# How should Muslims respond to an ex-Muslim who criticises the Quran?

*Respect for a genuine seeker: attack the argument, not the person*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/2/
- Date: 2019-07-25 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (5:07–6:26)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=307s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/

**Topics:** Dawah and debate culture; Character and virtue; Atheists and polemicists

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Attack the argument, not the person: Mufti Abu Layth says a genuine seeker deserves respect, that the claim itself is false, and that Muslims who call the Prophet a mercy to the world must show it in how they respond.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that people who are genuine in their search should be left to search wherever it takes them, and that Muslims should not attack an ex-Muslim critic as a person.

**Evidence, his words at 5:07:** “if people are genuine in this search then let them let them search wherever that search takes them” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=307s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says he respects people who are genuine in their search and should be allowed to follow it wherever it leads. He contrasts ex-Muslims who are vile, bitter and vindictive towards Islam, using straw-man arguments at every opportunity, with the impression he has from the posts he has seen that Abdullah Sameer is trying to be fair. He says his purpose is to show that the claim is untrue and that the Quran does not permit paedophilia, but he does not want to see people attacking Sameer as a person: attack the argument, not the person. He grounds this in adab and the character of the Prophet, saying that those who call the Messenger a mercy to the whole world must demonstrate that, and that the onus is on Muslims, not on non-Muslims, to champion such behaviour.

## Sources and names cited

- Abdullah Sameer
- adab
- Quran 21:107 (a mercy to the worlds) [?] (reference uncertain; possibly https://quran.com/21/107)

## Transcript (machine tier, 5:07–6:26)

[4:29] position amongst the haulage but anyway and he transmits check this out and they used to hate Ali early on he says Ali burnt people to death because they changed their religion and we're gonna take his word for it but anyway so so that's that's on us as Muslims we've we've kind of slipped up on that but anyway I wanted to say that look optimist I mean I was before I guess her sidetrack too much I actually think I do feel he's genuine I do have

[5:07] respect for him like that because I feel that look if people are genuine in this search then let them let them search wherever that search takes them if they're genuine in their think some people sometimes you come across them X Muslims they can be very kind of vile very toxic very kind of a bitter hateful spiteful vindictive towards Islam any opportunity they get they hate hate hate hate and always a straw man effect and stuff like this they do a lot of that and I do and there are Lorex Muslims and but I'm

[5:47] just saying the vibe I get generally and I don't I haven't don't follow him that closely but the vibe I get whenever I do see some posts from Abdullah Samir are usually that he's trying to be feared this is what I I feel usually now so ok so he's put this post so the reason why am I saying this is I'm against any like I want to respond to this I want to show that that's not true the Quran does not permit pedophilia and I will show that in a moment but I want to also highlight this is not about like what I don't want to see is people attacking him as a

[6:25] person attack the argument but not the person okay so that's really important and that is from the adapt that is from the the character of the Prophet as well you know this if you if we claim to be Muslim then we ought to be showing a good example you know we if we we are saying that the Messenger of Allah was rahmatan lil odd I mean he was a paragon of mercy for the whole world then we ought to be demonstrating that the onus is on us not on non-muslims to prove that we ought to

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment T-X4Lyns2vE/s/2. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/2/

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