The Albaani Site

Translation from the Works of the Reviver of this Century

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March 2, 2011

The Shaikh’s Life in his Own Words … 5


 

Some of the Contention Faced by the Shaikh

“The first of these was when a group of Shaikhs, among them one whom it was thought would have been a help to the Salafi da’wah, set up a petition claiming therein that I was spreading a Wahhaabi da’wah to cause trouble amongst the Muslims.  So they started collecting signatures for the petition from the people and then submitted it to the Mufti of Syria.  He, in turn, passed it on to the chief of police who summoned me in and questioned me about the affair, until in the end it came to nothing.

One day a friend of mine who I used to study with asked me about a certain hadith concerning the reward of fasting, so I explained to him that [this particular] hadith was weak.  This friend had heard the hadith from the Imaam giving the Jumu’ah sermon quoting it as a proof on the pulpit and he could not help but go back to this Shaikh who had given the sermon to mention what he had come to know about the weakness of the hadith and the reference where that could be checked.  So as a result, the next Jumu’ah sermon of this Imaam was an attack on the way of the Salaf and he started to accuse those who followed it as being Wahhaabis, characterising this way as misguidance, warning the people from approaching them and calling on them to protect their children from its callers.  The people listening to this [second] sermon were not all equal in accepting or rejecting what he said, and as a result there was a lot of disorder and confusion.

Hayaatul-Allaamah al-Albaani, rahimahullaah, bi qalamihi, pp. 13-14.

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March 1, 2011

Shaikh al-Albaani in an overturned car …


“Shaikh Ali Khashhaan, may Allaah protect him, in a piece he wrote entitled, ‘The Aider of the Hadith and the Reviver of the Sunnah, Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani’, said, “So by Allaah!  My eyes have never seen–as far as I know-anyone who cared more about the Sunnah and aided it with greater vigour or followed it more than al-Albaani.  One time between Jeddah and Medinah an-Nabawiyyah [he had an accident] and his car overturned and the people present rushed to him saying, “O Sattaar!  O Sattaar! يا ستار!  ياستار [i.e., O Concealer, meaning Allaah].”  So the Aider of the Hadith, Shaikh al-Albaani says to them while he is under the overturned car, “Say, ‘O Sitteer [يا ستير]’ and don’t say, ‘O Sattaar [يا ستار], because al-Sattaar is not one of His Names, the Most High!”

And in the hadith there occurs, “إن الله ستير يحب الستر – Allaah is characterised by modesty and concealment [sitteer] and loves that people conceal themselves.”[1]

Have you seen anyone who aids the Sunnah and the Hadith in a situation such as this in this time of ours?!  Never!  Except for what has been related from the likes of Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others from the Pious Predecessors of this nation.””

Taken from Juhoodul-Imaamil-Albaani, of Ahmad Saalih Hussain al-Jabboori, pp. 7-8

[1] An authentic hadith reported by Abu Dawud (4012), an-Nisaaee (1/70), al-Baihaqi (1/198), by way of Zuhair from Abdul-Malik from Abu Sulaymaan al-Azrami from Ataa from Ya’laa, who said, “The Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, saw a man taking a shower in the bazaar without his lower garment on.  So the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, mounted the pulpit, praised Allaah and extolled him and then said, “Indeed Allaah is characterised by modesty and concealment, and He loves modesty and concealment.  So when one of you takes a shower let him conceal himself.” See Irwaaul-Ghaleel, no. 2335.

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March 1, 2011

The Shaikh’s Life in his Own Words … 4


Calling to Allaah, the Most High

“Communication began between acquaintances, friends and their friends and I made a place in the shop where we could gather and I would teach.  Then we saw it fit to move to the house of one of the brothers and then again to another bigger one until we had to rent out the floor of a building for this teaching.  The people attending increased in number until the space became congested and the vigour and activity to read hadith, its explanations and chains of narrations reached a high level.

We continued like this until the efforts of those who oppose us were directed at us and so matters became restricted until the lessons were cancelled and the sessions were disbanded.

And here we are, even now, [still] not free of these restrictions, so we gather whenever it is possible and when something comes between us and being able to meet I turn to writing and verifying instead, two things which I can never cut off from.

The Spread of Da’wah outside Damascus

From the results of this positive turn which the da’wah received was that we arranged a program to visit different places, like Aleppo, Latakia, Idlib, Salamiyah, Homs, Hama and ar-Raqqah, and despite the limited time that I had allocated for these cities, the journeys met with tangible success.  Since a large number of those who were keen to study the science of hadith would gather at lectures which resembled seminars, books of the Sunnah would be read, questions asked and beneficial debate would flare up.

Except for the fact that this travelling [to spread da’wah] doubled the intensity of the wrath from others [directed at us].  So they doubled their efforts to [cause trouble] before those in places of authority and as a result we were in the centre of one problem after another.”

Hayaatul-Allaamah al-Albaani, rahimahullaah, bi qalamihi, pp. 12-13.

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March 1, 2011

“Carpenter, change the side the door opens on …”


Shaikh Ali Hasan said, “The Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, called a carpenter to his house and requested that he change the side from which the door of his library opens from one side to the other!

So the carpenter responded, “From one side …” looking stunned, “… to the other?”  Trying to ascertain what use and benefit there would be in doing that.

So our Shaikh answered him saying, “When the door opens towards the left side then this increases the distance to my library by a number of steps!  And I go to the mosque [to pray] five times a day along with having to go out once or twice for household chores or for personal matters.  So how much of my time is wasted, when accumulated, as a result of all those extra steps which could be eliminated or reduced?

So when the opening of the door is changed from this side to that we can benefit from all of this lost time since it is so priceless and infinitely important.””

Su’aalaat of Ali Hasan al-Halabi, vol. 1, p. 38-39.

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February 28, 2011

The Shaikh’s Life in his Own Words … 3


 

The Beginning of his Work

“And the truth is that this affair [i.e., praying salaah at the graves of the righteous] was from the very first reasons that led me to part from the majority of Shaikhs, since in this matter they were on the way of my father.  Thus from the early things that I began which resembled knowledge-based research was that I followed up this topic in some fiqh and hadith reference books which could be found in my father’s library.  I wrote a few pages in which I took the opinion of such prayer being disliked to such an extent that it is prohibited in those areas.  Especially prayer in those mosques that were built on top of the graves of the Prophets and Friends of Allaah, using as proof the sayings of the scholars that I had come across in those references.

I then presented my research to my Shaikh al-Burhaani at the end of Ramadaan and he promised to answer it after Eed.  When I came to him [after Eed] he smiled and said, “You have not done anything.  Since the places that you take from do not exceed Haashiya Ibn Aabideen and Maraaqi al-Falaah, and these are not references of fiqh.”

I was shocked at this answer and knew that the Shaikh had not grasped all that I had written, since I had in fact quoted from Umdatul-Qaari, Mirqaah al-Mafaateeh, Mubaaraq al-Azhaar and Haashaiyah at-Tahtaawee, and they are references that are respected by the people of knowledge.

It was due to this that I saw fit to follow up the issue with wider research.  In this way I continued to scour and research until the point was completed with proofs from the Book, the Sunnah and the sayings of the Scholars.  And so the result of this research was my book known as, “Tahdheer as-Saajid minint-Tikhaadhil-Qubooril-Masaajid – [literally: A Warning to the One who Prostrates from taking the Graves as Places of Worship.”

Hayaatul-Allaamah al-Albaani, rahimahullaah, bi qalamihi, pp. 11-12.

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February 27, 2011

Shaikh al-Albaani on blind following


The First Question

Is it permissible for the student of knowledge to suffice with the declarations of the scholars of the past as to whether a saying of the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, is weak or authentic? For example, he reads the checking of Haafidh al-Iraaqi where he says, “This hadith is authentic.” So is it permissible for him to suffice with that and the same with Imaam Ahmad or other than him?


Shaikh al-Albaani: “This matter resembles blind following in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). It is sufficient for the student of knowledge to listen to and act upon an opinion of one of the Imaams who are followed, and by that I do not only mean the four [famous ones], since there are more, by the Grace of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

We say: [This is so] since it is not possible for all students of knowledge to be on the same level of ability in discerning the truth in those matters where the people have differed. So it is enough for the student of knowledge to implement the aayah, “So ask those who know the Scripture if you know not.” [Surah an-Nahl (16): 43]

So if there are people of knowledge who are alive then he should ask them and embrace their answer, and if there is not a scholar who is alive for him to question, and he knows that a certain scholar from those who are followed has a certain opinion then he can follow him. And in this he is safe from any reproach or blame even if in reality the opinion that he followed is a mistake because he has implemented what was mentioned in the aayah as being obligatory upon him, “So ask those who know the Scripture if you know not.”

But this is based upon certain premises–there is one condition to this, which is that it is not evident to him that the opinion he is following is a mistake. And knowing whether the opinion he is following is incorrect or not can be done by the student doing some personal research if he has the capability of doing so, or it can become known by the direction of another scholar whom he trusts and in whose knowledge he trusts. What is important is that it is permissible for the student of knowledge to blindly follow a scholar if the mistake [in that opinion] is not clear to him and he himself is not capable of clarifying whether [the chosen opinion] is correct or incorrect …” [1]

[[1] Footnote here by Amr Abdul-Mun’im Salim the one who compiled and explained the book the question is taken from, he said, “In other words, that he should not take this blind following to be religion. Rather whenever the mistake of the scholar or the Imaam becomes clear to him, it is obligatory for him to shun the opinion in which he is mistaken, whether it is with regard to matters of rulings or the creed, or that which is particular to declaring hadiths to be authentic or weak. And Shaikh al-Albaani has another very important religious verdict [fatwaa] concerning this topic in the book, Fataawaa Madinah, no., 32 on pages 42-43 …”] [it has been translated and can be read below after this answer].

Shaikh al-Albaani continues, “Likewise, totally, is the answer regarding the student of knowledge, he finds an Imaam from the Imaams of the Muslims or a preserver of hadith who authenticates hadith and declares others to be weak, then it is sufficient for this student of knowledge to follow this verifier [who declares hadiths to be authentic or weak] as long as two conditions are met, just as we have mentioned regarding the issue of [blind following] in fiqh:

1) The first condition: That he does not know it to be a mistake, since what is intended by this condition–whether it is hadith or fiqh–is that he does not follow his desires and thus say, “So and so gave me this religious verdict and the matter is closed …” [even though while saying this in reality] he feels some uneasiness in his soul, and the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said, “Question your heart even if the mufti gives you his fatwa.” [2]

[[2] Footnote of Amr Abdul-Mun’im Salim, “Reported through different paths of narration the most authentic of which is the one reported by Imaam Ahmad (17922) with an authentic chain of narration from the hadith of Waabisah ibn Ma’bad, may Allaah be pleased with him, and the relevant part of that hadith is, “Righteousness is that which gives delight to your heart and sin is that which wavers in your heart, even if the people give you religious verdicts [fatwaas] concerning it.” ]

Shaikh al-Albaani continues, “This is the first condition, i.e., that he does not know that the opinion is a mistake–whether it is regarding the declaration of a hadith to be authentic or weak, or whether it is regarding the permissibility of something or its forbiddance.

2) the second condition: That he himself is not capable of verifying the authenticity or inauthenticity of the particular hadith in question, so this is something permissible–since we cannot burden all of the people [by saying that they must] become capable of reaching the level of ijtihaad or that they become scholars.” [3]

[[3] Footnote here by Amr Abdul-Mun’im Salim who said, “That is because if someone reaches the level of being capable of making ijtihaad and he acquires the tools of this knowledge, then it is not permissible for him to blindly follow anyone rather it is then obligatory upon him to make ijtihaad in the declaring of hadiths to be authentic or weak, but it is permissible for him to look at the rulings of the Imaams and the criticisers of hadith to pick from them that which is in accordance with the truth, so that he does not isolate himself with his opinion from their opinion.”]

 

The Second Question

“What is the proof concerning the forbiddance of blind following?”


Shaikh al-Albaani said, “I do not know of any proof that states that blind following is haraam, rather blind following is a necessity for the one who has no knowledge. And Allaah, the one free from all defects and the Most High, said, “So ask those who know the Scripture if you know not.” Therefore, this aayah placed the Muslims into two categories as regards knowledge:

i) the scholar and it made obligatory upon him to answer the questioner
ii) those who do not know, and it made asking the scholars obligatory upon them.

So if a person from the common folk came to a scholar and asked him about something and the scholar answered him, then this man has implemented the aayah.

And maybe what is intended is something other than what was mentioned in the question [directed to me] and that is the forbiddance of actively splitting into sects and groups; i.e., that a person take his religion from one of schools of thought that are followed and then he totally [refuses] to look at what the other schools of thought might say or at what the sayings of other scholars are–so it is this blind following of schools of thought which is then taken as religion that is not permitted because it opposes the proofs from the Book and the Sunnah.

And the people of knowledge place the people into three categories:

1) the mujtahid
2) the follower on clear proof and insight and
3) the blind follower, and it is this category that most of the people fall into.

As such we cannot say that, “Blind following is haraam,” [that] is only when blind following is taken as religion, as for blind following in general then it is not permissible to declare it to be forbidden.” [1]

[[1] Footnote here by Amr Abdul-Mun’im Salim who said, “And what has been said here is also said concerning taking the opinion of a scholar concerning the declaration of a hadith to be weak or authentic, with the condition that the status/rank of that scholar in relation to that knowledge be borne in mind. So such declarations of whether a hadith is authentic or weak are not taken from a scholar of fiqh who does not know [the science of] hadith criticism. Just as the declaration of whether a hadith is authentic cannot be relied upon when it comes from someone among the scholars of hadith or the hadith preservers who is known as being lenient; just as it is not possible to take the declaration that a hadith is weak from someone is known as being overly-strict. In fact this is a correct rule [established] by those known for their moderation and justice along with their knowledge of the principles of this profession and who are known for their practise of it which established their ability to exercise their judgement in arriving at a religious ruling [ijtihaad] concerning the criticism and chains of narration and their texts.”]

Taken from Al-Fataawaa al-Kuwaitiyyah, compiled by Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem, pp. 81-83.

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February 26, 2011

A month before he died …


“In Dubai Ali ibn Hasan al-Halabi told us, “A month before his death, the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, spent three days researching one hadith.  And he dictated eighteen pages to his grandson, Ubaadah, while I was watching.””

Safahaat Baidaa min Hayaatil-Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, rahimahullaahu ta’aala, of Abu Asmaa Atiyyah ibn Sidqee Ali Saalim, p. 94.

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February 25, 2011

The Name of the Angel of Death …


Question: Is it correct that the name of the Angel of Death is Izraaeel [Azrael/Azriel]?

Shaikh al-Albaani: Nothing authentic has been reported from the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, naming the Angel of Death as Izraaeel.

Fataawas-Shaikh fil-Madeenah of Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem, p. 57.

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February 25, 2011

“Why does he not give salaam …?”


 

“One day we were in a lecture being held at someone’s house. Whenever the owner of the house would come in or leave he would not give salaam assuming that by doing so he would be disturbing the lesson.  So the Shaikh turned to him and asked, “Why does he not give salaam when he enters and leaves?”  And so the lesson changed topic and ended up being about the manners concerning giving salaam when entering and leaving and the manners of seeking permission and so on.”

Muhaddithul-Asr, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani of Samir ibn Amin al-Zahraani, p. 31.

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February 25, 2011

Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil …


 

“I saw him one time when he was sick, one of the nurses came in and he was clean shaven.  After he had given the Shaikh his medicine and was about to leave, he said, “Pray to Allaah for me, O Shaikh.”  So the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “May Allaah beautify you with that which he beautified men with.””

Muhaddithul-Asr, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani of Samir ibn Amin al-Zahraani, p. 31.

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February 25, 2011

The Shaikh’s Life in his Own Words … 1



There’s a small book written by a person called Isaam Moosaa Haadi, entitled, “The Life of Allaamah al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy upon him, in His Own Words.” I thought it would be a good idea to go through the book, a little at a time, so we could get a picture of the Shaikh’s life as he narrated it himself.  Isaam Haadi basically went through the Shaikh’s works and gathered sections where the Shaikh spoke about himself and the result was this small but lovely work.  Here’s the first post …

 

Migrating to Syria

Shaikh al-Albaani said, “Indeed the blessings of Allaah upon me are numerous and I cannot enumerate how many there are.  And perhaps from the most important of them are the following two: the migration of my father to Syria and that he taught me his profession as a watch repairer [horologist].

The first [blessing] made learning arabic easy for me and if we had remained in Albania I do not believe that I would have learnt a letter from it, and there is no path to the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of his Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, except by way of arabic.

The second [blessing], learning how to repair watches, gave me spare time which I filled with seeking knowledge.  And it provided me with the opportunity to visit the Dhaahiriyyah library and other than it for many hours every day.

And if I had continued to stick to carpentry, which I had initially tried to learn, it would have devoured all of my time, and as a result the paths of knowledge would have been closed in my face, [paths] whose students must have free time.”

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February 24, 2011

Al-Albaani and The Ladder


 

Shaikh Baasim Faisal al-Juwaabirah said, “And from that which showed the Shaikh’s patience and fortitude in seeking knowledge was what Dr. Mahmood al-Meerah, may Allaah protect him, told me: that Shaikh Naasir climbed up a ladder in the Dhaahiriyyah library in Damascus to take a book, a manuscript, so he got the book and opened it and then started to read it while standing on the ladder—and stayed there reading for more than six hours.”

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, p. 63.

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February 24, 2011

Going to the mosque


 

“Saami Khalifah wrote to me telling me that, ‘When the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, would pick somebody up in his car on the way to the mosque, he would wait after the prayer would finish for that same person so that he could take him back and drop him up off at the place where he picked him up.’”

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, p. 175.

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February 22, 2011

Nostalgia … pictures from the world of Shaikh al-Albaani ..


Clink on the link at the top of the page …

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February 21, 2011

Forty-eight hours before he died …


 

Shaikh Ali Hasan mentioned that Shaikh Al-Albaani’s son, Abdul-Lateef said that forty-eight hours before his death, the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, requested that he bring the book Saheeh Sunan Abi Daawood to look for something that had crossed his heart and mind.

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, pp. 275-276.

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February 21, 2011

“Show me that book …”


Esaam Moosaa Haadi said, “A student of knowledge who used to study at the Institute of Sharee’ah used to work with our Shaikh.  During his spare time he would come to our Shaikh and transcribe for the Shaikh [whatever he wanted penned down].  So this student told me that the Shaikh once said to him, “Show me that book you have with you …” [alluding] to a book that student had with him.  The Shaikh then started to look through the book.  He then left the study with it and came back later returning it to the student.  So when the student left our Shaikh, he said, “I noticed that there was something in the book.  When I had a look I saw that our Shaikh had left some money [between the pages].””

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, p. 173.

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February 21, 2011

Don’t You Hang Up on Me!


 

A youth who had just started to practise Islaam phoned Shaikh al-Albaani and as soon as the Shaikh picked up the receiver he said, “I’m a young guy who has just started to practise and I have heard that you hang up the phone very quickly so make sure you don’t hang up until I’ve finished what I want to say!”  So the Shaikh started to laugh and gave him what he wanted.

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, p. 159.

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February 13, 2011

Shaikh al-Albaani Talking While Asleep …


Shaikh al-Albani’s son, Abdul-Lateef, mentioned that his father:

“… used to say in his sleep, ‘Bring me the book entitled ‘Al-Ilal.  Bring me the book entitled such and such.  Bring me the book entitled such and such.  Bring me the book entitled ‘Al-Jarh wat-Ta’deel.‘ And one time he said while he was asleep and while he was moving his hand as someone writing would, ‘Bring [the book] Sunan Abu Dawood and the problem will be solved.’

One time he said to me whilst he was asleep, ‘Bring the first volume of the book Al-Targheeb and Tarheeb.’ So I brought it.  He then said to me, ‘Open it,’ and I did.  He said, ‘Look at one, two, three ahadith.  Are these approximately equal in length?’ So I said, ‘No.  There is one amongst them which is long.’ He said, ‘Go …’—this is during sleep, he is talking whilst he is asleep.  I then said to him, ‘This third hadith is long.’ So he asked, ‘Who narrated it?’ I replied, ‘So and so.’ Then he said, ‘Enough.  Return the book.'”

All of this was when he was asleep!”

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, pp. 65-66.

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February 10, 2011

Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday ﷺ


The PDF: Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday.

لا بركة في الجهل
“There is no blessing in ignorance.”

The Imaam said: Celebrating the noble birthday of the Prophet ﷺ, is it good or evil?

Questioner: [It is] good.

Al-Albaani: Okay.  This good—were the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions ignorant of it?

Questioner: No.

Al-Albaani: I am not satisfied now with you [just] saying no.  Rather it is obligatory upon you to proceed and say, “It is impossible for this good—if it is good—or any other such good to be hidden from the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions specifically since we do not know Islaam except by way of Muhammad ﷺ,” so how do we know some good which he did not?!  This is impossible.

Questioner: Establishing the celebration of the Prophetic birthday is a revival of his remembrance ﷺ and in that is honour for him.

Al-Albaani: This philosophising is something we are acquainted with.  We hear it from many people and have read it in their books, but when the Prophet ﷺ called people did he call them to all of Islaam or to Tawhid?

Questioner: Tawhid.

Al-Albaani: The first thing he called them to was Tawhid, after that the prayers were made compulsory, after that fasting, then Hajj and so on.  Therefore, you [too] should proceed, step by step, according to this prescribed Sunnah.

We have now agreed that it is impossible that there can be some good with us which the Prophet ﷺ did not know, [since] we have come to know all good through him ﷺ. No two people will differ about this and no two rams will strike horns over it, and I believe that whoever doubts this then he is not a Muslim.  From the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ that support this is, “I have not left anything which will bring you closer to Allaah except that I have ordered you with it.” [Reported by at-Tabaraani, authentic, refer to Asl Sifatis-Salaatin-Nabee, vol. 3, p. 942]

So if celebrating his birthday was good and was something which would bring us closer to Allaah then it is imperative that the Prophet ﷺ should have directed us to it.

Correct or not?

I do not want you to agree with me without being totally convinced about every letter I say.  And you have total freedom to say, “Please, I am not convinced with this point.”  So is there anything that you are not convinced with so far or are you with me?

Questioner: With you totally.

Al-Albaani: May Allaah reward you with good.  So [the Prophet ﷺ said], “I have not left anything which will bring you closer to Allaah except that I have ordered you with it.”

We say to all those who claim that it is permissible to hold this celebration, “According to you this celebration is good, therefore either the Prophet ﷺ directed us to it or he did not direct us to it.” So if they say, “He directed us to it.” We say, “Bring your proof if you are truthful.”  And they will never ever find a way to be able to do that.  And we have read the writings of [the Sufi Muhammad ibn] Al-’Alawi [Al-Maaliki, see here for a refutation of him in Arabic] and others regarding this and they do not use as proof anything except the saying that, “This is a good innovation! [bid’ah hasanah]  This is a good innovation!”

All people, whether it is those who celebrate the birthday or those who denounce this celebration—all of them agree that this celebration was not present in the time of the Prophet ﷺ nor the time of the Noble Companions and nor the time of the eminent scholars.

But those who allow this celebration say, “And what is there that happens in this celebration?  It is a remembrance of the Prophet ﷺ and the sending of salutations upon him and so on!”

So we say, “If it was good they would have preceded us in it.”  You know the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, “The best of people is my generation then the ones who follow them then the ones who follow them,” this hadith is reported in the two Sahihs.

His generation ﷺ is the one he and his Companions lived in, then the ones who followed them are the Taabi’een and those who followed them are the Atbaa’ut-Taabi’een, there is also no disagreement about this.  So can you imagine that there is any good which we could have preceded them in, in both knowledge and action?  Is that possible?

Questioner: As for knowledge, if the Prophet ﷺ had said to anyone in his time that the Earth spins …

Al-Albaani: I’m sorry.  I would prefer you do not sidetrack.  Since I asked you about two things: knowledge and action …  and in reality, what you just said has benefitted me—since naturally when referring to knowledge I am referring to religious [shar’ee] knowledge not medicine, for example.

I can say that a doctor here is more knowledgeable than Ibn Sina was in his time, because he came generations later, and he has had much much more experience and practice, but this does not prove his virtue before Allaah and nor does it put him before the generations that were given witness to [in the above mentioned hadith].  But it does prove his virtue in the knowledge [i.e., field of expertise] which he knows.  And [in our current discussion] we are speaking about legislative [shar’ee] knowledge, may Allaah bless you.  So we must pay attention to this.

When I say to you, “Do you believe that it is possible that we can be more knowledgeable?” I am referring to religious [shar’ee] knowledge not knowledge gained through experience like geography, astronomy, chemistry or physics.  Suppose, for example, in this time there is a disbeliever in Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ but he is the most knowledgeable of all people in these sciences, will that bring him closer to Allaah?

Questioner: No.

Al-Albaani: Thus we are not talking now about knowledge in those fields but about that knowledge by which we want to get closer to Allaah, the Blessed and Most High.  And a short while ago we were talking about the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ. So the question now returns, and I hope that I will obtain a clear answer without any side-tracking again.

So I say: do you believe, with what you have been given of intellect and understanding, that it is possible for us—and we are at the end of time—to be more knowledgeable than the Companions and the students of the Companions [Taabi’een] and the Mujtahid Imaams in religious [shar’ee] knowledge, and that we can be faster in doing good actions and getting closer to Allaah than these righteous predecessors?

Questioner: By religious knowledge do you mean exegesis [tafsir] of the Quraan?

Al-Albaani: They are more knowledgeable than us regarding tafsir of the Quraan, they are more knowledgeable than us regarding explanations of the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ—at the end of the day they are more knowledgeable than us regarding the entire Shari’ah of Islaam.

Questioner: Regarding tafsir of the Quraan, maybe in this time it is more than in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. For example, the Quranic aayah:

وَتَرَى ٱلۡجِبَالَ تَحۡسَبُهَا جَامِدَةٗ وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ ٱلسَّحَابِۚ صُنۡعَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَتۡقَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍۚ إِنَّهُۥ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَفۡعَلُونَ

“And you will see the mountains and think them solid, but they shall pass away as the passing away of the clouds. The Work of Allaah, Who perfected all things. Verily! He is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Naml: 27:88]

If the Prophet ﷺ had said to anyone in his time that the Earth spins on its axis would anyone have believed him?  No one would have believed him.

Al-Albaani: So, no offense, [but] you want us to record another sidetrack against you?  O my brother, I am asking about knowledge on the whole, not a part of that knowledge, we are asking a general question.

Islaam as a whole, who is more knowledgeable about it?

Questioner: Of course, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions.

Al-Albaani: This is what we want from you, may Allaah bless you.  As for the tafsir you are referring to, it has no connection to action.  It has a connection with pondering and understanding.  And we have already spoken with you about the previous aayah and we have established for you that those who quote this aayah as a proof that the Earth spins are mistaken.  Because the aayah is referring to the Day of Judgement:

يَوۡمَ تُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُۖ وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡوَٰحِدِ ٱلۡقَهَّارِ

“On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens, and they will appear before Allaah, the One, the Irresistible.” [Ibrahim: 14:48]

In any case, we are not talking about this subject.  For argument’s sake, let me agree with you that there could be a man from those who came after who has more scientific knowledge or more knowledge of the natural sciences than a Companion or a student of the Companion and so on.  But this has no connection to righteous actions.  Since today, for example, the disbelievers are more knowledgeable than us in astronomy and its like,

but what do they benefit from that?  Nothing.  So we do not want to delve into this thing now.  We want to talk about that which will bring us closer to Allaah.  We now want to talk about the noble birthday of the Prophet ﷺ.

And we had agreed that if it was good then our Pious Predecessors [As-Salaf As-Saalih] and at the head of them the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ would have been more knowledgeable about it than us and faster in acting upon it than us.  Is there any doubt in this?

Questioner: No, there is no doubt about that.

Al-Albaani: Then do not exceed this boundary now [by delving into] matters from experiential knowledge that have no connection with getting closer to Allaah, the Most High, with righteous actions.

This celebration was not present in the time of the Messenger ﷺ—by the agreement of all—so this ‘good’ was not present in the time of the Prophet ﷺ or the Companions or their students or the Imaams!  So how was this good hidden from them?!

We are forced to say either one of two things.

1) They knew this good like we know it even though they are more knowledgeable than us, or
2) they did not know it [and if they did not know it], then how do we know it?

So if [for argument’s sake] we were to say that they knew it—and this statement is closer and better for the ones who uphold the legitimacy of celebrating the birthday—then why didn’t they act upon it?  Are we closer to Allaah [than them]?

Why didn’t a single one of them make a mistake even once—a Companion, or a taabi’ee or a scholar from them or a worshipper—[why didn’t a single one make a mistake] and act upon this ‘good’!?

Does it enter your mind [that it is possible that] not a single one [of them] acted upon this good even though they were millions in number?!  And they were more knowledgeable than us and better than us and closer to Allaah?!

You know the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, “Do not abuse my Companions.  For by the One who has Muhammad’s souls in His Hands, if one of you were to spend the like of Mount Uhud in gold, it would not equal a mudd of one of them or even half of it.” [Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim]

Do you see the extent of the difference between us and them?

Because they strove in the Way of Allaah, the Most High, with the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, and they received knowledge from him fresh and new without all of these numerous intermediaries that are between us and him ﷺ. As he ﷺ indicated in the authentic hadith, “Whoever loves to read the Quran ‘ghadan tariyaa’ then let him read according to the reading of Ibn Umm ’Abd,” [Reported by Ibn Maajah, no. 138, authentic] namely, [by Ibn Umm ’Abd he was referring to] Ibn Mas’ood, [and], ‘Ghadan tariyaa’ means fresh and new.

It is not possible for us to imagine that these Pious Predecessors and at the head of them the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, were ignorant of some good which would bring them closer to Allaah and [that] it is we [and not them] who have come to know it!  And if we say they did know like we know, then it is impossible for us to imagine that they neglected this good.

Maybe this has clarified the point that I am talking about, inshaa Allaah?

Questioner: Alhamdulillaah.

Al-Albaani: May Allaah reward you with good.  There is something else.  There are many verses and sayings of the Prophet ﷺ which clarify that Islaam has been completed, and I think this is a reality you are aware of and believe in.  There is no difference between a scholar, a student of knowledge or even a commoner on this point, which is that Islaam has been completed and that it is not like the religion of the Jews and the Christians which changes and is replaced daily.

And I remind you of the saying of Allaah, the Most High:

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمَ دِينٗاۚ

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion.” [Maaidah: 5:3]

Now comes the question—and this is from another angle, different to what preceded, to show that celebrating the birthday is not good—and that is that if it were good they would have preceded us in it and they, namely the Pious Predecessors, are more knowledgeable than us and worshipped [Allaah] more than us.

This celebration of the Prophet’s birthday ﷺ if it is good then it is from Islaam.  So we say:  Do all of us, both those who deny this celebration and those who uphold it, are we all in agreement as we were on the previous point, that this celebration was not present in the time of the Prophet ﷺ—are we all [still] in agreement [on this second point?] That this celebration, if it is good, then it is from Islaam and that if it is not good it is not from Islaam?

And the day this aayah was revealed:

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you …”

[The day it was revealed] there was no celebration of the Prophetic birthday.  So is it part of the religion according to you?!

I want you to be totally frank with me.  And do not think that I am from the Shaikhs who silence the students or even the common folk, saying, “Be quiet!  You do not know, you do not know!”  No, you are totally free, as though you are talking to a person like yourself or even less than you in age and knowledge.  If you are not convinced then say, “I am not convinced.”

So now, if the celebration is something good then it is from Islaam and if it is not good then it is not from Islaam.  When we agree that the celebration of the birthday was not present when the aforementioned aayah was revealed, then it is very logical [to say] that it is not from Islaam.

And I will confirm what I am saying with more from the Imaam of the place of Hijra [i.e., Madinah] Imaam Maalik ibn Anas, who said, “Whoever introduces an innovation into Islaam …” note how he said a single innovation not innovations, “… holding it as something good then he has assumed that Muhammad ﷺ betrayed Prophethood.” And this is a very dangerous affair—what is you proof O Imaam [Maalik]! Imaam Maalik said, “Read, if you wish, the saying of Allaah, the Most High:

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمَ دِينٗاۚ

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion.” [Maaidah: 5:3]

So what was not religion that day is not religion today.”  End of his words.

When did Imaam Maalik say this?  In the second century after the hijrah—one of the generations that had been testified for as having good!  So what about now in the fourteenth century?

This is speech that should be written in gold.  But we are heedless of the Book of Allaah, the Most High, and the sayings of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and the sayings of the Imaams that we presume we are following, how very far, how very far [indeed].  And the difference between us and them in following [Islaam] is like the difference between the East and the West.

This is the Imaam of the place to which the Prophet ﷺ migrated saying in a clear Arabic tongue, “So what was not religion that day is not religion today.”

Today celebrating the Prophetic birthday is [regarded as] religion, and if it were not then this dispute would not be taking place between scholars clinging to the Sunnah and defending [the religion] against innovations.

How can this be religion when it was not present in the time of the Prophet ﷺ nor in the time of the Companions nor in the time of the Taabi’een [and] nor in the time of the followers of the Taabi’een?!

Imaam Maalik is from the followers of the Taabi’een and he is from those mentioned in the hadith, “The best of generations is my generation then those who follow them then those who follow them,” [and he is saying], “So what was not religion that day is not religion today.  And the last of this nation will not be rectified except with that which rectified the first of it.”

What was the first of this nation rectified with?  By innovating matters into the religion and trying to get closer to Allaah, the Most High, with things that the Prophet ﷺ did not do?!

The Prophet ﷺ said, “I have not left anything that will bring you closer to Allaah except that I have ordered you with it.”

Why didn’t Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ order us to celebrate his birthday?  This is a question and it has an answer.  There is [in fact] a [different] celebration of the prophetic birthday contrary to this unlegislated celebration. This legislated celebration was present in the time of Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ as opposed to the unlegislated one, along with the huge difference which also exists between the two.

The first of those differences is that the legislated celebration [which will soon be mentioned] is worship which is agreed upon by all of the Muslims.  Secondly, the legislated celebration reoccurs once every single week whereas their unlegislated celebration only occurs once a year.

These are the two distinguishing matters between the two birthday celebrations—namely, that the first is worship and reoccurs every week as opposed to the unlegislated one which is neither worship and nor does it reoccur every week.

And I am not just saying anything on a whim for which Allaah has revealed no authority.  Rather I will relay a saying of the Prophet ﷺ to you which is reported in Sahih Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon him: from Abu Qatada Al-Ansari who said, “A man came to the Messenger ﷺ and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah!  What do you say about the fast of Monday?’  So he said, ‘That is the day on which I was born.  And the Quraan was revealed to me on it.’” [Reported by Abu Dawud, no. 2097, authentic, and others]

What is the meaning of this?  It is as though he ﷺ is saying: How can you ask me about it when Allaah brought me out to life on that day and also sent down revelation to me on it?  Namely, it is befitting that you fast on Mondays as thanks to Allaah, the Most High, for creating me on that day and for sending down revelation to me on it.

And this is similar to the fast of the Jews on the day of ’Aashoora, and maybe you know that before the obligation to fast the month of Ramadaan fasting on the day of ’Aashoora was the obligation on the Muslims.  And there occurs in some sayings of the Prophet ﷺ that when he migrated to Madinah he found the Jews fasting the Day of ’Aashoora.  So he asked them about that and they replied saying that this is the day that Allaah saved Moses and his people from Pharaoh, so we fast on it as thanks to Allaah.  So he ﷺ said, “We have more right to Moses than you.” [Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim]

So he fasted that day and ordered fasting on it so it became obligatory until Allaah sent down His Saying:

شَهۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدٗى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَٰتٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِۚفَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهۡرَ فَلۡيَصُمۡهُۖ

“The month of Ramadaan in which was revealed the Quraan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadaan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe fasts.” [Baqarah: 2:185]

Thereafter fasting on the Day of ’Aashoora became a Sunnah and the obligation was abrogated.  The proof [taken] from this is that the Prophet ﷺ participated with the Jews in fasting the Day of ’Aashoora as thanks to Allaah, the Most High, that He saved Moses from Pharaoh.  So the door of thanks has also been opened for us by fasting on Mondays because it was the day on which Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ was born and it was the day when revelation came down upon him.

Now I ask you: these people who celebrate the [unlegislated] birthday which we know has no good in it—I know that a lot of these people fast on Mondays just as they fast on Thursdays.  But do you see most of the Muslims fasting on Mondays?

No, they do not fast on Mondays, however most of the Muslims celebrate the Prophetic birthday once every year!  Isn’t this a reversal of the reality?  The saying of Allaah, the Most High, to the Jews is true regarding these people:

أَتَسۡتَبۡدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِي هُوَ أَدۡنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِي هُوَ خَيۡرٌۚ

“Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower?” [Baqarah: 2:61]

This is good—i.e., fasting which is agreed upon by all of the Muslims—fasting on Mondays.  Yet, in spite of that, most of the Muslims do not fast it.  So now we turn our attention to the ones who do fast it [and ask]:

Do they know the secret behind fasting on that day?  No, they don’t know.

So where are the scholars who defend the [unlegislated] celebration—why don’t they tell the people that fasting on Mondays is the legislated celebration of the birthday and encourage them regarding it instead of defending the celebration that has not been prescribed?!

And Allaah, the Most High, spoke the truth:

أَتَسۡتَبۡدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِي هُوَ أَدۡنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِي هُوَ خَيۡرٌۚ

“Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower?” [Baqarah: 2:61]

And His Messenger ﷺ spoke the truth when he said, “Indeed you will follow the ways of those nations who came before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a lizard, you would follow them.” [Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim] And in another narration, “… so much so that if there was someone from them who would have intercourse with his mother in the middle of the road there would be someone from you who would do that also.” [Reported by ad-Dawlaabi and Haakim, declared hasan by al-Bazzaar and al-Albaani agreed with him, see Silsilah, no. 1348]

So we have followed the way of the Jews.  We exchanged that which was good for that which was base—we exchanged the celebration of the birthday which occurs once a year and has no basis [in the religion] with that which was good, which is the celebration every Monday. And that is a legislated celebration which you perform by fasting while bearing in mind the secret behind it which is that you fast it as thanks to Allaah, the Most High, that He created the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ on that day and sent down revelation on it.

And I will finish my speech by mentioning his saying ﷺ, “Allaah refuses to accept the repentance of an innovator.” [Reported by Ibn Maajah and Al-Albaani declared it to be weak but there is another hadith which he declared to be authentic with a similar meaning reported by Abush-Shaikh in Taarikh Asbahaan, p. 259, at-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, no. 4360, and others, that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Indeed Allaah has prevented the repentance of the companion of every innovation.” See As-Silisilah, vol. 4, p. 154, no. 1620]

And Allaah, the Most High, says:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ بَلِّغۡ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَۖ وَإِن لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلۡ فَمَا بَلَّغۡتَ رِسَالَتَهُۥۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡصِمُكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِۗ

“O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allaah will protect you from mankind.” [Maaidah: 5:67]

And it has been reported in Sahih Muslim that one of the Taabi’een came to ’Aaishah, may Allaah be pleased with her …

Questioner: Reading the biography of the Prophet ﷺ is that [not] honouring him?

Al-Albaani: Yes.

Questioner: In it is reward, this is goodness from Allaah!

Al-Albaani: All goodness!  But you will not benefit anything from this question.  Therefore I will cut you off with a question: Does anyone prevent you from reading his biography?  I will now ask you another: if there is a legislated form of worship, but the Prophet ﷺ did not sanction a specific time for it and neither did he make a specific form for it, is it then allowed for us to designate—from ourselves—a specific time or a specific form/method?  Do you have an answer?

Questioner: No, I have no answer.

Al-Albaani: Allaah, the Most High, said:

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَٰٓؤُاْ شَرَعُواْ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمۡ يَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُۚ

“Or have they partners with Allaah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not allowed?” [Shuraa: 42:21]

And He, the Most High, also said:

ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ أَحۡبَارَهُمۡ وَرُهۡبَٰنَهُمۡ أَرۡبَابٗا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَسِيحَ ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓاْ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَٰهٗا وَٰحِدٗاۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ

“They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allaah and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God, there is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him.” [Tawbah: 9:31]

When Adiyy ibn Haatim, may Allaah be pleased with him, heard this—and before he became a Muslim he was a Christian—it was difficult for him so he said, “We never used to worship them.”  So he ﷺ said, “Would they not forbid what Allaah made permissible and so you would make it forbidden; and [would they not] make lawful what Allaah had made forbidden, so you would make it lawful?” So he said, “Of course.”  He ﷺ replied, “So that was your worship of them.” [Reported by Tirmidhee (3095) and the Shaikh declared it to be hasan]

And this clarifies the danger of innovating in Allaah’s Religion.

Silsilatul-Hudaa wal-Noor, no. 1/94, transcribed with abridgement.

Bukhaari Volume 8, Book 76, Number 437(6065), Muslim (2533) Tirmidhee (3859) Ibn Maajah (2362).

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