# What does Mufti Abu Layth think of Shaykh Saqib Shaami?

*Thoughts on Shaykh Saqib Shaami: influence, spirituality and turning lives around*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/v8ploq2vpuy/s/1/
- Date: 2019-08-17 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: My Thoughts on Shaykh Saqib Shaami | Mufti Abu Layth (0:00–4:47)
- Status: a more recent answer exists: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/8xuhmcz2n3u/s/32/; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pLoq2vpUY&t=0s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/v8ploq2vpuy/

**Topics:** Views on contemporary scholars; Sufism and tasawwuf

**Question as asked:** What do you think of Pir Saqib Shaami?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth respects Saqib Shaami for turning people lost to drugs and crime into good human beings and finds his influence in the East unique for a Western-raised shaykh. He sees him as focused on spirituality and tasawwuf rather than academic or contemporary intellectual issues.

## Longer summary

Asked what he thinks of Pir Saqib Shaami, Mufti Abu Layth says he is one of the mashayikh of tasawwuf with his own tariqa, which he believes is Chishti [?], whose followers write 'Saqibi' after their names. He says he does not know him well but thinks he is very intelligent for what he has achieved, and that he has a unique and intriguing influence over people: he is, in Mufti's view, the only Western-raised scholar, imam or pir with an influence in the East, which is otherwise unheard of, since the only Western shaykhs with such influence were established in the East before migrating. On knowledge, he says he does not get the impression that Saqib Shaami tackles academic or ilmi issues or the contemporary challenges to Islam such as atheism, and that his thing is spirituality and tasawwuf. He adds that he has heard, and seen for himself, that many people who were lost causes, in densely Muslim parts of Birmingham such as Alum Rock and Aston, lost to drugs, addiction and crime, have had their lives turned around by him into kind-hearted human beings, and that this alone deserves a salute and his respect; the other things are not his own concern, but he respects him for that.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Saqib Shaami
- the Chishti tariqa [?]
- tariqah (Sufi order)
- tasawwuf
- pir

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:00–4:47)

[0:00] so yeah what do you think of Pierce active chamois hi hi sock evesham isa damn advocate Amalia Sacopee Amitabh is also one of these Messiah of some wolf he has his own tariqa I believe I think is it misty tariqa I think it is and I think it's a Trish T but his followers so I'm pretty sure they right Trish T that's the name of the order they write sake B after their names

[0:35] you know I shave Oh peer Sahib Shami Sahib I don't you know what do I think of him I don't know like I think he is I think it's very intelligent for what he's done and achieved he's definitely very intelligent for having achieved what he achieved you know he's he has a unique kind of influence over people which is quite intriguing actually because he's the only British British as

[1:14] in Western scholar or Western Imam or beer or che who has an influence in the East it's never heard of I'm telling you it's never heard of like the only time you could be like a Western Sheikh having an influence in the East is if you are actually from the east as in you were you know like you were already there and established as a Shaykh there and then you came over here there's no such thing as you kind of being raised here and being a troop like if I can

[1:53] that's what I mean by a westerner I don't I know if I can just use this loosely right now I'm not trying to get into an immigration debate but what I mean by like a Western Imam or shares is one who's raised here not like somebody who has kind of migrated here after being established in a different like in the east it's unheard of so sake Shami Sahib has definitely beer SAP has you know he's he has some amazing influence which is definitely all striking I mean in terms of knowledge and things like that I don't really

[2:32] think he tackles any ill me issues I don't think he tackles academic issues I don't even think he's inclined towards the academia side of Islam or the enemy side of Islam the knowledge related side I don't think that's the impression I get it could be but it maybe he just doesn't it's not evident but I don't assume he's inclined that way or he's interested in deep you know those kind of biological discussions out there like let's say these are the challenges to Islam presented by atheism or modern contemporary context how do we respond

[3:11] to them I don't think that's his thing I think his thing is just about spirituality and that's as a wolf and that said I have heard that there's many people who if I can use the term excuse me for saying this but those people that were kind of totally utter lost causes that he has turned around and made them into very kind of kind-hearted or at least apparently kind-hearted human beings so I think if it's that alone then that deserves a salute you know like that if you can turn somebody into

[3:49] a good human being then I respect that that that in itself the other things you know you can do whatever I suppose whatever floats your boat it's not really my thing but I think this thing I do respect I think Sheriff Tommy has done that from people I've actually seen and come across so this isn't just that they were absolute lost causes so people around the Alum Rock area in Birmingham in some like the Aston area places like these that are densely Muslim and you've got a lot of people lost

[4:27] drugs last to drug addictions to this kind of like crime lifestyles that he's turned their lives around so I think that is an amazing thing so I respect him for that so cool so that's my opinion on him

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment v8pLoq2vpUY/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/v8ploq2vpuy/s/1/

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