# If faith is no longer valid, why a judge? Psychology of testimony and detail

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/nhzyu3bkbwe/s/15/
- Date: 2018-03-13 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: PRELUDE: Why There Is NO 2nd Coming Of Jesus (as) In Islam- Mufti Abu Layth (50:12–52:49)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHzYu3BKBWE&t=3012s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/nhzyu3bkbwe/

**Topics:** Text criticism, reason and the Quran; The second coming of Jesus

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Testimony is tested through its details, and excessive detail is a warning sign; Mufti Abu Layth sets up this frame for examining the hadith of Jesus's return.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth asks why Jesus would come as a judge, and why everyone would embrace Islam, if faith is no longer valid after his descent. He then brings in what he studied in forensic psychology: a bare testimony cannot be judged for accuracy, so one elicits as much detail as possible, and it is in the details that people make mistakes, since the devil is in the detail. He adds a second finding, that an unwarranted excess of detail about an incident raises alarm bells for psychologists because studies show people add incredible detail when lying or forging a story. He asks the audience to bear these two facts in mind before looking at the detail of the hadith on Jesus.

## Transcript (machine tier, 50:12–52:49)

[49:41] become a Muslim don't become Muslim doesn't make a difference so then even the translator gets confused because the translator says right isn't that supposed to happen after doesn't he kill the gel first and then he says yeah yeah he kills the gel and so the translator asked him so what at what point does a man become no longer valid is it after he's killed the gel or just as he's coming down and and then he himself just kind of like stutters and just says look yeah look when the signs happen these are well known that nobody's Amman is accepted anymore and he says this is known in the Quran and

[50:19] then even the translator it kind of translates it in unambiguous terms and just leaves it so let's get this right so Jesus Christ is coming down and now faith is not valid anymore mmm that's interesting so if faith isn't valid hmm so why is Jesus being a judge if faith isn't valid why is he judging NOFA and why do why do you what why does everybody embrace Islam and here's an important point I want to bring your attention to people this is a very important point in

[50:56] psychology you we are - we are taught right when you want to when you want to see where the testimonies are accurate so if you look at forensic psychology when I studied psychology and when we did things like testimony and they teach you that you don't testimonies and when people make claims about something just like this as a blunt testimony you can't tell the accuracy you can't tell what those persons making it up or they're getting it wrong so what you have to do is elicit extract as much detail as

[51:33] possible from the person okay so this is so there's been so much studies done on this so if I said to you if a person said look oh yeah I saw this person killed him he shot him you see that in itself isn't enough so you need to extract more information okay what was how much sunlight was there at the time how far would you say you were standing from this person what was the person wearing what angle would you say you were standing at how many people would you say they were they how were you dressed what was the weather like can you remember any other surrounding things you see when people start to

[52:13] highlight details that's when they make mistakes that is where the devil is in the detail the devil is in the detail people now it's interesting that fact and another fact by the way when people just provide an X an excess amount of detail about an incident unwarranted like they provide so many detail usually to normal people they like Wow to psychologists that raises alarm bells because people usually provide so much excess detail when they lined

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment NHzYu3BKBWE/s/15. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/nhzyu3bkbwe/s/15/

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