# Has Zaytuna College limited what Hamza Yusuf can say?

*Hamza Yusuf and Zaytuna: how an institution makes its founder its servant*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/24/
- Date: 2021-01-19 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (1:37:44–1:44:04)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=5864s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/

**Topics:** Views on contemporary scholars; Education, madrasas and seminaries

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says Hamza Yusuf's rise was remarkable but that Zaytuna now constrains him, so he avoids anything controversial; Mufti prefers his own freedom.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says Hamza Yusuf will always have a place in the hearts of many, especially those who saw his electrifying rise in the 1990s, and that his fame was made before 2001; after 9/11 he took on roles, including advising Bush, and faced backlash. He calls Zaytuna an incredible success with university affiliations that produces talented, presentable graduates, though he doubts they reach the level of an 'alim. He says that since Zaytuna, Hamza Yusuf is really a life-support machine for it, and that even his UAE links, for which people have slammed him as a sell-out scholar, are ultimately for Zaytuna's funding. He asks what Hamza Yusuf has produced as a thinker beyond an academy, saying he offers no breakthrough fatwas or challenging narratives because the hate would cost his institute its funding, so he has become a slave to the institution. Mufti says he does not want that: life is short, as COVID showed, and he enjoys giving challenging narratives and the freedom to say whatever he wants, unaffiliated to any institute.

## Sources and names cited

- Hamza Yusuf
- Zaytuna College
- George W. Bush
- the September 11 attacks

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:37:44–1:44:04)

[1:37:04] whereas if you were to say yeah let's open a restaurant and that will consume you as well or let's open a business markets are still in currency running a madrasa or an academy is running an entire Upstream project Where You Are constantly trying to sell this this this this thing and even like let's take somebody as successful as she Hamza YF as an example she Hamza YF is you know he's an icon

[1:37:43] he's always you know he's always going to have that makam in the hearts of many of us especially those of us who were you know around in the '90s for example when he Rose um just you know electrifyingly he kind of like rose to such Heights now he initially had this thing about this concern for people like let's let's educate people let's get connect with people let's do this with people let's do this with and and and hence he rose massively and and he kind of really Hamza usf's

[1:38:22] Fame was all made before you know maybe the year 2001 ham YF was Hamza yusf back then like he still now is riding that wave he's not this isn't a new wave yes he may have a new audience like a select in fact his audience has kind of narrowed but he may have a he may have kind of gone into certain Elite elements but he is still writing that success this is how incredible that success was so and then okay 9/11 happened and and he went into certain roles and you know

[1:39:02] became an adviser and to Bush and and okay got a bit of backlash and stuff okay fair enough but Zuna now I think zetuna is an incredible success you know you look at his school he's he's kind of now made it as a um he he mentioned he's got um the affiliation affiliate programs with certain universities and he's got all of that secured I mean this is an incredible and it produces certain very talented people doesn't it it does I mean I don't know if they're as talented as him but you know but they they seem very kind of like they seem like the kind of person that that you think ah

[1:39:41] Mash you know presentable kind of you know they seem to speak well and they seem to I don't know how clued up they are islamically but I assume that they're more clued up than just certain people I don't think they're proper on an Alim Alim level but I think they're still very uniquely placed but let's be honest since zetuna she Hamza YF is really just a life support machine for zetuna you know all his things even if you think of this UAE thing which has gained him so much negative traction right people have slammed him for being a sellout scholar

[1:40:19] for doing this working for governments giving all these really these kind of links he's making it's ultimately ultimately for zetuna because you know making a link with the government is it's huge financing it lubricates the the the kind of industry you're running because if he was just as a person you see then you're kind of just cutting your own losses I think well you know I don't need this heat you know you can f off mate I'm I'm going to spend a week out there chill out you know you you're kind of free you're a

[1:40:57] free spirit you don't have to worry about oh my God if I say no to them how will my Institute survive like now you know everything is about Z and I'm not saying that's a bad thing but really Hamza YF has he like the question could ask that and I don't mean to diss him but what has he produced he's produced an academy but what has he dealt with as a person like his ideas he maybe an occasional video you get Once in a year one like

[1:41:33] she Hamza YF hasn't provided any any like Breakthrough fwa breakthrough narrative challenging um you know responses or wow like something that really he hasn't done anything like that because really that's not his goal anymore he his goal is that look if I do something like that if I give a fatwa saying this is you know and I present research I'm going to get hate the hate means that my institute's going to get attacked I'm going to lose funding there so sorry you know so you become a slave to the

[1:42:10] institution and that my child is something that this free spirit is not born to become so I don't want to become a slave to an institution I like enjoying life you know I like these kind of this life you know what look nobody knows anything about life how long you know God forbid something happens to someone you know like we nobody knows look in covid people that was strong and healthy just went because your oxygen

[1:42:50] stops what the hell what the hell are muscles or good health going to do if you if you can't you know absorb oxygen in your blood it doesn't have to be through covid but I'm just saying so why not the life you have at least enjoy that live laugh you know love learn you know these things enjoy and I I enjoy giving narratives challenging narratives giving ideas and and you see one of the freedoms I have right now is I can say whatever the hell I want to

[1:43:26] say I can say whatever is on my mind as an opinion and you know something people who don't like it can't do a single damn thing about it they can't do anything like I'm not affiliated to any Institute like what are you going to do like what can you possibly do you know whereas if I was doing something something in a particular Institute they would people are cruel I'm telling you people are cruel um even you see this is another thing this is why I'm kind of invested

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment Hv-BlBVTr4M/s/24. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/24/

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