# What do you think of the Muslim community in Birmingham?

*Muslims in Birmingham, and why the youth do not listen to scholars*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/8/
- Date: 2021-01-19 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #198 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (25:37–29:53)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=1537s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/

**Topics:** Education, madrasas and seminaries; Islam and modernity

**Question as asked:** What do you think of the Muslim community, both Sunni and Shia, in Birmingham?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says the Muslim scene everywhere is suffering, and the youth do not listen to scholars because the scholars are irrelevant and outdated.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the youth are not listening to the scholars because the scholars are irrelevant and outdated.

**Evidence, his words at 27:31:** “but the truth is because you guys are irrelevant okay you are outdated” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv-BlBVTr4M&t=1651s)

## Longer summary

Asked what he thinks of the Sunni and Shia Muslim community in Birmingham, Mufti Abu Layth says it is good, but separates religion from sociocultural factors and says the Muslim scene almost everywhere is suffering, a car crash in slow motion. He mentions a clip of a preacher asking why the youth do not listen to the scholars, and answers that it is because they are irrelevant and outdated, doing little beyond making people feel guilty and boosting their own sense of being holier than thou. Drawing on discourse analysis, he says one should never underestimate the pull of a power position, even the power to tell someone off. He says the disconnect between the mullahs and ordinary people is polarised because what is taught has no connection to people's lives, so only those already interested come to them.

## Transcript (machine tier, 25:37–29:53)

[25:36] hit whoever rigged this game to to to so but I wonder how it is with uh H that's an interesting thought I guess hello Google so right so what is going on Muti what do you think of the mlim of the Muslim Community both Sunni and Shia in Birmingham in Birmingham people brm town I I don't know what I think it's great I mean it's it's good I don't have

[26:15] any right so there's a distinction in saying Muslim and between cultural sociocultural factors cuz they're not you know they're not in interdependent necessarily so um the Muslim scene I think pretty much everywhere is similar it's suffering it's destitute it's you know something which is it's tragic it's a Dev Das movie in in slow motion that's what it is a car crash in

[26:52] slow motion so you've got you know it doesn't M cuz Muslims really come on Islam I I was watch I wasn't watching but I saw on YouTube that he gave a suggestion obviously I don't really watch these preachers and stuff like that but it was something about why you know why are people uh why are the youth not listening to um Islam or some something like this you know to the scholars why are they not listening to the scholars and I just looked at it and I thought look I don't know what the hell you whoever this person this preacher is whatever he's going to

[27:31] say but the truth is because you guys are irrelevant okay you are outdated and you're just not you know apart from just trying to make people feel guilty and giving yourself a kick uh sorry a self-esteem boost uh for feeling holier than thou and better than the rest right because it is as well look when people never you know in discourse analysis you you you study these things about power positions that never underestimate a power

[28:08] position that you know the power to even tell someone off it is uh you know there's psychology involved if you psychologize if we psychologize the these scenarios we will see that there is this kind of like uh people are kind of getting off on this kind of vibe of holier than thou you know feeling good about alhamdulillah you know at least I am my life is you see this is what it is so in essence but okay put that aside it's

[28:48] about the the disconnect is so polarized between the mulvis the mulas and the regular people so that's why they're not listening and you too busy talking about an aspect of you know a a uh I don't know a representational feature of Islamic F which has no meaning today no semblance of any kind of uh connection connectivity is there like so let's say you know you want to teach them stuff you're going on about uh it doesn't mean

[29:26] anything to these people why would they you know it's so it's becomes so dry unless somebody just stumbles upon them who happens to already be interested then that's uh you know that that then that's fair enough that's somebody who's come to them in fact speaking of that I well Peoples Peoples

[29:52] Peoples so I'd come across actually laughing and joking right right I'd come across oh actually let's begin with why not speaking of these kind of preachers laughing and joking too much and becoming excessive in that is an indication that a person Lacks High aspiration and the question here is how is that possible what is a relationship with joking and high aspiration High aspiration is a person who's focusing what is serious and what is important in life the important things in life are serious they're not things that are

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment Hv-BlBVTr4M/s/8. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hv-blbvtr4m/s/8/

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