# Is jinn possession just a difference of opinion among scholars?

*Why not sit on the fence? Scholars who rejected possession, and why this is not a harmless difference of opinion*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/17/
- Date: 2018-04-15 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (1:05:31–1:07:38)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=3931s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/

**Topics:** Jinn possession; Cults, clergy and religious abuse; Legal theory and method

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth refuses to treat it that way: although scholars from Fakhr al-Din al-Razi to Shaltut, Ibn Ashur and al-Shawkani rejected possession while Ibn Taymiyya affirmed it, this is not a harmless fiqh difference like raising the hands in prayer, because the belief drives abuse and exploitation and brings ridicule on Islam.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth refuses to treat possession as one of two acceptable opinions, since unlike a difference such as raising the hands in prayer it unleashes mass exploitation and abuse and brings ridicule on Islam and the Prophet, and he notes that a number of scholars, among them al-Razi and al-Shawkani, rejected it.

**Evidence, his words at 1:06:47:** “this is why I refuse to have a diplomatic stance on this that this abuse is unacceptable it needs to be brought to an end” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=4007s)

## Longer summary

To those who ask why he does not treat the matter as two opinions, Mufti Abu Layth notes that many ulama rejected possession, as Shaykh Akram had quoted: Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Abu Ya'la [?] of the Hanbalis, the Mu'tazila, and within Ahl al-Sunna in recent times Shaykh Mahmud Shaltut [?] and the great shaykhs of al-Azhar, Ibn Ashur and al-Shawkani in his tafsir, though others such as Ibn Taymiyya affirmed it. He says this is not like the difference over raising the hands in prayer, where it does not matter which opinion one follows within the salah; this opinion results in mass exploitation and unleashes a tyranny of abuse, a multi-million-dollar industry rests on it, religion is ridiculed for belief in demons in the twenty-first century, and the Prophet is ridiculed as a consequence. All of this makes it unacceptable to say diplomatically that there are two opinions, which is why he refuses a diplomatic stance: the abuse must be brought to an end and this understanding popularised, and he hopes those watching will learn from it.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Akram Nadwi
- Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
- Abu Ya'la al-Hanbali [?]
- Mu'tazila
- Mahmud Shaltut [?]
- Ibn Ashur
- al-Shawkani
- Ibn Taymiyya
- raf' al-yadayn (raising the hands in prayer)
- ikhtilaf (difference of opinion)

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:05:31–1:07:38)

[1:04:53] like saying hey listen this person's coming I'm gonna trick him now maybe he genuinely believes what the stories come up with but that doesn't make it true like if you genuinely believe there's a sketti monster out there it doesn't make it true so so these are the things that I wanted to highlight that look in the past there were many things that people could not explain we could not sum up but to say it's the Djinn of the gaps is is nonsensical it's absurd and it makes religion into a joke and beyond that it doesn't tackle the greater issues of abuse so this isn't sometimes people say but why can't we just sit on the fence you know okay this

[1:05:32] isn't a view you know you're saying because there were many Olimar you heard from chef occur many Olimar being quoted there was fourteen arrazi Audioboo yeah allah from the humble ease there was people there were other element from the martyrs Allah but even within analyst Sunnah you'd heard up until recent times sheltered most of all Marathi group the great Michelle as her if not assured famous mother said even show Connie in stuff see these kind of things they they they don't accept this kind of stuff jinn possession but people say okay this is an opinion but it wouldn't a Mia said this and you know so-and-so said this but so why don't we just have it as two

[1:06:10] opinions no because it's not just this isn't like should I do roughly Dana should not do rough anything because look rough alia Dane or not ruefully then isn't it's no big deal if you decide to do roughly there you know I decide to do it and you decide not to do it it's a fidella within Salado opinions this opinion results in mass exploitations in incredible the tyranny of abuse is unleashed by this huge a whole multi-million dollar industry is on the back of this this disbelief

[1:06:47] religion is ridiculed on the back of that you believe in demons possessing you I mean in the 21st century what you know let's like people who go to a doctor it's ok is this courage in this is and then Islam the Prophet Muhammad Sal Allahu alaihi Salam is ridiculed as a consequence and all of these things make this unacceptable to just say well look oh you know it's just two opinions let's just be diplomatic towards it so this is why I refuse to have a diplomatic stance on this that this abuse is unacceptable it needs to be brought to an end and we need to popularize this understanding in saying

[1:07:27] and this is why you know hopefully people obviously yourselves the other people who watch this later on can learn from this inshallah so hiya Kamala so I hope that's off somehow

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment LeXzvtf9YGA/s/17. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/17/

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