# Is Mufti Abu Layth a Mu'tazili?

*Why isn't he a Mu'tazili? Because he is Sunni; the 'super rationalist' label as propaganda*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wmzc28plysq/s/1/
- Date: 2021-03-15 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Why isn't Mufti from the Mu'tazilah? | Mufti Abu Layth (0:01–2:24)
- Status: a more recent answer exists: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/oyiipehuiha/s/23/; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmzC28PLYSQ&t=1s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wmzc28plysq/

**Topics:** Creed and the schools of theology; The Mufti and the channel

**Question as asked:** Why aren't you a Mu'tazili?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth is not a Mu'tazili because he is Sunni. The Mu'tazila were an early faction defined by their view of sinners, and calling them 'super rationalists' is later Sunni propaganda.

## Longer summary

Asked why he is not a Mu'tazili (the name is garbled in the captions throughout the recording), Mufti Abu Layth answers that he is Sunni, and likens the question to asking someone why he is not a Roman Catholic, complaining that people are not happy to let others be. He describes the Mu'tazila as an early extremist, heretical faction who believed that anyone who committed a sin was no longer a Muslim. He says that much history is streamlined in hindsight to look as though a neat theme played out, which is only people's interpretation. He says that calling the Mu'tazila 'super rationalists' is wrong and part of propaganda that later Sunnis devised to resolve crises within their theology.

## Sources and names cited

- Mu'tazila
- Sunni
- Isma'ili
- Roman Catholic Church

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:01–2:24)

[0:01] why aren't you a mata quran first muslim says because i'm sunni why should i be mata you know this is this is the problem people are not happy just letting you be they're like yeah why ain't you a roman catholic like because i'm not a roman but why ain't you a roman catholic you're like but i'm i'm not a roman catholic but but why ain't you acha but why you're protestant then [Laughter]

[0:39] why you ismailia you seem to uh you know you have to remember look the sila were an extremist faction in islam they were heretics and they believed anybody who committed a sin was no longer a muslim you know later what happens is you see you have to understand something a lot of history is it's made to look neat and

[1:19] it gets kind of streamlined and presented in a particular way where it looks as though it's it had a theme playing out but this is just in hindsight it doesn't really work like that this is just people's interpretation of what they took so the who are amongst the early sects of islam you know today the mata

[1:57] when people speak about them they assume that they're these they call them these super rationalists which is stupid calling them that this is just part of propaganda that later latter-day sunnis had to come up with to resolve certain crises that they were facing within theology it's not look

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment WmzC28PLYSQ/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wmzc28plysq/s/1/

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