# Does Islam stand the test of reason, and why should Muslims not fear examining it? *Certainty over tolerated faith: the hadith of the grave and taking reason back* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/uuldzklvxvo/s/7/ - Date: 2018-04-09 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: The Role Of Reason In Religion - Mufti Abu Layth (36:33–41:47) - Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuLDZkLvxvo&t=2193s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/uuldzklvxvo/ **Topics:** Reason and revelation; The grave and the barzakh; Islam and modernity **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says he has certainty that Islam has stood the test of reason as well as time, that the hadith of the grave condemns faith that merely repeats what people say, and that Muslims must take reason back rather than shy away. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he has certainty that Islam has stood the test of reason as well as of time, that Muslims owe it to Islam to measure it openly, and that the hadith of the grave in which the dead person says he merely repeated what people said is evidence that reason is required in faith. **Evidence, his words at 36:57:** “i tell you i have that much certainty this is me as a personal person might as a personal opinion and conviction in islam that it has stood not only the test of time but the test of reason” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuLDZkLvxvo&t=2217s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says that if someone wants to build their iman on such arguments that is the tolerated level of Islam, but they should not try to stop people who want to believe Islam with certainty; those who do so act out of insecurity and fear of finding things that do not make sense. He states as his personal conviction that Islam has stood not only the test of time but the test of reason, that Muslims owe it to Islam to measure it openly, and that fear along the way is part of the journey of faith. He cites a sahih hadith found in Bukhari and other books about the questioning in the grave, in which the person who does not know his Lord says he heard people saying something and went along with it, and is told that he neither knew nor followed; this, he says, is the evidence of all who say reason must be used in Islam. In a time when religion is being tested, he says, people cannot afford to shy away; Islam has never failed the test, and where an interpretation clashes with reason it must be re-evaluated. To those who say he is sucking up to the West out of insecurity, he replies that he simply wants to know Islam to be true, as Allah commands. His key message is that religion, with Islam at the forefront, is being shredded and mocked, so Muslims must take back the reason Allah gave them and show that Islam is the voice of reason, examining openly anything in it said to clash with reason. ## Sources and names cited - report: i heard people saying something so i said it - Sahih al-Bukhari - iman ## Transcript (machine tier, 36:33–41:47) [36:19] being serious I mean this is so if that's what you're building your faith on that is weaker than a spiderweb as Allah says in the Quran that the weakest of abode is that of a spiderweb when Oh Hannibal buttes lobby to Lanka but-- i said look if you want to build your iman on that then that's fine that's that kind of tolerated level of islam but don't you try to knock people who want to believe islam with certainty like why are you trying to stop them and [36:57] the truth is that people do this because of insecurities they're scared they do this because they're scared that they're gonna find things that are not going to make sense but i tell you i have that much certainty this is me as a personal person might as a personal opinion and conviction in islam that it has stood not only the test of time but the test of reason we me we owe it to islam to [37:35] measure it open to show that one it doesn't hold on reasonable things but it does stand this test of reason and yes there will be people who are scared along the way but that is the journey of faith you see look it doesn't mean people these people have insecurities we all have insecurities all have insecurities I'll get scared thinking you know whoa what's this about but then we've got a reason we've got a look there is a sahi hadith you see this is the thing there is a sahih hadith which is mentioned in many [38:13] books including Behar eternity and several other and it talks about like when a person has died and when he's asked by the Angels the famous hadith of Munro book and what is your teen who is your Lord and whatever and what does it say about the person that says that that doesn't know he says that he says the person says it begins by kind of exclaiming that hahaha like as an agony he says that laterally I don't know Samir I turn a sayako Luna fasts America Maya cool I just heard people say this and I just went with them I went with the flow and [38:51] the response is lad the raita well at later well at the data you did not know what you were doing you didn't truly follow and neither will you truly guide it this is by the way the evidence of all those people who say that you have to use reason in Islam so I think that it's important to accept that look yes there are insecurities and yes it is scary but we are living in a time when religion is being so tested we can't afford to shy away [39:29] you can't did you is ain't the time to be scared and there is up until now look each one it's not this isn't just about me each person this is your journey this is people this orlimar all over the world they people are putting Islam to the test it has never failed yes there are certain understanding certain interpretations that people may have that may clash they might find problematic that's when you need to re-evaluate you need to think well what's going on here let me give you an [40:08] example like Allah says in the Quran you see because people today think this is a what I'm they think what I'm saying so so many people have said to me you know what you're doing is just to kind of suck up to the to the West this is your insecurities this is what they say to me this is your insecurities okay fine it's my insecurities because I want to know it to be true like if you why is that a problem like you you're unhappy with me wanting to know that Islam is the truth like you feel that no I should want to know I should just follow and I do [40:46] follow but I say what does Allah say animal know with certainty so these are the kind of this is the key message today Islam is being on religion as a whole with a capital R in Islam at the forefront is being sliced it's being distorted it's being shredded to pieces people are mocking religion they're mocking Islam we are in so desperate times that we need to resume we need to [41:24] take back what Allah gave us and told us this reason we need to take it back and show that Islam is the voice of reason why is it not the voice of reason what is there in Islam that clashes with reason and if there is something categorical okay let's face it let's see what it is why are we you know why are we shying away because that's not how because otherwise people are gonna people are going to leave the faith in droves they're gonna be you know there's so many people that today scientists atheists are telling them that look your religion is a joke it's like this it's like that and Muslims ain't helping Muslims are kind of going along saying ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment UuLDZkLvxvo/s/7. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/uuldzklvxvo/s/7/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.