# Did Mufti Abu Layth mock Imam al-Nawawi?

*'I did not mock Imam al-Nawawi': reading what al-Nawawi assumed about attraction to boys*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/s/5/
- Date: 2019-08-21 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Reply to Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi on Sahih Al-Bukhari| Mufti Abu layth (13:09–16:59)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQqc3K4HWA&t=789s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/

**Topics:** Sexuality and orientation; Responses to critics; Scholars and imams of the past

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says he did not mock al-Nawawi but read his own words, which assume as a given that young boys are prettier than many women and that anyone would be tempted by them. Al-Yaqoubi, he says, should have watched the whole video before judging.

## Longer summary

Turning to the charge itself, Mufti Abu Layth says he did not mock Imam al-Nawawi. He doubts al-Yaqoubi watched the whole video, in which case he should not have passed judgment on it, and jokes that either al-Yaqoubi watches his videos or he judged without watching. He explains that in a lengthy YouTube discussion on homosexuality and Islam as a diverse history he read what al-Nawawi had written and said one must acknowledge that al-Nawawi speaks as though it were a given: writing that everybody knows young boys are far prettier than many women, he assumes in his day and age that everyone has a bisexual nature. Mufti compares this to someone saying that anyone left alone with a million pounds would at least consider stealing it, which assumes most people feel greed; al-Nawawi, he says, is saying that anyone left alone with a young boy would be tempted to have sex with him or at least look at him sexually, which Mufti says escalates quickly.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi
- al-Nawawi

## Transcript (machine tier, 13:09–16:59)

[12:39] see this wielding this power mureeds my want my memories to boycott this I bring this to the table the sense of power you know a two decades ago the chef yaku B that I that I fleetingly shaked hands with in the streets of Damascus could never have envisaged that a day would come when he would make a threat to wield such power against a huge million power you know million how strong at least or millions of pounds strong charity or an organization

[13:16] but so this is the the making of of these shakes of tariqa so that's a bit of the kind of what we've got in front of us now shakey aku be his eminence he said about about me that I mocked Imam no we now I did not mock Imam no we to start off with firstly I mean that's obviously I don't know whether he watched my whole thing I doubt he watched my whole thing which in in that case he should not have passed judgment

[13:55] on it in that you see I caught you out either you watch the in which case are you teasing me naughty naughty you watching my videos and if you say you didn't watch it then I'll say ah say you passed judgment on me without watching you naughty naughty this one check mate check check check mate so chef yaqoob' he he kind of got really worked up and you see the truth

[14:33] is truth be told the cook I don't make a claim I've read what imam know we had written i've got a lengthy discussion on youtube which speaks about homosexuality and islam a diverse history in which i mentioned that look people in the past and and it's a very nuanced conversation or logon having a recording you can watch it by all means do watch it you like subscribe quick plug this so look however what i was simply doing was reading so i've read what imam know we said and i said look you have to acknowledge that iman know he is

[15:12] speaking as though it's a given so in his day and age he's assuming everybody has a bisexual nature to them because he's saying that look Oh because he writes in his book that everybody knows that young boys are far more you know prettier than many women and you know that's building on a a kind of given a positive axiom if you like that everybody is bisexual in nature like if I said that so if I said for

[15:52] example imagine I said something like look anybody that is left alone with a million pounds would would at least consider stealing it now you see when I make and I I would believe that I would say that because I would assume that most people by and large have the desires of temptation to of greed most we all have a sense of greed now you could say how control disagree but if I was to say any person left alone with a million pounds would have would be

[16:27] tempted to steal it now mom no we saying any person left alone with a young boy would be tempted to have sex with him or at least look at him sexually now I would I would think huh what oh boy that escalated quickly so you see now if somebody because Imam no we made that claim and he's not the only person many people before him made it because in the

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment OtQqc3K4HWA/s/5. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/otqqc3k4hwa/s/5/

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