IMAM AL-ALBANI: incredible fragments from his life! [NEW]

Shishani

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The Shaikh’s Life in His Own Words | E-Book
Shaikh Al-Albaani’s Life | Questions and Answers | E-Book

The Imaam, Reviver, Faqeeh, Muhaddith, Allaamah
Shaykh al-Albaanee


Miscellaneous snippets from the Shaikh’s life

Source: http://shaikhalbaani.wordpress.com
 

Shishani

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Staff member
His dislike of fame

One time a man saw the Shaikh while he, may Allaah have mercy on him, was sitting in his car, so the man rushed to him and said, ‘You’re Shaikh al-Albaani?’
So the Shaikh started to cry.
When he, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him, was asked why he started to cry he replied, ‘It befits a person to strive against his own soul and not to become deceived by the people pointing to him.

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, p. 126.


Al-Albaani wishing he was a millionaire …

“A man who was sick and whose treatment was by way of injections came [to the Shaikh], one of these injections would cost twenty dinars and he needed fifteen of them. So the Shaikh asked me [Muhammad al-Khateeb] to go to his house and confirm the correctness of what he had said. When we came to know that what he had said was true, the Shaikh gave me some money and we bought the injections for him.
When I had intended to build a house I needed [to borrow] some money. So I knocked many doors [i.e., asked a lot of people], but I did not come across anything. Then I remembered a rich man who the Shaikh knew so I said to the Shaikh’s wife,‘Maybe you could ask the Shaikh to intercede on my behalf with the man so that he might lend me [what I need].’
The next day while I was sitting at my desk the Shaikh said to me, ‘O Muhammad! You want me to intercede on your behalf with so and so to lend you some money?’
So I said, ‘Yes.’
He said, ‘I am closer to you than him. I will give you what you want.’ So I cried and said, ‘Our Shaikh! May Allaah reward you with good.’ But, by Allaah, it never occurred to me that I would get what I needed from the Shaikh …
Then when he gave the money he said, ‘This is a gift of a thousand dinars which are not included [in the loan].’ So I cried a second time, may Allaah reward him with abundant good and may He, the Most High, have mercy on him.

Another story that occurred recently was when the Shaikh was in hospital and a woman came to him complaining about the fact that she had fallen prey to the banks. She had borrowed nine thousand dinars from one of them and then the amount she owed began to multiply due to interest.
She came to the Shaikh appealing to him to help rid herself of this problem.
So the Shaikh, as was usual, asked me to verify the facts. After I did so and was sure of the truthfulness of the woman he agreed to loan her seven thousand dinars.
The lady came along with her children and the Shaikh said, ‘Here is a thousand dinars as a gift, and here is the other amount that you requested.’ So the lady was delighted as were her children and they supplicated for the Shaikh and I did too. The lady asked Allaah to reward the Shaikh with good.
Then the Shaikh looked at us and said, ‘O brothers, by Allaah, truly I wish that I become a millionaire so that I can take thousands more women like this one out of the shackles of interest.’

Al-Imaam, al-Mujaddid, al-Allaamah, al-Muhaddith, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, pp. 62-63.


Shaikh al-Albaani’s independence from the rulers …

Shaikh Muhammad Musa Nasr said,
“We do not know from the life of our Shaikh and through the times we accompanied him which spanned over twenty years that he ever entered upon a ruler, or those in authority or a judge, or ever fawned on one, or was ever appointed in a religious position under one, or ever ate at the table of one: which was the thing that made him independent in the stances he took; and his religious verdicts were not issued due to political or religious pressure …
So his religious verdicts were never to please Zaid or Amr. Allaah had made him free of having a need of the people, and provided for him through what his own hands earned where he worked repairing watches for many long years, “The best of what a man eats is that which his own hands have earned …”

And I took his hand one day and said to him, “Our Shaikh! Have you ever shaken hands with any of the tyrants of this world?”
He replied, “No.”
I said to him, “And have you ever eaten at their tables or entered upon them?”
He said, “No.”
So I took his hand to kiss it and he prevented me from doing so, but I overcame him and kissed it. After which he severely reprimanded me, so I said, “And why shouldn’t I kiss a hand that has never shaken that of a tyrant? And which has served the Sunnah of the Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ for more than half a century?”
And the Shaikh would reprimand me many times for my exaggeration in the love and honour for him, and in my view this was less than what he deserved.
But this did not prevent us from opposing him, sometimes, in some of the independent judgements [ijtihaad] he would come to, may Allaah have mercy on him. For everyone’s saying is accepted and rejected except for the companion of this grave [i.e., the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] as Imaam Maalik, may Allaah have mercy on him, said …”

Al-Imaam, al-Mujaddid, al-Allaamah, al-Muhaddith, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, pp. 63-64.


Al-Albaani writing Ad-Da’eefah on gift paper and red paper bags used to weigh rice and sugar in

Shaikh Mashoor Hasan said, “Our Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, charged me with reviewing some of the volumes of As-Silsilah ad-Da’eefah before it was printed … he gave me the fifth volume of Ad-Da’eefah. So I took the volume from him [which was written] in his own handwriting before it was printed.
When I took it out of the bag [it was in] and saw it I started to cry.
The Shaikh asked me, “What is wrong with you?”
So I didn’t say anything, and the Shaikh saw the tears in my eyes.
The Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, had written the fifth volume of Ad-Da’eefah on gift paper, and on the paper bags used for sugar and rice, the red [paper] bags which the people would weigh sugar and rice in.
So the Shaikh said to me, “I used to have thread which I would place in ink. Then I would place this thread on the paper and so the paper would become lined.” And he said, “I didn’t have any money to buy paper with.””

Transl. note: The fifth volume of Ad-Da’eefah which is printed is 524 pages long.
Taken from this lecture of Shaikh Mashhoor in Arabic, at the 67th minute:
Writing on gift paper …


Shaikh al-Albaani when he was beaten

As-Sadhaan said, “Shaikh Muhammad Ziyaad at-Tuklah, may Allaah reward him, wrote to me stating that Shaikh Abdullah Aloosh said, ‘One time we came along with Shaikh Naasir to pray in one of the Jaami mosques in the Maidaat district, and the Imaam was ‘so and so’ (one of the bigots and he named him for us). So when the Imaam turned around and was about to say Allaahu Akbar to start the prayer, he saw Shaikh al-Albaani and so in a loud voice in front of all the people he said, “Come on! Get out! Get out! Get out!’”
And he also wrote to me narrating from one of the students of Shaikh al-Albaani that Shaikh Naasir was once assaulted in Damascus by being beaten in a street by a fool who had been paid to do so.”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullah as-Sadhaan, p. 47.


His Worship and how many times he performed Hajj

As-Sadhaan said, “The Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, was from the most eager of people in ensuring that his worship was in accordance with the Sunnah, in its form, its amount and its time. He was eager to implement the Sunnah in what he ate, drank and wore, and in his dealings [with the people].
Those who sat with him, visited him, or attended his lectures or gatherings which were full [of people] bear witness to that. Such that Shaikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “That which I know about the Shaikh through the times I met him, and they were few, is that he was extremely eager to act upon the Sunnah, and to fight innovations, whether they were in matters of creed or action.”

And he would pray a lot of optional prayers and fast a lot also.
He would be affected very quickly and would cry easily, especially when listening to the Quraan or reciting it, or when listening to Prophetic sayings which contained a mention of a promise or threat, or when he would hear about the death of a scholar of hadith and the Sunnah, or when a good dream which someone saw about him would be mentioned to him, or when he would be praised or complemented.
He, may Allaah have mercy on him, would be eager to fast Mondays and Thursdays in summer and winter, except if he was travelling or ill.
When he would enter the mosque on Fridays he would continue to pray two units of prayer, followed by another two and so on [continually] until the Imaam would ascend onto the minbar.

He would perform Hajj and umrah every year if he was able to, and would sometimes perform umrah twice in one year. He performed Hajj more than thirty times.
I was told that there was a man who was a worshipper who lived in close proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque, he was well-known for his righteousness, his abstinence, and was a person of the Sunnah who would very often give advice [to the people].
One time he saw some people who were doing a great deal of talking in the Prophet’s Mosqueso he advised them to seize the opportunity to benefit from their time by reading the Quraan or remembering Allaah.
The people found his sincere speech to be pleasant and agreeable and he continued to speak to them. Those around him heard what he was saying and [heard] his pleasant words such that the number of people increased and he was speaking in a way which, inshaa Allaah, showed the truthfulness of his intention.
Then all of a sudden while he was speaking he fell totally silent and started to stare at one of the people present in the gathering and started to apologise [saying] that he did not know he was present.
But that person who had been affected by this man’s advice did nothing except ask this man to continue giving his reminder and advice–but the man sat down [instead].
The person who had asked him to continue in his advice was none other than Shaikh al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on him, [this was] when he was in Medinah as a teacher at the Islamic University.

Shaikh Muhammad Ziyaad at-Tuklah, may Allaah reward him, wrote to me saying, “I asked Shaikh Muhammad Eed al-Abbaasee about the worship of Shaikh al-Albaani so he said,
‘We would pray the night prayer [taraaweeh in Ramadaan] with some brothers. Shaikh al-Albaani would get up and lead us in a long prayer which would be almost three hours long. During it he would implement [even] the smallest of Sunnahs. He would make the bowing and prostration long.
The bowing [rukoo’] would be about eight to nine minutes long.
And when he would sit he would ask Allaah for forgiveness and praise him between every two rak’ahs. And one time Shaikh Ali Khashaan went up to him while he was in that state and asked him about an issue, so he replied, ‘Now is the time for worship, the time for knowledge is other than this.’
And because of how long the Shaikh would make the night prayer we would fear, as occurs in the hadith, that we might miss the suhoor meal. And when praying behind him we would feel tranquillity, devoutness [khushoo], and calmness.””

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 88-89.


Why Al-Albaani almost felt like wishing for death …

As-Sadhaan said, quoting from Saheeh Mawaarid adh-Dham’aan,
“And he, may Allaah have mercy on him, said concerning the hadith, “The life spans of my Ummah are between sixty and seventy. Few of them pass that,” Ibn Arafah said, “And I am from those few.”

So Shaikh al-Albaani said commenting on the saying of Ibn Arafah,
“And I too am from those few. For I have passed eighty-four years in age, all the while asking the Protector[mawlaa], far removed be He from all defects, that I be from those whose lives are prolonged and whose actions get better. And yet along with that I almost wish for death due to the deviation from the religion that has afflicted the Muslims.
But far be it that I wish for death when the hadith of Anas has been before me since childhood, so it is not for me but to say as my Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ordered me to, “O Allaah, give me life as long as life is better for me. And take my soul if death is better for me,’” [also] supplicating with that which he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught me, “O Allaah! Let us enjoy our hearing and vision and strength for as long as You grant us life and make it our legacy.”

And He, the One free of all defects, has favoured me and responded, allowing me to enjoy all of that. So here I am still researching and verifying, still writing actively the like of which is rarely seen, and I pray the optional prayers standing, and I drive my car for long distances by myself, and at a speed which some of those dear to me advise me to reduce, and I have an elaboration for that which some of them know! And I say all of this by way of, “And as for the favour of your Lord, then proclaim [it] …” [Ad-Duhaa 93:11], hoping that the Protector, free is He from all defects and the Most High, increases the Bounty He has bestowed upon me, and that He makes all of it my legacy. And that He takes my soul as a Muslim upon the Sunnah which I dedicated my life to, calling to it and writing about it. And that He gathers me with the martyrs and the righteous, and what an excellent company that is. Indeed He is the All-Hearer, the One who answers supplications.””

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 286-287.


Al-Albaani debating with takfeeri youths for three nights and what happened to some of them later …

As-Sadhaan said, “Shaikh Baasim Faisal al-Jawaabirah, may Allaah the Most High protect him, said,
‘… I was a student at secondary school, and in those days I was part of a group of youths who would declare the Muslims to be disbelievers and would not pray in their mosques arguing that they were [from] a society of ignorance!
The people who would oppose us in Jordan would always threaten us with Shaikh Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, [saying] that he was the only one who would be able to debate with us and convince us [of the Truth] and return us to the Straight Path. When Shaikh Naasir came to Jordan from Damascus he was told about a group of youths who declare the Muslims to be disbelievers and so he wanted to meet us. So he sent his son in law, Nidhaam Sakkajhaa, to us who informed us of the Shaikh’s desire to meet us.

We replied, ‘Whoever wants to meet us, then let him come to us, we will not go to him!’ But our Shaikh in declaring someone to be a disbeliever [takfeer] told us that Shaikh Naasir was from the scholars of the Muslims who had excellence due to his knowledge and old age and that we had to go to him.
So we went to him in the house of his son in law, Nidhaam, just before ishaa prayer. One of us made the call to prayer and then we stood to pray and Shaikh Naasir said, ‘Shall we pray behind you or will you pray behind us?’ So our takfeeri Shaikh said,‘We believe that you are a disbeliever! [i.e., so we will not pray with you as Imaam]’ So Shaikh Naasir said, ‘As for me, then I hold that you have faith [i.e., that you are Muslims].’ Then our [takfeeri] Shaikh led us all in prayer [including Shaikh al-Albaani].
Then Shaikh Naasir sat down debating with us continually until late at night, most of it being with our Shaikh. As for us youth, we would stand and then sit, stretch out our legs and then lie down on our sides, as for Shaikh Naasir, he sat in the same position from the start of the gathering until its end, never once changing. Always debating with this [person], and this [person] and then that [person], I was amazed at his patience and fortitude. Then [when it ended] we promised to meet the next day. We went back to our houses gathering the evidences which, so we believed, proved [our stance] in declaring Muslims to be disbelievers [takfeer].

On the second day Shaikh Naasir came to the house of one of our brothers, and we had prepared the books and replies to his proofs. The debate continued from after ishaa [prayer] until morning prayer [fajr]. Then [when it ended] we promised to go to his house [the next day], and so we went there after ishaa on [this] the third day.
The discussion continued until the mu’addhin made the call to prayer for fajr, and we were continually debating mentioning many aayahs [from the Quraan] which apparently proved [our stance of] declaring Muslims to be disbelievers [takfeer], and likewise we would mention hadiths which [again], apparently, proved [the stance we had taken of] declaring those people who had committed major sins to be disbelievers. And Shaikh Naasir was like a towering mountain answering this proof, and [explaining] the objective of other proofs, and reconciling between those which on the surface seemed to be contradictory, quoting the sayings of the Imaams who are relied upon from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.

And then afterthe call to prayer for fajr nearly all of us went with Shaikh Naasirud-Deen to the mosque to perform the morning prayer, after Shaikh Naasir had convinced us of the error and deviation from the [correct] methodology that we had been continuing upon.
We turned back from our takfeeri thinking, and all praise is due to Allaah.
Except for a small group [of us]–who ended up apostatising from Islaam a few years after that.

We ask Allaah for well-being.’”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 157-158.


So Al-Albaani said, ‘Forgive me if I have wronged you …’ and started to cry …

As-Sadhaan said, “Shaikh Sameer az-Zuhairee who is from the students of the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, said,
‘I met up with some of the students of knowledge in Jordan one day. As was the norm in such gatherings, the Shaikh was mentioned and one of the people there started a sweeping attack on him due to the difference in methodology [between the two].
I saw no point in debating with this man due, firstly, to his lack of fairness, and secondly, his severe anger which took him beyond the limits of moderation. So I said to him, ‘If this is the image you have of the Shaikh–and he is not as you think him to be–then why don’t you give him some advice directly, because he is better than your backbiting and slander of him?’
He replied, ‘Al-Albaani does not accept advice.’
So I said, ‘Have you tried?’
‘I’ve never seen him, but this is unanimous about him,’ he said.
So I said to myself, Subhaanallaah! This man has been affected to such an extent due to his Shaikhs without ever having searched for the truth himself or [without ever] having met the Shaikh even though they live in the same city and have been doing so for years!’

Later I organised a gathering of knowledge in the evening with the Shaikh [held] in my house and I called a whole group of students of knowledge. [I also called] this person who had spoken against the Shaikh–but I didn’t tell the Shaikh anything about that [incident].
Most of the gathering was monopolised by that man who argued with the Shaikh, raised his voice and was infuriated [at Shaikh Al-Albaani], to such an extent that it became apparent that I was angry and embarrassed [on behalf of the Shaikh]. When the Shaikh saw that on my face he turned to me smiling and said, ‘Don’t worry about it/don’t take it upon yourself.’
By Allaah, that smile never left the Shaikh’s face and he continued answering him with proofs from the Book and the Sunnah with great patience and an open heart, as was his habit, may Allaah have mercy on him.
At the end of the gathering the man stood up and said to the Shaikh, ‘I thank Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, that you had changed [already] and that I met you after this change!’
The Shaikh said, ‘And have you ever met me before today?’
‘No,’ he replied.

So the Shaikh pointed to one of the brothers from Syria who had accompanied him in [his call to] the Salafi da’wah, and who was, at that time, a guest of the Shaikh in Amman [Jordan], and said:
‘I have not changed. And this brother has accompanied me for more than twenty years in da’wah, and he knows that about me. Either way, may Allaah reward you with good, and as for me, then I ask you to forgive me if I have wronged you in anything. And I ask Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, to forgive me if I have wronged any one from the Muslims.’
Then he started crying, may Allaah have mercy on him. And then that person [who had been angry at the Shaikh] could do nothing except cry too, and he started to kiss the Shaikh’s hand and head.
And I never knew him after that to be anything except a Salafi, following [the proofs], who loved the Shaikh and honoured him greatly.’

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 158-159.
 

Shishani

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Dreams People saw about Shaikh al-Albaani

Shaikh Muhammad Moosaa Nasr said,
“I saw a dream in which there was a group of people who had swarmed together before some steps which led up to a balcony in front of which there was a door. No one was climbing up the steps, they only looked at the balcony and the door.
So I said to them, “Who are you looking for? And what are you looking at?” So they said, “The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم).”
So I broke through the rows and went up the stairs until I came to the terrace before the door so that I could have the honour of seeing the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And the people were below the steps looking towards the door. Then the door opened and Shaikh al-Albaani came out, may Allaah have mercy on him.
So I interpreted it to mean that he is [someone] who has the greatest share of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), for standing up for his Sunnah and acutely following his guidance (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And I told the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, about this dream. And it is as though the dream is saying that whoever wants the way of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then he should pay heed to the one coming out of the balcony door who will guide him to the methodology of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

[Shaikh Moosaa continued] another dream was seen by an Algerian sister who is a reader of the Asaalah magazine [which this piece was taken from], and from those who held the Shaikh and his methodology in great esteem. [This sister] told me in a letter which she had sent to Asaalah that she saw Abu Ubaidah Aamir ibn al-Jarraah, may Allaah be pleased with him, the venerable Companion and the trustee of this Ummah in a dream she had before daybreak, and he was saying to her, “Convey my salaam to Shaikh Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani.” Then she woke up and was crying out of joy saying, “I’m not worthy of that. I’m not worthy of that.”
So I interpreted it to mean that the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was a trustee over this Ummah, for the scholars are the trustees of the Sharee’ah, and our Shaikh al-Albaani was from those few who were trustees of Allaah’s Religion, advising His Servants, this is what we think, and Allaah knows best.”

As-Sadlaan said, “And the noble Shaikh Ihsaan al-Utaibi said,
“And the last time I met him I told him about a dream a brother of ours had seen. And it was that this brother saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and asked him, “When I find something difficult [to understand] in hadith who should I ask?” So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Ask Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani.” And I hardly finished telling him the dream when he started to cry profusely, and was saying [the supplication of Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him], “O Allaah! Do not hold me to account for what they say. And make me better than what they think. And forgive me that which they do not know.”

And Shaikh Muhammad Ibrahim Shaqrah, may Allaah protect him, said, “One of our good brothers here in Syria saw a dream a short while before the death of Shaikh Ibn Baaz in which there were two stars in the sky which had started to head towards the earth with force. One of them reached the earth and the other remained close to the earth [but did not actually reach it].
But the one that did caused a terrifying boom which horrified the people and made them ask what the news was. Then this person [who saw the dream] woke up and asked someone who interpreted dreams about it and he replied, “This is something which will shake society when it happens and will have a drastic effect [on it]. Then a similar event will follow it, and that is the second star.”
So this person who told me the dream said, “So hardly a few days had passed when the news of the death of Shaikh Ibn Baaz came, may Allah have mercy on him, and then Shaikh al-Albaani died a short while after him, may Allaah have mercy on him, and that is the interpretation of the second star which fell a short while after the first.”

And Abu Muhammad Abdullaah ibn Rasheed al-Inazi who is the Imaam of the Hishaam ibn al-Aas mosque in Hafr al-Baatin told me in a fax he sent to me that he saw a dream in which there were four snow-white birds in the sky flying in from the north, i.e., from the direction of Syria, carrying a body. When they passed by over our heads we saw that it was the body of Imaam al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on him. Abu Muhammad said, “By Him besides whom there is none worthy of worship, I saw him covered in a very modest shroud the closest thing it resembled being the gauze used to cover wounds, such that I saw through it [seeing that] he had placed his right hand on his left and had raised his right index finger to the sky. Then the birds took him in the direction of the horizon until he disappeared from our sight. This dream occurred after Asr prayer, and then after maghrib one of the brothers called me and informed me that Shaikh al-Albaani had passed away, so I said, ‘Truly, to Allaah be belong and truly, to Him shall we return.’”

And in tape number five hundred an Algerian sister phoned the Shaikh and mentioned a dream in which she saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) on a path. Then a Shaikh came asking about the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and so he was shown which way he went. Then she said that her friend who was on the balcony of the house [in the dream] asked her, “Who is this Shaikh that is walking behind the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?” So I said to her, “This is Shaikh al-Albaani.” So the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, was overcome and started to cry.”
And you can hear this audio clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01dxgcAm7_c

Al-Imaam, al-Mujaddid, al-Allaamah, al-Muhaddith, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, of Umar Abu Bakr, pp. 67-68, [Al-Asaalah, 32/26] and Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Hayaatuhu, Da’watuhu, Juhooduhoo fee Khidmatis-Sunnah, of Muhammad Bayyoomi, p. 293-295, with slight editing.


Al-Albaani when told about a visit to Spain …

As-Sadhaan mentioned that, “Shaikh Esaam Haadi, may Allaah the Most High protect him, said,
‘When I came back from Spain I spoke to the Shaikh about the condition of the Muslims there. And from the things that I told him about was the justice the Muslims receive in the lands of kufr in terms of freedom in their worship and [the freedom] to gather. Such that, for example, they can make a request to the municipality to [allow them to] pray the Eed prayer in an open place outside [musalla], [as a result of which] the municipality will prepare a place for them and send a patrol officer to facilitate their parking and passing safely, and things such as this.

So the Shaikh started crying and said, Allaahu Akbar. The Muslims receive justice and freedom in the lands of kufr which they don’t even get in the lands of Islaam! So Allaah’s Aid is sought, and there is neither movement or power except by the Will of Allaah.”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, p. 138.


His Illness and Death

His son Abdul-Lateef said, “One time he was speaking in his sleep so I came close to him to listen to what he was saying. So he opened his eyes all of a sudden and said, “You spying on me?” and then laughed. He used to join his prayers at the end of his life, in the last two months. And his shop is still there in Damascus, ‘Al-Albaani Watches.’
We used to feel sympathy for him for not sleeping, he would stay awake all night to author [works] and check and verify. He would go to sleep at 11 at night, then I could tell that at 1 in the morning he would get up and stay awake until Fajr. He would sleep for two hours during the day, so he would be busy for twenty hours and sleep for four.
And I make special mention of the fact that during his washing [after he passed away] we noticed the marks/effects on his back of all that [long] sitting.”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Hayaatuhu, Da’watuhu, Juhooduhoo fee Khidmatis-Sunnah, of Muhammad Bayyoomi, p. 268, with editing.

Dr. Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullaah as-Sadhaan said, “During the last three years of his life, he, may Allaah have mercy on him, used to suffer from a number of ailments, yet along with all of this he was patient and hoped for Allaah’s reward. He had lost a lot of weight and I saw that myself a month before his death. Some of the ailments he suffered from were anaemia, and problems with his liver and one of his kidneys. And so after a life full of knowledge and action, calling to Allaah and patience, he, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him, passed away after asr time, on Saturday, 22nd Jumaada al-Aakhirah 1420 [October 1999], may Allaah make Firdous his abode.
And his funeral was prepared quickly on the same day as per his will. And the bier was carried on the shoulders from his house to the grave.”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, p. 292.

Shaikh Muhammad Moosaa Nasr said, “And he was buried in a small graveyard … as he wanted. For one day he passed by the Hamlaan graveyard with the brother Muhammad al-Khateeb, as Ustaadh Muhammad Shaqrah, may Allaah protect him, told me, and so the Shaikh said to him, “I hope to be buried in this graveyard.” And it was the closest graveyard to his house. And Allaah fulfilled his wish and he was buried there, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him.”Al-Imaam al-Mujaddid, wal-Allaamatul-Muhaddith, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, p. 65.


Shaikh al-Albaani’s Will

http://shaikhalbaani.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/shaikh-al-albaanis-will1.jpg
The translation can be found here: http://www.alalbany.net/albany_eng_027.php

Part Of Shaikh Al-Albaanee’s Last Will And Testament

In the Name of Allaah, Most Merciful, Bestower of Mercy. I counsel my wife, my children, my friends, and all my loved ones, when news of my death reaches them, that they – first – supplicate to Allaah to forgive me and have mercy on me, and that they do not wail over me nor cry with a raised voice.
Secondly, I advise them to hasten my burial, and that they do not inform my close relatives or brothers (of my death) except for the amount that is necessary to carry out the preparation of my burial. I ask that they put my neighbor and sincere friend, ‘Izzat Khidr Abu ‘Abdillah in charge of washing my body, as well as whoever he chooses to assist him in that.
Thirdly, I choose to be buried in the closet area (i.e. graveyard), so that those who carry my body will not be forced to place me in a car, and which will consequently lead the followers of the Janaazah (funeral) procession to drive in their cars. I also ask that my grave be put in an old graveyard, which will most likely not be dug up (anytime in the near future)…(Some parts omitted here)…
And it is upon those who live in the land in which I die, to not inform anyone outside of these lands, such as my children – not to mention other than them – until after I am buried. This is so that the emotions will not overwhelm and cause people to act on them, which will in turn result in the delay of my Janaazah (funeral).
I ask the Guardian (Allaah) that I meet Him, while having my past and future sins forgiven by Him…(Some parts omitted here)…
I bequest my entire library – whether the book is printed, photocopied, in manuscript form, in my handwriting or someone else’s – to the library of the Islaamic University of Madeenah. This is because of the good memories I have of it with regard to Da’wah (Calling) to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah upon the methodology of the Salaf As-Saalih when I was a teacher there.
I hope that Allaah will cause it to be of benefit to the leaders of that university, just as the university students benefited from its owner in those days. And I ask Allaah that He benefit me by them (the
students), through their sincerity and in their Da’wah.
[Allaah says:] “O my Lord! Make me thankful for Your Favor that You bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and make me one that does righteous deeds that You love. And correct my offspring for me. Surely I repent to You, and surely I am from amongst the Muslims. “
[Surah Al-Ahqaaf: 15]

Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee
On the 27th day of Jumaadaa Al-Oolaa, 1410 AH

Taken from Shaikh ‘Alee Hasan Al-Halabee’s book “With our Shaikh, the Upholder of the Sunnah and the Religion, Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee” (pages 27-28)


Shaikh al-Albaani in an overturned car …

“Shaikh Ali Khashhaan, may Allaah protect him, in a piece he wrote entitled, ‘The Aider of the Hadith and the Reviver of the Sunnah, Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani’, said, “So by Allaah! My eyes have never seen –as far as I know– anyone who cared more about the Sunnah and aided it with greater vigour or followed it more than al-Albaani. One time between Jeddah and Medinah an-Nabawiyyah [he had an accident] and his car overturned and the people present rushed to him saying, “O Sattaar! O Sattaar! يا ستار! ياستار [i.e., O Concealer, meaning Allaah].” So the Aider of the Hadith, Shaikh al-Albaani says to them while he is under the overturned car, “Say, ‘O Sitteer [يا ستير]’ and don’t say, ‘O Sattaar [يا ستار], because al-Sattaar is not one of His Names, the Most High!”
And in the hadith there occurs, “إن الله ستير يحب الستر – Allaah is characterised by modesty and concealment [sitteer] and loves that people conceal themselves.”[1]
Have you seen anyone who aids the Sunnah and the Hadith in a situation such as this in this time of ours?! Never! Except for what has been related from the likes of Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others from the Pious Predecessors of this nation.””

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

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


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

Shaikh Ali Hasan said, “The Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, called a carpenter to his house and requested that he change the side from which the door of his library opens from one side to the other! So the carpenter responded, “From one side …” looking stunned, “… to the other?” Trying to ascertain what use and benefit there would be in doing that. So our Shaikh answered him saying, “When the door opens towards the left side then this increases the distance to my library by a number of steps! And I go to the mosque [to pray] five times a day along with having to go out once or twice for household chores or for personal matters. So how much of my time is wasted, when accumulated, as a result of all those extra steps which could be eliminated or reduced? So when the opening of the door is changed from this side to that we can benefit from all of this lost time since it is so priceless and infinitely important.”

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


A month before he died…

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

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


He stood up and turned to the people…

“At Jumu’ah prayer the Imaam giving the sermon mentioned amongst other things the hadith, The believer to the believer is like a [solid] building, some [parts of it] support others …” [Bukhaari and Muslim] adding the word, ‘… solid …’ [which is not part of the narration]. So after the jumu’ah prayer ended Shaikh al-Albaani stood up and turned to the people and made clear the absence of the word ‘solid’ in the narration of the hadith and urged that the hadiths be narrated as they came without any additions. So, by Allaah, his critique was better than the sermon itself.”

Muhaddithul-Asr, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani of Samir ibn Amin al-Zahraani, pp. 31-32.


“Why does he not give salaam …?”

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

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


Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil …

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

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


Reading on a ladder …

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

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

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Going to the mosque

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

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


Forty-eight hours before he died…

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

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


“His eyes swelled up with tears…”

Muhammad al-Khateeb said, “One time I was working on the roof of the Shaikh’s house to fix some things. I was carrying a heavy rod from one place to another. Then [all of a sudden] the rod overwhelmed me and I was almost, were it not for the grace of Allaah, about to fall off the top of the roof. Later the Shaikh found out about what had happened, so he thanked Allaah that I was safe and quickly fell into prostration out of thankfulness, his eyes then swelled up with tears, crying. He then took out one hundred dinaars and gave them to me.”

Al-Imaam al-Albani, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa Ibar, p. 167


“Show me that book …”

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

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


Don’t you hang up on me…

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

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


Every son of a female…

“When I (Shaikh Ali Hasan al-Halabi), informed Shaikh Al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy upon him, of the death of his Eminence Shaikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy upon him, he could not stop himself from crying, his eyes were filled with flowing tears, and he spoke of him with compassionate, righteous words.
So he, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, and I wrote this down from him:
‘To Allaah we belong and to Him we return. Oh Allaah! Recompense me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better. May Allaah have mercy upon him, a vast mercy. And may He reward him well on behalf of Islaam and the muslims.
Every son of a female, even if he is well for a long time
will, one day, be carried on a bier [to his grave]

Indeed Shaikh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him, was from the elite of the scholars. We ask Allaah, the Most High, to make Paradise his dwelling. If this life were to last forever for anyone, it would have lasted as such for Mustafaa, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. May Allaah have mercy on him and may He cause us and him to be with the righteous.’”

Ma’a Shaikhinaa Naasirus-Sunnnah … of Shaikh Ali Hasan, p. 15.


Shaikh al-Albani talking while asleep…

Shaikh al-Albani’s son, Abdul-Lateef, mentioned that his father:
“… used to say in his sleep, ‘Bring me the book entitled ‘Al-Ilal. Bring me the book entitled such and such. Bring me the book entitled such and such. Bring me the book entitled ‘Al-Jarh wat-Ta’deel’. And one time he said while he was asleep and while he was moving his hand as someone writing would, ‘Bring [the book] Sunan Abu Dawood and the problem will be solved.’
One time he said to me whilst he was asleep, ‘Bring the first volume of the book Al-Targheeb and Tarheeb.’ So I brought it. He then said to me, ‘Open it,’ and I did. He said, ‘Look at one, two, three ahadith. Are these approximately equal in length?’ So I said, ‘No. There is one amongst them which is long.’ He said, ‘Go …’ – this is during sleep, he is talking whilst he is asleep. I then said to him, ‘This third hadith is long.’ So he asked, ‘Who narrated it?’ I replied, ‘So and so.’ Then he said, ‘Enough. Return the book.’
All of this was when he was asleep!

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