Preserving the Salafi Manhaj from Opportunists Exploiters: What is your Aim when you say: “Muhaddith Muhammad Nasir ud-Din al-Albani Checked and Taught and al-Qardawi’s al-Halal wal-Haram”

Compiled by

Abu Khuzaimah Ansari 

Here are a few points to consider and recognize before being duped by the perverse understanding of some individuals from the UK who misleadingly would like to show Al-Allamah al-Albani’s alleged praise for al-Qardawi by on mere account of him verifying the ahadith in his al-Halal wa’l Haram (hereon in HWH) or by teaching this book. It appears they intend to water down Salafiyyah and present a false understanding of it while formulating and developing new arguments to cooperate and unite with deviant innovators.    

1. Scholars or student of knowledge from the Arab lands or elsewhere do not use such weak arguments to show praising innovators or deviants despite the good they have done on mere account of them verifying hadith or even nominally teaching their book. This is a poor line of argument and sheer desperation. The attempt here by such people is to normalise relations and minimise the corruption caused by these individuals.

2. HWH was first published in 1380H/1960CE. Shaikh al-Albani completed its checking in 1387H/1967CE as this date was penned by the Shaikh on the last page (page 224) of his Ghayatul Maram. Meaning the Shaikh produced its checking 7 years after HWH’s first publication. Shaikh al-Albani then wrote his introduction, and this is dated 1399H/1979CE and the first edition when published was dated 1400H/1990CE. We therefore learn Shaikh al-Albani completed his checking of HWH approximately 55 years ago and 32 years before his death!!! So, essentially these individuals are using something which Shaikh al-Albani did over half a century ago to fit a fabricated narrative. How could anyone oppress Shaikh al-Albani like this?

3. If the argument is used that Shaikh al-Albani taught HWH, then we know the Shaikhs methodology was to only teach ahadith once he was certain of their authenticity (Refer to Muhammad Bayyumi, al-Imam al-Albani Hayatuhu – Dawatuhu, page 29). We know the deviation of al-Qardawi was not manifest and open as it developed in later years. Therefore, using this argument only shows a total lack of understanding of the reality and deceiving people into thinking Shaikh al-Albani taught a book of al-Qardawi when he was a fully-fledged deviant propagator. Why would a person even do this. It is like saying such and such scholar said this about him 50 years ago. Are these people so desperate that they need to resort to such juvenile arguments?

4. Some biographers of Shaikh al-Albani like Muhammad ash-Shaybani and others studied with the Shaikh while he was in Damascus. Therefore, the teaching of HWH must have been in Damascus and we know the Shaikh migrated to Amman, Jordan in Ramadhan 1400. So, this still shows the Shaikh teaching HWH at the very latest 20 years before his death while the potential date of this teaching seems even earlier than this. Again, it is injustice for imposters to use a historic situation like this to further their deviant ideas.

5. Shaikh al-Albani checked al-Qardawi’s HWH due to four reasons

(a) Due to the insistence of Fahd b. Ali Al Thani, the son of the ruler of Qatar at the time who wanted HWH republished. This was through the publishing house al-Maktab al-Islami which was initially funded and founded by the Qatari royal family

(b) al-Qardawi HIMSELF had a meeting with Shaikh Zuhayr Shawysh – the owner of al-Maktab al-Islami to publish his book. Both agreed Shaikh al-Albani would be requested to takhrij of the ahadith and Shaikh al-Albani agreed. (Shaikh al-Albani, Ghayah al-Maram p.13, (Beirut: Maktab al-Islami, 1414H/1994) 4^th edition)

(c) HWH had become widespread among the people (Shaikh al-Albani, Ghayatul Maram p.18), and they were relying on the weak hadith it contained; therefore this was also the reason to present a gloss of the book while teaching it.

(d) al-Qardawi pretty much made everything Halal in the book to such an extent the book is described as “al-Halal wa’l Halal”, meaning al-Qardawi failed to make anything Haram while using weak hadith and in advertently making things Halal. This opposed the Manhaj of Shaikh al-Albani of purifying the Sunnah rulings of Ahkam via his approach of at-Tasfiyyah wat-Tarbiyyah

6. Shaikh al-Albani published his checking of the book titled, Ghayatul Maram Fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Halal wa’l Haram and this was first published in 1400/1980 while his introduction is dated 18^th Safar, 1399. This hadith verification is based on detailed discussions related to hadith sciences, rijal and critical analysis since this was Shaikh al-Albani’s expertise. It was not checked because Shaikh al-Abani liked al-Qardawi or was in favour of his activism and methodological ideas. In fact we learn the opposite that al-Qardawi was impressed and testified to Shaikh al-Albani’s knowledge and his specialist expertise in hadith and its sciences.

7. Shaikh al-Albani clearly says HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for any mistake the author made regarding some issue and that he merely made takhrij of the hadith and categorization of authentic and weak and at times critiqued the view of the author. (Shaikh al-Albani, Ghayah al-Maram p.18, (Beirut: Maktab al-Islami, 1414H/1994) 4^th edition)

8. Shaikh al-Albani understood the problems and mistakes in the book and focused on hadith and traced them, this is the reason why his work, Ghayatul Maram was never published with al-Qardawi’s book. There is also evidence in later years when al-Qardawi became more aware of Shaikh al-Albani’s stance on political activism, groups, and parties, he removed Shaikh al-Albani’s name from the introduction of his book. This is despite using the Shaikhs numbering system. Al-Qardawi is said to have added his own references in later editions. Shaikh al-Albani did not even print his hadith verification with al-Qardawi’s HWH. The Ghayatul Maram as it stands is considered a separate treatise. So, you do not find al-Qardawi’s views and ideas mixed with Shaikh al-Albani’s.

9. Using Shaikh al-Albani “Oh he checked al-Qardawi’s book or taught his book” therefore it is acceptable to get comfortable with innovators and deviants is wrong. This is more so when the same scholar has clear statements reprimanding the very idea he is being falsely accused of. I have already shared this Youtube video, and I share it again to enforce this point in the mind of those who recklessly seek to tarnish the Salafi Manhaj by using the name of the great Muhaddith. Al-Albaani – Unity with Asharis, Sufis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k-DRCDVZrw

10. What are the underlying aims and objectives of such people who disseminate these poor arguments. What do they intend to achieve? This disastrous approach is not only dangerous but also cloaked with evil deviation. Attempting to show the alleged mistake of the Rabbani scholars in Manhaj, relying on the ijtihad of a scholar or scholars from a particular region, ignoring the understanding of the Salaf, all in attempt open bridges to innovators and deviants. Worse still, all this from unqualified, emotionally directed, easily manipulated, and regionally biased individuals who have a history of changing colours for money, likes, favouritism and opposing Salafis on mere account of them not pandering to their skewed opinions and views.

11. The affair of al-Qardawi is well known and clear. Using the example of the interaction of other scholars a hundred times, despite the nature of their interaction does not make it hujjah. Salafis base their arguments and approach on evidence alone and not the actions of men nor the approach of Ahlul Bidah – who formulate a framework and then look for evidence.

12. I have already explained and shown HWH had become increasingly popular and while tracing its ahadith numerous ahadith were found to be weak; rendering things that were deemed lawful by al-Qardawi which were perhaps actually unlawful or the problem of using weak hadith in acts of ibadah or legislating such acts when they were perhaps haram. Therefore, teaching HWH was important for the general Muslims. To illustrate the popularity of HWH, in 1415H/1994CE its 15^th edition was published.

13. Shaikh al-Albani checked 484 ahadith from HWH and 80 were declared weak which would have certainly affected the numerous legal rulings in al-Qardawi’s book. This would be considered something important and imperative and not for this to be misconstrued into casting aspersions of Shaikh al-Albanis Manhaj or attempting to show his leniency. This is the hallmark of great Rabbani scholars.

14. If by sharing this corrupt notion of Shaikh al-Albani teaching HWH the aim was to show leniency with deviants or the permissibility of cooperating with deviants at the cost of distorting the Salafi Manhaj, this was a terrible attempt. Shaikh al-Albani is on record numerous times clarifying the finer details of Manhaj. For example, Amr b. Abdul Munim Salim compiled the Shaikhs Fatawa to Manhaj issues, titled al-Fatawa al-Manhajiyyah (Dar ud-Dhiya 1428H/2008CE). So, if one really wanted to know the Shaikhs views on these issues i.e. cooperating with deviants, a dejected claimant should at the very least be honest to himself and decent to the Muslims and articulate his views from these books and not draw dismal ideas based on his failed unqualified conclusions.

15. Likewise and similarly, Salah ud-Din Mahmud as-Sa’id compiled al-Fatawa al-Muhimmah of Shaikh al-Albani in 1430H/2009CE (Dar ul-Ghad al-Jadid), so about 14 years ago. In it he quotes extracted fatawa dealing with groups, working with them, the ruling on numerous groups and parties, the difference between Salafiyyah and other Islamic groups. However, somehow the claimants rendered everything futile and ran with their narrative of blind cooperation with deviants only because they believed differently.

16. Shall we reject the numerous scholars and students of knowledge who spent decades with Shaikh al-Albani and propagated his understanding of dealing with detractors of the Salafi Da’wah. Shaikh Isam Musa Hadi mentions,

“I would love to mention to you to you the definition of the Salafi Da’wah, its principles and what is calls to from the speech of an Imam among its Imams, rather a flag bearer and its major caller in the land of Sham. He is my Shaikh and my Ustadh the Imam Muhammad Nasir ud-Din al-Albani, who dedicated his life for more than half a century to the Salafi Da’wah in definition, fundamentals, knowledge, teachings, defending and purifying Islam from what has been attributed to it from Shirk, Bid’ah, evil practices, weak, fabricated, and abandoned ahadith and thus calling people to pure Islam through cultivation and conduct. (ad-Daw’wah as-Salafiyyah Ihdafiha wa Mawqifuha Minal Mukhalifin Laha – The Salafi Da’wah – Its aims and Position Towards its Opposers, page 8).

This clearly shows a scholar working tirelessly to call people to pure Islam for half a century as all his students and other scholars testify, but a man from UK wants to show and paint Shaikh al-Albani in a different light. This is indeed total oppression against the Shaikh, and it further exposes the Ikhwani Manhaj of such people.

17. Shaikh al-Albani is further on record for mentioning al-Qardawi and criticizing him and his views, although this is restricted to hadith. This is in his Silsilah Ahadith ad-Da’ifah (7/260-261 no.3264). Shaikh al-Albani criticises al-Qardawi for attributing a hadith to Sahih Ibn Hibban in the footnotes to his HWH page 79. This further shows Shaikh al-Albani criticised al-Qardawi despite his book al-Ghayatul Maram. Shaikh al-Albani said,

“This wicked mistake is not befitting a person of knowledge. Especially since he knows I referenced it in ad-Da’ifah and that I traced this hadith in my checking of his book titled Ghayatul Maram…” (Hussain b. Mubarak al-Fulum al-Matrushi, Kashf al-Litham Amman Zakarahum al-Albani Fi Silsilah ad-Daifah Minal Mu’asirin al-A’lam page 519-520)   

18. Being a Salafi necessitates and requires an individual following the Aqidah and the Manhaj of the Salaf. Salafiyyah is not distorting principles to get intimately comfort with deviant innovators. Shaikh al-Albani said,

“The call to the Book and Sunnah based on the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah is a noble affair of high priority. The outstanding scholar does not shut his eyelids until he sees the flag of this affair fluttering on the lands of Islam, victorious over all calls.” (al-Asalah Magazine, issue 23, 1420H)

19. Shaikh al-Albani was asked a question what books a beginner should study and he mentions some of the books he taught like ar-Rawdatun Nadiyyah, Fiqh us-Sunnah, Riyadh us-Salihin but no mention of HWH (al-Asalah Issue 5, Question 1, page 59 1413H)

20. Shaikh al-Albani said,

“To conclude I should say Manhaj is much broader than Aqidah and Tawhid and we must commit ourselves to both the Salafi Aqidah and Manhaj. I would like to mention an author’s words who was not Salafi but would mix with Salafi bothers. He said, “The likes of Muslims who imitate the disbelievers in all domains of their lives and their ways be it political, social, educational, economical, or military is like the one who buys a certain costume that does not fit him, and he tries to wear it. Oh brother, this costume was not designed for you, it was designed for another person not your size. How great this simile is, it is truly a precise one. (al-Asalah Issue 22, Question 3, page 76 1420H)