# Does the Quran's riba verse prove that Satan can possess people?

*The riba verse and the heads of devils: Quranic imagery misread as proof of possession*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/3/
- Date: 2018-04-15 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Jinn: Myth and Reality in Islam by Mufti Abu Layth (7:47–13:03)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=467s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/

**Topics:** Jinn possession; Tafsir and verse study; How to read the Quran

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No: Mufti Abu Layth says the verse is imagery, read by the commentators as describing how riba-takers rise on the Day of Judgement or as a picture of consuming greed, and the Quran uses such images, like the zaqqum tree's heads of devils, because humans have imagination.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that the riba verse's image of one driven unstable by Satan's touch is Quranic imagery drawing on human imagination, read by commentators as describing the resurrection or greed, and is not evidence for possession, just as the zaqqum tree's 'heads of devils' is not.

**Evidence, his words at 12:05:** “this verse is one of the key verses that is misused or misinterpreted by people” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXzvtf9YGA&t=725s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth turns to the verses historically debated. The popular one says that those who devour riba will stand or go about only like one whom Satan has driven unstable by his touch. Supporters of possession cite it, but he says the riba-takers were not behaving like lunatics; they were calculating lenders. Many mufassirun read the verse as describing the hereafter, how they will rise from their graves, while others read it as an image of greed so consuming that it is as though they had lost their faculties. To the question why Allah would use the image if it were not real, he answers with Ibn Atiyya [?] and others that this is imagery drawing on the imagination of mankind, and compares the description of the tree of zaqqum in Jahannam whose shoots are like the heads of devils: nobody has seen a devil, yet the image works because Allah knows his creation has imagination. As an aside he says the most frightening thing anyone encounters in life is their own imagination. This verse, he says, is the key one misused for the possession narrative, and he moves on to the hadith.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 2:275 (like one whom Shaytan has driven to madness by his touch): https://quran.com/2/275
- Quran 37:65 (its shoots are like the heads of devils): https://quran.com/37/65
- riba
- Shaytan
- Ibn Atiyya al-Andalusi [?]
- zaqqum (the tree of Jahannam)

## Transcript (machine tier, 7:47–13:03)

[7:37] understand that people were coming with normal whatever problems asking these people to explain them and they had took they were trying to come up with some answer to help these people right so that is because we need to keep that in mind when we're dealing with this so why are the ulama where's this confusion coming from within Islam certain verses had historically been debated verses in the Quran Allah speaks about a very popular verse that when Allah speaks about those people who take

[8:16] Arriba liya Pomona Allah , Akuma lady at the Hobbit or Shaitaan Oh minimus those who take a rebar do not kind of go about the daily affairs except how liya come on or they do not stand or however you want to see this or lie upon moon as though they do not go about the daily phase except as though somebody who has been yet the hub bata in Arabic means to become unstable like you've kind of like you've been all over the place as though somebody has become unstable due to mass like this touch by a devil

[8:54] or a demon what does this mean so some people said well okay so what people coming to this people who are supporting this whole gene possession they say ah well here's a verse in the Quran highlighting this first of all people who were taking RIBA were not doing that they were people who look normal people who were taking River weren't actually acting mental they were just people looking out for the interests they were just saying no I'll give you 100 if he can bring me back 200 at the end of the month they weren't kind of like all over the place and acting like

[9:33] lunatics so many Mufasa reign had highlighted this is talking about in the akhira that lie upon muna ll al-qaeda Oh min kabura him or when they come from rise from the graves they will be all over the place and some people said no this is so so it's not even talking it's got nothing to do with this you know gene possession some people said oh well this is speaking here about them in their lust and greed that this is how it's as though they possessed they're so greedy they don't want to help people this

[10:12] greed is so overtaking them it's as though they've lost their mental faculty but why this must seem in a shape that why this this touch of the of the Shaitaan why does it have a reality why would Allah use this as an example if it wasn't real this is the question so here may many people hide highlights including them of us they're like even our Tia and other people that this is imagery that Allah grows upon the imagination of mankind when he's

[10:52] addressing them let's take another example let's take a look at the verse in the Quran well I speaking about Jahannam and he says that in there is this tree children means our home this this devastating tree and then Allah says that below ha I know a narrow social theme that it emerges as though it's the heads of devils have you seen a devil has anybody seen a devil so how do they

[11:28] know what that's supposed to mean when you say that oh this tree looks like it's the heads of Devils I haven't seen a devil that's because it's okay you have imagine Allah knows he's a Lim be healthy he knows they have creation that they have imagination and the what's interesting here as a side note is that in life the most intimidating and frightening phenomenon that you will ever encounter right throughout life contrary to what you may think is

[12:05] actually your own imagination your own imagination is far more scarier than anything actually out there what you actually imagine scares the hell out of you so Allah is growing upon the imagination of people so this verse is one of the key verses that is misused or misinterpreted by people who grupe grow into this or draw upon this whole x-gene demonic possession kind of narrative a few hadith I want to highlight as well

[12:44] and I'm sure the chef will be highlighting as well several perspectives but just popularly these are brought to the disco straight away because I want to take a look at the religious kind of aspect first and the kind of rational and then come back to the psychological and stuff like that in the in the second section so there's a few had the three hadith first of all I just want to highlight there isn't a single sorry sorry hadith in this bar not a single hadith that is free of criticism there are a few hadith I mean there are

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment LeXzvtf9YGA/s/3. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/lexzvtf9yga/s/3/

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