The Signs of the Hour … 1

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

 

The Signs of the Hour and
the False Prophet Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani

Question: As regards the establishment of the Hour, there are lesser signs and major signs and especially Gog and Magog?

Shaikh al-Albaani: Dividing the signs [of the Day of Judgement] into minor and major is a technical division [used] amongst the scholars and it is not something which has been reported from the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم–but when such terminology does not go against the Book nor the Sunnah then there is no problem [in using it]. No doubt the brother’s question that what is said should be about the major signs of the Hour is by way of starting with the most important thing first and then the most important after that in knowledge.

There are many major signs but from the most important of them which the respected questioner made special reference to is the descent of Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, at the end of time, his killing of the major Dajjaal, and then Gog and Magog after that. These are three of the major signs of the Hour: the descent of Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, the appearance of Dajjaal, Jesus’, عليه الصلاة والسلام, killing him, and the appearance of Gog and Magog.

As for Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, then his descent near the end of time is an Islamic belief which it is incumbent upon every Muslim to take as religion before Allaah, and to worship Him through it, having faith and attesting to [the truth of] the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, by way of the numerous hadiths which have been reported from him in the two Sahihs and other than them [regarding him]. From these is the Prophet’s, صلى الله عليه وسلم, saying, “Verily, Jesus the son of Mary will descend among you as a just judge. And so [he] will break the cross and kill the pigs, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it. And a [single] prostration that day will be more beloved to a believer than the world and everything in it.” [Bukhaari and Muslim]. This is one of the many hadiths in which the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, openly declared the descent of Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, at the end of time, so it is obligatory that we know that the descent of Jesus at the end of time does not negate the end of prophethood or the end of the message.

For there is a group of people known as Qaadiyanis and they call themselves Ahmadis trying to [falsely] portray that they are followers of Muhammad ibn Abdullaah, صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Prophet of Islaam. But in reality they associate themselves with their false prophet called Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. For this reason they misinterpret the descent of Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, by saying that it means the coming of someone who resembles Jesus and by that they are referring to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani. So it is obligatory upon us to know the characteristics which have been reported about Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, who will descend at the end of time and which were not fulfilled by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani and neither were they fulfilled by those other than him who claimed to be prophets or Imaam Mahdi.

Because one of the principal signs of Jesus is that he is Jesus the son of Mary not [just someone called] Jesus in general, rather he is the son of Mary, the Prophet of Allaah, صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Prophet of the Children of Israel–this is the one who will descend and when he does he will not do so with a new prophethood, nor with a new message. But he will descend and judge by the Sharee’ah of our Prophet Muhammad, صلى الله عليه وسلم, especially when Jesus descended after Moses, to complete some of the laws which [Allaah’s] Wisdom of legislating determined that he should come with, or which Allaah sent down to Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, after Moses, عليهما الصلاة والسلام.

And you all know that when the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, saw a page in the hand of Umar and asked him about it he replied that it was from the Torah so the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, questioned him about it and he replied, “A man from the Jews wrote it for me.” So he, عليه الصلاة والسلام, became angry and said, “Are you confused as the Jews and the Christians were confused?! By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! If Moses were alive he would not have any choice but to follow me.”^[1] Likewise Jesus, عليه السلام, if he were alive on the face of the earth the day the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, was sent he would have had no choice but to follow the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم.

And it is known that Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, took the Covenant from all of the Messengers and Prophets that if He sent Muhammad, صلى الله عليه وسلم, amongst them they would follow and support him. For this reason the descent of Jesus at the end of time does not negate the fact that the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, was the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers as the Lord of all Creation said, “Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allaah and Seal [i.e.,the last] of the Prophets …” [Al-Ahzaab 33:40]

He is the Seal of the Prophets before the descent of Jesus and after the descent of Jesus.

For Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, will descend and judge with the Book and the Sunnah, for this reason the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said in a hadith, “Verily, Jesus the son of Mary will descend among you as a just judge …” so he will judge with the Book and the Sunnah justly between the people not oppressing anyone. The proof for this is that he will break the cross which his followers have taken as [a means of] disbelief and tyranny, [something] Jesus did not order them with –far be it for him ever to do so–but after about one hundred years his followers deviated from the Law [Sharee’ah] of the Gospel [Injeel] and it, naturally, was Islaam, and there is no difference in Islaam as regards creed [aqidah]. For all of the Messengers, from the first to the last, from Adam, the first Prophet, to Muhammad, the last Prophet, عليهم الصلاة والسلام–all of them came with Islaam. The difference is only in some [specific] rulings.

So when Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, descends as a just judge he will break the cross to confirm and establish for his followers that they are [standing] upon nothing and that they are upon manifest misguidance, likewise he will kill the pigs, i.e., he will judge [with the ruling that] it is forbidden to eat their meat and he will judge that they be annihilated and eradicated, confirming to those who claim to follow him or who make the pig lawful [to eat] that it is not from him but rather from the monks who innovated laws for the people of their own accord.

So these [are the] matters [that] are from the characteristics of Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام, and from the most important of them is that peace and tranquillity will dominate and prevail over the people in those days such that all of the people will become affluent, satisfied with the rule of Islaam which Allaah will bring about of at the hands of Jesus, عليه الصلاة والسلام. For every single one of them would have acquired sustenance which pleases and satisfies him and by which his life in this world would be established–and not only to a moderate level, but rather to such an extent that a man, and all men will give zakaah, but he will not find a single person who will accept it from him. Because the people in his time will have become–by his judging with the Islaam of our Prophet Muhammad, صلى الله عليه وسلم–all of them will have become rich, no poverty-stricken person will be found among them.

Al-Fataawaa al-Muhimmah lil-Allaamah Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani, of Salaahud-Deen Mahmood as-Sa’eed, pp. 288-290.

---

^[1] Hasan. Reported by Ahmad (3/387) and Ibn Abee Aasim in As-Sunnah (1/27).

Shaikh al-Albaani’s Life | Questions and Answers … 3

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Learning from his Father

Al-Huwaini: I asked Shaikh Shu’aib al-Arnaa’oot about some things and then he ended up saying, “I used to go to Shaikh Nooh (i.e., Shaikh al-Albaani’s father) but Shaikh Naasir would not be present at our sittings.”

Al-Albaani: I never used to attend those lessons which he is referring to. But we used to have a private lesson with my father with two other Arnaa’ooti youths one of whose names was Abdur-Raheem Zainul-Aabideen and he is still alive, the other has passed away and we used to read Al-Qadoori in hanafi fiqh to him, likewise we read Al-Maraah in morphology to him and we finished reciting the Quraan to him.

So this does not mean that we did not read to him, for I would not attend at the time he was attending just as the opposite [conclusion] is not binding–for he never used to attend these particular lessons of ours with my father, [but this does not mean] that he never sat with my father, this is not binding.

Al-Albaani Leaving the Hanafi Madhhab to Study Hadith
and the time he was too poor to buy a Book

Al-Huwaini: There is a matter here which draws one’s attention: how did you turn to hadith and such, bearing in mind that some of what you have said and what Shaikh Shu’aib said [shows] that your father was a Hanafi, he would revere the Hanafi school of thought greatly?

Al-Albaani: That is from the blessings of Allaah. But as for the reason then it is as is said, “When Allaah intends a matter He facilitates the means for it.” So I truly was living in an atmosphere of bigoted Hanafism. My father, especially among the Arnaa’oots, was regarded as the most knowledgeable of them in Hanafi fiqh, he was the one they would recourse and refer back to.

When I finished elementary school and studied as I have previously detailed with some of the Shaikhs, I would have a very great desire to want to read as a hobby. But reading [those things]–as would seem to one looking in on it–that contained no benefit, indeed which could even have an adverse effect. But later on the effect of this reading became clear in my language for it had strengthened my oral skills. What is peculiar is that I was infatuated with reading modern day fiction works which were known as hiwaayaat [leisure reading/books that are read as a hobby], especially the stories of the American thief famous as Arsene Lupin. So I was truly infatuated with reading this type of story and narrative.

Then I found myself moving to the second stage which perhaps was better than the first, and it was studying Arabic stories, even though [most of them] were fiction. So for example I read A Thousand Arabian Nights, I read the story of Antar ibn Shaddaad, the story of Salaah ad-Deen al-Ayyoobi, a story of resoluteness and valiant champions, and so on. I was extremely captivated by such types of perusal and reading, and then from the perfectness of Allaah’s Plan and His Kindness to me was that when I changed my profession and accompanied my father I came across a lot of free time.

We would split the time [we’d sit] in the shop. So he would go [to it] in the morning and I would go with him [and he would stay there] until he prayed dhuhr, then after he had prayed it he would go home to relax and I would remain in the shop until he returned [which would be] after asr. We were both workers and sometimes I would come across a lot of spare time, there would be hours and I would not [have to] repair any watches, so I would ask his permission to go out … and to where? This was also from Allaah’s granting of success to me [that] I would go to the Amawi masjid and would give the people some general lessons, and I was influenced as regards ideology: some of it was correct, in what became apparent to me later, and some of it was incorrect.

That which was incorrect was connected to two points: blind following and Sufism. Then in this free time during which I would leave my father’s shop, Allaah ordained [that I meet] an Egyptian man who would buy books left by people who had passed away and then [sell them and] put them on display in front of a shop of his [which was] in the direction of the western door of the Amawi mosque. So I would pass by the stack of books which he would pile up outside his small shop, turning over the pages, and I would find whatever I wanted from those narrations, and I would loan the book from him for some money, read it and then return it and so on.

One day I found some issues of the magazine ‘Al-Mannar’ with him, and I remember very well that I read a chapter in it by as-Sayyid Rashid Rida, may Allaah have mercy upon him, speaking about the merits of al-Ghazaali’s book Al-Ihyaa and he [also] criticised it from some angles, likes its Sufism, for example, and the weak and baseless hadiths that were in it. In this regard he mentioned that Abul-Fadl Zainul-Aabidin al-Iraaqi had a book which he authored about Al-Ihyaa in which he checked its hadiths, distinguishing between its authentic and weak ones and he called it, Al-Mughni an Hamlil-Asfaar fil-Asfaar fee Takhrij maa fil-Ihyaa minal-Akhbaar.

So I began to greatly yearn for this book, I went to the market asking after it like someone infatuated and madly in love [aashiq] [saying], “Where is this book?” Until I found it with one of them and it was in four volumes, the print of al-Baabi al-Halabi, on soft, yellow paper.

But I was poor like my father and could not afford to buy a book such as it, so I came to an agreement with its owner that I would loan it from him, I don’t recall now [whether it was] for a year or less or more, so I did, I took the book and was almost about to fly out of joy. I went to the shop and I would take advantage of the time when my father was away so I could be alone with my book.  I made a plan to copy it out and so I started to do so. I bought some paper and got a ‘mistarah’–and this refers to cardboard that had parallel lines on it.

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Hayaatuhu, Da’watuhu, Juhooduhoo fee Khidmatis-Sunnah, of Muhammad Bayyoomi, pp. 10-12.

Shaikh al-Albaani’s Life | Questions and Answers … 2

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

 

Al-Albaani the Carpenter

Al-Huwaini: After you finished your study why didn’t you go on to complete your academic education, i.e., secondary education and so on?

Al-Albaani: I didn’t increase upon my elementary education, and the reason for that goes back to my father. Perhaps this was a shot in the dark on his behalf [but a successful one at that], since what I witnessed later was that if I had continued in that line of education I wouldn’t have been able to do the study that I do. Since it is true that formal education makes it easy for someone who wants to progress in great strides in academic research, yet it is very rare to find this in those who do graduate.

My father, may Allaah have mercy upon him, had a bad opinion about the government schools, and he had a right to, since they would not teach anything from the Sharee’ah except its outline and not its reality [i.e., skim its surface]. For this reason he didn’t send me to a preparatory school, for example, which in those days was known as secondary school in Syria.

Due to that I started to study Hanafi fiqh and morphology [sarf] with my father; and with another Shaikh whose name was Shaikh Sa’eed Burhaani, and it became apparent to me later that he was a Sufi, a follower of a tariqah, I studied some Hanafi fiqh with this Shaikh, specifically [the book] Maraaqi al-Falaah Sharh Nurul-Eedaah. I also studied some books of Arabic grammar and modern day rhetoric with him using some books of contemporary writers.

I finished reading the Quran to my father with tajwid and at the same time I was pursuing work as a carpenter, that which these days is called Arabic carpentry. I finished learning [it] from two carpenters, one of them was my maternal uncle whose name was Ismaa’eel, may Allaah have mercy upon him, I worked with him for two years. The other was a Syrian known as Abu Muhammad who I also worked with for two years. Most of my work with them centred around repairing and restoring old houses, since old houses in Syria were made from wood and bricks. Over time and with rain, snow and such, parts of the floors would collapse and would require someone [specialising] in Arabic carpentry to come and fix them so I would go with them.

Most of the time in winter  we would not be able to do any work whatsoever, so I would pass by my father who was working as a watch repairer.  One day he said to me, when I had returned from my two [carpentry] instructors and he could tell that there was no work because it was an overcast and cloudy day, he said, “It looks as though there’s no work today.”

I replied, “Yes, no work.”

So he said, “What do you think, I feel that this profession [i.e., carpentry] isn’t easy nor is it a profession. What do you think about working with me?”

I said to him, “As you wish.”

He said, “Come on then, climb up!” His shop was raised off the ground since he used to fear that damp would set in, and so from that day I stuck to him until I learnt the profession from him and then opened up my own shop.

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Hayaatuhu, Da’watuhu, Juhooduhoo fee Khidmatis-Sunnah, of Muhammad Bayyoomi, pp. 9-10.

Shaikh al-Albaani’s Life | Questions and Answers … 1

There is a book entitled, Imaam al-Albaani, His Life, His Call, and His Efforts in the Service of the Sunnah by Muhammad Bayyoomi.  In it he has transcribed five cassette recordings of questions that were put to Shaikh al-Albaani concerning his life.  Yes, you’ve guessed it, it was a bit too tempting not to go for translating this even though we finished the other ‘Shaikh’s Life in his Own Words.’  Bi idhnillaah wa
tawfeeqihi, I’ll try to post some translations from this book here along with the other ongoing project, Taking Graves as Mosques.  Here’s the first post.

 

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

His Birth and Migration

Al-Huwaini: O Shaikh, what is your date of birth?

Al-Albaani: I do not have in my possession that which can be relied upon as regards the date except what is known as a birth certificate, or ID or the passport–in it the year 1914ce is recorded.

Al-Huwaini: Were you born in Damascus or Albania?

Al-Albaani: I was born in Ashkodera [Shkodër] which in those days was the capital of Albania, [then] in the days of that revolutionary Ahmed Zogu the capital was moved to Tirana. I was born in Ashkodera, Albania.

Al-Huwaini: The story of your entry into Damascus, Syria with your father, was it because of some persecution, for example, or something else?

Al-Albaani: It was not because of any persecution but in al-Jawndhar there was the control of that Ahmed Zogu, [who was intent] on ruling the country. For no sooner had he settled into position than he started to impose European legislative laws on the populace. So he started to make things difficult on those women wearing the hijab, and made it obligatory for the police and the army to wear the hat–the thing which forebode evil in the opinion of my father, may Allaah have mercy on him. For this reason he decided to migrate with his family [in the general direction of] Syria, and Damascus specifically, because he had read many hadiths concerning the excellence of Syria in general and Damascus in particular. Even though it is known, or we came to know later, that the hadiths regarding the merits of Syria range from being authentic, hasan, weak and fabricated–but the general idea is true and had taken hold of him, may Allaah have mercy on him, and for this reason he decided to migrate when he came to that opinion . This was the reason for the migration, so there was no immediate pressure [which made us leave].

Al-Huwaini: How old were you when you migrated?

Al-Albaani: What I recall is that when I settled in Damascus I was nine years old.

Learning Arabic as a Child

Al-Huwaini: Did you speak Arabic at the time?

Al-Albaani: I never knew anything from the Arabic language, in fact I never even knew any of the letters of the Arabic alphabet since there was not much attention on the part of my father, may Allaah have mercy on him, to teach us [that], despite the fact that he was the Imaam of a mosque, and even the Shaikh of a madrassah.

When we came to Damascus, we didn’t know anything about reading or writing and as they say here in Syria, “We couldn’t tell the difference between the letter alif and the naftiyyah [even though both are straight].” The naftiyyah is a long stick which the Shaikh in the madrassah would reach out with and use if he wanted to hit the last boy who [was sitting at the end and] was playing around.

The madrassah there was a private one owned by a charitable organisation called the Charitable Relief Organisation and it was there that I started my education. And naturally, because I was mixing with the students there, my acquisition of the Arabic language or to be exact, the Syrian dialect, was stronger than those who were not students at the madrassah. And I remember well that, apparently, because I was older than the other elementary students in the madrassah I completed the first and second years in one year, and so [at the end] I obtained my elementary certificate in four years. And it seems as though Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, had instilled in me a natural love for the Arabic language. And it was this love that was the real reason, after the Grace of Allaah, that I was [a] distinguished [student] and that I surpassed my Syrian classmates in the Arabic language and such.

I also remember very well that when the grammar teacher would write a sentence or a line of poetry on the slate and would ask the students to grammatically parse the syntax [i’raab] of a sentence or line of poetry–the last person he would ask would be al-Albaani. In those days I was known as ‘al-Arnaa’oot.’ As for the word ‘al-Albaani’ then [I started to use it] when I graduated from the madrassah and began to author. For the word ‘al-Arnaa’oot’ is similar to the term ‘Arab,’ in that just as the Arabs are divided into tribes, there being among them the Egyptian, the Syrian, the Hijaazi … and so on, then in the same way the ‘al-Arnaa’oot’ are also divided into Albanians, Serbians from Yugoslavia, Bosniaks [Bosnians]. Thus, the words ‘al-Arnaa’oot’ and al-Albaani have generalities and specifics in meaning–al-Albaani is more specific than [the general term] al-Arnaa’oot.

So the grammar teacher would make me the very last student he would ask when all other students had failed to parse the sentence, he would call me [saying], “Yes, O Arnaa’oot, what do you say?” And I would hit the target with one word [or sentence] and so he would then start to shame the Syrians because of me saying, “Isn’t it a shame on you? This is an Arnaa’ootee [i.e, you are Arab speakers and he isn’t].”

So this was from Allaah’s Grace upon me.”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Hayaatuhu, Da’watuhu, Juhooduhoo fee Khidmatis-Sunnah, of Muhammad Bayyoomi, pp. 7-9.

Is Du’aa obligatory [waajib]?

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

“Is du’aa obligatory [waajib]?”

Shaikh al-Albaani said, “Du’aa in general is waajib^[1].

And there are some supplications which are obligatory on certain [specific] occasions, like seeking refuge with Allaah from the four things [in the last tashhahud in the prayer]: from the punishment of Hell and the punishment of the grave, from the trials and tribulations of life and death and from the trial and temptation of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal, as occurs in the hadith of Bukhaari from Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Prophet of Allaah, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said, ‘When one of you finishes the final tashahhud, then let him seek refuge with Allaah from four …’” So in this there is a clear order for the one who is praying to seek refuge from these four things at the end of his prayer.

For this reason it has been reported that Taawoos, the honourable taabi’ee, ordered the one who had not sought refuge with Allaah from these four things to repeat his prayer.””^[2]

---

^[1] The compiler Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem said, “That which proves this is his, صلى الله عليه وسلم saying, “Du’aa is worship,” and then he recited, “And your Lord said, ‘Call upon Me, I will respond to your (invocation).’” [Ghaafir 40:60] Reported by Ahmad and others from An-Nu’maan ibn Basheer, may Allaah be pleased with him, with an authentic chain of narration. And Ahmad (2/443, 477) and others reported a hadith with a hasan chain of narration from Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said, “Allaah is angry with whoever does not invoke Him.”

^[2] The compiler Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem said, “This narration is reported by Muslim (1/413) from the hadith of Ibn Abbaas, in it there occurs, “Muslim Ibn al-Hajjaaj said, ‘It has reached me that Taawoos said to his son, ‘Did you supplicate with it in your prayer?’ He replied, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Repeat your prayer.’’”

Al-Masaa’il al-Ilmiyyah wal-Fataawaa ash-Shar’eeyah, pp. 166-167.

Seeking Help from the Jinn

What is the ruling concerning asking the jinn
about matters of the Unseen?

Shaikh al-Albaani said, “We do not hold that one should turn to the Jinn concerning questions about matters of the Unseen since that is one of the causes for the misguidance of mankind. In the Noble Quran, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, mentioned some of the misguidance of the polytheists of the past. So the Lord of all Creation, the Blessed and Most High, said, narrating the story of the Jinn who came to the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, and believed in him, part of what those Jinn said was, “And verily, there were men among mankind those who sought refuge with the masculine among the jinns, but they (i.e., the jinns only) increased them in sin and disbelief.” Jinn 72:6

Seeking the help of the Jinn in order to gain knowledge of the Unseen is, as some of the people of the past said when disapproving of people seeking help from one another, “… like a prisoner calling for help from another prisoner.” So mankind seeking help from the Jinn to gain knowledge of the Unseen is just like a man seeking the help of another man since both categories, man and jinn, share in the fact that neither of them has knowledge of the Unseen.

As for when by Unseen a matter is intended which actually occurred but is absent from mankind due to the fact that their strength and power is limited and the strength of the Jinn is greater, then likewise we say: it is [still] not befitting [to ask the Jinn]. Since if they are continually called upon the matter will expand just as a hole in a garment keeps increasing until it cannot be patched up^[1], and thus the people will fall into associating partners in worship with Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, [shirk], committing shirk in the Attributes of Allaah. Since as you all know Allaah is one in His dhaat [essence], one in the fact that He Alone is worshipped–so none of His Creation whatsoever can share with Him in knowing the Unseen. As He, the Blessed and Most High, said, “(He Alone is) the All-Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His [knowledge of the] Unseen. Except to a Messenger (from mankind) whom He has chosen …” Jinn 72:26-27

So the Prophets and the Messengers themselves did not know the Unseen but Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, taught them some of the matters of the Unseen through revelation.

And there is no Prophet after our Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Thus, the path to acquiring knowledge of the Unseen is blocked, whether it is concerning knowledge of those things from the Unseen which have not yet occurred or those things of the Unseen which have occurred but which mankind does not have the strength or ability to acquire [even though they have taken place]. So seeking the aid of the Jinn in this type, without doubt, is humiliating and [nothing but] misguidance, which can lead, as I have just said, to associating partners with Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

Perhaps from the modern day proofs of this is what has reached us about your country in particular, Kuwait. That there is a person there who claims to have knowledge of the Unseen such that he ordered his followers to migrate from Kuwait to here, Jordan, and that there would be snow and it would be very cold in Jordan so he ordered them to buy some blankets and other such things to keep themselves warm with and that on the contrary in Kuwait, Allaah forbid, there would be a blazing fire along with other false and futile claims that he made–do you have any knowledge about that?

Questioner: We received some news, O Shaikh, that he is in Syria and there is another in Egypt, from the Sufis.

Shaikh al-Albaani: But there followers here [in Jordan] say that their Shaikh is in Kuwait.

Questioner: This is correct. They have followers dispersed [in different places, some of whom] went to Kuwait. Last Sunday they made an announcement in the newspaper that they were waiting for everybody. And the Shaikh was present in Syria and another in Egypt, and they announced to their followers that the Day of Resurrection was about to be established. So they left the schools, and this is true, and some of them sold their land and left.

Shaikh al-Albaani: Many of them came here.

Someone in the gathering said: The abode of the Shaikh of this tariqah [Sufi way] in Kuwait is that of Fareed Hamdaan. And his son and brother are here [in Jordan].

Questioner: Last Sunday and Monday many of the newspapers announced that one of their Shaikhs was in Syria and the other in Egypt.

Shaikh al-Albaani: It is possible, whatever the case, that there is movement [of these people or Shaikhs] and [people] preferring [one to another]

The proof here is that opening the door to communicating with the Jinn leads man to fall into misguidance which has been forbidden.”

Al-Fataawaa al-Kuwaitiyyah, pp. 38-40.

---

^[1] Shaikh al-Albaani used an old Arabic example here, saying:

اتَّسَعَ الْخَرْقُ عَلَى الرَّاقِعِ

The literal translation would be as I have put in the post, i.e., a hole in a garment is patched up but keeps increasing such that the patch cannot cover the hole anymore and the meaning is as Abu Hilaal al-Askari explained  in Jumhuratul-Amthaal (1/160), “And it means: The problem/corruption increases such that it cannot be rectified or contained.”

Did the Angels Harut and Marut teach Magic?

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: “What is the explanation of the Aayah, ‘They followed what the devils gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaiman. Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut …?’” Baqarah 2:102

Shaikh al-Albaani said, “There is no doubt that there is a difference of opinion concerning the aayah among the scholars of quranic exegesis [tafsir]. But that which I personally hold to be the stronger opinion is that the word maa [ما] in His Saying, “… and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels …” is not the maa of negation^[1] but rather a relative pronoun, i.e., that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, sent down the two angels to teach magic to the people, since magic was widespread at that time and [as a result there was] confusion [in differentiating] between it and miracles which some of the Prophets would bring. Like the story of the magicians and Musa, عليه الصلاة والسلام, where Pharaoh, through the magicians, had wanted to misguide his people from the call of Musa to the Truth. Since what Pharaoh had come with was nothing but magic. Then, as we know, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, eradicated the magic of the sorcerers who then became Muslims, believing in Allaah, the Lord of all Creation. So their knowledge of magic was the reason which enabled them to distinguish between that which was mere slight of vision and magic and between reality, “Then Musa threw his stick, and behold, it swallowed up all the falsehoods which they showed!” Ash-Shu’araa 26:45.

The magicians believed in this reality before all of the other people since through their knowledge of magic they knew that it was nothing but concealment, disguising and deception which had no reality to it. Thus when they were overcome and dumbfounded by the miracle of Musa, عليه الصلاة والسلام, the difference between reality and magic became manifest to them [so they fell down prostrate], “Saying, “We believe in the Lord of all Creation.” Ash-Shu’araa 26:47.

So it was through Allaah’s Wisdom that He sent down two angels, Harut and Marut, so that they would teach the people magic not for the sake of magic but rather to enable them to recognise that magic which many of the imposters/fraudsters [dajjaals] used at that time to deceive and enslave the people. As occurs in the story of the boy and the sorcerer, and maybe you remember that story.

Its summary, and [it being so important] a summary of it must be mentioned, is that the [tyrannical] king of that time, who is the companion of the Trench mentioned in the Quraan [See Surah no. 85, Burooj], would use a magician in order to enslave the people. When this magician saw that he had grown old, become white haired and frail, he said to the king, ‘Chose a boy from the people for me who [I can teach such that he] will be able to help you after I am gone.’ Why? So that this king could continue to enslave his people through magic. This is how the kings of old were, taking advantage of the people through magic.

So Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, sent the two angels to teach all of the people–not like what the king’s magician, the king of the Trench, did, since this magician had said to the king, ‘Chose a boy for me …’ since it did not suit him that the knowledge of magic become widespread among all of the people since then they would come to realize that the king was misguiding them through magic, something which then they would have come to know.

So Allaah through His Wisdom saw fit to send two Angels to teach magic to the people so that they would be able to distinguish between magic and a miracle. Because magic, without a shadow of a doubt, is a means of spreading corruption: Allaah said in the same aayah, “… but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) until they had said, ‘We are only for trial so disbelieve not (by practicing this magic).’ And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife …”

So they came to teach magic for a purpose, but this teaching could lead to a trial, and thus they learn that which harms them and does not benefit them^[2] and that which causes separation between a man and his wife.

This is what I understand regarding the explanation of this aayah.

And Allaah knows best.”

Al-Fataawaa al-Kuwaitiyyah, pp. 49-51.

---

^[1] [The compiler of the book, Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem has a footnote here where he says, “Ibn Jarir has mentioned the difference of opinion in the explanation of this aayah (2/419), so from them are some who say the Arabic word maa [ما] here means ‘did not’ [لم], i.e., that magic was not sent down to the two angels, and this saying has been reported from Ibn Abbaas and Rabee’ ibn Anas but with weak chains of narrations. And there are others who explained that maa here means ‘that which’ [الذي] as Shaikh al-Albaani said here, and this saying has been reported from Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood with a chain of narration which has some disconnection in it, it is also reported from Qataadah, Ibn Zaid and others–and this opinion is also the one preferred by Ibn Jarir at-Tabari.

It has been reported from Qataadah, with an authentic chain of narration (2/421), that he said, “Magic is of two types: magic taught by the devils, and magic taught by Harut and Marut.”

And Ibn Jarir at-Tabari clarified the wisdom behind the reasoning as to why Allaah sent down magic, and whether it was permissible for His Angels to teach the people magic, so he said, ‘If someone were to say to us, ‘And is it permissible [to say] that Allaah would send down magic or is it permissible for His Angels to teach the people magic?’ We would say to him, ‘Indeed Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, [is the One who] has sent down good and bad, all of it, and He clarified all of that to His servants, revealing as such to His Prophets ordering them to teach His Creation and to make known to them what is permissible for them from that which is forbidden, such as fornication, stealing, and all of the other sins that He made known to them and forbade them from committing.

So magic is another one of those sins which He told them about and forbade them from practising. Having knowledge about magic is not a sin, just as there is no sin in [actually] knowing how to produce alcohol, or how to carve out an idol, a lute, or other types of [forbidden] amusement–rather the sin is in practising it and preparing such things. Likewise, there is no sin in having knowledge about magic, the sin is only in practising it and using it to harm people it is not permissible to harm.

So there is no wrongdoing in the fact that Allaah sent it down to His Angels and neither in the fact that His Angels taught it to whoever they taught it to from the people, since their teaching of that to whoever they taught it to was with the Permission of Allaah after they informed [whoever they would teach it to] that they were a trial and test and after they would forbid them from practising it and from disbelief. So the sin was only on whoever learnt it from them and then practised it, since Allaah, Lofty is His Mention, has stated that He had forbidden them learning and then practising it …”­­­­

^[2] The compiler, Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem, said here, “And the complete aayah pointsto what Ibn Jarir mentioned, i.e., that the two Angels would teach the knowledge of magic but would never order that it be practised–rather that they would forbid it in the extreme, warning against it severely.”

Progressing in Calling to Allaah …

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

“How can the Muslim progress and ascend in the field of calling to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic?”

Shaikh al-Albaani said, “In reality when I was giving that brief word about beneficial knowledge and righteous actions I had felt like saying something that was connected to [the topic of] calling to Allaah, now this question has come along which has opened up the way for me to talk about that which I had thought of but did not do.

So as for how a person advances himself or progresses in the path of calling to Allaah, then that, without doubt, requires two things in my opinion.

The first: That his ties with the people of knowledge are persistent, whether with those of them who are alive through their books or those who are alive and are calling to Allaah.  Namely, that he should have a connection to the highest degree with the books of the people of knowledge who are known for their correctness in affairs of creed [aqeedah], such that he never cuts off from referring back to, reading, and taking more and more from their knowledge since that will help him to ascend and proceed in his calling to Allaah, the Blessed and Most High.

The second: That he should increase in his connection to the people of knowledge who are alive, especially those among them who are known to have correct aqeedah and gracious, pleasant manners,  Since we know that a good example has an enormous affect on the people who follow them.  When a man, or a scholar or a Shaikh who is followed has some form of deviation, whether it is ideological or in his manners, then it will not be far fetched to find that this person or Shaikh has an [adverse] affect on those people who contact him or who take knowledge from him.

And there are many well-known hadiths from the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, encouraging one to accompany and associate with righteous people, like his, صلى الله عليه وسلم, saying, “Do not accompany except a believer, and let none but someone who fears Allaah eat your food.” [Reported by Ahmad and others, Shaikh Al-Albaani declared it to be hasan].

So the Prophet’s, صلى الله عليه وسلم, counsel in this hadith is that we accompany the Muslim who fears Allaah and this is only because the affect of a righteous person is contagious such that the one who accompanies him will receive some of that good.  This is why in Sahih Bukhari the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said, “The example of the righteous companion is like the perfume seller.  He will either give you some perfume, sell you some, or at least you will smell a pleasant fragrance from him.  And the example of the evil companion is like the blacksmith.   He will either burn your clothes or you will smell a wretched smell from him.”

Thus, whoever wants to progress and ascend in the path of calling to Allaah has to safeguard these two matters:

1) That he is well-connected with the books of the people of knowledge of the past who were known for their beneficial knowledge and correct aqeedah.

2) And that if it is easy for him to get in touch with the people of knowledge and righteousness in the community in which he lives then he should contact them whenever he is able to, so that he can be influenced by their way, and benefit from their manners and conduct.

This is what appears to me to be the answer to this question.”

Al-Fataawaa al-Kuwaitiyyah, pp. 11-13.

Taking Graves as Mosques … 2

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

The Shaikh continued, “Yet despite the fact that I did not repay their transgressions and lies in kind, the treatise, as far as academic style was concerned, was a direct refutation of them. As such there may be some sternness and harshness in its manner in the opinion of some who make apparent their resentment of refuting the opposers and liars, wishing that they be left alone without being called to account about their ignorance and their accusations against innocent people, under the false impression that being silent about them is the tolerance mentioned in the Most High’s saying, “… and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness.” [Furqaan 25:63]. And they forget, or they choose purposefully to forget, that such an approach is what aids such people in their continuance upon [their own] misguidance and their misguidance of others, and Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, “… but do not help one another in sin and transgression …” [al-Maa’idah 5:2].

Which sin and transgression is worse than accusing a Muslim of something which is not true about him rather something which is in total opposition to what he is upon?! Indeed if some of these who make apparent what we have mentioned were afflicted with enmity less than what was thrown at us, they would have rushed to refute, so it is as though they seem to say,

“Nay, let no-one behave ignorantly towards us!
For then we will behave ignorantly over and above
the level of the ignorant ones.”

Yet despite this I say: there is not much benefit in reprinting this book based upon its first edition; as such there are points that had to be removed along with a slight change in some forms of expression which would refine its style and suit its second edition without taking away from its academic value and its key research.

In the introduction to the first edition I had written that the subject of the book centres around two very important matters:

The first: the ruling concerning building mosques on top of graves.
The second: the ruling concerning praying in these mosques.

I chose to research these two topics since some people had delved into them without any knowledge, saying that which no scholar before them had uttered. Especially when most people have no knowledge of this matter whatsoever, being under a cover of heedlessness, ignorant of the truth, being supported in that by the silence of the scholars–except for the ones whom Allaah wills to speak out, and how few they are–being afraid of the masses or just wanting to pay lip service to them in order to preserve their honour and standing among them, pretending to have forgotten the saying of Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, “Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers,” [Al-Baqarah 2:159] and his, صلى الله عليه وسلم, saying, “Whoever conceals knowledge will be bridled by Allaah with reins of fire on the Day of Resurrection.” [A hasan hadith, reported by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, no. 296 and al-Haakim (1/102) and he declared it to be authentic and adh-Dhahabi agreed with him.]

The result of this silence and that ignorance was that many from the masses ended up committing that which Allaah, the Most High, forbade and the perpetrator of which He cursed, a mention of this will follow later–and if only the problem ended there! Rather some of them started to seek closeness to Allaah, the Most High, through that! So you will see lots of those who love good and are in charge of maintaining the mosques spending huge amounts of money to build a mosque for the sake of Allaah–but at the same time he prepares a grave inside it, stating in his will that he be buried in it after he passes away!

Another example I know of this, and maybe it will be the last, if Allaah so wills, is that mosque which is at the top of Baghdad Street at the western side in Damascus, known as, “The Mosque of the Donkey,”–the grave of the donkey is inside it. It had reached us that the Ministry of Religious Endowments had initially forbidden its burial in it, but we do not know the true reasons that came between it and the forbiddance it had wanted and so ‘a donkey’ was buried in it, indeed in the direction of prayer! So to Allaah we belong and to Him we shall return and His Aid is sought to rid us of these abominations and their like!

A few days ago a mufti from the Shaafi’ees passed away and his relatives wanted to have him buried in one of the old mosques in the eastern part of Damascus but the Ministry of Religious Endowments prevented them from doing so and thus he was not buried there. And we thank the Ministry of Religious Endowments for this praiseworthy stance and its eagerness to prevent burials inside the mosques, hoping from Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, that what leads them to prevent such things is a desire to seek the Pleasure of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and to follow His Legislation and that it is not due to political, social or other such considerations. [Also hoping that] this is a promising start from it on the road towards purifying the mosques from the innovations and detestable affairs that have swarmed them! Especially when the minister of Religious Endowments, his eminence Shaikh al-Baquri has made honourable stances in fighting against many of these detestable matters especially concerning building mosques over graves. In this regard he has some beneficial words which will be related in the appropriate place if Allaah, the Most High, wills.

That which is truly upsetting for every believer is that many mosques in Syria and other than it are not free from the presence of one grave or more, as though Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, ordered it and did not curse the ones who do such an act! How good an act it would be if, with wisdom, the Ministry tried to cleanse the mosques from such graves. I do not doubt that it is not from wisdom at all to shock general opinion whilst doing that, but rather that before everything else it has to make known the fact that, ‘… graves and mosques do not go together in the religion of Islaam …’ as some of the illustrious scholars have said and a mention of which will follow, and that if they do gather together then it negates making tawhid and worship purely and sincerely for Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, alone–that sincerity in pursuit of which mosques are built [in the first place], as the Most High said, “And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allah.” Al-Jinn 72:18.

I believe that making this declaration is obligatory and something which cannot be avoided, and maybe I have been given the success by Allaah to carry it out through this book. For in it I have gathered mutawaatir hadith showing the prohibition of this act, followed by a mention of the schools of thought of the scholars and their established sayings concerning this topic and that they prove such a prohibition. While at the same time bearing witness to the fact that the Imaams, may Allaah be pleased with them, were the most compliant and eager of people to follow the Sunnah and in calling the people to follow it, and warning them against opposing it. But [alas] Allaah, the Most Great, spoke the Truth when He said, “Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up the prayers and have followed lusts–so they will be thrown into Hell.” Maryam 19:59.

Here are the chapters of the book:

Chapter One: A Mention of the Sayings of the Prophet which prohibit taking graves as mosques.
Chapter Two: The Meaning of taking a grave as a mosque.
Chapter Three: That taking graves as mosques is regarded as a major sin.
Chapter Four: Doubts and their clarifications.
Chapter Five: The wisdom behind prohibiting the building of mosques over graves.
Chapter Six: The hatred of praying in mosques which are built on graves.
Chapter Seven: That the previous ruling [mentioned in Chapter Six] applies to all mosques except that of the Prophet’s Mosque [in Medinah].

In the footnotes there are other important sub-chapters which contain important benefits, if Allaah, the Most High, wills.

And I have named it, “Warning the One who Prostrates from Taking Graves as Mosques.”

That is what I had written in the introduction to the first edition.

And I ask Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, to benefit the Muslims with this edition more than its previous one, and that He accepts it from me along with all of my righteous actions with a goodly acceptance and that He reward the one who published it well.

Damascus
23^rd of Jumaada al-Oolaa, 1392
[Wednesday 5^th July 1972ce]

Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaani.”

Taking Graves as Mosques … 1

One of the first books that Shaikh al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy upon him, penned down was the work which I have decided to try and translate with the help and aid of Allaah and His Blessing.  In Arabic it is called تحذير الساجد من اتخاذ القبور المساجد literally, ‘Warning the One who Prostrates from Taking the Graves as Mosques.’  If you haven’t read the short post on the story behind this book, you can read it here.

I request that you ask Allaah to aid me in this project and that you spread these posts to whoever you are able to so that as many people as possible can benefit.  And since you guys come to the blog to hear the Shaikh speak and not me rambling on … here’s the first post from the beginning of the book …

 

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

“The Introduction to the Second Edition

In the Name of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful,
the Especially Merciful

All Praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him, and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah, the Most High, from the evils of our own selves and from our wicked deeds. Whomsoever has been guided by Allaah, none can misguide him, and whomsoever has been misguided by Allaah, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allaah, Alone, without partner or associate. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His true slave and Messenger.

O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islaam (as Muslims with complete submission to Allaah). Aali Imraan 3:102

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam) and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allaah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allaah is ever an All-Watcher over you. An-Nisaa 4:1

O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him, and speak (always) the Truth, He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great success. Al-Ahzaab 33: 70-71

As for what follows:

At the end of 1377ah [1958ce] I had had a treatise printed entitled, “Warning the One who Prostrates from Taking the Graves as Places of Worship.” My personal copy of this edition has been at hand with me all this time. Every time I came across an extra benefit that was related to its topic I would add it to it, hoping that it would be inserted whenever an updated and revised edition would be printed. The result was that I ended up having many important additions.

When one of the publishers asked me to give them this copy [which was full of the additions] so that it could be reprinted again, I found that it was missing and could not locate it. When I [finally] gave up hope of finding it, I sent them another one that I borrowed from a friend so that it could [at least] be reprinted as it was [in the first edition], basing this upon the principle that, “That which cannot be gained in its totality, [then at least] its bulk [which you can gain] should not be abandoned.”

It was while the publisher was preparing the book for printing that I found the copy [that had all my notes in it], through the Bounty and Grace of Allaah, the Most High, so I quickly sent it to them, after correcting it and preparing it for the second printing.

Since the treatise in question had specific circumstances and conditions that it was printed under, wisdom dictated that its style was different to the pure academic style which I have followed in all of my books, from composed research and deduction. That was because it was a refutation of people who did not like our call to the Book and the Sunnah upon the methodology of the Pious Predecessors and the path of the four Imaams and other than them who followed them in righteousness.

So they took the first step in writing and refuting, and would that it had been a composed, academic refutation, for then we would have responded with that which was better than it, but it was not, unfortunately. Rather it was devoid of any academic research and was full of abuse, insults and inventions of accusations which had not been heard before.

It was for this reason that we saw that it was not wise to remain silent about them and to leave them to distribute their books among the people without there being a written work removing the mask from the ignorance and the insults that their books contained, “… so that those who were to be destroyed might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live might live after a clear evidence …” [Anfaal 8:42], thus there had been no choice but to refute them by name.