# Message to critics: criticise truthfully, not with lies - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/z__38zt8flq/s/4/ - Date: 2020-04-07 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Misrepresenting Mufti | Mufti Abu Layth (12:46–15:59) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z__38zt8FlQ&t=766s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/z__38zt8flq/ **Topics:** Responses to critics; The Mufti and the channel; Islam and modernity **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth believes in Allah and His Messenger but rejects folkloric, medieval readings of Islam. He asks critics to attack his real views, not lies. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he does not accept folkloric, medievalist interpretations of Islam, which he feels are not compatible with this day and age. **Evidence, his words at 12:46:** “your folkloric and maybe kind of medievalist kind of veneers that you give Islam I don't accept I don't feel that it's compatible with this day and age” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z__38zt8FlQ&t=766s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says he believes in Allah and His Messenger but does not accept what he calls twisted, folkloric and medievalist interpretations of Islam, which he feels are not compatible with this day and age, nor presentations of Islam as barbaric and anti-rights. He says that by the end of the conversation the man he met was respectful and said he agreed with much of what Mufti said. He challenges anyone to show a Muslim who became an atheist because of him, saying he can show people who left Islam and came back through his teaching. He says he will keep his humour and his counter-cultural opinions, and asks critics at least to be truthful in what they attribute to him, since much of his mission has been to defend the honour of the Prophet. ## Transcript (machine tier, 12:46–15:59) [12:09] yeah I look at me I mean I see here teaching I say in a t-shirt I have a goatee I've done this I have an earring for God's sake you know like does it look like I care about what people's opinions are I've been teaching a lot of what I've taught has been counterculture I've been teaching for a few years now does it look like I get offended by oh you know people's simple opinions on me if I was an atheist oh I'm so scared to announce it the truth is that I believe in Allah I believe in his messenger yes [12:46] your twisted interpretations of Islam your folkloric and maybe kind of medievalist kind of veneers that you give Islam I don't accept I don't feel that it's compatible with this day and age and I don't accept it I and that I'm out right about I'm not nothing hidden about that and I don't accept the the way that you present Islam as barbaric and very anti rights and anti humanism and anti all of these things and just tell people to accept it and sectarianism so these are the things out I I brought this up because it was a very interesting conversation I had with this program and it was interesting that [13:25] by the end of the conversation the amount of its for me it was very interesting to see that when this person was speaking to me the amount of respect that he then had even though I could tell when he first met me that you know he had all this kind of old this is the stuff I'm teaching and and you know and I'm sure like all this kind of aggression and an upset kind of emotions bottled up within and then by the end of it he was so respectful and saying that I not only understand I agree with a lot of what you're saying I mean this this actually makes a lot of sense so I [14:03] wanted a share and I said and and this is something you know coming to this atheism I said what a lot and I've said this before that look if you think yes I I may be different but if you think what I'm preaching is atheism then show me one Muslim who's become an atheist because of me because of me and I can show you so many mullahs who because of them people have become atheist but I can show you many people who doubted Islam who've left Islam and have come [14:40] back because of because of what they've heard me say about Islam so these this message I wanted to make this very clear that yes I do have a joke in a laugh yes I do and that is my temperament that is my personality and I will continue to do that I do have opinions that are counterculture and I will continue to do that and I will teach the way I teach but I wanted this message to be very clear that if you are gonna teach about me and teach hate about me then teach hate about things truthfully at least be truthful you know say that look he says [15:19] this and this is stupid but don't just say don't teach people that what this guy is doing is he's teaching people secretly that you should all hate the Prophet and you should all do things like this and when a huge part of my mission has simply being to defend the honor of the prophet salallahu alaihe wasalam so I had to say these people because it was really kind of you know I'd to get it off my heart and I wanted you all to hear that and and to pass this message on to people when they say these things that let this part and I will make this a separate clip go far and wide in jail ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment z__38zt8FlQ/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/z__38zt8flq/s/4/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.