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September 7, 2011

The Shaikh Interprets a Prophetic Hadith to Mean Cars

From ’Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas, who said, I heard the Prophet of Allaah ﷺ say, “In the last [part] of my nation there will be men who ride on means that resemble saddles. They will alight at the doors of the mosques. Their women are clothed but naked. On their heads are [what appears to be] like the humps of [lean] camels. Curse them for they are cursed. If there were a nation from the nations to come after you, your women would serve them, just as the women of the nations that were before you served you.” Hasan

Shaikh al-Albaani mentioned another narration from al-Haakim which says, “They will mount their mayaathir until they come to the doors of their mosques,” commenting on this he said, “… the word mayaathir is the plural of meetharah and Ibn al-Athir described it as, “… smooth and soft, made out of silk or a silk brocade [heavy silk] which the rider places beneath him on the saddle on top of the camel.”

So now that you have come to know this, [you will understand that] al-Haakim’s narration explains that first one, and by combining between the two the meaning will be that the saddles which they mount will be smooth and soft, and that they will resemble saddles, i.e., in terms of how wide they are.

… and this means that these saddles which those men will ride on at the end of time are not real saddles which are placed on the back of horses, they only resemble saddles.

And if one bears in mind that [the word] ‘saddles’ [rihaal] is the plural of saddle [rahl] and that its explanation is as has been mentioned in Misbaah al-Munir and others, i.e., ‘Everything that is used to prepare for a journey, from a container for goods, to a saddle for a camel.’

When you come to know this, it will become clear to you, with the Permission of Allaah, that the Prophet ﷺ is alluding to those vehicles which have been invented in this era, i.e., cars.

For they are comfortable, soft, and tender, like saddles. And what supports this is the fact that he ﷺ called them, ‘houses,’ as occurs in another hadith which has preceded under number 93, but which, it became apparent later, contained some disconnection.

So the hadith contains another miraculous prophecy [which has come into being] other than the one related to the women who are clothed yet naked, indeed it is the one connected to their men who get in those cars and stop at the doors of the mosques.

And by the everlasting existence of Allaah, it is a true prophecy which we witness every Friday when cars gather in front of the mosques such that the roads, despite their being wide, become congested, [and then] men alight from them to witness the Friday prayer, and most of them do not [even] pray the five daily prayers, or at the very least they do not pray them in the mosques.

It is as though they have become content with praying the Friday prayer in place of the [five daily] prayers and for this reason they can be found in large numbers on Fridays, stopping with their cars in front of the mosques. The fruits of prayer are not seen on them and nor in their dealing with their women and daughters, so they, in truth, are those whose, ‘… women are clothed, yet naked …’

In addition to this, there is yet another manifestation which the hadith applies to totally: indeed it is what we see with cars following funeral processions during recent times. People get in them who lack goodness from the rich and affluent who have abandoned the prayer.

Such that when the car carrying the corpse stops and the body is taken into the mosque to be prayed over, those affluent ones remain in front of the mosque in their cars, maybe some of them will get out of them, waiting for the funeral in order to follow the processions to the grave, out of social hypocrisy and [to pay mere] lip service, not as an act of worship or as a reminder of the Hereafter, and Allaah’s Aid is sought.

This is the meaning of the interpretation of the hadith with me, if I am correct then it is from Allaah, and if I am mistaken then it is from me, and Allaah the Most High is the One I ask to forgive [me] all my mistakes.

Silsilsah as-Sahihah, 6/1/411, 415-416, with editing.

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September 6, 2011

Wishing for Death

The Permissibility of Wishing for Death for Religious Reasons,
and from the Signs of the Hour is that a Man will Wish for Death Due to Trials and Afflictions that have Come Down on Him

The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The Hour will not be established until a man passes by a grave, and says, ‘Woe to me! Would that I were in his place!’ He will have no desire to meet Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.”

Al-Albani: And the meaning of the hadith is that the reason for him seeking death is not for [the sake of] his religion or to get closer to Allaah and out of [his] love to meet Him, but instead due to worldly trials and afflictions that have come down on him.

In it is an indication of the permissibility of wishing for death for religious reasons. And his saying صلى الله عليه وسلم, “Let not one of you wish for death due to a harm that has befallen him …,’ does not negate this, since this is specifically concerning wishing [for death] due to a worldly matter, as is apparent.

Al-Haafidh said, ‘And this is supported by the fact that a group of the Salaf wished for death under poor conditions of religiousness/[when the affairs of the religion were being corrupted].”

An-Nawawi said, ‘It is not disliked, rather a large number of the Salaf did it, from them Umar ibn al-Khattaab and …’

As-Saheehah, 2/121.

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September 1, 2011

Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim and the Perishing of the Fire

Questioner: In [his book] Al-Waabil as-Sayyib, Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that the Fire will come to an end. What do you say [about that]?

Al-Albani: Ibn al-Qayyim has two sayings. The one which it is fitting to adopt [or rely upon] is the elaboration which he mentioned in Al-Waabil as-Sayyib: [that] there are two Fires, one for the disbelievers and another in which the disobedient Muslim sinners [faasiqs] are punished.

The first fire will not cease to exist, it is the second one which will.

And that which is found in some of his books and some of the books of his Shaikh, Ibn Taymiyyah, the apparent meaning of which is that the fire will cease to exist totally–it is fitting that this is taken to mean the perishing of the fire which the disobedient sinners from the Muslims will enter. Because they will be saved one day, as he عليه الصلاة والسلام said, “Whoever says, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah,’ it will help him one day …” [Compilers note: it will help him one day before Allaah].

And I have written an introduction to this book [Raf’ul Astaar of San’aani], almost fifty pages long, confirming the view that as-San’aani, may Allaah have mercy on him, held: that the saying that the fire of the disbelievers will cease is something which contradicts the Book and the Sunnah.

And the [high] regard we have of the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah is that they would not fall into a contradiction as apparent as this one.

So it is fitting that the fire which he stated would cease be taken to mean that of the disobedient sinners from this Ummah and not the fire of the disbelievers.

Fataawaa Jeddah, 4.

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September 1, 2011

How can a Wife help her Deceased Husband? Can she Send the Reward of her Recitation of the Quraan to him?

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: Recitation of the Quraan reaches the dead?

Al-Albani: If the one reciting the Quraan is the child of the one who has passed away, whether it is the father or mother, then this recitation will benefit.

As for other than the children then their recitation will not benefit [anyone] other than their [own] parents as we just mentioned.

Thus the wife is excluded [from this category]–but [at the same time] there is no doubt that you, as a wife who has been afflicted with the demise of her husband … [there is no doubt that] it is within your capability to supplicate for him: [that] if he was someone who would do good, that our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, increases his good deeds; and if he was someone who erred, that our Lord overlook his sins.

Always remember him with good and supplicate for him.

As for you reciting [the Quraan] and sending the reward for that recitation to the husband, then it is over, his actions have come to an end as I stated in the aforementioned hadith, the conclusion of which was, “… except for three: recurring charity, knowledge that others benefit by, or a righteous son who supplicates for him.”

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 290.

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September 1, 2011

Does the Reward for Reciting the Quraan reach the Dead? How Can You Help Your Deceased Parents?

Question: O Shaikh, is it allowed to send the reward for reciting the Quraan [to a dead person]? Some people use what you said in your commentary on the Explanation of Al-Aqidah al-Tahaawiyyah as a proof in this regard, that you hold it to be permissible …

Al-Albani: I do not say, my brother, that it is permitted unrestrictedly. [Rather] I say that the earnings of the child … as he عليه السلام said, “The best earnings are those which a man receives through his own work. And your children are from your earnings.” And the Most High said, “And We record that which they send before and their traces …” [Yaa Seen 36:12]

And he عليه الصلاة السلام said in an authentic hadith, “When a person dies …” and in another narration, “When the son of Aadam dies, his actions are cut off except for three: recurring charity, or knowledge that others benefit by, or a righteous son who supplicates for him.”

So this righteous son, his righteous actions will benefit his parents, because he is a trace that they have left behind, “And We record that which they send before and their traces …”

And I do not say that this recitation will benefit other than the parents or that any righteous action [which he does] will benefit other than his parents.

And maybe you will recall that some of the past scholars say that charity given by a person on behalf of some of the Muslims will reach them even if they are not his parents. In this situation we specify that it will [only] reach the parents. So the charity a son gives will reach the parents, and every righteous action [he/she does] like freeing a slave and other acts of worship in general will reach the parents due to the generality of the proofs I just mentioned.

As for other than the parents benefitting from this charity and these acts of worship, part of which is recitation of the Quraan, then we do not hold this generality.

For this reason it is fitting that such a statement be looked at again so that something we did not say is not attributed to us.

We only hold this limited restriction to be correct.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 366.

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August 31, 2011

Not Drinking from a Cracked Cup: A Scientific Miracle and Prophetic Medicine

From Abu Sa’eed who said, “The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade drinking from the cracked place on a cup …” [Abu Dawud, no. 3722]

Al-Albaani said, “Sahih li ghairihi.” Then he quoted Ibn al-Athir’s explanation of the term, ‘ثُلْمَة – cracked place,’ “I.e., the place where it is broken, and he only forbade it because the mouth of the one drinking cannot grasp [the cup] properly and [thus] the water may spill onto his garments or body. And it has been said: [it was said] because when the cup is washed, the place where it is cracked cannot be cleaned completely.” An-Nihaayah.

I [al-Albaani] say, “And today it is possible to say: [it was said] because it is the place where germs and microbes gather, so it is from Prophetic medicine, and a scientific miracle.

So may Allaah send prayers upon the Prophet, the Unlettered one.”

Saheeh Mawaarid adh-Dhamaan, 2/15.

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August 27, 2011

Do the Souls of the Dead come back to the World?

Question: The soul of the dead, does it come [back] and recognise what we do, in our houses for example?

Al-Albani: Never. These are superstitions which are present in the minds of some people. When a person dies his connection to the world is totally cut off. Namely, if a nuclear bomb were sent down, and you have heard about [how powerful] one of them [is], [such as the one] the Americans sent down on Japan … if hundreds of nuclear bombs were sent down on this planet the dead would not feel it whatsoever, “When a person dies, his actions are cut off except for three things …” And our Lord said in the Noble Quraan, “But you cannot make hear those in the graves.” [Faatir 35:22].

The dead do not hear, so do not believe any of these stories.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 290.

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August 25, 2011

What is the Correct Method to Cure Someone from Magic, the Evil Eye and Possession?

Al-Albani: I do not know a cure for magic apart from the legislated ruqyah and recitation of the Quraan, and to seek shelter and protection with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, earnestly imploring Him to cure the afflicted person from it.

As for going to soothsayers or fortune-tellers to try to discover who the person who performed the magic is and what type of magic was used in order to be able to remove it and so on, then along with the fact that this does not benefit it is also a use of means that is not legislated.

Indeed, such means may be polytheistic due to the incantations in some of them whose meaning is not [even] known. And they may also contain [phrases which involve] seeking refuge with the devils whose names we do not know–the only ones who know their names are these imposters [Dajjaals] who seek the aid of their companions from the Jinn, as the Lord of all Creation said, “And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they increased them [mankind] in sin and disbelief.” [Jinn 72:6]

As for that which is connected to the one possessed or afflicted with the Evil Eye … then the one who has been afflicted with the Evil Eye has a cure mentioned in Al-Muwatta and other than it. [Which is that] the one who is thought to have [most likely] given the Eye and who is then known is brought and told to perform ablution. The water from his ablution is then taken and wiped on the limbs of the afflicted person. This is a legislated means for his cure.

There may be further details in the hadith which I do not recall right now. This is present in Al-Muwatta and others from the Sunan collections.

As for the one possessed by a Jinn, then his cure is through recitation of verses from the Noble Quraan by a righteous Muslim well-known for his righteousness. This benefits on many occasions.

This is the answer I have to this question.

Fatwaawaa Jeddah, 21.

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August 24, 2011

Is it possible that a Miracle of a Prophet can be a Karaamah of a Wali [An Ally of Allaah]?

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: In the name of Allaah. All praise is due to Allaah, and may prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah, Muhammad, the son of Abdullaah, and upon his family, his Companions and whoever adheres to him. As for that which follows:

The questioner says, “We have heard a Shaikh say, ‘Whatever miracle it is possible for a Prophet to perform, then it is possible that such a miracle can be a karaamah of a Wali, [i.e., a Wali can perform it too].’”

Al-Albani: It is enough to say that this is a statement of some Shaikhs and the affair is over. It is not a statement made by Allaah, nor a hadith from the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم such that we should worry about tackling it and clarifying the forgery that it is.

From another angle it is a statement which is false from its very root. That is because from the miracles of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is this Noble Quraan, which is the miracle of all miracles, as has been alluded to in some authentic hadiths.

So if we were to take that statement without exception, i.e., that ‘Whatever miracle it is possible for a Prophet to perform, then it is possible that such a miracle can be a karaamah of a Wali,’ then [as we said] the Quraan is the miracle of our Prophet–is it then possible for it to be a karaamah of an Ally of Allaah who is one of the followers of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم?!

This is impossible.

Yes! [But] according to the path of the extreme Sufis it is possible for that to happen. That which is built upon something corrupt is itself corrupt.

Regretfully, there is a book which it is likely has been reprinted more times than Sahihs Bukhari and Muslim and is known as, Tabaqaat al-Awliyaa of Abdul-Wahhaab ash-Sha’raani, in it he has mentioned a copious amount of catastrophes and calamities which conflict with the principles of the Islamic Sharee’ah.

And I wonder how this book can be reprinted tens of times and be circulated amongst the Muslims while the two Sahihs are not.

In it there occurs that which is relevant to our previous statement. [It is mentioned] that he visited a Shaikh of his and stood near his door, below the window, when he heard a sound that resembled a person reciting the Noble Quraan. Yet when he paid attention and understood what was being recited he realised that it was nothing from the Quraan. For he knew the Quranic aayaat and so was able to distinguish between the Quranic word and that of man.

The man who went to visit the Shaikh said, ‘So when the Shaikh finished his recitation I became sure that he was reciting some divine speech other than the Noble Quraan because he said, ‘O Allaah! Grant the reward of what I recited from Your Speech to my Shaikh so and so.’

This is mentioned in Tabaqaat al-Awliyaa of ash-Sha’raani.

Thus, it is possible that such a statement [as the one just mentioned in the story] came about as a result of that misguidance which has become a principle with them, because it necessitates that it is possible for a person who is not a Prophet to come with something like the Noble Quraan which was revealed by the Lord of all creation, since they said, ‘Whatever miracle it is possible for a Prophet to perform, then it is possible that such a miracle can be a karaamah of a Wali.’ And we find this phrase cited in the aforementioned book Al-Tabaqaat of ash-Sha’raani.

For this reason it is not permissible for a Muslim to be deceived with statements such as these and it is enough for him to know that it is something for which no authority has been sent down.

Fatwaawaa al-Imaaraat, 6.

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August 23, 2011

The Need to Give Due Importance to Always Reciting the Supplications through which Refuge is Sought

Al-Albani: It is obligatory upon every Muslim, as an act of worship firstly, and secondly as a means of [medically] treating oneself, to seek refuge with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic with those words authentically reported from the Prophet عليه السلام, [which are] that he either say:

Bismillāhilladhi lā Yaḍurru Ma’asmihī shai’un fil-Arḍi wa
lā fis-Samā’i wahuwas-Samī’ul-Alīm

بِسْمِ اللهِ الَّذِيْ لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِيْ الْأَرْضِ
وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ

In the Name of Allaah with Whose Name nothing is harmed on earth nor in the heavens and He is The All-Hearing, The All-Knowing.

Or:

A’uthu bi kalimātillāhit-Tāmmāti min sharri mā khalaq

أَعُوْذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ الْتَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ

I take refuge in Allaah’s Perfect Words from the evil He has created.

For then nothing will harm him that day. Imaam Ahmad reported this hadith in his Musnad as did the authors of the Sunan in their [respective] collections by way of Abaan ibn Uthmaan ibn Affaan.

Uthmaan ibn Affaan is more famous than a fire on a mountain top [Trans. note: an Arabic proverb to show how famous and well-known something is. As part of their generosity, Arabs would light a fire on the top of a mountain so that any prospective guests could see it from far away, and so come and eat from their food. Such a fire would be seen easily by everyone and would thus be very famous], one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the third one. His son, Abaan, is from the trustworthy taabi’een and one of the great preservers of hadith [huffaaz] amongst them.

One time he was sitting in a gathering when he narrated this hadith [i.e., that whoever says the above will not be harmed that day] and one of the people present looked at him in a certain way. Abaan understood what he meant. For the hand of this muhaddith, Abaan, was paralysed. So [like I said] Abaan understood what the person who looked at him in that particular way meant [i.e., you’re relating this hadith but what happened to your hand then?].

So Abaan said to him, ‘O my son …’ and the meaning of what he said was, ‘… when the Decree comes nothing else can avail against it, I forgot to seek refuge with Allaah with this supplication that day, so I was afflicted with this paralysis.’

Someone present: Laa ilaaha illallaah.

Al-Albani: For this reason it is befitting that the Muslim makes it his practice and principle [to say these supplications so that] it is not possible for him to forget [them] just as it would be impossible for him to forget to drink or eat if he was in dire need of food or water. In such a way he should be eager to say such supplications of refuge.

But when that which [is written in the Decree] occurs, then none besides Allah can avert it.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, no. 746.

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August 22, 2011

Does the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم know the Unseen? A Long Discussion Concerning that | 3

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Following on from the second post:

The Shaikh continues, “Another point remains which I alluded to earlier [but] I [still] want to talk about it a little, and hopefully [talking about] it won’t go on for too long.

If [for argument’s sake we were to say that] Allaah chose His Prophet عليه السلام by [indeed] informing him of all of the Unseen, who is that person who can encompass the knowledge of the Messenger عليه السلام, and claim to have memorised it?

We now say [the following, let us suppose that] Ustaadh Maaher [is an expert] in any field you want to name, and he has the most adept and bright of students, the best memoriser–how much of Ustaadh Maaher’s knowledge will he memorise? A little. So will this intelligent teacher pour all of his knowledge into the breast of that student? [To do so] will require him [to expend] an extraordinarily exhausting effort. And Allaah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear.

So from this angle which negates human nature it is not plausible that the Prophet عليه السلام … if Allaah had taught him everything and had made him a partner with Himself concerning the knowledge of the Unseen, it is not reasonable [to say] that he would inform the people of that which they are not capable of bearing or enduring.

So in summary, may Allaah bless you, it is obligatory to explain hadiths such as this one in light of the aqidah of the Muslims which has been derived from all of the Book of Allaah and all of the Sunnah and hadiths of the Prophet of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم and that we do not stop at one hadith. For this reason I’m telling you now that the last word in this issue is: we claim that, firstly, we are all Muslims, alhamdulillaah.

But there is something else which we claim which is that we respect our Pious Predecessors from the Companions and their students [taabi’een], and the mujtahid Imaams. Through them we learnt the knowledge of the Book, the Sunnah, fiqh and aqidah.

So who from the scholars of the Muslims says that Allaah taught the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم everything, [that He taught him all the things that] occur in the hadith of the Pen, ‘Write that which will be up until the Day of Judgement,’ basing that upon the hadith of Muslim [quoted in the question]. I do not know a Muslim scholar who has preceded us in such a statement.

For this reason it is not permissible for a person to say that which opposes what our scholars of before, who were from different madhhabs and inclinations, have said.

Questioner: your excellency, the [respected] Shaikh, knows that the Companions were the most truthful and precise of people in reporting from the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام, such that one of them would refrain from reporting [something from him عليه الصلاة والسلام] for fear of [the possibility of] forgetting something. So [even though they were so careful, here] this narration came to us on the tongue of a Companion with precision, ‘He told us what was and would be.’ The Companion could have said, ‘He informed us of the keys to these things, or told us in generality, or the major events that would occur,’ but instead he said, ‘He told us what was and would be,’ meaning comprehensively/exhaustively. This is one point.

The second thing is that the Companion said, ‘To the extent that there was not an [army] detachment except that he informed us of it and its leader.’ And it is known that the ‘detachment’ is a group [of people].

As for your saying that if Allaah, the One free of all imperfections and the Most High, informed the Prophet of His Knowledge then he would have become a partner [with Allaah in that], then this is not said for one reason: as long as we ascribe the matter back to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, saying, ‘Allaah informed him,’ then this is something from the creation. This is one matter.

The second thing is that your Excellency knows that Allaah, the One free of all imperfections and the Most High, bestowed [lit. ‘split/shared’] some of His Beautiful Names on him which are present in the Quran, “Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He is anxious over you (to be rightly guided …), for the believers full of pity, kind [ra’oof], and merciful [raheem].” [Tawbah 9:128]. And these are from the Most Beautiful Names of Allaah [Al-Asmaa al-Husnaa].

We are only trying to say the following: He said about our master Ishaaq, “…a boy (son) possessing much knowledge and wisdom [aleem].” [Hijr 15:53] and this [i.e., aleem] is also from the Asmaa al-Husnaa. But when the wisdom is attributed back to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic then the knowledge of the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام is something originated or brought into being [haadith], so if Allaah were to inform him of the Unseen and [we also have] the open statement of the Companion that He informed him of what was and what will be, then this is somethng brought into being [haadith] in relation to the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام. Because the Prophet عليه والسلام is muhaddath [“spoken to” i.e., this knowledge is revealed unto him]. So this does not show that there is any sharing in any way, nor does it mean that the kindness of the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام is the same as the divine Kindness, nor that the prophetic mercy is the same as the diving Mercy. Because the first Mercy [i.e., that of Allaah], is sempiternal, and the mercy of the Prophet عليه والسلام is recent and created. Just like that is the knowledge of our master Ishaaq, which is recent knowledge, whereas the knowledge of The Truth is pre-existent.

Thus: Imaam al-Busiri has a point when he says, ‘And from your knowledge is the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen,’ i.e., he came across this hadith and is not ignorant or a polytheist. Rather he was in a generation that had scholars and people of tawheed, [discerning scholars] who knew how to separate the wheat from the chaff. So if he was a polytheist they would have refuted him [it’s as though here the questioner is saying to Shaikh al-Albaani, ‘If he was a polytheist or a kaafir as you Salafis claim …’ even though Shaikh al-Albaani has not made any such accusation in the discussion]. [On top of that] it is well known that if we have ninety-nine reasons to declare a Muslim to be a disbeliever and we have one reason not to, we should resort to the safer option [of not declaring him to be a disbeliever], as long as supporting rationale exists.

Al-Albani: I’m sorry, you are now straying from the topic at hand, no offense intended.

Questioner: I haven’t strayed at all.

Al-Albani: I’ll establish for you the fact that you have strayed.

Questioner: If I have strayed I take back what I have said.

Al-Albani: I’m sorry but now you’re saying firstly, secondly, thirdly, fourthly and fifthly. Wallaahi, I admit to you that my memory is weak, I will not say to you that the answer to number one is so and so, and number two is so and so, etc. But at the end I felt that you left the topic when you said that al-Busiri is [not] a polytheist and no one declared him to be a disbeliever etc.–we were not discussing that.

Interjection by someone at the gathering: What’s known to people is that this majlis [assembly/sitting] is clean and its conduct is vindicated [of accusing anyone of shirk “idolatry”].

[Compilers note: The questioner was trying to say that the Salafis say that al-Busiri is a mushrik, so Shaikh al-Albaani answered him back because by saying that he has now entered into a new topic of discussion and so the above interjector was trying to say that it is common amongst many who associate themselves to Salafiyyah that al-Busiri is a mushrik but as for the gathering of Shaikh al-Albaani then it is clean and its conduct is vindicated from abusing people. Shaikh al-Albaani also responds by saying what is written below, that as long as our gathering is clean and free of such things then why do you want to make it filthy with your accusation of shirk?]

Al-Albani: I’m sorry but just now you didn’t mention [the topic of] shirk and that it is not shirk and that he is not a polytheist.

Questioner: Because there is a story …

Al-Albani: I’m sorry ustaadh, did you say he was not a polytheist or not?

Questioner: Indeed.”

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August 18, 2011

Does the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم know the Unseen? A Long Discussion Concerning that | 2

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Continuing from the first post on this topic.

Shaikh al-Albani continues, “Here we say that the word, ‘Unseen,’ is [understood] exactly as what we were previously talking about: does our Lord inform the Prophets about all of the Unseen? No.

The scholars of tafsir said: it all goes back to the Will of our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, to inform whoever He wants to from the Messengers about some of the Unseen, but not all of it.

That is because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, [in fact] all Prophets, when Allaah gives them some knowledge then it becomes obligatory upon them to proclaim it to the Muslims, exactly as Aishah said, may Allaah the Most High be pleased with her, in a long hadith which we are not in the middle of explaining right now [but] in it she says, ‘Whoever tells you that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم concealed something that he was ordered to proclaim …’ ‘O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allaah will protect you from the people.’ [Maa’idah 5:67] [So] she said, ‘Whoever tells you that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم concealed something that he was ordered to proclaim then he has fabricated a great lie against Allaah.’

Thus, our Lord said, “… and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen …” [Jinn 72:26], i.e., some of the unseen, [the word ‘some’ being] an implicit [or omitted] qualifier here, because as we said, even though the Prophet is the chosen one, it is not possible for him to be a second deity [comparable to Allaah] in his knowledge and in his encompassing all things that will be, for then he would have become a partner [to Allaah].

Here we [should] remember something very important connected to the knowledge of tawheed. Allaah the Blessed and Most High is One in His Essence, so there is none of what the disbelievers from the Christians said about Allaah being one of three, no, He is a single deity, “Say, “He is Allaah, [who is] One. Allaah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.” [Ikhlaas 112:1-4]

So Allaah is One in His Essence, in opposition to what the Christians say, and He is One who is singled out for worship, He is the one [and only] deity, i.e., not like what the polytheists, the Arabs [used to] say and still say today, “We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allaah in position.”

So [like we said] Allaah is the One singled out for worship too. Whoever believes that Allaah is One in His Essence [Rububiyyah] but worships others along with Him has not singled Him out [Uluhiyyah]. And the final [category of] tawheed after mentioning that Allaah is One in His Essence and the only One who deserves to be worshipped, [is that He is] One in His Characteristics [Sifaat].

So it is not permissible for a Muslim to believe that Allaah the Mighty and Majestic would inform His prophet of all of the knowledge of the Unseen, because then he would have become a partner with Him in the characteristic of [knowing all of] the Unseen, “Say, “None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allaah …” [Naml 27:65], the aayah is as such [is it not], inshaa Allaah?

Questioner: “And with Him are the keys of the unseen …” [An’aam 6:59]

Al-Albaani: No, this aayah is not relevant to us now, because these are the keys, the head issues, the foundations of the Unseen, but we now are referring to the details.

I say, “Say, “None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allaah …” [Naml 27:65] so, [is it that] the Messenger of Allaah doesn’t know anything from the Unseen?

This is a mistake. Why?

Because Allaah said in the previous aayah, “Say, “None in the heavens and earth knows the Unseen …” i.e., the Unseen in its entirety, “… except Allaah …” the Blessed and Most High.

Look, my brothers, and learn, and know that knowledge is that a person does not give a free hand to his intellect regarding an aayah and say, “Here you go, [Allaah said], ‘Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allaah …,’ so [that means] the Messenger of Allaah does not know any of the Unseen.”

This is incorrect. Why?

Because Allaah said in the previous aayah, “[He is the] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone except [those] whom He has approved of [from the] messengers …”

Okay, don’t stop at His Saying, “… and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen [to anyone except those whom He has approved of from the messengers],” [and take it to the other extreme and say that He gives them] all of the knowledge of the Unseen, no.

Because He is One in His Characteristics just as He is the only One who deserves to be worshipped, just as He is One in His Essence, so it is not permissible for a Muslim to believe that Allaah would inform His Prophet عليه السلام of everything that is to happen up until the Day of Judgement, because this is a characteristic of Allaah [Alone], the Mighty and Majestic.

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August 17, 2011

Al-Albaani as I knew Him | End

Dr. Abdul-Aziz continues, “In the sittings of Shaikh al-Albaani, at some of which I was present, you would feel the veneration of the Sunnah, let alone the delight the listeners would feel at the mention of the names of the narrators of hadiths and the authors of the works of hadith, [along with] a mention of some of the well-known works of the books of the Sunnah and the names of the books of narrators and the defects found in hadith.

I have never seen or felt the likes of such gatherings, in my experience, except in the sittings with Shaikh Ibn Baaz.

And one of the things I remember from Shaikh al-Albaani’s gatherings is the fact that he would always touch upon the situation of the Muslims and [mention] that the reason for their splitting and many differences was their distance from the methodology of the Pious Predecessors; and that the callers to rectification bear a great burden due to their neglecting the need to pay attention to rectifying what they are able to from the creed of many of their people which has been polluted by verbal statements and actions damaging to the creed.

And I heard him directly, just as I have heard it on more than one occasion on audio cassettes, express sorrow and grief at those who have been set up by the people as callers to Allaah but who then paint certain innovations with the colour of the Sharee’ah, either due to ignorance or due to their imitating those they blindly follow.

And the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, had an amazing ability to absorb and respond calmly to overzealous zeal.

One of them would come to him, impassioned for a particular notion, having introduced it with an opening comprised of Quranic and Prophetic texts, no sooner would he finish speaking than the Shaikh would surprise him with a question, followed by another, quoting things related to the question itself, all of this with calm and tranquillity. Then he would start to give and take with the questioner, discussing, and it would only be a mere hour and that fervour would disappear.

The point I want to make from [all] this is [to demonstrate] the effect of knowledge in taming inflamed emotions and passions and [to show] how a scholar listens to them magnanimously in such a way that once they have unloaded their burdened souls, he cures those wrought up emotions with kindness and unhurriedness.

If it were not for the Grace of Allaah the Most High and then the forbearance of the Shaikh and his lenience in answering, those stirred up emotions would have turned into a raging tempest.

That which I noticed about Shaikh al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him, was his endurance during discussions in a good-hearted manner, which would be intermitted with joking sometimes, and [such joking] would mainly occur when the Shaikh would have cornered the disputant on a particular premise, so when that person would begin to stutter in his counter answer, the Shaikh would throw a joke at him or a Syrian proverb relevant to the situation, and so everyone present would be engulfed in a friendly and cheerful atmosphere.

And in that respect it is appropriate to mention that I read a description of Yusuf the son of Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi when he would debate, and I saw that Shaikh al-Albaani was the most worthy of the scholars [in resembling this characterstic from those] who I had compared to this description; I saw the report I am referring to in Dhail Tabaqaat al-Hanaabilah and a summary of it is that: Yusuf the son of Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi would not move a limb when debating.

Part of another description of Shaikh al-Albaani has already preceded, for in the book just quoted from [above there occurs], ‘Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudaamah would not debate anyone except that he would be smiling. So much so that some people said, ‘This Shaikh kills off his opponent with his smile.’’

I visited him a month before his death in his house in Amman which was in the Hamlaan district, on ShahrZaad street.

His body had become weak due to his illness and I said to him while holding his hand, ‘O Shaikh, receive the glad tidings, for you are upon good.

Those who love you are many, as are those who supplicate for you, and Allaah the Most High has caused there to be [great] benefit through your books which have spread across the world.’

So he mustered up his strength and raised his left hand putting my hand between his and squeezed them lightly–and the signs of weakness were so clearly visible on him–and then in a frail voice, said, ‘Jazaakallaahu khairaa.’

And then I left.

When I was in Shaikh Muhammad Ibrahim Shaqrah’s house in Ammaan, he said that, ‘One of them had seen a dream where two stars had shot down from the sky. One of them fell to the earth and caused a terrifying boom. The other almost reached the earth but stopped [just before it].’

I interpreted it to mean the death of two great men.

Muhammad Shaqrah said, ‘Some time after the dream, news reached us of the death of Shaikh Ibn Baaz so I said, ‘From what someone who loved the Shaikh said, I understood that he expected al-Albaani to be the second star.’

I say: And that is not far-fetched, for Shaikh al-Albaani passed away a few months after Shaikh Ibn Baaz. Shaikh Ibn Baaz passed away at Fajr time on Thursday, 25/1/1420 and Shaikh al-Albaani at Asr time on Saturday, 23/6/1420.

May Allaah the Most High have mercy on both Imaams, and gather us and them in the Highest Firdous, aameen.”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 306-310.

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August 15, 2011

Al-Albaani as I knew Him | 1

Dr. Abdul-Aziz as-Sadhaan, said, “The first time he was mentioned before me was when I was leaving the Imaam Turki ibn Abdullaah Jaami Mosque from the north door in the year 1397ah [1977] or just before that, after having listened to a lecture of Shaikh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him.

Some of the people I was with were talking about Shaikh Ibn Baaz and the extensiveness of his knowledge, then they went on to talk about the care he paid to hadith when one of them said, “And likewise Shaikh al-Albaani is also a well-known scholar of hadith.”

When I heard his name and that he was from Syria I asked them about him so they replied saying that he has books about hadith and that he devotes his attention to the authentic [from them], clarifying those that are weak.

When I travelled with some of them to Medinah I heard that al-Albaani would be present in a house known as, ‘The house of the brothers,’ so we went there, those of us who had come from Riyadh, and entered that house.

We found a crowded group of people there, some of whom were wearing a turban, others a white and red scarf, others just the white one, and some had their heads uncovered. The gathering was on the roof of the house, and I saw a chair placed at the centre of the gathering, and it was surrounded, in fact swarmed, by the people close to it.

I was waiting for Shaikh al-Albaani to enter, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him.

While I was sitting in the row before the last a man appeared full of dignity and veneration, and that solemnity would increase when he would look at you, calmly walking between the people who had cleared a way for him until he got to the chair and sat down. He was wearing a loose fitting thawb whose colour was close to light brown, and he had on a gulf type hat [skull cap].

When he began his lecture those present gave him their complete attention, and many of them, especially those sitting around him, had their pens and were making a note of some of what the Shaikh said, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him.

The Shaikh finished his speech and the questions started to come from those present while he answered. Then, as far as I could tell, he excused himself before those present and asked for permission to leave. When he stood some of the people encircled him and they started to walk with him while asking him questions. I was walking behind them.

Then when he reached, or almost reached, his car I got the chance to speak to him, and so I asked him about a hadith I had read in the book, Tuhftudh-Dhaakireen, and this hadith included a supplication which is to be said after having eaten. So the Shaikh said to me in a word, “I do not regard it to be authentic.” Then I bid him farewell and came back and my love for him and his standing had found a place in my heart.

I met him in Munaa during Hajj in the year 1398ah and I recall that someone asked him in a loud voice saying, “O Shaikh, when I read a hadith in any of the books of the Sunnah and then I find that in its chain of narration is a man who is a weak narrator, should I then say, “This hadith is not authentically attributed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?”

So the Shaikh gave an answer whose meaning was: your negation of the hadith being attributed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) could be invalid. May be it is that the hadith has been authentically reported through a different path? So it is more fitting that you limit the [judgement] that the hadith is weak to that [specific] chain of narration, so you say, for example, “This hadith in Ibn Maajah is weak.”

After that I met the Shaikh again during Hajj where he was staying in the tents set up for those working for the Civil Defense Hospital in Munaa. I visited him there with Shaikh Abdul-Kareem al-Muneef and there was no-one with him apart from his son, I think it was Abdul-Musowwir.

When our visit was over we got up and were going to leave when I came back to him and said, “O Shaikh, some of the people who love you spoke about you in Makkah and I said something which was not slander of you, Allaah forbid, but still I regret saying it. And I want you to forgive me.”

So he never asked me, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him, what it was that I had said, rather he said something which I, inshaa Allaah, remember word for word, he said, “May Allaah absolve you of what you said, what you will say, and what you didn’t say.” So I kissed his head and bid him farewell.

The Shaikh came to Riyadh so I called him to breakfast at my house and that was after morning prayer on Thursday 6/7/1410ah [2/2/1990]. He came and along with him came a group of noble people at the head of whom was his Excellency, the Shaikh, Abdullaah ibn Qu’ood, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him.”

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August 13, 2011

Does the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم know the Unseen? A Long Discussion Concerning that | 1

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: Our Shaikh, I have a question if you would be so kind. It has been reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed the morning prayer one day and mounted the minbar and delivered a sermon up until the mid-day prayer. Then he prayed and [again] mounted the minbar, then he repeated that and so on. So he informed them about what was and what would be up until the Day of Judgement. The Companion says, ‘He who memorized it, did so. And he who forgot it, did so. And I may pass by a matter and remember it just as a man remembers the face of another.’

So when Imaam al-Busiri said, ‘And from your knowledge is the knowledge of the Tablet and the Pen.’ So he said: he informed us of what was and what would be until the Day of Judgement and this corresponds to, ‘He said to it, ‘Write.’ It said, ‘What shall I write.’ He said, ‘Write that which will be until the Day of Judgement?’

Al-Albani: Firstly, alhamdulillaah, this hadith is authentic and is in Sahih Muslim. Secondly, my brother, it is possible that what he spoke about in the phrase, ‘He informed us about what would happen until the Day of Judgement,’ were the momentous matters that would occur, and not the details which no man is able to grasp and comprehend no matter what knowledge or power he has been given by Allaah, the Blessed and Most High–meaning, by way of argument let me say [this] to you: it is possible that Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, chose his Prophet عليه الصلاة السلام with whatever He willed such that He really told him what is apparent in this authentic hadith, i.e., [He told him] what was and what would be until the Day of Judgement. But how can that be when he is talking to people who are not Prophets or Messengers and their capacity is limited and they do not have that characteristic which our Lord the Mighty and Majestic chose for our Prophet عليه الصلاة السلام?

For this reason, may Allaah bless you, it is not permissible for us to understand the hadith … and I say that maybe what was just mentioned while we were eating applies now [too] … and I mention this example because reality will help us understand this authentic hadith.

When interpreting a saying of the Prophet عليه السلام it is not allowed to stop at that hadith alone, but rather we have to extend our scope and look at other hadiths too. And will it help us to understand this authentic hadith with the expansive, general, encompassing meaning that occurs in the Most High’s Saying, “… leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it,” [Kahf 18:49] or is the meaning [of the hadith] more limited than that?

Just now we spoke when we were eating, someone asked a question about a hadith in which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever takes a loan and his intention is to pay it back, and then is unable to do so, Allaah will clear it on his behalf on the Day of Judgement.” I say that this is an authentic hadith, and it explains that other hadith–and herein lies the point–he عليه السلام said, “The martyr is forgiven all sins except debt.” So shall we explain this hadith, “ … except debt …” … [to mean that] the martyr [who] dies and has a debt is not forgiven this sin even if he had intended to pay it back? We say: no, because the first hadith explains and makes specific the [meaning intended in] the second hadith.

This hadith of yours resembles this second hadith [just mentioned in the example of the martyr], by Allaah, this is something very, very dangerous, this person fought in the Way of Allaah and died in the Way of Allaah and his sin is not forgiven because he died owing money to some Muslims? No, this [hadith] is not to be understood as something in [such a] general, encompassing sense but is specified to mean if he did not intend to pay back the right to its owner.

This is the exact example of what we are talking about now: there is no doubt that from the hadith which you mentioned we understand that Allaah taught the Prophet عليه السلام every small or great thing as He said, “… leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it,”–but no, this is not correct.

Rather the meaning of the hadith is that He taught him essential, fundamental things like the major signs of the Hour and [other] things similar to that like the minor signs which it is important for the Muslims to be familiar with, as Allaah the Most High, said in the noble Quraan, “[He is the] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone, except he whom He has approved of [from the] messengers …” [Jinn 72:26-27].

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August 13, 2011

Does the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم know the Unseen and what is the Ruling Concerning Praying Behind Someone who Believes that?

Questioner: An Imaam of a mosque claims that the Prophet of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم knows the Unseen, so is it permissible to pray behind him?

Al-Albani: The texts of the Quraan regarding this topic are explicit in stating that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم does not know the Unseen, as occurs in His Saying, the Most High, “If I had the knowledge of the Unseen [Ghaib], I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me.” [Al-A’raaf 7:188]

And likewise, the hadiths reported in this regard confirm this meaning. Such as the hadith in Sahih Bukhari that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم passed by a little girl who was singing [lines of elegiac poetry] and was saying, ‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ So he صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘Leave this (saying) for none knows the Unseen except Allaah and carry on saying the like of what you had been saying before,’ i.e., the permissible things.

So when that Imaam is informed [about this issue] but still insists on his misguidance, then it is not allowed to pray behind him, yes.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, no. 19.

Here’s the video a brother made of this post, jazaahullaahu khairaa:

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August 12, 2011

Is the Punishment of the Grave Continuous or Does it Cease?

Questioner: Our teacher, the punishment in the grave, is it [constant] up until the Day of Judgement or does it cease? And what is the proof for that?

Al-Albani: In the Noble Quran, our Lord said about Pharaoh and his people, “The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon.” [Ghaafir 40:46]. This is in relation to most of the people, Pharaoh and his people, who took a deity [to worship] other than Allaah. As for the others then there is no doubt that the disobedient sinners [faasiq] from the Muslims, their punishment will be less than that. As for details of between how long and how long [the punishment will last for], then this is not mentioned in the Sunnah.

Al-Huda wan-Noor, no. 9.

Here’s the video a brother made of this post, jazaahullaahu khairaa:

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August 12, 2011

Concerning the Squeezing in the Grave

Questioner: He said in the Musnad … the hadith of Hudhaifah, who said, “We were with the Prophet of Allaah, صلى الله عليه وسلم, during a funeral. So when we got to the grave he sat down on his two shins and started to look at it, and then said, ‘The believer is squeezed in it one time such that his ‘hamaa’il’ are crushed, and the disbeliever is covered in Fire.'”

He said the hamaa’il are the veins of the testicles. What does, “… the veins of his testicles are crushed …” mean?

Al-Albani: It’s an expression to show the severity of the punishment. [The compiler of the book said, ‘I.e, his ribs are crushed to such an extent that it affects his testicles.’]

Questioner: Namely, the believer will be squeezed to such an extent?

Al-Albani: And his ribs will overlap, no one will escape it, not even Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh [did] as he, عليه السلام, said in some authentic hadtihs.

Questioner: Namely, he will feel pain from this squeezing?

Al-Albani: … without doubt. When the ribs overlap then this is severe pain, but it does not persist. One squeezing and then everything returns to its natural state, if he was a righteous person then [he will be in the state of a] righteous person, and if he was an evil person then [he will be the state of an] evil person, as we just explained that a window is opened up in the grave for the dead person.

Questioner: Namely, the squeezing, there is no escape from it?

Al-Albani: There is no escape from it.

Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 9, pp. 159-160.

Here’s the video a brother made of this post, jazaahullaahu khairaa:

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August 11, 2011

PDF: Is the Sufi’s Stabbing themselves with Skewers a Miracle?

Here is the PDF version of all the separate posts in one place. If you want to save it, right click on the link and go to ‘Save Link/Target As’:

Skewers.

The video:

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August 10, 2011

Is the Sufi’s Stabbing themselves with Skewers a Miracle? | End

I had travelled to Aleppo from Damascus for da’wah and gave a lesson after which the people dispersed. Normally four to five people from our brothers, our friends, stay behind. [This time] another person stayed behind with them who I had never seen before. He was sitting there, far away from me. His stomach was like this, he was not overweight, slim, yet along with that his stomach was like this [i.e., sticking out].

I said to him, ‘What is this?’

He said, ‘This is ‘Rahmaaniyyah.’’ That was the first time I heard this word, [I heard it] there in Aleppo. I said, ‘What does Rahmaaniyyah mean?’

He said, ‘It means the skewers.’

I said, ‘So why did you come to me?’ I knew why. He said:

‘To show you our miracles [karaamaat].’

I said to him, ‘This is easy [to deal with].’ That day I had a two-sided blade with me to sharpen my pencil, each side was like this, small.

I said to him, ‘[If that’s the case], I’ll hit you with this blade using my hand.’

So he said, ‘[No], with my hand,’ i.e., he wanted to strike himself with the blade which I would give him.

So I said, ‘No, with my hand.’

He said, ‘With my hand.’ So the people started to look at these words being repeated by both sides, I was saying, ‘With my hand,’ and he was saying, ‘With my hand.’

‘With my hand.’

And I naturally was more patient than him because firstly, I knew I was upon the truth and secondly so many years have passed by me, as many as Allaah has willed, calling all types of people to the true religion of Allaah.

So he became tired and fed up.

[And when he did] the last thing he said was, ‘What’s the difference?’

I was saying to him, ‘With my hand.’ And he was saying to me, ‘With my hand. With my hand.’ Afterwards he got tired and became fed up, and said, ‘What’s the difference?’

I said, ‘If there is no difference, [then] with my hand.’ He then turned the topic on its head, and this is from their ignorance.

He called the person whose house it was, and his name was Abu Ahmad, he said to him, ‘O Abu Ahmad! Bring the brazier [i.e., a metal container for carrying hot coal, etc.].’

I understood what he meant and so I said, ‘O Abu Ahmad, don’t bring the brazier, bring a matchstick.’ Subhaanallaah, he was from the Sufis and they were used to wearing a white head covering without the head cord [iqaal, the round black cord Arabs wear to keep the head covering in place].

So he brought the matchstick. I lit it and got up going towards him and said, ‘You will denounce this false claim of yours or otherwise I will burn you.’

Miskeen, he was speechless, silent, not saying a single word.

I was moving towards him step by step until I came close to him–and I really put the matchstick onto his head covering, and it started to catch fire.

Then I took it and rubbed it against itself like this [i.e., put it out after having proved the falsehood of his claim], fearing that the sparks would increase, I [put it out] like this, and then said to him, ‘Go to those Shaikhs of yours and tell them:

‘These are the miracles [karaamaat] of the Salafis.’

Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 3, pp. 965-972.

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August 9, 2011

Is the Sufi’s Stabbing themselves with Skewers a Miracle? | 2

So these are two forbidden matters that have come together in these people: beating the daff during the remembrance of Allaah, and stabbing themselves with skewers. Along with harming oneself, this is something which misguides the Muslims in addition to the fact that they try to deceive the people into thinking that this act is a miracle [karaamah].

Whereas the reality is that, firstly, it is not a miracle but rather indignity. Secondly it is [but] an exercise which the most profligate of sinners can do just like them. The non-Muslim can do it. The non-Muslim who doesn’t believe in Allaah and His Messenger [can do it], why?

Because it is [acquired by] practice, [just] an exercise. And maybe all of you have heard of some of the strange things the Hindus and idol worshippers do; those who bury themselves alive in plain view of the people and examining doctors, who have gathered specifically to see how this person can be buried underground and then come out alive, [and to see] how he can breathe?

Does this then mean that this idol worshipper who survived underground for days not just hours and then comes out alive is from the major Allies of Allaah [Awliyaa’ullaah]? How perfect is Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic!/Allaah forbid!

This is practise and exercise, and exercise can result in some strange things. For example you have seen many, many incidents … a rope stretched out on to the sea–if we were to walk on a narrow bridge [it would be something!]–but as for this person he is walking on a rope–so [now] what, this is a miracle?

This has no connection whatsoever to do with miracles.

This is practice. The righteous and the sinner, the believer and the disbeliever all share in it. And the Muslim’s scholars, both past and present, have experience with these people who do not know anything about their religion except these exercises which they have become accustomed to and by which they then misguide the people, whereas the scholars say:

If you see a person who may fly
And on the ocean does walk
Yet does not stop at the limits of the Legislation
Then an innovator is he
being lead to destruction progressively

Why did they say that? Because supernatural events can be split into three categories:

1) Miracles [Mu’jizah].

2) Miracles of a lesser degree [karaamah].

3) And something which leads to destruction progressively [istidraaj].

Miracles [Mu’jizah] are done by a Prophet. Miracles but of a lesser degree [karaamah] are done by an Ally of Allaah [Waliyullaah]. And istidraaj is performed by the disbeliever and the hypocrite.

You are not in need of us speaking about miracles, they are mentioned in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah, maa shaa Allaah, extensively, as are karaamaat.

The karaamaat of the true Allies of Allaah and the righteous people, alhamdulillaah, are many. He, the Most High, says, “Everytime Zakariyyaa entered the Mihraab [prayer room] to visit her, he found her supplied with sustenance.” [Aali Imraan 3:37]. This was a karaamah of Maryam عليها السلام. And there are books written about this topic, from the best of them is that of Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, what is it called?

Questioner: …

Al-Albani: Yes?

Questioner: The Maxim of the Miracles of the Allies of Allaah …

Al-Albani: No, no, remind us of its name, O people.

Questioner: Al-Karaamah and the Miracles of the Messengers and Prophets of Allaah.

Al-Albani: No.

Questioner: The Maxim of the Miracles of the Allies of Allaah … [The compiler of the book, Shaikh Shady Noaman said, ‘It appears to me that the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, meant the book called, ‘The Criterion between the Allies of The Most Merciful and the Allies of the Devil. [Al-Furqaan bayna Awliyaa’ir-Rahmaan wa Awliyaa’ish-Shaitaan].

Al-Albani: In summary, the topic that we should talk about is istidraaj. In many authentic hadiths, rather mutawaatir even, it is mentioned that the greatest Dajjaal at the end of time will say to the sky, ‘Rain.’ And it will.

He will say to the earth, ‘Bring forth your produce.’ And it will.

He will say to some desolate land, ‘Bring out your treasures.’ And it will and will follow him.

He will cut a man into two with a sword and will then bring him back to life–are these miracles of an Ally of Allaah [karaamaat]?

These are extraordinary/supernatural occurrences which Allaah will cause to happen at the hands of this great Dajjaal who the Prophet عليه السلام told us about, saying, “There is not, between the creation of Aadam and the Hour, a trial greater than that of Al-Masih ad-Dajjaal.’ So here is this Al-Masih ad-Dajjaal coming with these supernatural occurrences.

Thus, supernatural events do not show the validity of something, ever.

Validity/goodness is only through righteous actions. For this reason the previously mentioned poet said:

If you see a person who may fly

Namely, he flies without wings, not in a plane, the non-Muslims fly in planes and beat us to it.

If you see a person who may fly
And on the ocean does walk
Yet does not stop at the limits of the Legislation
Then an innovator is he
being lead to destruction progressively

So these people who strike themselves with skewers, these are exercises, and from the greatest proofs of that is that if you were to say to one of them, ‘Come, I’m going to strike you with a small pin, he will say to you, ‘No.’ Why? If he really is a person who can perform miracles, let him bring his miracle to any person who wants to hit him in any place.

[But, no] he will say to you, ‘No.’ Why? Because he’s not trained to have himself struck here in his chest, in the heart, nor here, or here, but only here, where there is muscle, where there is meat, not where the nerves and bones are.

I said to you just now, throughout time the scholars of the Muslims have had a lot of experience with these Dajjaals.

The most famous of them was the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, who challenged the Shaikh of the Rifaa’ees of his time. [The Rifaa’ees] were known as Battaa’ihiyyah [in attribution to al-Bataa’ih, the village where Ahmad ar-Rifaa’ee, the founder of the Rifaa’eeyah came from].

This Rifaa’ee Shaikh used to make it appear as though he could enter fire without getting burnt.

So Ibn Taymiyyah challenged him.

News of this challenge reached the then Amir of Damascus who accordingly summoned the Shaikh of the [Rifaa’ee Sufi] Tariqah, along with Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, so that he could see how they would debate and what they would do in the end. So Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah spoke with the knowledge he had, [stating] that these people were from the worst of the creation, from the worst of creation, that they have no knowledge nor piety [taqwaa] and no righteousness and that they only deceive the people through matters which both the righteous and the wicked, the believer and the disbeliever, share in.

Part of what he said was that they oil their bodies with a special substance, and their thowbs too, and then enter the oven and the fire does not burn them. And I challenge them with one condition, O Amir, that they take off these thowbs and are given thowbs that have been washed by you, and that you order them to wash their bodies with water and vinegar, then they are to wear those [clean], white thowbs–and at that time I too will enter the fire with them, and whoever from us burns is the liar.

So when the [truth of the] matter concerning that Dajjaal was uncovered, he turned and fled.

[And there are] many, many [such] incidents–and maybe it is beneficial that I mention a very short story about something that happened to me, and I am the poor, needy servant of Allaah …

3 Comments

August 8, 2011

Is the Sufi’s Stabbing themselves with Skewers a Miracle? | 1

Questioner: In relation to some of the Sufis lodges [zawaayaa], they beat the daff and use skewers, yes, what is the ruling regarding this issue?

Al-Albani: Striking the daff for entertainment is haram, but that which is even more severe than this haram is to include it as a part of worship in the remembrance of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

This is haram and is not permissible.

Because committing an act of disobedience is [in and of itself] disobedience, but more severe than that is seeking nearness to Allaah the Blessed and Most High, through it.

These Sufis or those who follow these tariqahs who dance when performing dhikr and beat the daff, indeed even the drum [tabl], the saying of one of the people of knowledge applies to them:

“When did the people come to know that in our religion singing is a Sunnah which is followed

And that a man eats just as a donkey does and dances amongst hordes until he falls

And they say, ‘We are drunk with the love of Allaah.’ But nothing intoxicated them except a platter stuffed with food

Just like the animals who prance around once quenched and satiated

So O People of Intellect and O Men of Understanding! Is there not one from you to denounce such innovations?

Our Mosques are disgraced by listening [to Music] and are now ‘honoured’ as churches are?” [i.e., singing and dancing is part of worship in churches under the pretense that they are honouring their places of worship through that, so these Sufis have imitated them in this by dancing and singing in the mosques].

And another said:

“O You evil, innovating generation!
You have come with an affair which is inconceivable.
Was it in the Quraan that my Lord told you–
to ‘Eat like animals and dance for Me?!”

Far be it.

So, the forbiddance of beating the daff or the drum [tabl] as part of dhikr is more severe than beating the daff as part of mere entertainment. Because the [following] Saying of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic in His Book applies to them, “Those who took their religion as amusement and play and the life of the world deceived them.” [Al-A’raaf 7:51]. And the Blessed and Most High said regarding the polytheists, “Their prayer at the House was nothing but whistling and the clapping of hands.” [An’aam 8:35].

“Their prayer …” i.e., their worship, “… at the House …” the Haram, [Ka’bah].

“… was nothing but whistling …” whistling, and nowadays you see how the youth whistle. This is a legacy which the disbelievers have inherited one from another. During the Days of Ignorance the polytheists would seek nearness to Allaah through whistling and clapping.

“Their prayer at the House was nothing but whistling and the clapping of hands.” Likewise some of the Muslims today do the same thing, and you have come to know the censure of the faqihs of the Muslims and their severe repudiation of them. So much so that some of them declared that the place where these eating dancers perform their ‘remembrance’ be razed because it is impure, i.e., the disobedience of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic having occurred therein.

That dhikr which they regard as being remembrance [of Allaah] is only idle speech.

As for striking oneself with skewers, this is the calamity of all calamities–that there are hundreds of thousands of Muslims who falsely assume that harming oneself in this way is a miracle. It is a miracle [karaamah] for those people who falsely think that they are on some [sort of Truth] in regards to the religion.

But they follow nothing.

Because the religion is [nothing but] following what the Prophet was upon عليه السلام. And neither the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم nor his noble Companions remembered Allaah in this manner. [A method of remembrance] which you have come to know something about from the lines of poetry that I recited to you.

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August 8, 2011

PDF of Shaikh al-Albaani’s Meeting with ‘the Hashish Wali’

Here is the PDF version of all the separate posts in one place. If you want to save it, right click on the link and go to ‘Save Link/Target As’:

The Hashish Wali.

Here’s the YouTube video:

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August 7, 2011

Al-Albaani and the time he met the Druggie who was a Wali [an Ally] of Allaah! | End

There used to be a Shaikh who had followers [mureeds]. He said to one of them, ‘Come here my son. Go and bring me your father’s head.’

‘I hear and I obey,’ [said the boy], since this is what he had learnt, i.e., that when the Shaikh orders something it is obligatory to follow him even if it opposes Allaah’s Legislation.

The boy went home and chopped off his father’s head while he was asleep next to his wife. He then came to his Shaikh full of joy. Why? Because he had carried out his Shaikh’s order.

So the Shaikh smiled at him and said another one of those recurring falsehoods given as answers by such people, ‘You think you killed your father? No. My son, your father is on a journey. As for this person who you killed, then he is your mother’s boyfriend. You think I was [really] going to order you to kill your father?! Allaah forbid. This person [who you decapitated] was your mother’s boyfriend, he was fornicating with her. That is why I ordered you to kill him.’

So when the Shaikh narrates this story with the [dramatic] ending it has, these poor souls, doped on this type of opium fill the mosque with what? With cries of Allaahu Akbar and so on.

This story happened in Ramadaan about ten years ago. One of the brothers came to me after we had prayed taraawih in one of the mosques in which [implementing] the Sunnah was [unfortunately] abandoned. In those days at the start of the da’wah we used to gather in my shop while I would be repairing watches, he said to me, ‘Do you know what Shaikh so and so said today?’

I replied, ‘No, what happened?’ He mentioned the story to me and while we were talking about it a relative of this man speaking to me passed by the shop, his maternal cousin to be exact. He was known as Abu Yusuf and was one of the committed followers [mureeds] of the Shaikh who narrated the story.

My brothers, the reality is that it is obligatory upon us to praise Allaah the Mighty and Majestic who has protected us from such opium. Because it is more dangerous than actual opium. It is true that real opium does take away a person’s senses–but [the effect is] not there all the time, [it wears off]. But the one who takes this abstract opium is lost, taken, gone.

The proof [that this is the case] is at the end of the story. So Abu Yusuf is in front of the shop, this person inside the shop with me, his cousin, calls him, ‘Abu Yusuf, come here.’ He enters and he says to him, ‘What do you think about tonight’s lesson, the Shaikh’s lesson?’

He said, ‘Maa shaa Allaah, tajalleeyaat, tajalleeyaat.’ [i.e., kashf which the Sufis claim, they claim that certain things, realities, manifest themselves to the Sufi Shaikhs which do not manifest themselves to others, so when he says ‘Tajalleeyaat,’ it’s like he’s saying that the story is just proof that, ‘… amazing realities manifest themselves to the Shaikhs.’]

We have a joke here in Syria, Damascus specifically. In Damascus there is a place especially for the Christians called Baab Tawmah. There is a shop there, the owner of the shop which has two entrances sells alcohol and on the shop sign there is written, ‘Tajalleeyaat Baqlah.’ Baqlah is the name of the Christian and he has called his shop by a name which doesn’t actually inform you as to what he sells. So when these Sufis say about such [ridiculous stories], ‘Maa shaa Allaah, tajalleeyaat,’ we follow up by saying, ‘Tajalleeyaat Baqlah!’ [i.e., this Christian whose name was Baqlah called his shop ‘tajalleeyaat’ the same word the Sufis use for their shaikh’s manifestations. So he called his shop ‘Tajalleeyaat Baqlah,’ or ‘Baqlah’s Manifestations/Revelations,’ because when you drink alcohol certain realities become clear to you that are not clear to those other sober folk! So Shaikh al-Albaani said that when these Sufis come and relate such far-fetched stories claiming them to be manifestations of realities that their shaikhs see, i.e., ‘tajalleeyaat,’ he follows up by saying, yes, just like Tajalleeyaat Baqlah!]

The point is that Abu Yusuf was saying, ‘Maa shaa Allaah, tajalleeyaat,’ [Shaikh al-Albaani adds] Baqlah. His cousin [who was with me in the shop] asked him, ‘What is your opinion about this story?’

He said, ‘It’s true. You wahhaabis reject the karaamaat [miracles] of the Allies of Allaah.’ In his mind he thought it was a miracle. So his cousin [who was with me in the shop] started to debate with him, but he was at the same level of knowledge as his cousin, Abu Yusuf.

I was sitting behind the table fixing watches. I felt as though there was no benefit in [what was being said between] the two of them, no result, no benefit. So I said [to myself] I must enter the discussion, so I got up and sat next to them both and started to talk to Abu Yusuf.

I said to him, ‘O Abu Yusuf, may Allaah bless you. Pay attention. The story [itself] shows you that it is fabricated and put together. So you see when the Shaikh spoke saying, ‘This is your mother’s boyfriend and because he fornicated with your mother I told you to kill him, to slaughter him, and do you really think I was going to tell you to kill your father?’ Okay, from this it is clear that he is upon ignorance from three angles.

The first: is it for anyone other than a Muslim ruler to carry out the prescribed punishment? [It’s not] because [if other people do it] discord will occur amongst the people.

Secondly: is the penalty for someone who is married and commits fornication that he be decapitated or that he be stoned to death? [It is that he be stoned to death].

Thirdly and lastly: why did he carry out the punishment on this fornicator, this man–who may not have been married [and thus it would not be allowed to kill him]–while he left the fornicating mother just as she was [who, according to the story, we know is married and so should have had the punishment applied to her]?

So it is clear that the story is fabricated and does not require any debate, there is no benefit in it, ‘Deaf, dumb and blind. They understand not.’

Finally I said to him–and we have no weapon except that of [trying to make them understand by appealing to their] sentiments, and there is no movement nor power except by the Will of Allaah–I said to him, ‘O Abu Yusuf, now, in short, if the Shaikh, your Shaikh who narrated this story to you, ordered you to slaughter your father, would you do it?’

A very uncomfortable question, and someone from the common Muslims in answer to this question would say, ‘I seek refuge with Allaah from killing my father.’ Do you know what he said [instead]?

He said, ‘I have not reached that level yet,’ and fled, leaving [the shop] while I was saying to him in our Syrian dialect, ‘You’ll never get there inshaa Allaah.’ He thinks that his reaching the level is when his Shaikh orders him to kill his father and he carries it out then, maa shaa Allaah, he has arrived. But he’s not there yet. So I said to him, ‘You’ll never get there inshaa Allaah.’

For this reason the remedy is to return to the Book and the Sunnah and not what is said or was said or reported [in such false stories].

End.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, no. 195, at 47:36, carries on to tape 196. If you make a video send me a link to it please. Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 3, pp. 957-965.

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August 5, 2011

Al-Albaani and the time he met the Druggie who was a Wali [an Ally] of Allaah! | 3

He said, ‘There used to be a Shaikh, who would enjoin the good and forbid the evil, hoping for Allaah’s reward in that and not seeking any material gain from it. He would go out to the marketplace along with some of his keen students. Every time he saw an evil in the market [perpetrated] by a merchant, by a store owner, by a spice dealer, he would advise and remind them.

Until one day he stopped by a store owner and saw him selling hashish to another person so he criticised him strongly, ‘O disobedient one! O criminal! You sell that which harms and does not benefit …’ and so on. So this Azhari Shaikh said to them that this noble scholar who used to enjoin the good and forbid the evil had not completed his sentence except that he became just like an animal that doesn’t understand anything.

[Little did he know that] the store-owner was a Shaikh and one of the major Allies of Allaah and righteous people. For this reason, when that noble Shaikh criticised him, the store-owner-Shaikh stole and took away his intellect and reasoning.

His students were now perplexed regarding their Shaikh so they started to ask about the remedy to this problem which they did not know the cure for. They asked one person and another, going from one place to the next, until [finally] they came to a person who told them that no one could tell them [anything] about this person’s problem except so and so, for he is someone who has ‘two wings’, i.e., has gathered both the [knowledge of the] Sharee’ah and the ‘Reality,’ so go to him.

They did and told him the story. So he said that the store keeper–and I [Shaikh al-Albaani] am going to call him the ‘Hashish Wali’–is from the major Allies of Allaah [Awliyaa’ullaah] and from the major righteous people, ‘Your Shaikh’s cure is that you take him to that Hashish Wali and try to appease him so that he becomes pleased with this Shaikh [of yours, and when that happens,] the Shaikh will return to being just as he was.’

They went to him, they went to him and said, ‘Our master, don’t blame the Shaikh, the Shaikh didn’t know your rank and standing …’ –i.e., just as the alleged two-winged one had directed them, the one who had gathered between the Sharee’ah and the Reality–they kept on trying to please him in this manner until the Hashish Wali became pleased with the Shaikh, the Shaikh who would enjoin the good and forbid the evil.

And just like one asleep, [behold] the Shaikh awoke and the group [of students] felt that, truly, what the two-winged one had said was correct, i.e., the Shaikh returned to being just as he was.

And thus, the Shaikh, in turn, started to apologise and excuse himself before the Hashish Wali, ‘Don’t blame us for we did not know your rank and standing and your station before Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.’

So where is the lesson?

The Hashish Wali said to this scholar, ‘You, O Shaikh, think that I sell Hashish, the drug. [But] I sell hashish which looks just like hashish but its effect is the opposite to hashish. No one buys this from me except that he is cured from smoking hashish.’

In this way they dispensed with the laws of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and the intellect of the people so as to enslave and subjugate them.

And I know shaikhs in Damascus, in Syria, and a man in Aleppo who openly declare in their general lessons in big Jaami mosques, ‘If you see a Shaikh and he has hung a cross around his neck, then do not criticise him. For he sees what you do not, and knows that which you know not.’

And the proof for that is the following story …

14 Comments

August 4, 2011

Al-Albaani and the time he met the Druggie who was a Wali [an Ally] of Allaah! | 2

The story of the wine and vinegar–and this is the calamity of this time–and researching this reality will take a long time … especially when some of the scholars permit reporting what is even more dangerous than this narration where [it was mentioned that] this person called upon Allaah to transform forbidden wine into permissible vinegar.

But what do you think then–and [such] stories are numerous indeed–of a person who drinks wine and is rebuked and he answers by saying, ‘He is drinking from the wine of Paradise. It has nothing whatsoever to do with your [wordly] wine!’

And another one is selling hashish and when he is refuted he says, ‘You think I’m selling hashish, the drug? I’m selling hashish that is the antidote to that hashish. And every person who buys this hashish from me is able to quit his addiction to [that other harmful] hashish.’

And through such means they paralysed people’s intellects and dispensed with the Sharee’ah. And enough for you [in this regard] is their saying, ‘There is the Sharee’ah and then there is the reality.’ And the reality contradicts the Sharee’ah, and they have other extremely dangerous sentences [too].

And maybe it is fitting that I mention a story that happened to me personally.

As was my habit, I [once] travelled to go to my brothers in Aleppo. On the way we got a house to spend the night in, in a town about twenty kilometres from Damascus, called Deer Atiyyah.

While we were chatting at night, having stayed up, instead of the door [of the house] being knocked–and the house was a single floor [i.e., like a bungalow, no upstairs]–instead of the door being knocked, the window was.

So the landlord went out to see who this strange night comer, knocking in an odd manner, was. [Like I said] instead of knocking the door he’s knocking the window. So we were all taken aback by the loud welcoming cries of the landlord for this night visitor, ‘Welcome so and so!’

We craned our necks to try and see this noble guest to whom the landlord had given such a hearty reception.

This guest enters [the house] and I was surprised when I saw him just as he was when he saw me.

He was a man given to taking hashish, one who had left praying, wouldn’t fast in Ramadaan, would smoke in Ramadaan while leaning back on one of the outside corner walls of the mosque, with his yellow eyes gazing and fixed in a stare due to the effect of the hashish.

I was surprised as to why this landlord with whom we were guests was welcoming [someone who was] a hashish addict, was disobedient [faasiq] and a criminal [faajir]–if not a disbeliever.

He was surprised to see me because he was my neighbour.

My shop was next to that mosque [where this druggie would sit], so every time I left for prayer he would be taking his hashish, smoking and naturally it had hashish in it. Every time he would see me he would sit far away from me and act as though he was overcome, i.e., captivated, in a [sufi] state of haal, i.e., he would start bowing and prostrating saying things which in Syria we call broken speech, i.e., in Arabic it is called an incomplete sentence, like, ‘Tomoatoes, hashish, eggs, aubergine.’ It’s not a sentence, it’s incomplete.

It was then that I realized that the landlord believed that this person was from the major Allies of Allaah [Awliyaa’ul-Allaah]. So I started to speak at the spur of the moment and opened what I said with the aayah, “Behold! Verily on the friends of Allaah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. Those who believe and fear Allaah much. For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter …” [Yunus 10:62-64]. What is taqwaa? What is eemaan, we spoke in this vein.

Then we spoke about the likes of this Dajjaal [i.e., the stranger].

That this was nothing to do with Islaam at all. That the honour of the Muslim was only through his faith in Allaah and his taqwaa of Him. And that this was all there was to it, whether a miracle occurred at his hands or not. One of the Shaikhs with us in Damascus said:

When you see a person who may fly
And on the ocean does walk

Yet does not stop at the limits of the Legislation
Then an innovator is he
Being lead to destruction progressively

I don’t recall [exactly] what we said in this regard but we spoke about the fact that the landlord believed that this man, a disobedient sinner and criminal, who makes out as though he is someone who is so overcome with the remembrance of Allaah that he does not know what is going on around him, is from the major Allies of Allaah.

And then the landlord said, ‘O Shaikh, by Allaah, in this town we …’–and herein lies the lesson–‘… in this town we used to be as you said. [We used to hold] that eemaan and taqwaa is what Islaam is about. But then Shaikh so and so came to us, and he had studied in Azhar University for twenty years, he left his town for twenty years, and then he came, warning the people and teaching them in the mosque at night. More than once we would hear him say that Allaah has special, chosen people in [certain] places and times … common phrases [oft-repeated by innovators].

And that the jewel that doesn’t impress you will harm you. The jewel that doesn’t impress you will harm you: if you see a person who is drinking wine, taking hashish, it is possible that he is one of the major Allies [of Allaah] from the righteous people. Just don’t ever, don’t ever criticise him or else you will fall into problems with this righteous ally [of Allaah!].’

Then [the landlord said that] the [Azhari] Shaikh reported the following story to them …

1 Comment

August 1, 2011

Al-Albaani and the time he met the Druggie who was a Wali [an Ally] of Allaah! | 1

Questioner: My question is concerning the subject that the brother, Shaikh Muhammad mentioned concerning stories and hadiths which some Shaikhs mention, for example, the story which I heard and which Abdul-Hamid Kishk reported. A story which I see great contradictions in such that I cannot believe that it is attributed or even mentioned in history [before].

The story as he himself says is that a person used to drink wine from a bottle. Umar ibn al-Khattaab passed by him the first time and when he saw him he threatened him that he would be whipped if he saw him drinking wine a second time. So he passed by him a second time at a distance, the man saw Umar ibn al-Khattaab and so asked Allaah to turn the wine into vinegar. When Umar ibn al-Khattaab asked him what was in the bottle, he replied, ‘It is vinegar.’ So Umar ibn al-Khattaab smelt it and it was [indeed] vinegar.

In my opinion this story has some contradictions and is also in opposition to [correct] fiqh. What I mean is that that person was committing a sin, and [then] calls on Allaah to save him from it while he is still doing it. Also, it has been mentioned that Abdul-Hamid Kishk reports or quotes some weak hadiths whose chains of narration are not authentic.

My question is in regard to this, because I know that Abdul-Hamid Kishk has a big effect on the youth today and he mentions weak hadiths and stories.

We’d like your input on this?

Al-Albani: The reality is that I have never come across this story which you just related about that man–[I’ve never seen it mentioned] amongst the authentic hadiths, nor the hasan hadiths, nor the weak ones, nor the fabricated ones and not even those that have no basis.

And another painful reality is that no one is denying that Shaikh Kishk’s style in effecting the people is uncanny, but I do not mean [by saying that] that his style is a legislated one. Because he uses emotion, inflaming the emotions of those present by such things as ordering that salaah be sent upon the Prophet [by saying], ‘Send more prayers!’ and ‘Let me hear you send prayers upon him,’ and so on. But in the end, his style leaves an affect.

But he, with great remorse, is a storyteller and not a scholar especially in that which is connected to the field of prophetic hadith. So along with being a storyteller he is also one who [just] rounds up and gathers things. He collects all kinds of hadiths [not caring about their authenticity] and then admonishes the people with them, reminding them using such hadiths.

And it is here that the alleged rule which leads admonishers such as this to deviate makes its entry. [A principle] which is mentioned in some of the books of the science of hadith as though it is something undisputed and without blemish: that it is allowed to act upon those weak hadiths which talk about the excellence [or merit] of [certain] actions [Fadaa’ilul-A’maal]. Whether this sentence is accepted or rejected is something disputed amongst the scholars of hadith.

That which I hold and which I have mentioned in more than one book or treatise is that it is not allowed for a Muslim to seek nearness to Allaah the Blessed and Most High through a hadith which he knows is weak. This is what I hold.

But [we must bear in mind that] those who adopted this rule laid down conditions [that must be met] to act upon such hadiths. So when the majority of the people who came later and who adopted this rule [actually] broke it, [the result was that] weak and fabricated hadiths became widespread.

We have very extensive experience with those who associate themselves to knowledge: when one of them mentions a hadith and we know for sure that he does not know where this hadith has come from, he doesn’t know whether it is authentic or weak, but when he is taken aback after he is repudiated and it is said to him, ‘O my brother, you’re relating this hadith and it is weak,’ he replies immediately with the alleged rule, ‘But weak hadiths can be acted upon in relation to the excellence of [certain] actions.’

But this rule is not taken without exception.

Do you [actually] know that the hadith you just related is [in fact] weak?

He doesn’t know anything about that. Thus, he has broken the rule, for conditions were laid down for it, from them being the fact that he should know that this hadith [which he is quoting] is weak so that he does not become mixed up [in differentiating between the] the weak hadith and the authentic one.

[The incorrect implementation of] this rule helps the admonishers, storytellers and preachers not to be cautious when narrating hadiths from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

If the hadith were authentic then alhamdulillaah, and if it were weak [and the conditions applied] then it can be acted upon in relation to the excellence of [certain] actions. [I.e., Trans. note: the Shaikh does not agree with this rule but here mentioned the opinion of those who do hold it to be permissible, i.e., at the very least if these storytellers knew that a hadith was weak maybe this rule could then be implemented according to those who hold it to be permissible, but therein lies the problem, normally the storytellers don’t even know if it is weak: it could be worse than being just weak, i.e., it could be fabricated or have no basis whatsoever, so when they are not sure about the grading of the hadith how can they implement the rule that, ‘Weak hadith can be used concerning the excellence/merit of certain actions,’ correctly?]

So the aforementioned Shaikh does not have knowledge of hadith and for this reason in his stories and admonitions he narrates all kinds of hadith. So it is not strange that he should report narrations which have no basis whatsoever and have no connection to the sayings of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

[Sorry folks, the druggie comes later!]

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August 1, 2011

Is it Allowed to Seek the Assistance of the Jinn?

Questioner: Regarding the jinn, there are two questions regarding them, the first is about seeking assistance from them. It is known that amongst the jinn there are disbelievers, sinners [faasiq] and Muslims.

Al-Albani: Yes, by Allaah.

Questioner: So is it permissible for a Muslim, if he is able to, or some things happen [as a result of which] it becomes clear to him that the jinn, for example, is a Muslim, and so he seeks his assistance in some worldly affairs. So is it permissible for a Muslim to use this jinn …, in the same way that I seek the assistance of a human Muslim brother?

Al-Albani: When you mentioned seeking assistance from the Muslim jinn, how do you know he is a Muslim?

Questioner: He says so!

Al-Albani: He says so?

Questioner: Yes.

Al-Albani: And you do not know him [he is unknown].

Questioner: Yes.

Al-Albani: And you do not know him [he is unknown].

Questioner: Yes. Unknown because I do not know him.

Al-Albani: So how do you judge with the testimony of someone unknown?

Questioner: And he, namely, in reality, he is just like one of the brothers.

Al-Albani: No I am asking you, if there were a brother next to you, how do you know if he is a Muslim and a righteous one if you do not know him?

Questioner: I don’t know.

Al-Albani: Thus, the question from its general, initial, onset was wrong. Is it permissible to seek assistance from the jinn or not? The answer is no.

As for categorising the jinn then it can be [done] in two ways. Dividing them in terms of there being amongst them those who are righteous and those who are sinners, believers and disbelievers. This is correct, “There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups each having a different way.” [Jinn 72:11]. This is from the angle of there being an unseen reality, something which we do not see.

As for dividing the jinn in terms of their relation to us humans/mankind, then such a division is lost on us. We cannot say, “So and so who speaks to us is a Muslim jinn, or a non-Muslim jinn, or a righteous Muslim jinn … no, we cannot make apparent such judgements. Because this is a judgement about something which is behind–as they say today–nature, i.e., in sharee’ah terminology, the Unseen. We do not know the Unseen.

And at the same time as it not being something legislated, believing someone who is unknown and from the Unseen, is also stupidity. Because if a person who you do not know at all were to come to you and say, ‘I am a trustworthy Muslim. And I want to share with you [in something].’ You would not agree to it, because you don’t know him. So then it is even more fitting that you do not accept the testimony of someone who is behind a wall who says, ‘I am a good, righteous Muslim. And I am going to interact with you from behind this wall based upon the fact that the religion is sincerity.’

Questioner: Yes.

Al-Albani: Would a person accept such a dealing?

Questioner: No.

Al-Albani: So what do you think about [someone] behind a wall, behind all matter [i.e., someone from the Unseen].

Thus, the correct question is: is it permissible to interact with the Jinn at all?’ The answer is that it is not allowed at all.

The only thing that is allowed in that which is connected to Jinn and mankind is that if one were pretty sure that there is a person who has been possessed by a Jinn, then some aayahs can be recited on him, and [the Jinn] can be warned through such recitation … this is what has been established in the Sunnah.

As for the Quraan then it warns us against seeking the assistance of the Jinn [this having been quoted] from the believing Jinns [themselves] who came to the Prophet عليه السلام and believed in him. They spoke about their situation such as saying, ‘And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief,’ [Jinn 72:6] i.e., … in misguidance.

Because of this it is not allowed to seek the assistance of the Jinn. This is the answer to the question. End of Shaikh al-Albaani’s words.

I’ve seen some of the translations that have been put up on the blog have been taken and made into YouTube videos. I happened to chance by some of them. I don’t mind anyone taking such an initiative since I had been hoping someone could do it, may Allaah reward you guys well, whoever you are. At the same time I’d like it if you could send me a link to inform me of such videos. If they’re done well, I can then put up a link to them on the blog here. Shukran.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, Tape no. 704, starts at 3 minutes and 50 seconds approximately.

Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 3, pp. 1053-1055.

The YouTube video:

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July 29, 2011

A Question About Some Sentences Connected to Creed

Questioner: There are some sentences or phrases which many people have fallen into saying. [We would like a clarification] about their permissibility or impermissibility. Some of them say, ‘O Faasiq! [one who is rebellious and disobedient to Allaah]. Or, ‘O Fattaal! [like faasiq]’ And, ‘[The answers to my problems are] with Allaah and then you,’ or when someone says, ‘Come and [eat] with us,’ they reply, ‘May Ar-Rahmaan eat with you,’ or ‘May Ar-Rahmaan be with you,’ and such words …

Al-Albani: These [words] are [said] amongst you?

Questioner: Yes.

Al-Albani: How strange! We have words that are similar to these and all of them are not allowed. Here in Syria they say, ‘We trust in Allaah and you.’ There is no doubt that some of those phrases which the question is about are incorrect. Like I just said to you in some places in Syria we have sayings that resemble those, like, ‘We trust in Allaah and you,’ this is shirk. Also, ‘Whatever Allaah wills and you will,’ is shirk. The correct wording is, ‘Whatever Allaah wills and then you will.’

Most of the Arabs today do not differentiate between ‘then’ and ‘and.’

The sentence, ‘‘We trust in Allaah and you,’ is disbelief in His Saying, “… and in Allaah (Alone) let those who trust, put their trust.” [Ibraaheem 14:12]. Namely, [we trust] in Allaah alone. So without a care such a person says, ‘We trust in Allaah and you.’

The saying, ‘We trust in Allaah and you,’ is shirk. Here amongst us they also say, ‘Allaah’s Hand and your hand …”

Another questioner: Or they say this other wording, for example, [if someone invites you to eat, saying], ‘Come and eat with us, O Shaikh,’ he will reply, ‘May Ar-Rahmaan eat with you,’ ask about this, is there anything wrong with this?

Al-Albani: What is the second wording?

Questioner: He said, ‘May Ar-Rahmaan eat with you … may Ar-Rahmaan eat with you.’

Al-Albani: And there is nothing wrong with this?!

Questioner: This phrase … I’m not saying there is something about it.

Al-Albani: Is there something with it or not?

Questioner: I don’t know.

Al-Albani: He eats, Allaah eats?!

Questioner: We, yes … may Ar-Rahmaan eat with you.

Al-Albani: Our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, eats? No, this is disbelief. This is likening the Creator to His Creation. This is not allowed. Is there anything else they say?

Questioner: Some of them say, ‘Ar-Rahmaan is with you.’

Al-Albani: Ar-Rahmaan is with you?

Questioner: [If one of them were to invite you, saying], ‘Come with us.’ The other person replies with, ‘Ar-Rahmaan is with you.’

Al-Albani: Let us hear its interpretation …

Questioner: He’s saying, [when someone calls you saying], ‘O Shaikh, come to us … with us.’ He replies, ‘Ar-Rahmaan is with you.’ Namely, he is excusing himself [by saying that]. He doesn’t say, ‘No, I’m not coming.’ He [excuses himself by] saying it in a softer way.

Al-Albani: But what is the meaning of, ‘Ar-Rahmaan is with you?’

Questioner: Namely, [by] Ar-Rahmaan [they mean] blessings, goodness, ‘I can’t sit with you … [but] Ar-Rahmaan is with you.’

Al-Albani: He doesn’t want to give a harsh reply so [instead] he says something which is not fitting to be said [in the eyes of the] Shariah?

Questioner: Because of his notion that it is something good.

Al-Albani: Because of his notion. But we want to correct his notion.

Questioner: No problem. If there is something blameworthy in it he should be stopped.

Al-Albani: It is not allowed to say, ‘Ar-Rahmaan is with you.’ Because … look now, the people of innovations … the people of hadith and those who cling to what the Pious Predecessors were upon, and those who believe in the aayahs and hadiths about Attributes are called mushabbihah [by the people of innovation] … they say that they are mushabbihah, mujassimah [anthropomorphists/people who liken Allaah to His Creation]. Namely, they say about us that we are mujassimah, why? Because we say, ‘[Ar-Rahmaan] The Most Beneficent rose over the Throne,’ [Taa Haa 20:5] i.e., He rose over it in a manner that suits and befits His Perfection. So when explaining this aayah if you say rose over means He sat on the Throne you would have opened the door for them to vilify you and would have given them support in their claim that you are a mujassim.

This saying, ‘Ar-Rahmaan is with you,’ they [already] deny that Ar-Rahmaan rose over the Throne, [even though] it is an aayah which we explain as the Salaf did, i.e., they deny the meaning of rose over because they falsely think that such a statement contains tashbeeh of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic as though He is sitting on a seat, [whereas] He is the One free of all creation. So what would the case be if they hear this saying, ‘With you is Ar-Rahmaan,’ i.e., Ar-Rahmaan is a guest with you. … Ar-Rahmaan is sitting with you, these are extremely vile meanings. [Rather], ‘[Ar-Rahmaan] The Most Beneficent rose over the Throne.’

Maybe it is possible to interpret this [saying] with a good meaning but from the cultivation that the Prophet عليه السلام taught his believing followers is his saying, ‘Do not say anything which requires an excuse before Allaah.’

So [after saying such dubious statements maybe someone will say], ‘I don’t mean that Ar-Rahmaan is with you in Essence, the Most High, but I mean His good, His aid and His blessings and so on,’–so this is an interpretation, but this interpretation does not contain good, [for] in another hadith there occurs, ‘Beware of that which requires an excuse,’ i.e., don’t say things after which you will be required to say, ‘By Allaah, I meant such and such.’

Questioner: Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.

Al-Albani: Well done, precisely.

Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 3, pp. 1186-1189.

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July 26, 2011

PDF of A Conversation with Shaikh al-Albaani’s Wife, Umm al-Fadl

Here is the PDF version of all the separate posts in one place.

And a link here to the first post in the series if you want to read it there.

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Tag: albaani