Research › Fiqh and daily practice
35 answers in 17 recordings, 2016 to 2023. 28 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.
· Is it wrong to watch Bollywood films and TV series?
Mufti Abu Layth says that, in the bigger picture, he does not necessarily see movies or TV series as high on the priority list.
“given the the the bigger picture I don't necessarily see these things as up there on the priority list uh things like movies or TV series”
56:03TranscriptCite 2016-12-21-S09corrected
· Music: the hadith on singing and hypocrisy, and scholars who permitted music
Nothing proven categorically demonstrates that music is haram, lyrics by themselves do not make listening haram, and the hadith brought to forbid it, that singing breeds hypocrisy in the heart, is weak in every chain.
“there's nothing proven to categorically to demonstrate music is Haram and I think that's what I say enough and yes I add that lyrics do not make something Haram”
14:28TranscriptCite 2018-01-02-S04corrected
· 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
Mufti Abu Layth says music is not haram and is arguably the nourishment of the soul.
“music is not Haram music is arguably it is the nourishment of the soul okay and you can see the reality to that”
0:00TranscriptCite 2019-08-04b-S01corrected
· Is the hadith that singing breeds hypocrisy in the heart authentic?
Mufti Abu Layth says nothing categorically proves music to be haram and that lyrics do not make something haram even when they speak of sex or fighting, though one may not want to listen to them or let one's children do so.
“lyrics do not make something Haram so even if the words are talking or sexual or they're talking about things like fighting or things like that that does not make something Haram”
0:04TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S01corrected
· Which scholars held that music is permissible, and what did Imam Malik's school say?
Mufti Abu Layth holds that there is no sahih hadith prohibiting music, citing al-Shawkani, Ibn Hazm, Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi and al-Fakihani, and that since only Allah and His Messenger are authorities in religion, anyone refuting him must bring a sahih hadith.
“there isn't a single sahi hadith that you can bring in this pub Allah at least bring me a sahi hadith”
2:41TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S02corrected
· Is listening to music haram?
Mufti Abu Layth says that in his understanding music is not forbidden, since nothing in Islam is at once conclusive, sahih and explicit in prohibiting it, the Bukhari hadith speaks of entertainment rather than music, and the texts that name music are not authentic.
“the word doesn't actually say music it actually says entertainment but you seen that this the leave of interpretation going on and all the texts actually say music are not authentic”
12:09TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S03corrected
· Is music with explicit or violent lyrics haram?
Mufti Abu Layth says that lyrics do not make music haram, since Arabic poetry about sex and alcohol was recited in the Prophet's mosque, and that while he does not promote a culture of violence and drugs, people are intelligent enough to judge content for themselves.
“music is to do with the music it's not to do with the words that's a separate matter”
21:40TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S04corrected
· Who has the authority to declare music haram if God has not?
Mufti Abu Layth says God has not made music haram, so no one may make it haram, since the authentic hadith speak of entertainment rather than music and the scholars who prohibited it did so by their own interpretation.
“so if God didn't make it Haram who are we to make it Haram”
22:21TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S05corrected
· Is it haram to write or sing lyrics about alcohol?
Mufti Abu Layth says the scholars who called music haram gave their reasons but need not be followed blindly, since not all scholars said so and many challenged it from the Prophet's time on.
“we don't have to blindly follow them do you blindly follow all the scholars so then why are you blindly following these”
27:02TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S06corrected
· Why is everything permissible by default in Islamic law unless proven haram?
Mufti Abu Layth holds, as he says many Malikis of the school of Madinah did, that everything is conclusively permissible by default, because Allah created everything for us and pardoned what He was silent about, and that this certainty can be removed only by certainty, so when he calls something halal he is not making it so.
“that by default everything is conclusively permissible Allah has ordained everything to be permissible he says in the Quran”
32:38TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S07corrected
· If obscene lyrics make music haram, what about the classical Arabic poetry taught in madrasas?
Mufti Abu Layth says classical Arabic poetry, such as that of Abu Nuwas, the Hamasa and the Mu'allaqa of Imru' al-Qais, is full of violence, alcohol and sex much like rap lyrics and is taught in major madrasas, so treating rap differently is a double standard, and parents may set their own rules without attributing them to God.
“so my question is today this it's it's a kind of form of double standards look I get it look I get the fact that you don't like something”
46:07TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S08corrected
· Does sound exist if nobody hears it?
Mufti Abu Layth says that in reality the universe is colourless, soundless and odourless, since sound and colour exist only as a brain's interpretation of vibrations and waves.
“in reality the universe is actually colorless soundless odorless it is insipid it has no taste and it is silent that is a fact”
50:40TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S09corrected
· Why do people assume music must be haram before looking at any evidence?
Mufti Abu Layth says most people's judgement that music is haram comes from a preconceived ontology of religion, which treats entertainment and desire as opposed to religion, rather than from the texts, which serve only as confirmation bias.
“your backdrop is what actually guides you through religion believe it or not it's not actually the religion itself”
56:58TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S10corrected
· Why is celibacy praised despite a hadith against it while music is condemned without one?
Mufti Abu Layth says celibacy was praised in the tradition despite a sahih hadith condemning it, because it fits people's picture of religion as suffering and self-denial, whereas music, which has no sahih hadith against it, is condemned.
“it ties in with that backdrop of suffering and indulgence anti desires and tedious and its anti Islamic but it doesn't matter because it ties in with this backdrop”
1:05:49TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S11corrected
· What is Mufti Abu Layth's final verdict on whether music is haram?
Mufti Abu Layth holds that music is not haram, since the evidence does not support a prohibition and the default law makes everything permissible unless proven otherwise, and he calls music arguably the nourishment of the soul, citing its healing use in medieval Muslim hospitals.
“in my understanding music is not there's not harm because the evidence doesn't support it and the default law of defaults states that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise”
1:07:43TranscriptCite 2019-09-18-S12corrected
· Is it haram to show the Prophet in a movie?
Mufti Abu Layth says that, as Muslims, we definitely should not enact the Prophet in a movie.
“but as Muslims we shouldn't and as Muslims we shouldn't definitely shouldn't um kind of enact him like that in a movie”
1:59:33TranscriptCite 2020-08-04-S23corrected
Mufti Abu Layth says that of course music is permissible.
“of course first of all of course music is permissible but you see look how”
7:44TranscriptCite 2020-08-24-S02corrected
· Doesn't the practice of Medina show that music is haram?
Mufti Abu Layth says the living tradition does not necessarily indicate that music is prohibited.
“no not necessarily in fact what's interesting you see what's interesting is even though imam malik i accept he didn't like music”
28:39TranscriptCite 2020-08-24-S09corrected
· Is buying a scratch card or lottery ticket haram?
Mufti Abu Layth says gambling is haram, because gambling is highly addictive and destroys lives and families.
“i gambling is haram but i've mentioned that is gambling generally because gambling is highly addictive and it destroys lives and it destroys families”
2:05:10TranscriptCite 2020-09-22-S20corrected
· Is football really more haram than alcohol and gambling?
Mufti Abu Layth says a fatwa declaring football more haram than alcohol and gambling is the most ridiculous fatwa he has come across in recent times.
“Now, I'm not even into football, but I have to say that is the most ridiculous fatwa”
2:13TranscriptCite 2020-12-16-S01corrected
Mufti Abu Layth says video games are not haram.
“some imams are saying video games are Haram no video games ain't Haram”
37:12TranscriptCite 2021-01-19-S11corrected
· Is it halal to perform music or dance at concerts for a living?
Mufti Abu Layth says dance in and of itself is not haram.
“look dance in and of itself is not Haram but obviously there are sociocultural perspectives”
1:11:21TranscriptCite 2021-01-19-S18corrected
· Is it haram to watch Netflix?
Mufti Abu Layth says that of course watching Netflix is not haram.
“of course watching netflix is not haram what what a miserable life one would have if they lived in this day and age and did not watch some form of tv”
57:10TranscriptCite 2021-02-09-S10corrected
· Is it haram to hit someone in the face in boxing or MMA training?
Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith about not hitting the face was about discipline, not about training or practising the art of fighting.
“speaking on discipline mentioned that you shouldn't hit the face of each other oh it didn't say overchampion hit the face or just even casually with people but it wasn't talking about war training”
2:13:41TranscriptCite 2021-02-09-S27corrected
Mufti Abu Layth says playing chess is not haram.
“no playing chess is not haram um yeah chess wasn't there in the time of the prophet not amongst the immediate arabs”
1:51:49TranscriptCite 2021-02-16-S35corrected
· How can I nourish my soul this Ramadan?
Mufti Abu Layth says that what nourishes the soul includes reading even a little Quran daily, personal dua and charity, and more generally learning, poetry, art or meaningful music, whatever strengthens a person inwardly, adding that for him personally many voluntary prayers would not do so.
“things which strengthen your inner core and it it could be it could be learning it could be poetry it could be art it could be music I I'm being very serious”
2:07:03TranscriptCite 2021-04-06-S21corrected
· Is it haram for men to wear earrings?
Mufti Abu Layth says many of the great imams of the early period, Imam Malik among them, used to wear earrings.
“many of the Great imams in the early Islamic period especially in Arabia uh the great had the theme like Imam Malik like Sofia like all these people used to wear earrings”
13:22TranscriptCite 2023-03-10-S03corrected
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
