# Is forcing your wife to have sex a sin in Islam? *Closing: Muslims who excuse coercion are the problem; Imam Malik on the independence that saved the first generations* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/11/ - Date: 2019-07-25 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (32:36–36:27) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1956s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/ **Topics:** Abuse in marriage; Legal theory and method; Islam and modernity **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says coercive sex with one's wife is haram, and that Muslims who deny this create the problem. He cites Imam Malik's saying that what set right the first of this umma will set right its last, meaning the independence to challenge inherited readings shaped by medieval patriarchy. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that coercive sex with one's wife is haram, that Muslims who deny this are the problem, and that, following Imam Malik's saying, the umma is set right by the independence to challenge inherited readings shaped by the patriarchy of past ages. **Evidence, his words at 33:10:** “he said well oh it's okay to you know it's not a sin to force to have coercive sex with your wife or not it's like what a new thing you want about of course it's a god it's Haram” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1990s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says he felt a duty to explain this because many Muslims may be confused by claims that the Quran allows paedophilia, which it does not, and begins to wrap up after more than two hours. He says some Muslims drop the community into this mess by defending the indefensible, recalling a conversation in which someone insisted that coercive sex with one's wife is not a sin, which he says is haram and unquestionably so; Muslims themselves are to blame while others try to show that the Quran and Sunnah do not say such things. He quotes Imam Malik that what will set right the last of this umma is what set right its first, and explains it as independence: the early generations respected a companion or a successor but challenged his understanding when it contradicted the essence of the deen, as Malik himself did. He concludes that past scholars were great but human, living in ages of patriarchy and medieval misogyny that made such readings seem normal to them, and that Muslims today can remove those blinkers, examine the text, and leave the cultural baggage of the medieval age behind while keeping the Quran. ## Sources and names cited - Imam Malik - what set right the first of this umma will set right its last (Imam Malik) - tabi'un - sahaba (companions) ## Transcript (machine tier, 32:36–36:27) [32:31] don't also have the menstrual cycle so we're going to include them but then that's clearly canceled out that understanding is by the beginning of the verse Nissa women I hope this makes sense to you guys I hope it's shed some light I want you to explain that as a I felt a duty because you know there were many Muslims or I'm sure there are many who may now be confused if they've come across certain people saying that the Quran allows pedophilia it does not okay so I hope that's of some help guys let's [33:10] wrap it up it's been over two hours right now and like I said there are some there are Muslims unfortunately that will drop us in in this mess right because they this is a problem isn't it because they will didn't say things like oh no no no it's it's okay it's okay it's like the conversation I said earlier on I was speaking to a person and he said well oh it's okay to you know it's not a sin to force to have coercive sex with your wife or not it's [33:48] like what a new thing you want about of course it's a god it's Haram and it was like no no it's not and this is the problem that we are really to blame that we are our problem that while some people are trying to connect of like show that look the Quran the Sun that doesn't say these thing and this is why will ye you know when I keep saying about Imam Ali Imam Malik he said that you know he said that Lane you slay her are carrera del oma ulema allah o allah o allah that the last of this ummah what [34:26] will save it is the same attitude the same approach that saved the first of this Ummah that kind of made it for the first of this Ummah and what made it for the first of this Ummah was that they were independent they didn't feel obliged just because so you see turbo ain't just because a companion said something he will still challenge the understanding and just because the tabie said he yet the the Tubbataha like in my molecule challenge his understanding they still respect the person but they [35:04] challenged the view if he contradicted the core the essence of the deemed to them and that's what imam malik said we'll save those who come at the end of this allah and that is us we need to yes look I'm not these scholars work great people but they were human they lived in a political day an age where they saw things as normal and maybe around them they probably thought they lived in these kind of on many occasions in oppressive patriarchy's in some occasions maybe not but in others yes a [35:44] very kind maybe they lived in the medieval ages there was a lot of misogyny so to them oh yes sure you know who cares but we now do not live in that we can remove those blinkers like Imam Malik said like the early people of this Ummah and examine the text and say whoa you know this is your culture this is your baggage from the medieval age you can keep that you know you can't check that in okay you're gonna have to carry that with you this the Quran so now fine we'll take that so I hope that's of some [36:23] understanding people ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment T-X4Lyns2vE/s/11. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/11/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.