# Closing: the guest's projects, his statement of faith, and a safe space for views

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/36/
- Date: 2020-12-11 · Kind: announcement · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Dr Javad T. Hashmi | Axis of Morality & Archetypal Myths in the Quran | MindTrap 46 |Mufti Abu Layth (2:47:50–2:54:04)
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsz48lX_WI&t=10070s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/

**Topics:** Guest conversations

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The guest describes his planned article and book, affirms that he believes the Quran is divine revelation and that his views are legitimate, and Mufti Abu Layth says no one has the authority to silence learned opinions by calling them misguided.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says they never reached jihad and hopes to have the guest back, and asks about his projects. The guest says he hopes to publish an article on the book with his colleague within six months and eventually a book on the topics discussed, with Yasir Qadhi as his main interlocutor, whom he hopes will reciprocate respectfully; he is not active on social media but has a YouTube channel. He adds a disclaimer that he believes the Quran is divine revelation and is a believing and practising Muslim, that his views rearticulate a long tradition of believing Muslim philosophers and are legitimate, and that they help answer orientalists, Islamophobes and missionaries. Mufti says people with learned opinions need a safe place to express them, that such views may bring comfort to some, and that nobody has the authority to shut people down by calling them misguided or kafir, and he closes the episode with thanks and jokes.

## Sources and names cited

- Dr Javad T. Hashmi (guest)
- Yasir Qadhi
- takfir

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:47:50–2:54:04)

[2:47:42] So much uh information. We never got round to discussing the jihad aspect and there's a few other things as well. So inshallah maybe I'd love to uh get you on again and get uh inshallah your whole take on that because that's very interesting as well and that's what your thesis uh was. Uh are there certain things you're doing currently if people want to connect with you or they should tune in to certain things that you're doing any any projects to be very so the project that I'm working on right now is the side project which is what I've been talking about this entire time which is translating this uh and going through this book and

[2:48:20] so I do hope that to publish an article with my colleague Azie um in hopefully within six months but you never know the academic world is very slow I have all sorts of PhD requirements. Um, and then eventually the hope is to write a book as well on this topic um that we've been discussing today. I've pretty much laid out my all my arguments.

[2:48:47] I'm going to do it in a little bit more systematic fashion. Uh, it will be my main interlocutor will be uh Yaser Kadi. And I say that uh not I I don't mean to put him down in that way. That's actually an honor that you pick. You want to pick a good interlocutor, an intelligent interlocutor. So, I want to do him that honor and I hope that he can reciprocate in a respectful manner. But, um, that's all I hope for. Or ignore me.

[2:49:12] That's probably what's going to happen. I'm not I'm a nobody. But, um, the point is that uh that's that's in the short term my plan. So, I'm not very active on social media, unfortunately, right now. Uh, I do have a YouTube um channel that you can subscribe to. I occasionally put things up there. Um, but at at the current moment I'm working on my academic stuff. I think it'll take me at least a year or more before I really do anything public facing.

[2:49:38] And so just stay tuned is all I can say. And I and that's why I'm very grateful that you even had me on because I haven't had anything public. So it's amazing. It's quite nice that you had me on before I even I mean right now these things are just in my mind. They haven't Yeah. And I I I I really enjoyed the the perspectives, the discussion, the um and being able to then you see the great thing is being able to I suppose ask you to unpack certain things as you're expressing them as opposed to if I just read it somewhere and then I wouldn't be sure well does the person mean this?

[2:50:10] Do they mean that? And it's been amazing. I think this it's always refreshing to see something different whether you agree with it or not. I mean, even though I'm not on board with the whole uh legend story, but I I do appreciate it as a theory and I think that Okay, that's interesting that you know and you're working on that. Okay, that that's good stuff. I I'll put up a a link if you like uh in the description to your YouTube channel.

[2:50:39] I appreciate that. Yeah. And people do if the man the myth people Dr. Javad Hashmi do reach it. Can I can I just say one last little thing? I just need to make a disclaimer. So the disclaimer is that I do want to affirm that I believe that the Quran is divine revelation inspired to him by God and that uh I am a believing and practicing Muslim. Um and I do not think that these views that I have articulated which really is just my own rearticulation of a previous scholar who's rearticulating um a long tradition of these kind of thoughts from the Islamic philosophers.

[2:51:17] they were all believing Muslims and this is a valid and legitimate viewpoint to have uh and I believe um that we should have the open-mindedness to consider these and these will serve as a uh as uh it's but it will serve as a means of blocking us from the attacks of many of the orientalists and uh Islamophobes and Christian missionaries who are attacking us on these points.

[2:51:47] 100% what I have articulated is one means I think it's a convincing uh theory have to take you have to bite a big bullet to to do it but I think it's a systematic way of understanding religion that is a way of being a more sophisticated believer in a time of rampant unbelief thanks yeah no shukran and I think that's very important that look it is important for people to you see if if they have especially since you have a very learned opinion.

[2:52:18] If people have opinions, especially when they learn it, not just, you know, somebody having an opinion on something, it is important that people have a safe place to be able to express them. And there's many people that it will resonate with and it will bring comfort to them about the dean even if the opinions are not held by. I mean, I I I come up with opinions. I explain them. I'm sure many people think I don't agree with what MUI is saying but to other people it may give them some solace.

[2:52:47] It is not. Nobody has the authority to try to shut people down by saying you know oh my god this is misguidance or you're a kafir or you're uh that's ne you know that is not the authority that Allah gives people although that's why your platform is so amazing and what you're doing um you're providing that platform on mind track so uh god bless you for that and I hope you continue your show is a big hit and you're definitely on the way to be the Muslim from Joe Rogan.

[2:53:18] So, [laughter] you got the muscles for us. I'm going to get that one. Say that again. [laughter] Again. I said you have a better than Joe Rogan. Right. Well, I'm going to send one of my private jets to bring you in next time, inshallah. Take and shook. And once again, people, I'm going to put up the exit page. If you haven't already liked, subscribed, uh then you know some of those gins, we're going to be sending them your way people.

[2:53:47] So [laughter] do like, do share, do spread the love and the f and as I say much love, have an awesome day wherever you are. So,

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment ZAsz48lX_WI/s/36. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zasz48lx_wi/s/36/

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