Research › Dialogue and responses
65 answers in 33 recordings, 2014 to 2021. 13 with a checked position in his own words.
Indexed so far: 259 of 1,859 recordings (1,904 answers, 2014 to 2025). Anything below may change as the rest are indexed. Limits of the data
Oldest first. A checked position shows what he holds, then the sentence he says, word for word from the transcript, with its moment. Years without one list the answers that have not been checked yet. Recordings not yet indexed may hold more.
· What does Mufti Abu Layth hope to achieve?
Mufti Abu Layth says he feels the outlook of the school of Madinah, the Maliki madhhab, is greatly needed in the West.
“I feel that this is a perspective or an outlook on the dean which is so needed in the west”
26:10TranscriptCite 2014-07-02-S08corrected
· What is Mufti Abu Layth currently teaching?
Mufti Abu Layth says he believes the principles of the school of Madinah would lend the deen an angle that makes it comfortable for people in the West to embrace it themselves.
“because I do believe it would lend a an angle it would let lend some type of light to the dean that would afford great com comfortability almost for people to embrace the Deen themselves”
54:21TranscriptCite 2015-04-06-S14corrected
· Do Muslims online have the right to demand evidence about a scholar's private life?
Mufti Abu Layth holds that the public is not a court and has no jurisdiction to demand or weigh evidence about a person's private life, and that everyone has a right to a personal life.
“there's no evidence to bring we are not a court this is not court right none of you are have jurisdiction there is no evidence to bring”
37:27TranscriptCite 2017-09-29-S12corrected
· Is it worth studying at a madrasa?
Mufti Abu Layth says the madrasa is an awesome place if one can bring critical thought, evaluation and application to it, and that otherwise it will further dogmatise one.
“bring some of those qualities of thinking critical thought evaluation application these kind of things to the table if you can do that motherís a is an awesome place if you can't it will further just dogma ties you”
15:16TranscriptCite 2018-02-15-S03corrected
· Why do other scholars not see what Mufti Abu Layth sees about the return of Jesus?
Mufti Abu Layth says that belonging to no sect frees him to follow whatever makes sense in light of the Quran and Sunnah, while scholars bound to a group fear expressing views their group rejects.
“then you have no allegiance to a group think tality all you then need is for something to make sense to you like I don't fear a group backlash against me”
32:23TranscriptCite 2018-03-13-S09corrected
· Shaykh Abdul Majid's civility; the 'Mufti' remark clarified; music in front of one's daughters
Mufti Abu Layth says that not wanting something done in front of one's daughters does not make it haram, since everything has its time and place, and that he does not consider such things haram.
“just because you wouldn't do things in front of certain people doesn't mean that you consider those things wrong”
2:30:30TranscriptCite 2018-03-13-S40corrected
· Can people with very different religious views still talk with respect?
Mufti Abu Layth says that people holding very different positions can and should sit together, talk with respect and enjoy each other's company, and that this is the conduct Muslims need to return to, in keeping with the Prophet's great character.
“and yet you can sit and talk with respect and you can enjoy each other's company walk away thinking you know what that was a solid kind of sitting even though we disagree on so many things”
5:08TranscriptCite 2018-04-20b-S02corrected
· Backdrop to BukhariGate: a widespread debate, his training, and transparency
Mufti Abu Layth says that questioning Sahih al-Bukhari does not diminish the religion and that scholars should discuss its problems transparently rather than ask for the discussion to be kept private.
“i feel that we need transparency we need to be honest because we are in an age of information it's you know covering up things isn't going to cut it anymore”
5:12TranscriptCite 2018-08-30-S01corrected
· Message to critics: criticise truthfully, not with lies
Mufti Abu Layth says he does not accept folkloric, medievalist interpretations of Islam, which he feels are not compatible with this day and age.
“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”
12:46TranscriptCite 2020-04-07-S04corrected
· Why don't you open an Islamic academy?
Mufti Abu Layth says he feels institutions and academies suck the soul and life out of an individual.
“you see institutions acmy they I feel kind of suck the soul and life out of an individual”
1:35:18TranscriptCite 2021-01-19-S23corrected
· Is Mufti Abu Layth against Imam Bukhari?
Mufti Abu Layth says he has never been against Imam Bukhari, whom he regards as an outstanding though fallible hadith scholar, but holds that the book reaching us was altered in transmission, so reports in it that disrespect the prophets or concern killing should be treated with caution.
“he wasn't a prophet and he wasn't infallible and you have to remember the book that comes to us from him 100 of it is probably not from him but maybe 90 of it was his”
1:34:36TranscriptCite 2021-01-26b-S20corrected
· Did Mufti Abu Layth say incest is natural, and is homosexuality unnatural?
Mufti Abu Layth says he never said incest is natural; he said that calling homosexuality unnatural is not scientifically accurate because it occurs in most species, while one may still hold it haram, and he cited Imam Malik's ruling not to interfere in other people's way of life.
“So to say the statement that homosexuality is not natural, it's not scientifically accurate and it's not a it's not to to make statements about nature is not the realm of religion.”
59:50TranscriptCite 2021-04-06-S10corrected
· How often does Mufti Abu Layth change his views, and is that a weakness?
Mufti Abu Layth says that when compelling evidence comes he changes his view, that developing one's opinions over life is a hallmark of intelligence, and he advises everyone to investigate and do the same.
“I've changed views and opinions where I found counter evidence. I've investigated uh topics and research them. And I advise you all to do the same.”
1:39:31TranscriptCite 2021-04-06-S17corrected
How many of these answers cite each (guest speech left out). Cited means named as evidence or discussed, not necessarily accepted: open the answers to see which.
These answers state a view in order to discuss it, often to reject it. They are never read as his position.
Cite a statement by its id: Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment id, with the date and the address of its page. Citation formats
