Research › Fiqh and daily practice
20 answers in 12 recordings, 2017 to 2025. 12 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.
· Can I brush my teeth with toothpaste or use mouthwash while fasting?
Mufti Abu Layth says he would encourage all people to brush their teeth when they are fasting.
“so I would actually encourage people I would encourage all people to brush their teeth when they're fast especially”
5:44TranscriptCite 2017-05-17-S01corrected
· Should Muslims in the UK follow Saudi Arabia for moon sighting?
Mufti Abu Layth says that, since the UK cannot follow its own sighting, it would make sense to follow countries sharing its horizon such as Morocco.
“given the fact that we're in the UK and we can't really go with our own region in that sense then looking at our Horizon countries like Morocco”
3:19TranscriptCite 2017-05-17b-S01corrected
· Should I pray 8 or 20 rak'ahs of tarawih?
Mufti Abu Layth says he would go with and promote the understanding that tarawih has no set number, with eight, the least the Prophet prayed, as the base and anything above it valid.
“I would actually go with that understanding and promote it that we know that the least amount the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam prayed was eight. So, you have that base kind of number. And anything above that is is valid,”
4:01TranscriptCite 2017-05-17c-S01corrected
· If I drank alcohol, are my prayers and fasts rejected for 40 days?
Mufti Abu Layth says the salah and fast of someone who has drunk alcohol or taken drugs remain valid.
“so the fasts the Salah is valid still and if once again things like alcohol and drugs are bad they are wrong”
10:16TranscriptCite 2019-05-24-S01corrected
· Does a nicotine patch or vaping break my fast?
Mufti Abu Layth says wearing a nicotine patch does not violate the fast.
“patch is fine people it does not violate the fast right so this has been discussed by the grande Maliki mufti of his era”
1:17TranscriptCite 2019-05-25-S01corrected
Mufti Abu Layth says his own advice and ruling is for a fasting smoker to resort to nicotine patches rather than smoke.
“I would advise people my own advice my own ruling is to resort to patches but these fatwas do exist and people have given them”
7:06TranscriptCite 2019-05-25-S02corrected
· 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
· Why does Ramadan fall in different seasons each year?
Mufti Abu Layth says that in his view the calendar in the Prophet's time was lunisolar, kept aligned with the seasons by an intercalary month, nasi, and that Ramadan probably began to rotate through the year only after the practice lapsed during the expansion of the state.
“the islamic calendar in essence was a uh it was a kind of luna solar calendar”
1:24:16TranscriptCite 2021-04-13-S23corrected
· Are the devils really chained up during Ramadan?
Mufti Abu Layth says no verse speaks of hell during Ramadan, and that the hadith on the devils being chained means that doing good becomes easier in the shared spirit of the month.
“no there's no verses like that about hellfire and ramadan etc but this hadith saying that the shayateen will be locked up and stuff and basically that just means it'll be easier to do good deeds”
2:58:11TranscriptCite 2021-04-13-S43corrected
· Can I fast for a fixed 12 hours when the days are very long?
Mufti Abu Layth says one may follow any reasonable fasting timetable, and that he endorses the fatwa that a fast of twelve hours or more is valid for those who need it, whose need others may not judge.
“i feel that fatwa is valid for people who need it how do you know you need it well i'm not nobody can judge that”
3:25:43TranscriptCite 2021-04-13-S48corrected
· Can I skip fasting because of work, exams or health, and what do I do instead?
Mufti Abu Layth says whether one can fast is one's own decision, that those who cannot should make the fast up later or, if their situation will not change, give fidya on the apparent reading of 2:184, and that fasting is a personal commitment, not a punishment.
“in that case i would say that you give fidya for each day that you miss okay and this is based on the apparent reading of the quran”
3:28:57TranscriptCite 2021-04-13-S49corrected
· I don't feel spiritual in Ramadan; am I a bad Muslim?
Mufti Abu Layth says not feeling the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan or hajj is no reflection of a person's faith and no cause for guilt, since worship is not measured by how it feels.
“it's not a reflection of your faith okay it's not it's just you know some people may not vibe with certain kind of things”
3:35:18TranscriptCite 2021-04-13-S50corrected
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
