# Is The Satanic Verses a critique of Islam or an insult?

*Insult, not critique: Mufti Abu Layth's verdict on the novel*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/8/
- Date: 2022-08-19 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Salman Rushdie & The Satanic Verses | Mufti Abu Layth (42:08–44:48)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0pHQRNJjBY&t=2528s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/

**Topics:** Blasphemy, insult and free speech; Book Lounge and book reviews

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says the novel is an insult rather than a critique, since it makes no argument and only portrays the Prophet and his wives offensively.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth adds that Gibril also has visions of a promised imam fighting a woman named Aisha, which he thinks may be a play on Shia themes, and that most of the novel is about its two main characters. He says Rushdie knows what he is doing and that there is nothing about criticising a religion in the book: it does not argue against Islam or make a point, but is rude and offensive for its own sake, like claiming a right to insult someone's mother. He notes that Rushdie argues in his talks that without criticism of religion there would have been no reformations, citing Copernicus and the Protestants, and replies that portraying the Prophet as deluded and his wife as the most popular prostitute is no critique of Islam, adding that Rushdie later admitted in interviews that he was talking about the Prophet.

## Sources and names cited

- The Satanic Verses (novel)
- Salman Rushdie
- Copernicus

## Transcript (machine tier, 42:08–44:48)

[41:35] um venom that salman rushdie spews towards islam and the unimaginable harm that it does to muslims because look there is nothing and the rest of the story sure it is about just this saladin champion and this jibril first and right through to the end and the kind of other trips and the other visions so at one point you really first is picturing the imam the promised imam and it's this cult is this delusional guy who's fighting against this woman called aisha once again a bit

[42:12] of a play on maybe the shia kind of thing going on there but he's using it and how the imam has all this security around him maybe that's he's nesting in maybe this that kind of maybe not but it seems to reflect a bit of that but the point is that okay he says but most of the book is a novel i mean the book is a novel sorry but most of it is just about these two characters sure but look he knows what he's doing and there's nothing about criticizing a religion in that it's just about insulting a religion it's just about being rude and offensive

[42:51] because you believe you have the right to just be rude it's like i go out and i believe i have the right to just say you if you you your mom's like this you you're like this why because i believe i have the right to speak it's my right to speak no but no human society operates like that the book is just pure vile and to say that in this brothel each of these 12 women who have the names corresponding to the wives of the prophet and then the biggest amongst them to say that and then becomes the wife of

[43:30] the prophet and it's yes do you see what i mean the sheer kind of hatred that this man has it's absolutely it just comes forth and you can see it from him and there's nothing this book does nothing it doesn't argue against islam it doesn't bring a point it's not about look he he makes a point in one of his conferences he says if we're not allowed to criticize religion then we where would we be sure because he's saying that look people

[44:10] criticized religion and therefore they had reformations sure you've got you know you've got several reformations have taken place he speaks of in one of his conferences about copernicus okay about martin luther about the you know not martin protestants and the whole thing see sure where is your critique of islam what that you're just going to say that old the prophet was this this person who was delusional and he

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment T0pHQRNJjBY/s/8. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/t0phqrnjjby/s/8/

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