bully you into beliefs | Mufti Abu Layth (15:41–18:17) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWmBN7JV9Dk&t=941s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ewmbn7jv9dk/ **Topics:** Creed and the schools of theology; Cults, clergy and religious abuse; Reason and revelation **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The Prophet taught faith, not a creed: beyond a handful of beliefs no hadith prescribes what to believe, and for 150 years the salaf up to Imam Malik wrote down no dogma. Policing people's ideas is the antithesis of Islam, so think for yourself. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Prophet never taught a creed beyond a handful of beliefs, that the salaf up to Imam Malik never taught or wrote down dogma for over a hundred and fifty years, and that forcing faith and policing people's ideas is the antithesis of what Islam came with. **Evidence, his words at 15:55:** “this kind of policing people's ideas this is the antithesis of what Islam came with this this theme was born free people yet today they've locked it in Chains” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWmBN7JV9Dk&t=955s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says people may call him crazy and eccentric, but that nobody has left the deen because of anything he has said, while many have come back to it and found solace in the faith through his words, so there must be something in this way of thinking. He describes the culture of forcing faith and policing people's ideas as 'Taliban-ised' and caveman-like, the antithesis of what Islam came with: the deen was born free and today it has been locked in chains. He says the Prophet never taught people a creed, and that no hadith goes beyond a handful of things to believe in: God, that things do not end in this life, that there was revelation, and that God is all-powerful. For over a hundred and fifty years, he says, the salaf of this ummah, from the Sahaba and the tabi'un to Imam Malik and the people of Madinah, never taught dogma or wrote down what one must believe; it was wisdom. He calls for a return to the way of the salaf, says the age of the mullahs is over, and asks people to think for themselves, which is what the deen came for, warning that this policing will destroy the face of Islam if it is allowed to permeate the Muslim scene. ## Sources and names cited - Imam Malik - aqidah - salaf - deen - the Prophet taught faith (iman), not a formal creed (aqidah) ## Transcript (machine tier, 15:41–18:17) [15:18] exactly that very nature that monstrous nature that monstrosity that has chased chased people from what i believe is this beautiful theme it's chase people away from and people may say that I'm crazy and eccentric and I chat all kinds of things maybe I do but I can tell you that by nothing from what I've said has a person ever left this theme but many many have come back to it and found solace in the [15:55] faith by words that I have said so surely they must carry some meaning that there must be something in them in this way of thinking yet these people this kind of Taliban eyes this kind of caveman culture of trying to do we will force faith this kind of policing people's ideas this is the antithesis of what Islam came with this this theme was born free people yet today they've locked it in Chains the prophet [16:34] sallallahu alayhi wasallam never taught people creed if you cannot find a single hadith that mentions beyond a handful of things in what to believe in believe in God that they will things will not end in this life that there was revelation and that God is all-powerful this was it for over a hundred and fifty years the self of this Ummah people you know from the Sahaba from the turban in from the at-fault a being to the likes of Imam Malik the dawn of al-madinah never taught people Dogma they never taught they never wrote [17:12] down what you meant to believe it was wisdom in that return to the way of the cell of people the age of the mullahs is over okay the rain has been lost people that what I would say is that look think for yourself that's what this thing came for if I could give any kind of advice and just be don't allow this to just kind of permeate the Muslim scene [17:50] because it will just really destroy the face of Islam so that if I can give you know if you can take any message from what I'm saying take that right I would write following on from that right following on from so that's this this article that these people were saying with Abdullah kunda all right I think I just saw on here it said that after lagoon doll was on it tuned in hello Salman a Louis Allen who Shama deed right so people build bridges talk ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment EWmBN7JV9Dk/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/ewmbn7jv9dk/s/4/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.