# Are Bin Bayyah and Hamza Yusuf to blame for the UAE's deal with Israel?

*The Gaza bombardment, the UAE-Israel deal, and why blaming Bin Bayyah and Hamza Yusuf is unfair*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/m6r6pnmtg0w/s/1/
- Date: 2021-05-17 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Israel's war crimes, UAE ties & possible solutions? (full context) | Mufti Abu Layth (0:02–4:00)
- Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6R6PNmTG0w&t=2s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/m6r6pnmtg0w/

**Topics:** Palestine and Gaza; Views on contemporary scholars; Middle East and the wider world

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No, in Mufti Abu Layth's view: the UAE's ruler does not take direction from scholars, Bin Bayyah is said to have disliked the treaty while deferring to the ruler's decision, and Hamza Yusuf had nothing to do with it. He opens with condolences for the losses in Gaza.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth turns to a darker subject: Israel has been bombing Gaza for the better part of two weeks with little comment, while much attention has gone to the UAE's deal recognising Israel, with Trump expecting Saudi Arabia to sign up too. He offers his condolences to those who have lost life, loved ones or suffered injury. Many have messaged him for his thoughts on the UAE deal. He first says that going after Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah and Hamza Yusuf over it is unfair: the ruler of the UAE does not care what Bin Bayyah or any scholar says, and councils are convened for show. He has heard from sources close to Bin Bayyah, and does not know whether it is true, that the shaykh was not pleased with the treaty but held that once the ruler has decided, his ruling is to be honoured, not that he was happy with its details. He does not think Hamza Yusuf had anything to do with it and says dragging his name in is unfair, adding that this is only his opinion.

## Sources and names cited

- the UAE-Israel normalisation deal (2020)
- Donald Trump
- Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah
- Hamza Yusuf

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:02–4:00)

[0:01] so we've got uh right something a bit more uh unfortunately dark and unfortunate that uh what israel has been doing for almost you know the most part of two weeks now it's been bombing dropping uh crazy bombs on gaza um not many people as you can see there speaking about it uh but amidst all of that you have got um if i we've got something uh that a lot of people have been speaking about

[0:41] and that is the uae and the israel deal which has been brokered recently to recognize israel and with it you will see if i can just bring up here uh right just one moment right uh trump is expecting ksa i don't know if that's true but he's expecting ksa to sign up to that deal as well pretty soon kingdom of saudi arabia that is so whether they will or not allah that's just

[1:21] to so what is going on here what are my thoughts about this so first and foremost my doors heartfelt to ours my thoughts go out to all those people who've been unfortunately who have suffered the lot first of all the loss of life or the loss of loved ones or just harm and injury as a result of what's been going on in the past two weeks so you know may allah make things easy

[1:59] right as far as the uae thing is concerned a lot of people have been messaging me as well of the you know you speak about this what are your thoughts yeah i mean first of all i just want to say about people are going at sheikh abdullah binbaya and they're going at hamza yusuf i do think that's a bit unfair to be honest i think that's not not a bit that is i do think it's unfair um because i don't think in all honesty the the kind of king the ruler of

[2:37] uae really gives a crap i don't really think he even cares about what sheikh abdullah bin bayer has to say about anything whether he may pretend on certain things but they don't really care i don't think they they will just have people you know hold a council on something and i did hear that this is what i've heard from sources close to sheikh abdullah binbaya that sheikh abdullah wasn't actually pleased about the treaty but he had just agreed in saying that when the king has passed a ruling

[3:16] then that king's ruling so the uh the uae his ruling is to be honored um not that he was happy with what the kind of details were in fact this is what i've heard allahu alam i don't know whatever i've just heard this but i do think okay with putting that aside i do think look the king doesn't really care these people don't care about what ulama or scholars or whatever and i don't think hamza youssef had anything to do with it at all so i think just dragging his name into it i don't think is fair this is just my

[3:55] opinion as far as this actual ruling what what do i think about it well look oh look it's israel is not go right okay israel is a at a state level it is a terrorist at a state level okay this is not anti-semitism i'm not against jewish people um i you know i'm not against people whatever ethnicity they are the truth is at a state level it has committed war crimes and this is something the un

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment M6R6PNmTG0w/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/m6r6pnmtg0w/s/1/

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