# Did classical scholars really say Quran 65:4 includes little girls?

*Steel-manning the objection: the commentators who did include little girls, and why their saying so is not the Quran*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/7/
- Date: 2019-07-25 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Reply to Abdullah Sameer's Allegation: The Quran Teaches Paedophilia | Mufti Abu Layth (22:06–24:43)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1326s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/

**Topics:** Contested verses; How to read the Quran; Atheists and polemicists

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Yes, some did: Mufti Abu Layth concedes that commentators such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi wrote that the phrase can include little girls, which he condemns as a mistake. He says their saying so is not the Quran saying so, and the evidence lies in how the passage opens.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth concedes that commentators such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi wrote that 65:4 can include little girls, condemns this as a mistake, and holds that a commentator's reading does not make the Quran say it.

**Evidence, his words at 22:53:** “scholars have said it does not mean that the Quran said it the Quran simply said those who do not have this who have not had this cycle” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-X4Lyns2vE&t=1373s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says he wants to steel-man rather than straw-man the objection, and concedes the real problem: many commentators of the past, great people whom Muslims love for their work, made a mistake. Scholars writing hundreds of years after the Prophet, such as Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi, wrote in their tafsirs that the phrase can also include little girls, which he utterly condemns and disagrees with as making no sense. He says the objector could fairly reply that al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Suyuti said so, and ask what the evidence is that it does not refer to little girls. His answer is that the scholars saying it does not mean the Quran said it: the Quran says only 'those who have not had this cycle', and the evidence lies in going back to the opening of the passage, which addresses the Prophet about divorcing women.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 65:4 (those who have despaired of menstruation, if you are in doubt, their iddah is three months, and those who have not menstruated; the pregnant until they give birth): https://quran.com/65/4
- Ibn Kathir
- al-Qurtubi
- Ibn al-Qayyim [?]
- al-Suyuti

## Transcript (machine tier, 22:06–24:43)

[21:35] that's the tough see he gives Abu Saud he mentions in his stuff see that this dimension no mention of anything to do with girls little girls or anything he just says is to do with women old age stuff like that now once again if not I fear the same thing you know it's just women old age those women who don't men straight stuff like this well do we have a problem first of all what is the challenge because I want to steal man not strong man these people's arguments the steel mine argue

[22:14] to steal mine their arguments you see the problem is many more faceting many of our scholars of the past have they have been part of the problem now they are great people we do love them adore them for all the great work they've done however we they've made a mistake they've made a mistake now many orlimar and we're talking not talking about people remember we took my people who are still hundreds of years after the Prophet but many scholars some so many hundred years after the Prophet them in

[22:53] the books have written India tough sieves ethnic a--there for example who to be for example who's like a thousand years after the Prophet like people like they have written in native seed oh this can also include little girls they have written this we utterly condemn that utterly disagree it makes no sense right now because these scholars have said it does not mean that the Quran said it the Quran simply said

[23:30] those who do not have this who have not had this cycle now how do we know first of all the Quran was speaking not because to be fair to to the ex Muslim they could say oh look but good to be said so even a kassir said so if North I am said so generality in a suti said so so surely how you know what's your evidence and this doesn't refer to little girls okay evidence evidence will give you it says though as though these

[24:10] verses would have known of this challenge it's as though we go back to the very beginning of these verses that I've read to you just as we opened up this section yeah a you Hanabi in that the luck tom o prophet when you divorce and Missa women we mean not girls

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment T-X4Lyns2vE/s/7. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t-x4lyns2ve/s/7/

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