Early version. Transcripts and tags are labelled by accuracy tier. A position is shown only after two independent reviews have found it in his own words.
24 answers in 14 recordings, 2016 to 2022. 17 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
Thought Evolution
2016answers checked positions2022
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.
Mufti Abu Layth holds that the Quran is not an exhaustive scientific textbook: its statement that everything is created in pairs is a general truth, and it tells people to explore how creation began rather than to reject knowledge absent from scripture.
“Allah wasn't trying to teach you an exhaustive scientific lesson he was giving you a general understanding of life that generally things come in pairs”
Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran's verses on creation in stages, growth from the earth and the single self are reconcilable with evolution, which he calls a scientific fact established through genetics, that Hawwa is not named in the Quran, and that those who accept evolution should not be called deviants.
“if you don't want to accept evolution you don't have to although it is pretty much a scientific fact now through genetics that we are connected all of life on Earth is connected”
Mufti Abu Layth says nobody claims human beings came from chimpanzees; they descend from a common ancestor.
“nobody has said homo the hominins are from chimpanzees so chimpanzees are panning you've got guerillin you've got homonym these all descend from a common ancestor”
Mufti Abu Layth says God sticking to the rules He created is not a restriction on Him.
“first of all he's the one who created them it's not that he's being forced to stick by them he says this is my son now you're never going to see it change”
Mufti Abu Layth says he holds that Adam was the father of humans with modern cognition and that the forbidden tree may have been a psychedelic plant that triggered the cognitive revolution, the Quran mentioning a tree rather than a fruit.
“adam alaihi salam i believe would have been the father of you know of of humans today with this modern cognitive explosion and having consciousness the way we do”
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.
