The Albaani Site

Translation from the Works of the Reviver of this Century

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February 8, 2014

Sending Salaah on the Prophet عليه السلام To Help Remember What One May Have Forgotten


 

Questioner: Noble Shaikh, [the questioner was about to ask his question but forgets what he was going to say and so does what is common and sends salutations on the Prophet عليه السلام to help him remember what he has forgotten thinking this to be the Sunnah], Allaahumma salli ’alaa Rasoolillaah … alaihis-salaatu was-salaam …

Al-Albaani: [Quotes the aayah], “And remember your Lord when you forget … and remember your Lord when you forget …” [Kahf 18:24].

Questioner: Laa ilaaha illallaah.

Al-Albaani: … because the hadith about sending salaah on the Prophet عليه السلام to help a person remember what he has forgotten is weak, not authentic, whereas the Quranic aayah is forthright, “And remember your Lord when you forget …”

Questioner: You’ve spoken the truth, just sometimes a person does things which he is used to …

Al-Albaani: I say that you too have spoken the truth [in saying that a person does things that he is used to], but what should you do … [what] you and I should do is go back to the aayah ….

Questioner: Inshaa Allaah, with Allaah’s Permission …

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January 15, 2014

“As You Are, So Will Your Rulers Be.”


 

It has been reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “As you are, so will your rulers be.”

Al-Albaani said, “Weak [Da’eef] … additionally I hold that the meaning of this hadith is not correct unrestrictedly, for history has shown us that a righteous man has become a leader directly after a non-righteous one with the selfsame public!”

Ad-Da’eefah, vol. 1, pp. 490-491.

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January 11, 2014

The Salafi Da’wah in Disarray – “He Can’t Even Recite an Aayah from the Quraan Properly—Even if the Noble Mushaf were [open] in Front of Him—Let Alone the Fact that He will Make Many Mistakes when [simply] Reading a Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. It is the Love of Fame. It is Self-centredness, ‘I am here, I have Knowledge. Maa shaa Allaah about Me.’”


 

The PDF: Maa Shaa Allaah About Me

Questioner: What is your Excellency’s opinion about … the Salafi da’wah in general, and specifically in Kuwait, Egypt and Saudi?

Al-Albaani: I say that unfortunately the Salafi Da’wah is now in disarray, and I attribute the cause of that to the hastiness of many of the Muslim youth to claim knowledge: so he will have the audacity to pass fatwas, and to declare things to be haram and halaal before he knows.

Some of them, as I have heard on numerous occasions, can’t even recite an aayah from the Quraan properly—even if the Noble Mushaf were [open] in front of them—let alone the fact that he will make many mistakes when [simply] reading a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. And so that proverb that is well-known in some countries is applicable to him:

إنه تزبب قبل أن يتحصرم
“He became a raisin before [even becoming] a sour grape.”

You know what الحصرم is, is this word used amongst you? When a grape starts out it becomes a green berry, this is what الحصرم is referring to, and it is very sour, so before he even reaches this stage of being a sour grape, he makes himself out to be a raisin.

Thus for many of these people to prop up their heads and be hasty in [both] claiming knowledge and writing when they haven’t even traversed half the way on the path to knowledge is what now unfortunately makes those who attribute themselves to the Salafi da’wah split into groups and factions.

And so there is no cure for this except for these Muslims to fear their Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, and for them to know that it is not for everyone who starts off seeking knowledge to take the lead in declaring fatwas about things being halaal and haram, or declaring hadiths to be authentic or weak except after a long lifetime, a lifetime in which he practices learning how fatwas are delivered and how [verdicts] are derived from the Book and the Sunnah.

And in this respect these callers or Salafis must comply with that third check which I mentioned before when speaking about beneficial knowledge and righteous actions, saying that beneficial knowledge must be according to the methodology of the Salaf as-Saalih.

So nowadays when many of the Islamic callers depart from this check, the third check which Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, indicated in his poetry when he said:

“Knowledge is, ‘Allaah said … His Messenger said …
The Companions said …’ and it is not hidden.”

Not paying heed to what our Salaf as-Saalih were upon makes the people go back, after having been united, to disunity which separates them as it had done with many Muslims before, turning them into groups and factions, each faction pleased with what it has. This is my opinion of the situation.

So if, as we hope, they are sincere they must cling to the correct knowledge-based principles, and that the person who has not reached the level of having correct knowledge does not have the audacity to … that he keeps himself out of sight from [delving into] that and he entrusts knowledge to the one who knows it [i.e., the scholars].

… in this regard [there] is a narration which has been reported in the books of hadith, I think it was ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abi Layla, may Allaah have mercy on him, who was one of the major scholars of the Salaf as-Saalih, he said, “In this mosque …” and maybe he was referring to the Prophet’s Mosque, “… I met …” and then he mentioned a [specific] number of Companions, I forget the number now, “… so  when one of them would be asked …”

Interjection: Seventy.

Al-Albaani: Maybe it was. “I met seventy Companions in this mosque, when one of them would be asked a question or asked for a fatwa, he would wish that another one of the scholars from those Companions who were present would shoulder the responsibility for it,” and the reason for that was because they feared that they would make a mistake and thus [as a result] would cause other people to fall into making a mistake. So they would wish to not have to take this responsibility and that someone else would.

As for now, then the situation, most unfortunately, is the polar opposite.

And that is because of one reason, which is something I always mention: that this blooming which we now see for the Book and the Sunnah and the Salafi Da’wah is something new, this blossoming which they call an awakening has not been going on for a long time such that these people can reap the fruits of this awakening or blossoming in themselves, namely, by being nurtured on the foundations of the Book and the Sunnah and for them to then inundate, with this correct nurturing based upon the Book and the Sunnah, others who are around them, [calling] those closest [to them firstly] and then those after them.

So the cause is that the effects of this da’wah have not become apparent because it is new to this time in which we live, for this reason we find the situation to be the opposite of what ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abi Layla reported about those Companions who would be cautious of being asked questions and who would wish that someone else would be asked, and the only reason that would make them answer a question would be because they knew that it was not allowed for them to hide knowledge—but in the depths of their hearts they used to wish that someone else would bear that responsibility.

As for now, in many Salafi gatherings let alone non-Salafi ones, a person who it is assumed has more knowledge than other people present is asked a question, and all of a sudden you will see that so and so has started to speak even though he wasn’t asked, and so and so has started to speak even though he wasn’t asked—what makes these people do that?

It is the love of fame.  It is self-centredness, “I am here,” i.e., “I have knowledge.  Maa shaa Allaah about me.”

This shows that we have not had a Salafi tarbiyyah. We have grown up with Salafi knowledge, each according to his efforts and striving towards that knowledge, but as for tarbiyyah, then we have not yet acquired it as an Islamic, Salafi community …

… so we are now in an awakening in terms of knowledge but we are not in an awakening of correct upbringing [tarbiyyah]. That is why many times we find individuals, some callers, that can be benefitted from in terms of knowledge but not in manners—because he brought himself up on knowledge but was not in a righteous environment in which he was raised from childhood, and for this reason he lives carrying the manners which he inherited from that society in which he exists and in which he is found, and it is a society which without doubt is not an Islamic one, but he was able to, by himself or with the direction of some of the people of knowledge, follow the path of [obtaining] correct knowledge, but the effects of this knowledge are not seen in his manners, in his behaviour, in his actions.

The cause of this manifestation which we are talking about now is that we have not matured/fully developed in knowledge except a few individuals.

And secondly, individuals, even more so, have not been brought up according to a correct Islamic upbringing and that is why you will find that many of the beginners in seeking knowledge will prop themselves up as a head … the head of a Jamaa’ah or faction, and it is here that an old piece of wisdom which expresses this manifestation applies, it says, “The love of fame will break one’s back,” so the cause of [all of] this goes back to a lack of a correct upbringing on that correct knowledge.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 188.

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January 9, 2014

The Saplings: On the Innovation of People and Youngsters Who Have Barely Finished Secondary School Propping Themselves Up As ‘Daa’ees’ When They Know Only Simple Rulings and Maybe Some Aayahs and A Few Hadiths


 

The PDF: The Saplings.

Questioner: Virtuous, kind father, we would like you to explain to us what the correct methodology in the Salafi da’wah is, especially in this time in which tribulations have increased and knowledge has decreased, and what is the difference between organising …? We would like a clarification, may Allaah reward you with good.

Al-Albaani: Concerning da’wah, then none except the people of knowledge who maintain justice are to carry it out. As for what has become widespread in this time where lots of people who have been given an amount of knowledge that can hardly [even] be mentioned call themselves, ‘Callers to Allaah,’ then—and maybe you will find this surprising but I take the responsibility for what I [am about to] say—in my opinion this is one of the innovations of the present age.

It is from the innovations of this day and age that thousands of callers have spread out amongst the people who do not have knowledge of the Book nor the Sunnah or the narrations of the Salaf, in fact, [they do] not [even have knowledge concerning] the existent madhhabs that are blindly-followed today.

All they know are a few simple rulings and maybe some aayahs and some hadiths—which even someone from the people who has the least amount of knowledge can say—and then they prop themselves up as callers.

When they are then asked about a topic they are at a loss and are not able to answer, and they may go and answer based upon manifest ignorance, this is from the blights of the present day and age.

And it doesn’t stop at these sprouting youth, rather we may find old men who have not been given an abundant share of knowledge who have become famous as callers to what? To Islaam, but they [in fact] fight Islaam by fighting the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ without which a Muslim cannot understand Allaah’s Book, so how can someone who is ignorant of the knowledge of the Sunnah and who fights some of it, [who] at the very least [fights it] in ’aqeedah, [how can someone like that] be a caller to Islaam?

… likewise today there are callers who have not been given an abundant amount or a lot of knowledge of the Sunnah according to which the Noble Quraan can be explained correctly.

So what is one to say about people like these?

In fact, what are we to say about the present day saplings who have barely finished secondary school let alone obtained a more advanced certificate from … even a professor’s certificate … even in Sharee’ah … what are we to say about these people who have propped themselves up to call to Islaam?

And he ﷺ said as is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Muslim, from the hadith of ’Abdullaah ibn ’Amr ibn al-’Aas, “Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when no scholar remains, the people turn to the ignorant as their leaders. Then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge—so they go astray [themselves], and lead others astray.”

… before everything, calling to Allaah must be done based upon knowledge:

وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ قَوۡلٗا مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ
“And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allaah and does righteous deeds and says, ‘I am one of the Muslims.’” [Fussilat 41:33]

If he is not a scholar who acts upon his knowledge then he will not be a righteous scholar, and someone who does not have something, as was said in the past, cannot give it.

So it is obligatory that the caller be a scholar, and this [too] is not enough, he must be a scholar of the Book and the Sunnah and not of some of the fiqh opinions of those who came later …

… this is the first thing, that he be a scholar, and secondly that he be a scholar of the Book and the Sunnah on the methodology of the Salaf as-Saalih. And lastly that he acts upon his knowledge, because even if calling to Allaah were done correctly one hundred per cent but is not coupled with that caller’s actions then it will not have the desired effect on the masses because people pay heed to following the actions of the people of knowledge and excellence more than they do their statements.

Rihlatun-Noor, 37.

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January 5, 2014

On Ignorance


 

The Imaam said, “There is no blessing in ignorance.”

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 715.

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December 26, 2013

Al-Albaani and The Medium Who Would Summon The Souls of the Dead in Damascus | End |


 

Continuing from the previous post.

“Doctor, this spirit which you summoned, is it of someone alive or dead?”

He said, “No, dead.”

I said, “Dead.  How did you summon his soul when it is in one of two states, there being no third: it is either a happy soul [i.e., one going to Paradise] or a wretched one [i.e., going to Hell]. If it is a happy one, then by Allaah, there is no way it will ever come back into this world again because it is occupied with the pleasure it has in its grave,” and I mentioned some hadiths which showed that the grave is either one of the gardens of Paradise or a pit from Hell, “and if it is a wretched soul, then it is all the more so and a fortiori that it will not be able to leave the prison it is surrounded by [in the grave]—so how are you able to summon this soul? This is something impossible according to the Legislation.”

Secondly and lastly and here is the point, “Imagine that it is possible for you to summon this soul, how do you know that it [actually] is, for example, the soul of the doctor Ibn Sina, a Muslim with all his open and hidden faults, the scholars who know him say that he was a philosopher and had deviated in many tenets of Islamic creed or [how do you know that it might even be] al-Razi the doctor of old, for example? How do you know that it is not a disbeliever, someone who associates partners with Allaah? Just because it says to you, ‘I am the soul of so and so,’ you say aameen?

These days interactions with people, between countries … when a country wants to send its ambassador to another it sends him with certified, registered, sanctioned, stamped and signed documents, and other such things of the sort, so that the country to which that ambassador has been sent is satisfied that this really is the ambassador of an Islamic country and not a dajjaal playing games with it—and this is [the situation] with people dealing with each other—[and what you are talking about] is the world of the Unseen, how can you know that this really is Doctor So and So?”

He had no choice, after having been confuted and having had the evidence established against him, except to say, “The reality, O Ustaadh, is that this was a medical gathering. We also have a gathering of knowledge, if you want to debate with us in it then you are more than welcome.”

I didn’t believe that there was a gathering of knowledge, [but] I said to him, “When?”

He said, “Sunday.”

I said, “Inshaa Allaah, our meeting is on Sunday.”

Allaah so willed that [when] Sunday did come I was obliged to assist one of our brothers who worked at the Ministry of Education where there was an effort being made to correct some books about Islamic Upbringing, books about Islamic Education which had weak and fabricated hadiths in them and Hanafi concepts which went against the Sunnah, so one of them called me to cooperate with him in that, he was an employee of the Ministry but I was not, walhamdulillaah, but I have a little knowledge as you know, so I held that it was more deserving for me to meet up with this person rather than keep my promise [of meeting the medium]. But my companion who had [initially] taken me to him came to me on the appointed day, Sunday, at the Dhaahariyyah Library upon the basis that we were going to meet up and go, so I told him that the situation was such and such and that I couldn’t make it with him, [so I said to him], “You go to him, may Allaah reward you with good, and apologise to him and inshaa Allaah set up another meeting.”

So he went and was taken aback when he found that there was no-one whatsoever at the house on the agreed upon day, [the house was] dark, unlit, nothing inside.

The next day he came to me and told me what had happened, so I said to him, “This is a victory granted to us by Allaah. Go to him [again] next Sunday.”

[He did] and naturally he met him on that following Sunday [because the medium thought that they wouldn’t actually turn up the following Sunday too], [but before he went] I said to him, “Don’t tell him that the Shaikh [i.e., al-Albaani] didn’t come [the previous Sunday], leave that hidden,” [say to him], “I came according to the appointment and didn’t find you?  Inshaa Allaah everything is ok, Dr. Haqqi Baik?”

He really said that to him and here is the point, my brothers, here take heed, O you with eyes [to see].

The medium said to him, “Go away! You brought a big, dangerous Wahhaabi to us—he doesn’t love the Prophet! May Allaah kill him!”

He said to him, “And how do you know that? That man is our friend and we attend his lessons which are always about, ‘Allaah said … Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said …’” and so on.

He [i.e., the medium] said, “After he [i.e., al-Albaani] left …” he summoned the soul of I don’t know who, I forget who he said it was, and he [i.e., the medium] asked the summoned soul about me and he [i.e., the summoned soul] gave him all these testimonials, “That this man is a Wahhaabi who doesn’t love the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم …”

So I say that this is a proof that these people seek the help of the devils. There is no such thing as summoning the souls of the dead, that is impossible.

But the devils really do attend and inspire them with things, as the Lord of the Worlds said, “Devils among mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception).” [An’aam 6:112]

Therefore I say that if one of our brothers has been tested, and I [purposefully] say, ‘has been tested,’ [by having to recite over people who have been possessed], because truthfully, as news has reached me [about these things], it is a situation that is a trial and a test, for a woman who is possessed may come to him and he may see that it is beneficial for him to touch her or examine her arm or neck or or and so on [by touching her]—so the Devil can come in through such easy and supple ways to start off with, and then the issue starts to get bigger and bigger until the big fitnah happens, so if one of our brothers has been tested by, and I say [has been tested by] only reciting verses from Allaah’s Book or forms of seeking refuge established from Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم to take out the Jinn which has possessed that person, then this is, as he عليه السلام said, ‘Whoever amongst you is able to help his brother, then let him do so.’

As for asking [the Jinn], ‘What is your name? What is your religion? What is your job? Where do you live? Where is so and so? What helps against such and such an illness?’ and so on, then this comes under His Saying, the Most High, which I mentioned earlier, “And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the Jinns, but they (i.e., the Jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief.” [Jinn 72:6]

I ask Allaah for well-being and safety.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 455. [1/3/1046].

End.

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December 17, 2013

“Finding Fault With All who Differ with Us in Fiqh Issues Even Though They are with Us on The Path of the Book and The Sunnah.”


The Imaam said, “I fear that our brothers will be raised to slander and find fault with everyone who differs with us in fiqh issues even though they are with us on the path of the Book and the Sunnah, and thus either go to extremes or fall short.”

Muḥaddithul-’Asr al-Imām Muḥammad Nāṣirud-Dīn al-Albaani Kamā ʿaraftuh, p. 87.

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December 8, 2013

Al-Albaani on Pirated Software


 

Questioner [asking about the situation in America]: We have computer program tapes, programs on tapes [this was back in the day, then came floppies, CD’s etc.,], we buy these tapes, or, ya’ni, one or some of the brothers buy these tapes on which is written, in English of course, “All rights reserved,” [but] what do the brothers do? The brothers buy this program, for example, this computer program, they buy it and pay for it, ok? Then they have a choice as to whether they want to keep this program or return it, ok?

They buy the program and copy it, ok, and then they return it as it was, as it was when they bought it, to the vendor and they say, for example, “It didn’t suit me,” or, “I didn’t like it,” or, “It was difficult [to use],” or, “It’s not what I want,” and so on in terms of excuses which a person may invent and may lie about, and it may be that he is not lying, [but he instead] uses equivocations, saying, “I didn’t like it, it didn’t suit me,” and so with total manners and silence they give his money back to him and they take the tape.

This copying, even though, “Copyright protected,” is written on it, copying the tape … firstly, buying it, copying it, returning it to the vendor, taking the money back after having benefitted from it, i.e., let us use fiqh terminology here, i.e., you bought the determinate product [al-’ain, i.e., the product itself, the tapes/floppies etc.] and the benefit [al-manfa’ah, usufruct] to be derived therefrom, so [then] you took the benefit, you copied it, and [in doing so] the tape was not damaged at all, nothing of the tape was lost, no harm came to the tape, no deficiency, and [then] you return the tape as it was, totally as it was when you purchased it—the only difference being that you have benefitted from the tape and have saved it on your computer. Have I made it clear to your Excellency or not?

Al-Albaani: Very much so.

Questioner: Alhamdulillaah. What is the legislative ruling concerning this?

Al-Albaani: My brother, these, without doubt, ya’ni, unfortunately, used to be the manners of the non-Muslims, now they have become the way of the Muslims.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم taught us and how well he did so, he educated us and how well he did so, part of what he taught us was, “Fulfil the trust for the one who entrusted you, and do not cheat the one who cheated you.”

So if a Muslim purchased that tape upon which was written that it is not allowed to copy it, if he bought it and did not [subsequently] return it but he [did go and] make a copy of it and started to trade using it, that is not allowed—so what do you think the case is when, after copying it, he goes and returns the original from which he made the copy claiming one of the excuses you mentioned [that they use] which are open and evident lies or [claiming one of] the equivocations [you mentioned], [equivocations] which are not allowed and which I do not picture except that they are accompanied by some open lying?

This is deception, it is not allowed for a Muslim to fall into it, but, most unfortunately, some of the Muslims have outdone the Jews who were the ones from whom that crude, materialistic principle emanated, the one that says, “The ends justify the means.”

So these people justify what they do by saying that there is benefit in copying the tape, that we didn’t harm the tape, but they feign ignorance, and I do not think they are ignorant [but rather that they are faking ignorance about the fact that] the harm fell on the owner of the tape, because he didn’t produce it except that it cost him a huge amount of money, as is the case with some publishers who publish books in a volume or more, that costs them money since they had to typeset the book and copy it and so on and so forth and distribute it, then another person comes along and takes it as a tasty bite and prints the book without permission from the author or publisher—this is double-crossing and deception, not allowed for a Muslim, sufficient for you is the previous hadith, “Fulfil the trust for the one who entrusted you, and do not cheat the one who cheated you.”

This man sold the tape to you on the basis that you will not deceive him, on the basis that you will not make a copy of it, so the one who does do that has deceived him and this is absolutely not allowed in Islaam, and for this reason if there are some Muslims there with you who are emigrants from their countries and their Islaam, maybe you can advise them to stop such embezzlement.

Questioner: Should I not deal with them? Namely, when one of them makes an offer to me?

Al-Albaani: Absolutely not.

Questioner: Should I not use it [i.e., the copied material]?

Al-Albaani: You will aid him in his evil-doing if you do, and perchance you will not do that.

Questioner: I haven’t done that and I refrained and abstained from it.

Al-Albaani: Jazaakallaahu khair.

Questioner: Baarakallaahu feekum. Okay, [what] if the person selling it knows, and I don’t say suspects [but I mean that he knows], that the person who buys the tape and then returns it will have made a copy of it, [so what is the ruling here] if the person selling knows?

Al-Albaani: Assuming in this case is not enough, [making] the assumption [that the owner knows it’s being copied and thus based upon that saying it is ok] is not enough, as long as what you mentioned earlier is written on the [original] copy, [i.e., that copying it is prohibited].

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 665.

Also refer to what Shaikh al-Fawzaan and Shaikh al-’Abbaad said.

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November 16, 2013

Al-Albaani and The Medium Who Would Summon The Souls of the Dead in Damascus | 2 |


 

Continuing from the first post.

“Welcome, Doctor,” there was someone sitting next to him [who said this], in Syria they call him a makawlik, I don’t know what you call them here, i.e., an adulator, [i.e., the medium’s sidekick], he [i.e., the sidekick] said to him [i.e., the summoned soul of the Doctor], “Welcome Doctor …,” he was repeating the same as what the medium had said, [i.e., the medium would say something and then this sidekick would repeat the same thing the medium said to make it look even more impressive or authoritative etc., so addressing the summoned soul, he carried on saying] “… because may Allaah reward you with good … we … are indebted to your favours [upon us], and alhamdulillaah our customers are increasing and the reason is due to the success of these medical prescriptions [which you dictate to us],” and he carried on saying things of this sort, “… and now we have a small boy here whose name is so and so the son of so and so and he lives in such and such an area …” etc., “… and his age …” and here’s the anecdote, “… is seven months …” the boy’s mother who was holding him said, “No, Doctor, he’s nine years old, not seven,” the makawlik [sidekick] who was sitting next to the medium said to her, “‘Be quiet! Do you know better than the Doctor?!”

The point is the man [who was the husband of the woman who was holding the child] was sitting at a round table which had numbers and an upturned cup on it, and he had placed his finger on the cup and his wife was facing him, and truth be told his wife was fully covered, even her face, nothing of her could be seen, so we saw this cup moving, going here and there, right and left, and so on, we understood that this cup was going over the numbers, going once, twice, then stopping, and he [i.e., the medium] had a piece of paper which he was writing symbols on which only he could see, he would move the cup two or three times and so on, then he gave this prescription to the employee he had assigned to this woman, [who passed it on to the woman] and ma’as-Salaamah, [it was over].

It carried on like this for an hour, one patient entering and another leaving, after one hour the sitting was over, the lights were turned on, the people still there, and I was one of them, unfortunately they were saying, “May Allaah give you well-being O Doctor! May Allaah reward you with good!”

But I was about to burst with rage.

Especially because in those days I was a youth and light skinned and so signs of anger were easily visible on me—and he noticed. So he said, “What does the Ustaadh [i.e., he’s addressing Shaikh al-Albaani] think?”

[So I said], “Wallaahi, Yaa Ustaadh, O Doctor, Yaa so and so, [i.e., Shaikh al-Albaani is addressing him respectfully] I have two questions if you would allow me.”

He said, “Tafaddal.”

I said to him, “You started the gathering by saying, ‘Wa alaikum salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu,’—who were you saying it to? The people were there … he said, “I returned the greeting of salaam to the Doctor.”

[I said], “Which doctor?”

He said, “The soul of the doctor that we summoned.”

I said, “He gave you salaam?”

He said, “Yes.”

I said, “How did you hear this salaam and we didn’t? Are the openings of your ears put together in a way different to other people?”

He said, “No. This is a secret of the trade. This is something you can’t understand until you enter this field.”

This is Sufi talk totally.

“Okay, and your friend,” naturally I couldn’t say to him on his face, ‘This one who was flattering you/your sidekick [as that would have been too rude to say to his face],’ he heard it along with you, when he [i.e., this friend of yours also] said to him [i.e., to the summoned soul], ‘Welcome, Doctor,’ [did he hear the salaam too?] …”

At any rate, I started debating with him based upon what one would call physiological aspects, but then I quickly switched to the second [type of] question which was concerning the Sharee’ah aspect [of all of this, so I said] …

The final post.

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October 31, 2013

Shaikh Muqbil About al-Albaani, ‘Verily, I Am in Awe of Him.’


 

Host: Alhamdulillaahi-rabbil-’aalameen, wa sallallaahu ’alaa Muhammad wa ’alaa Aalihi wa sallam, as for what follows. These are questions from some of those who are our brothers for Allaah’s Sake, we present them to [him who] is our brother for Allaah’s Sake, Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi’i may Allaah protect him, we hope for answers to the questions from him with proofs from the Book and the Sunnah.

The questioner says that I have heard that your Eminence has studied some of the hadiths which our Shaikh, the virtuous one, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani made mistakes in, in [his books] As-Saheehah and Ad-Da’eefah, so what are they and could you explain the mistakes?

Muqbil: A good brother, may Allaah the Most High protect him, had requested a written answer and I did not have time to do that, a verbal answer was easier for me, so the hadiths which we hold that the Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him—and he is regarded as the Imaam of his time in the science of hadith—was lenient in … and in my books and writings I resolve [and go with] what I hold to be the truth and I do not expose myself to clash with the Shaikh, may Allaah the Most High protect him—for verily, I am in awe of him—and let the one who is present [and has heard me say that I am in awe of him] inform the one who is absent [from this gathering and did not hear me say what I just did.]

But some letters came to me, a letter from [someone who is] a brother for Allaah’s Sake from Taif, where he objected against the Shaikh regarding some hadiths, and he requested that I write an introduction so I did, and a letter from al-Ahsaa from someone who is a brother for Allaah’s Sake requesting that I take a look at it and write an introduction so I did, and a letter from Egypt was sent to me, I had a look at those hadiths and I advised the good brother who wanted to scrutinise the hadiths which he held that Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him, had made a mistake in, so I advised him not to be concerned about that and that if he must do so then he should have a special notebook for this topic and every time he [happens to] came across a hadith he records it therein, as for him intentionally researching [these mistakes] then it will take him his whole lifetime—because Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him, is regarded as the most knowledgeable of his time in the science of hadith and he has exhausted more than fifty years of his life [in this field], so someone who is studying the hadiths he made mistakes in will have to exhaust a similar amount of time to that, or less or more.

And Shaikh Ismaa’eel al-Ansaari, may Allaah the Most High protect him, has some observations as regards the discussion concerning the forbiddance of gold for women, circular gold, and I hold that the truth [in this issue] is with Shaikh Ismaa’eel al-Ansaari, may Allaah the Most High protect him. As for knowledge of hadith—no-one can compare to Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani [in it]—nevertheless it has reached me that the Shaikh himself has taken up this issue and has written a book in which he has collected the hadiths which he had authenticated but which he then later discovered were weak or weak hadiths which he later discovered were authentic, some of my brothers for Allaah’s Sake told me about that, and I don’t know whether this book is ready for publishing, and the Muslims are in dire need of it …

… and when the Shaikh passes away, may Allaah the Most High protect him and I ask Allaah the Most Great to bless his life, you will see more criticisms, but [now] the people stand in awe of the Shaikh, and what did he do with Abu Ghuddah? And what did he do with al-Kataani? And what did he do with the Minister of Religious Endowments in Abu Dhabi who objected to him? What is correct is that he dissected him [with his answers] until the Minister of Religious Endowments [must’ve] wished he was dead if he had any life in his heart and [wished] that he had not objected to Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him.

Ijaabatus-Saa‘il ’alaa Ahammil-Masaa‘il, pp. 549-551.

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October 30, 2013

Shaikh Muqbil About Imaams Badee’ud-Deen ar-Raashidi, Al-Albaani, Ibn Baaz, al-Mu’allimi, Ehsan Elahi Zaheer and Blind-Following Them | Shaikh Muqbil’s Humility


Shaikh Muqbil, may Allaah have mercy on him, said about the following when most of them were alive, “As for Shaikh Badee’ud-Deen ar-Raashidi [d. 1996] then he is from our Shaikhs and I attended a dars or two or three of his, may Allaah the Most High protect him—and he is regarded as an Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah, may Allaah reward him with good, and he hates blind-following and blind-followers and repels them.

And also likewise is the Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him, he is regarded as an Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah, and we advise all of our brothers to obtain his books and benefit from them.

And likewise also is the Shaikh ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz, may Allaah the Most High protect him, he is regarded as one of the Imaams of Ahlus-Sunnah and a champion of the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم …

… as for ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Yahyaa al-Mu’allimi [d. 1966] then the likes of him are few in this time, and his books, if you read his book, ‘At-Tankeel bimaa fee Ta’neeb al-Kawthari minal-Abaateel,’ you will see a wonder of wonders as regards his patience and tolerance in his refutation of al-Kawthari, and some people have called him the Dhahabi of his time, so alhamdulillaah his books are beneficial and his style is easy.

Ehsan Elahi Zaheer [d. 1987] also, Allaah unleashed him on the Raafidah and on the Shee’ah and so he exposed them—and he is regarded as a champion of the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم … and … it is proper that these people should be asked about me and not me of them—because they are the Imaams of this time, may Allaah reward them with good.

And when we say so and so and so and so from these people [mentioned above], I do not mean that you blindly follow [taqleed] them—so do not blindly follow Badee’ud-Deen nor al-Albaani and nor Ibn Baaz and nor so and so and nor so and so, these people are our Imaams, but if we were going to blind follow them, then we would have blindly followed Abu Bakr and ’Umar and ’Uthmaan and whoever traversed upon their way …”

Ijaabatus-Saa‘il ’alaa Ahammil-Masaa‘il, p. 494.

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October 29, 2013

Shaikh Muqbil About The Most Knowledgeable Person in Hadith in This Time and Libraries that Do not Have His Books


 

The Imaam of Yemen, Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “… and likewise hadith, the most knowledgeable person found in this time [concerning hadith] is the Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him, indeed we advise all students of knowledge to get hold of his books and to benefit from them—any library that does not have the books of Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani is inadequate. So may Allaah reward him well on behalf of Islaam and the Muslims.”

Ijaabatus-Saa‘il ’alaa Ahammil-Masaa‘il, p. 559.

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October 28, 2013

Shaikh Muqbil About Al-Albaani, “He had no Peer in This Era.”


 

The Imaam of Yemen, Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i, said about Al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on them both, “He has no peer in this era. And it should be known that Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah the Most High protect him, has knowledge/learning [from what he has had access to] which no one else does, and reference works became available to him which no-one else had. Many a reference is not available to us, so we have to quote it from the books of Shaikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, referencing it back to him. So may Allaah reward him well on behalf of [what he has done for] Islaam.”

Ijaabatus-Saa‘il ’alaa Ahammil-Masaa‘il, p. 567.

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October 27, 2013

Al-Albaani on Blind-Following the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him


“We are not ‘Taymiyyoon.’”

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 164.

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October 26, 2013

No Room for Intellectual Reasoning in Matters of the Unseen


 

The Imaam said, “Be cognizant of the fact that whether the dead can hear or not is an issue of the Unseen related to Barzakh which no one except Allaah عز وجل knows about, so it is not allowed to delve into it based upon qiyaas and opinions, rather, in affirming and negating, one halts at the text about it.”

And he said, “Coming to deductions based upon the intellect … has no place in any issue related to the Unseen.”

Tahqeeq al-Aayaat al-Bayyinaat fi ’Adm Samaa’ al-Amwaat, p. 37 and p. 60.

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October 26, 2013

It is Not Allowed for Anyone, Apart from the Prophet, to Say that a Specific Individual Has Been Forgiven Because of His Tawheed


 

From al-Haartih ibn ’Ubaid: from Thaabit: from Anas, who said, “Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said to a man, ‘O so and so! Did you do that?’ He replied, ‘No, by the One besides whom none has the right to be worshipped!’—and the Prophet عليه السلام knew that he had [in fact] done it—so he said to him, ‘Verily, Allaah has forgiven you your lie due to your attestation to, ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.’’”

Al-Albaani said, “Al-Baihaqi said, ‘… what is intended is to show that even if a sin is great it does not mean that it necessitates the Fire as long as the [person’s] ’aqeedah is correct and he is someone for whom forgiveness has preceded [from Allaah]—and singling out a person in such a way [i.e., to say that a person has been forgiven as the Prophet did with that Companion] is not [allowed] for anyone [to do] after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.’”

As-Saheehah, 3064.

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October 26, 2013

“If the Muslims Differ in ’Aqeedah Then They Will Differ in Things Less Than ’Aqeedah all the More so …”


 

The Imaam said, “If the Muslims differ in ’aqeedah then they will differ in things less than ’aqeedah all the more so—differing in ’aqeedah is what causes harm, differing in subsidiary issues does not harm as long as a person sincerely tries to follow the truth wherever it is [found]. So [the fact that] the majority of Islamic callers in all Islamic countries today have left the importance of spreading the correct ’aqeedah amongst the people, this is a deficiency from all of the scholars, so importance must be given to this area …”

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 424.

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October 24, 2013

An Amusing Conversation | Al-Albaani’s Patience and Precision in Helping People Get Their Questions Right Before Answering Them


 

[There are about three to four people addressing the Shaikh in this conversation.]

Questioner: What is the ruling concerning buying and selling with someone who trades in things forbidden in the legislation?

Someone Else: … what is the ruling concerning buying from someone who sells forbidden things …

Questioner: … carrying out transactions buying and selling with someone who trades in things forbidden in the legislation?

Al-Albaani: He trades in forbidden things … ya’ni, the person who wants to transact with him wants to buy some permissible things from him but he in fact also sells forbidden things, is that what you mean?

Questioner: Hmm.

Al-Albaani: Like he sells alcohol and also, for example, sells rice and dates? Correct?

Questioner: No.

Al-Albaani: Why no?

Someone Else: Drugs, O Shaikh …

Someone Else: Drugs …

Al-Albaani: Na’am?

Someone Else: Drugs …

Al-Albaani: He [i.e., the original questioner already] said transactions with something forbidden, from this it is beyond doubt that he holds them to be impermissible [i.e., so obviously it would include drugs, i.e., you haven’t brought any new information with your input].

Questioner: … forbidden … all he sells is drugs …

[They all start talking at once.]

Al-Albaani: Listen Yaa Jamaa’ah … I haven’t been able to understand one of you for me to now understand three of you …

[Talking amongst themselves asking the original questioner what he is trying to ask.]

Questioner: … what is the ruling concerning buying and selling with someone who trades in forbidden things …

Al-Albaani: May Allaah bless you, doing business with him in something haraam or halaal? Carrying out a transaction with this man who sells forbidden things … I for example … I want to carry out a transaction with him, to buy from him, will I be buying something halaal or haraam?

[Questioner hesitates again and they start laughing.]

Interjection: Shaikh, he means … sorry … this man deals in haraam things …

Al-Albaani: … I understood that.

Interjection: … he deals with him, he’s asking … what’s the ruling …

Al-Albaani: And what am I saying? What am I saying? And what are you explaining?

[They start laughing.]

Interjection: Yaa Shaikh …

Al-Albaani: Subhaanallaah, Yaa Akhi, there’s a man who sells alcohol …

Interjection: Yes.

Al-Albaani: … and dates …

Interjection: No, no, he doesn’t mean that he sells anything else, he means that all …

Interjection: … he means drugs, Yaa Shaikh …

Interjection: … Yaa Shaikh …

Interjection: … of his business is forbidden, so should he carry out transactions with him, he means that?

Al-Albaani: He means what, Yaa akhi?

Interjection: He means this trader who deals in drugs and alcohol …

Al-Albaani: He does business with him, what does he mean by “… does business/interacts with him?”

Interjection: He deals with him in some interactions …

Interjection: … [for example] get married …

Interjection: … yes, not that he does business with him …

[Talking all at once.]

Al-Albaani: Yaa akhi, what do you mean by, ‘does business/interacts with him?’ What does he mean?

Interjection: Ask him.

Al-Albaani: We did, and where did it get us?

[They start laughing.]

Interjection: Dealing with him in things like …

Interjection: … getting married and, and, and, and … divorce, [the question having now progressed to mean dealing with such a person in a social setting, then addressing the original questioner to clarify if he does mean this] dealing with him socially or in business?

Interjection: He buys forbidden things …

Interjection: Yaa Shaikh …

Interjection: and you … he comes and takes from you.

[They clarify the question a bit more from the original questioner, then finally having understood what he meant …]

Interjection: This [brother] will explain [the question] on his behalf, Yaa Shaikh … Shaikh, this [brother] will explain [the question] on his behalf …

Interjection: He’s saying that this man sells drugs and alcohol, and now you work in a store or something, and sell halaal things, then he comes and buys from you …

Interjection: … is it allowed for you to transact with him …

Interjection: … ya’ni, you’re not buying alcohol or anything from him …

Al-Albaani: Ya’ni, he’s buying from me?

Interjection: Yes, he’s buying from you.

Al-Albaani: So, he’s dealing with me and it’s not that I’m dealing with him …

[Laughing slightly because they have finally conveyed the question to the Shaikh.]

Is it like that?

[Laughing heard.]

If it’s like that: what is it that I sell, [something] haraam or halaal? If I sell something halaal to him then it’s halaal, and if I sell something haraam to him then it’s haraam, and if I sell something halaal to him which he will immediately use to help him do something haraam, then it’s not allowed for me to sell it to him, do you understand?

Interjection: Yes.

Interjection: Yaa Shaikh, a question, Yaa Shaikh …

Interjection: A question, Yaa Shaikh …

Interjection: Hold on …

Al-Albaani: Tafaddal.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 93, [2/9/545].

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October 24, 2013

Animal Welfare


 

After mentioning a number of hadiths which encourage showing mercy to animals, the Imaam said, “Those are some of the narrations which I have come across until now, and they show the extent to which the first Muslims were affected by the directions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم concerning showing gentleness to animals, and in reality these narrations are only a few of many, a drop in the ocean. And in that is a clear clarification that Islaam is the one that set down for people the ideology of, ‘Treating animals with kindness,’ contrary to what some of those ignorant of Islaam think, i.e., that it was something set up by the European non-Muslims, it is, rather, from the manners which they took from the first Muslims, and they then expanded on it, organising it precisely, their countries embracing it, until showing gentleness to animals has become one of their merits today, such that the ignorant people think that it is something particular to them! What deceived them into [believing] as such is that one will hardly see this system implemented in any one of the Islamic countries, and they [i.e., the Muslims] were more deserving of it and worthy of it!

As-Saheehah, 1/1/69, [2/9/567].

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October 17, 2013

Concerning the Principle that, ‘The End Justifies the Means.’


 

The Imaam said, “The Jewish principle: the end justifies the means.”

As-Saheehah, 2/717.

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October 11, 2013

The Shaikh of Yemen, Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i, on Al-Albaani’s Nine Volume Work, ‘Irwaa’ul-Ghaleel’


 

Questioner: What is the scholarly, fiqh benefit of [Shaikh al-Albaani’s nine volume work called] Irwaa’ul-Ghaleel?

Shaikh Muqbil: Irwaa’ul-Ghaleel is a book of fiqh and a book of jarh and ta’deel and a book of authenticating [hadiths] and declaring them to be weak, so it is regarded as one of the most precious of Shaikh al-Albaani’s books, may Allaah the Most High protect him, and the collection of paths of narration which the Shaikh brings is something which it might not be possible for someone who lives in this time to do, so it is from the most precious—and I don’t [just] say from the most precious of Shaikh al-Albaani’s books—but rather that it is one of the most precious of all books. And how numerous are the authors in this time who benefit from the books of the Shaikh, may Allaah the Most High protect him. [Shaikh Muqbil answered this question while Shaikh al-Albaani was alive, may Allaah have mercy on them both]

Ghaaratul-Ashritah, vol. 2, p. 79.

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October 10, 2013

On The Youth Refuting and Defaming One Another Out of Spite, Based on Drastic Ignorance and as a Result Turning the People Away From Themselves


 

After explaining the weakness of a hadith he was discussing, the Imaam said, “… though it [does] represent the state of affairs of many of the youth of the supposed awakening of today, those who refute one another, defame one another—out of spite, not to sincerely advise—their transgression and evil having reached some of the scholars and virtuous ones, and they insulted them with various names, not implementing the manners propounded by Islaam [that], “The one who does not show mercy to our young, respect our elders, and recognize our scholar’s rights, is not from us,”—self-conceited with snippets of knowledge they gathered from here and there—until they imagined that they had something to stand on, but they have nothing to stand on, as has been mentioned in some of the hadiths about the trials.

And they turned away the hearts of many people from themselves through sayings and fatwas which communicate their drastic ignorance, the thing which reminds us that they are from those whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم referred to in the authentic hadith, ‘Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when no scholar remains, the people turn to the ignorant as their leaders. Then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge—so they go astray [themselves], and lead others astray,’ agreed upon [i.e., reported in Bukhaari and Muslim].”

Ad-Da’eefah, 14/2/555-557.

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October 8, 2013

On The Difference Between the Dialogue that Takes Place Between Ahlus-Sunnah Among Themselves and the Speech Directed From Ahlus-Sunnah to the People of Innovation


 

Questioner: The first question, are there differences between the discussions that take place between Ahlus-Sunnah and the addresses that are directed from a Sunni to an innovator? And what are they?

Al-Albaani: Are there differences …

Questioner: Yes …

Al-Albaani: Are there differences between what goes on between Ahlus-Sunnah …

Questioner: … between the discussions that take place between Ahlus-Sunnah and the addresses that are directed at an innovator from a Sunni? And what are they?

Al-Albaani: Without doubt the differences may sometimes exist and the difference is clear between the dialogue and discussions that go on between Ahlus-Sunnah themselves and what goes on between Ahlus-Sunnah on one hand and the innovators on the other, [and] that is that the discussions, dialogues and refutations between Ahlus-Sunnah themselves are only done based upon statements of His, the Blessed and Most High, like:

“By time. Verily, mankind is in loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” [Asr 103:1-3]

So the starting point of any discussion or dialogue that goes on between Ahlus-Sunnah must spring forth from aayahs like this:

“… and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”

And the issue should be likewise between Ahlus-Sunnah on one hand and those who oppose them in the Sunnah, and they are the innovators, on the other. But the method [employed] between Ahlus-Sunnah amongst themselves and between Ahlus-Sunnah on one hand and the innovators on the other may differ.

And that is because when a debate takes place between Ahlus-Sunnah themselves they are supposed to bear His Statement, the Most High, in mind, [a statement] which He characterised the Muslims in general with:

“… merciful among themselves …” [Fath 48:29]

As for when a debate takes place between these Muslims from Ahlus-Sunnah and the people of innovation then there may be some harshness and severity in the method [employed] which is appropriate to the persistence of the people of innovation in their innovations—this is the distinguishing factor between Ahlus-Sunnah among themselves on one hand and Ahlus-Sunnah when they debate or refute the people of innovations on the other.

But it is fitting that in both these [people] and those we take note of an issue [which is that] we do not vindicate one group over another with it, or slander one group instead of another, the reason for this being that [doing so] is a breach of the principle [laid down] in His Saying, the Blessed and Most High:

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.” [Nahl 16:125]

Thus many times when a Sunni responds to another Sunni it so happens that the wisdom [as mentioned in the aayah] was not stuck to in the rebuttal—in fact, that which is even more important than that is not adhered to which is what our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic indicated in His Statement, the Blessed and Most High:

“… and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just—be just, that is nearer to righteousness.” [Maa’idah 5:8]

So, many times what happens firstly is evil/bad methods are used when a Sunni refutes/responds to another—and even more than that: not observing trustworthiness and truthfulness in rebutting each other.

So unfortunately this occurred in the past and is becoming obvious now in this present time anew in a form which we had hoped we would not see occurring in the Sunni community, the one we call the Salafi community.

This is what has presented itself to me as an answer to this question.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 698. [2/6/274]

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September 26, 2013

Dealing with Differences: Two Scholars Give Different Fatwas, How Does One Handle It?


 

 

Host: A questioner says, ‘These days, alhamdulillaah, we see a good resurgence in knowledge, especially among the upcoming youth, but it faces a number of problems, the most important of which is the differing of the people of knowledge in their fatwas which leads to some people becoming confused and mixed up. What should the stance of the Muslim youth be towards this? Provide us [with an answer], may Allaah bless you.

Al-Albaani: Without doubt this [now] is a spontaneous question [but in fact] we heard it on our previous trip time and time again, and in reality this problem only occurs with the youth in whom the correct, knowledge-based methodology is not firmly established. What I mean [by methodology] is that which has been reported from some of the Salaf like Ibn ’Abbaas and the Imaams who followed him like Mujaahid, Maalik and others, “There is no-one except that his statements are accepted and rejected, apart from the occupant of this grave,” and he pointed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. This is a reality which the Muslim youth, the student of correct knowledge must bring to mind—it being nothing except, “Allaah said and Allaah’s Messenger said,” in addition to what we say over and over again, “… on the methodology of the Pious Predecessors.”

And they must also call to mind another reality, a Quranic reality, Allaah تبارك وتعالى said, “And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree, except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy and for that did He create them,” [Huud 11:118-119]. So there is no escape or salvation from differing, this is the way of Allaah عز وجل with His creation, and you will not find any change to Allaah’s Way.

But there is [that type of] differing which people have an excuse for and [another which they] do not have an excuse for. They have an excuse for that differing which is inescapable, the one indicated in the aforementioned aayah, “And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah …” so our Lord did not will for mankind to be on one manhaj, upon one understanding, and if it were to have been like that then the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would have been the most worthy of the people to have been as such, those who were the best of mankind as is openly mentioned in the well-known, mutawaatir hadith, but Allaah عز وجل willed, out of His Perfect Wisdom, [Wisdom] which some people who understand it may perceive whilst most of man does not, but that does not harm us … so differing is a natural thing as we have mentioned … as for differing and arguing due to misunderstanding one issue, this is what has been banned and this is what is not allowed and this is what the Salaf were saved from and the Khalaf fell into.

When the youth bear this reality in mind, they should not then find it strange that some scholars differ, especially when they are those who embrace the one methodology, and it is the true methodology: [that of] the Book, the Sunnah and what the Pious Predecessors were upon. They should not condemn it and find it strange because it is the Way of Allaah عز وجل with His Creation, and if they want to be delivered from it then they must tread the path of the people of knowledge, and it is what has been laid down in the Noble Quran, “Say, ‘Produce your proof if you are truthful.’” [Baqarah 2:111]

So when two or more different statements come to a student of knowledge from two venerable scholars, and it is believed that both are equal in knowledge and excellence and he thus becomes confused—and he may be entitled to be confused initially but it is not allowed for him to continue in that [state of confusion]: [so then] he must ask for proof, [he must] seek the proof from both of the scholars, whether he is speaking to them directly or through correspondence or on the phone or through other methods of communication of that sort which are used nowadays.

So after he listens to the proof from all of them, he is not then charged with having to prefer Zaid [for example] over ’Amr or ’Amr over Zaid—rather he follows the one who has the proof which his soul finds ease in, and his breast opens up to, and maybe this … and the answer will end with this … is one of the meanings of his statement عليه الصلاة والسلام, “Consult your heart even if you are given fatwas by those who deliver religious verdicts.”

Two statements come to you from two great scholars: consult your heart—after you have asked for a clarification of the proofs—then whichever of the two your heart leans towards and is the one you take then you will have an excuse before Allaah تبارك وتعالى.

But as for you becoming bigoted for one [scholar] over the other, then this is the way of the blind-followers who Allaah عز وجل has saved us [from being] and whose way He took us out of and [Who then led us] to the Straight Path.

Wal-Hamdulillaahi rabbil-’Aalameen.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 375, [2/5/440].

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September 24, 2013

Removing Magic with Magic


 

Questioner: A man afflicted with magic, is it allowed for him to remove that magic with magic?

Al-Albaani: No. Except according to one school of thought, that of the intoxicated drunkard, Abu Nawwaas, who said, “And cure me with that which itself is the disease.” [i.e., give me more alcohol even though it is what has caused all the problems].

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 133. [1/3/1129].

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September 19, 2013

How Does The Common Muslim Know What To Do When Scholars Differ? Think and Use Your Brain to Try and Understand the Proofs


 

Questioner: Some scholars differ in their opinion [with others], one will say something and another will say, “No, this is a mistake, [rather] this is correct,” and let’s assume that we are not people of knowledge or people of … ya’ni we’re just common folk … of course … we want to know the principles and the mistake if … this person says … and the second one says, “This is a mistake … this is not …” so what is your opinion [about] the differing between the scholars in a particular issue, an issue which concerns one?

Al-Albaani: [Concerning] issues such as this the reason [people] fall into difficulty is that the effect of that sentence which we hear many times in the present day and age and especially in this country is not found among the general Muslims, what is that sentence? “Enlightenment/education …” the majority [of people] do not have a general awareness or knowledge of the reason for the differing, and [additionally] they [also] do not have an awareness of what their stance in relation to this differing must be.

So many of them will say what occurs in the weak hadith, “The differing of my Ummah is a mercy,” thus they ratify differing, however severe and copious it might be [due to it], and a few of them [go to the other extreme and] want to put an end to differing from its very root such that the scholars become [united] upon a single word in all issues [even those] which the scholars of fiqh of old have differed over–and this is something impossible! Because in His profound Wisdom Allaah عز وجل ordained, and there is none who can stop anything He ordains, saying:

“And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community, but they will not cease to differ, except whom your Lord has given mercy.” [Huud 11:118-119]

Differing is of two types: the first is where there is mercy with one another and where [each party] tries to understand the other. The second is the type of differing which involves conflict, antagonism, and enmity.

The first is the type which is unavoidable and is that which our Pious Predecessors were on, they would differ but they would not have enmity for one another and nor were they divided due to the differing because of what you have heard in the aayah:

“… and do not be of those who associate others with Allaah [or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.” [Ruum 30:31-32]

So if our Salaf as-Saalih, at the head of whom are the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, differed then it is unavoidable for [the people of] a [particular] group, or age, or generation not to differ, but that which was sufficient for the Prophet’s Companions صلى الله عليه وسلم when they differed is also sufficient for these people, [i.e.,] that they do not becomes enemies one to another and do not hate one another–there is no escaping such differing, the generality of Muslims must know this and they should not condemn any [and every instance of] differing between one scholar and another which they hear about, because this is something which is from man’s nature which Allaah created them with, an indication of which has preceded in the aforementioned aayah.

If this is the case, what should the general Muslims do when they see such differing? Here lies the crux of the matter [that I had intended] by my [earlier] statement when I said that there is no enlightenment/education and no general cultivation. Before about a quarter of a century, the general Muslims were living according to a constrictive Madhhabism, each individual from millions of Muslims was satisfied with his school of thought, this one is a Hanafi, that one a Shaafi’i and so on.

But as for now, then there has been found, alhamdulillaah, the beginnings of an awakening, I do not say the awakening has been found, [but rather] that the beginnings of an awakening can be seen, so the people are aware of things which they were not mindful of before, but this awareness needs a completion. It is this completion which I am in the middle of explaining now, and it is: that you, O Muslim, however highly educated or not you are in the Islamic Legislation, when you hear about some differing between two scholars then think a little, look … is it said of both of them that they truly are scholars from the people of knowledge? It may be a student who thinks he is a scholar–and who thus says something in which he differs with the scholars and as a result differing between the scholars in the issue occurs. No.

So after this observation, when it is established, for example, that there is some differing between two venerable scholars, then the following caveat comes into play: if you are able to distinguish between one proof and another, then you must become acquainted with the proofs of both scholars, and [after doing so] find comfort with the stronger proof, what I mean is that even the general Muslims should strive [to understand the proofs/ijtihaad], but such ijtihaad differs from person to person, so how can, for example, a common person perform ijtihaad? His ijtihaad in relation to himself is as follows.

He hears a fatwa from one scholar which opposes that of another, so he should not stop at that fatwa, and here many, many different forms become apparent … you request proof from one of them and he says, “This is my opinion and ijtihaad,” or, “This is my madhhab,” and you request it from the other and he says, for example, “Allaah said … Allaah’s Messenger said … the Salaf said,” and so on, as Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:

“Knowledge is, ‘Allaah said … His Messenger said …
The Companions said …’ and it is not hidden

Knowledge is not your raising up a dispute foolishly
Between the Messenger and the opinion of a faqeeh.”

When you traverse upon this methodology in trying to become acquainted with the proof, the difference between the two answers will become clear to you … I told you that one of them says, “This is my opinion … my itjtihaad … my madhhab,” this happens sometimes, the other will give you proofs, either from the Book or the Sunnah or the actions of the Salaf as-Saalih, at that point you will find yourself leaning towards the opinion of this scholar and his ijtihaad and you will not look at the opinion of the first, and at that time the difficulty [you have] will disappear from you, this is a very clear illustration.

And if we assume [a case where] both scholars used proofs, as occurred recently with Shaikh al-Bannaa, I think some of you were present when we discussed, with one of the noble teachers, the issue of reciting Surah al-Faatihah behind the Imaam in the prayers where the recitation is made audible, and those listening listened, and the person takes whatever the soul feels comfort in [since both scholars were providing proofs], whether the truth is with Zaid or ’Amr [i.e., whoever the truth is with]–what is important is that he not be a person of desires or [someone with] a particular purpose [that he seeks through his fatwa] and that he not be as is mentioned in a statement made by Ibn Mas’ood رضي الله عنه in marfoo’ and mowqoof form but what is correct is that it is mowqoof, where he said, “Do not let yourselves be ‘yes-men,’ [إمعة: the one who has no opinion so he follows everyone’s opinion] saying, ‘If the people are good then we will be good, and if they are wrong then we will be wrong.’ Rather, make up your own minds, if the people are good then you are good, and if they are evil, then do not behave unjustly.” [Tirmidhi, v. 4, no. 2007, Darussalam transl.]

So, the general Muslims must set their hearts on knowing who the truth is with and then follow it, each person doing so according to the limits of their education, intellect and understanding, and Allaah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear.

The summary is that it is not possible to put an end to differing, it was there in the time of the Prophet and has continued to this day of ours, so do not seek the impossible. And when this is the case, what should the stance of the general masses be? It is as I just explained, that they seek out the truth, then their condition will be like that of those who strive to come to religious verdicts [mujtahideen]–if they are correct they will have two rewards, and if mistaken, then one, what is important is that they do not be people of desires and [particular] aims, and Allaah is sufficient …

Fataawaa Jeddah, Ahlul-Hadith wal-Athar, 5. [2/5/474]

For a similar discussion see here.

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September 17, 2013

On Election Results – It’s Only The Faces That Change


 

Questioner: Our Shaikh, some Muslims observe the West and their advancements and when something happens there they display joy and happiness, is this regarded as a defect in ’aqidah related to actions or the heart? And what do you advise these people with?

Al-Albaani: I’m sorry, what do you mean … what do you mean by …

Interjection: Clinton, Shaikh.

Questioner: America’s Presidents, so and so went and so and so has come.

Al-Albaani: Ah.

Questioner: This one is better than that one, this one will benefit the Muslims and so on.

Al-Albaani: This is a weakness in both eemaan and intellect, a weakness of eemaan and intellect. The reality which every Muslim must bear in mind regarding such situations is His Saying تبارك وتعالى, “Every time a nation enters, it will curse its sister,” [A’raaf 7:38] so that they may taste the punishment.

Someone Else: The aayah, “… when they have all overtaken one another therein, the last of them will say about the first of them …” [A’raaf 7:38]

Al-Albaani: Allaahu Akbar. Yes, so the point is that in reality this joy is a childish one, not that of men, firstly, and secondly, not that of believing men. [That one becomes joyful] because Bush lost and in his place came …

Questioner: Clinton.

Al-Albaani: I don’t know what his name is.

Questioner: [Laughs]

Al-Albaani: Names that are strange to me.

Questioner: By Allaah, O Shaikh of ours, the names of devils.

Al-Albaani: [Laughs] so the point is … Bush lost and so and so won the elections–all of them follow the same policy, it is only the faces that change.

For this reason it is silliness to become happy because Bush has gone and so and so has taken his place, even more so when we don’t yet know so and so’s [the new leader’s] good from his evil, if there is good in them. So why this haste? As long as disbelief is one community, and the politics of the American population as a people is with the Jews, so the fact that Bush lost and so and so won does not change the politics of this populace in such a speedy manner which some of those of weak minds and intellects imagine, [imagining to themselves] that we are rid of Bush [and this new leader will be better] … ok, maybe this [new leader] is worse than Bush.

Whatever the case, a Muslim does not become joyful when a disbeliever loses and another disbeliever takes his place, because disbelief is one millah, and their politics is one and the same. Look at … who was it in the ministry of the Jews and someone else took his place …

Questioner: Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin.

Al-Albaani: Yitzak Rabin, what did we see between this one falling and that one taking his place? Nothing whatsoever. It is just a game they play with the minds of those of weak intellects and unfortunately with some Muslims or politicians who did not lead according to the politics of the Quraan and the Sunnah.

So because of that I am able to say concerning this that Allaah … as He عز وجل said … “Indeed, Allaah does not like the exultant.” [Qasas 28:76], these people who become joyful at the downfall of this person and the success [in becoming leader] of that one, these people are as I just said … their intellects are like those of children, rather, sparrows.

And Allaah’s aid is sought.

Questioner: Does this issue have a connection to aqidah, i.e., is it possible to call … i.e., some of our brothers call those who display such joy for those people disbelievers?

Al-Albaani: No, no, all of that is a mistake and disobedience, if it has a connection to disbelief then it is to disbelief in action. Yaa akhi, we go by the principle and relax [which is that] the disbelief which takes one out of the religion is that connected to the heart, not the tongue. This question of yours reminds me of another just way of categorising disbelief, so there is disbelief in word [kufr lafdhee] and disbelief of the heart [kufr qalbee], the previous categorization was disbelief in creed [kufr I’tiqaadi] and disbelief in action [kufr amalee].

Now another just way of categorising disbelief is disbelief in word and disbelief of the heart, the disbelief of the heart is the equivalent of disbelief in action, and disbelief in word equates to disbelief in action.

So a person who displays joy at the loss of Bush and the success of George or Antonius or whoever, there is no doubt that such joy should not emanate from a Muslim, so it is possible for us to term this as disbelief in word, but such a person is not declared a disbeliever based on it, because it happened in the time the Prophet عليه السلام, [an incident] I’m sure some of which will not be hidden from any of you, like the hadith of Ibn Abbaas when he said that the Prophet عليه السلام gave a sermon to his Companions one day and a man then stood up and said to him,  “As Allah and you, will,” so he said, “Would you set me up as a partner beside Allaah? Say, ‘As Allaah, Alone Wills.’”

So this is disbelief in word, he said to him, “Would you set me up as a partner beside Allaah?” but he did not impose upon him any of the requisites of disbelief in creed [kufr I’tiqaadi].

So we should always keep this correct categorization before our eyes: disbelief in creed or the heart [is the first], and disbelief in action or in word [the second], because uttering a word is an action, so when we see a thing such as this we do not rush to say, ‘A disbeliever,’ even if he uttered a word of disbelief we do not rush to declare him to be a disbeliever and to remove him from the religion until we clarify what he meant by that statement.

Interjection: With your permission, O Shaikh of ours, if I could please …

Al-Albaani: Tafaddal …

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 672. [1/5/708].

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July 13, 2013

Al-Albaani Praying Behind a Sufi


 

Shaikh Esaam Moosaa Haadi said, “And in 1990 and 1991 our Shaikh used to pray Fajr in the mosque at the service station close to where I live and we used to pray Fajr with him. The Imaam of that mosque had a stance against al-Albaani and the Salafi da’wah, infact he was a Sufi but not an extreme one, despite that our Shaikh would pray behind him even though he knew about that.”

Muhaddithul-Asr, Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 121.

For detailed answers by the Shaikh on this topic please refer to the following posts:

Praying Behind the People of Innovation.

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July 13, 2013

Al-Albaani asked, ‘O Shaikh of Ours! Do You Know the ‘Aqeedah of this Imaam You Pray Behind?’


 

Shaikh Esaam Moosaa Haadi said, “In the late 80’s our Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, used to pray fajr behind an Imaam in the An-Nuzhah district, the mosque was far from the Shaikh but he used to love the salaah and recitation of this Imaam. There was a group of us brothers who would stand [waiting] for the Shaikh on the street and when he’d pass us he’d pick us up in his car and we’d go to pray with him and then we’d come back with him. One time, a young guy new [to the da’wah] in those days got in with us, on the way back he said to the Shaikh, ‘O Shaikh of ours! Do you know the ’aqeedah of this Imaam you pray behind?’ So our Shaikh said:

‘I don’t know his ’aqeedah just like I don’t know yours.’”

Muhaddithul-Asr, Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 121.

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July 10, 2013

Al-Albaani on Lengthening the Supplication in Taraaweeh and Especially on the Night when The Quraan’s Recitation is Completed


 

Shaikh Esaam Moosaa Haadi said, “I heard him repeatedly criticise the Imaams of the Haram and others for making the supplication [in Taraaweeh] long and especially on the night when the recitation of the Quraan is completed, saying, ‘That is not from the Sunnah.”

Muhaddithul-Asr, Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 109.

Also see here.

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