Al-Albaani Asked About How to Find Happiness

Questioner: People strive to attain happiness, their ways in achieving it being diverse, if our Shaikh would clarify for the people some milestones in their path to attain it?

Al-Albaani: I don’t think there is any differing in this except among the philosophers.

Amongst the Muslims who believe in Allaah and His Messenger and who believe that there is no path to happiness in this life or the next except by clinging to Islaam there is no multiplicity of answers–[the only answer] is to cling to Islaam.

And vice versa, whoever wants misery should turn away from Islaam, and this is very clear from many verses, like His Saying, the Most High, in the well-known aayah, “And whoever turns away from My remembrance–indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, ‘My Lord! Why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?’ He will say, ‘Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them–and thus will you, this Day, be forgotten.’” [Taa Haa 20:124-126]

But the thing we must pay heed to, something which is a very big reality and painful from another angle due to many of the Muslims lacking it, many of them [lacking it] in terms of knowledge and some of them practically, is that Islaam with the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم upon the understanding of the Salaf as-Saalih is the cure for all diseases and psychological illnesses which have afflicted a people who have not tasted happiness.

Islaam derived from the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the Salaf as-Saalih is the cure.

But the thing I want to mention now is that many alien matters have entered this cure, which, if we don’t say have corrupted it completely then at the very least have prevented it from being an absolute one, [and I’m referring here to] those things which have come into Islaam which are not a part of it, whether they be in creed, worship, behaviour or manners, and due to these things which have afflicted it, this Islaam is turned inside out … its effect is not manifested in the community that practices it.

So the fault is not with Islaam but rather those things that have been added to it.

That is why we always and forever insist on saying that if we want this happiness, there is no way to it, as we already mentioned, except through Islaam–but not, if the expression be correct, Islaam with an ‘elastic’ understanding but with the special understanding based upon the Book, the Sunnah and the methodology of the Salaf as-Saalih.

It is then that it, and nothing else, will be the spring of happiness.

Whatever the case, I hold that questions like this are studied in universities which do not specialize, in fact, do not give importance to studying Islaam, but are concerned with studying general culture whether that be Islaam, or philosophy, or secularism or things like it [i.e., they don’t know that happiness is found in following the true Islaam so they spend time trying to find other ways to achieve it].

Amongst the Muslims, the understanding is that there is no happiness except by clinging to Islaam–I just wanted to add [through this answer the point about] clinging to Islaam with its correct understanding …

Interjector: O Shaikh! I had taken a booklet from you which I photocopied, called, ‘Useful Ways of Leading a Happy Life,’ by Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir as-Sa’di [who was Shaikh Uthaimeen’s teacher, may Allaah have mercy on them both], even though it is only a few pages long, it’s a very great book, O Shaikh.

Al-Albaani: Maa shaa Allaah.

Interjector: If a person was depressed, sad, ill at ease, overburdened with sorrow, and read it, subhaanallaah! Namely, if the expression is allowed, it’s as though it’s magic.

Al-Albaani: Maa shaa Allaah.

Interjector: Yes, by Allaah, ‘Useful Ways of Leading a Happy Life,’ truly amazing, O Shaikh. [Click here for the book]

Al-Albaani: You should read it.

Interjector: It is great, subhaanallaah! By Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir as-Sa’di. [Click here for his website]

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 311.

It is Not a Condition that The Reviver Sent Every 100 Years Be a Scholar Only, As Long as He is On the Methodology of the Salaf as-Saalih, He can Be a Specialist in Another Field Too

Questioner: There is an authentic hadith which states that at the start of every hundred years [Allaah will raise someone] who will revive this Ummah’s religion for it, is it a condition that these revivers [Mujaddids] be from Ahlus-Sunnah or not?

Al-Albaani: No doubt. It is a fundamental condition and this is the reality that I hold [to be the case]. In my opinion, this question is like if someone were to ask–and I hope that such a question does not actually emanate from a questioner–it’s like if someone were to ask, ‘Is it a condition that he be a Muslim?’ Naturally, such a question will not be asked, ‘Is it a condition that a reviver [mujaddid] be a Muslim?’ I think this will never occur to someone [to ask].

As for whether it is a condition that he be from Ahlus-Sunnah, then such a question may occur to some people, and for this reason it was raised just now.

The answer is that he definitely has to be from Ahlus-Sunnah, and [by saying that he has to be from] Ahlus-Sunnah, I don’t mean that he has to be from the scholars … but rather that he be upon the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah and not deviated from the path which has come to us from the Salaf as-Saalih, may Allaah be pleased with them, this is a must, but the reviver [mujaddid]–and even though this [point] is not connected to the question I still believe that there is a huge benefit in it–it is not a condition that the reviver be a reviver of the religion only, rather he can be a reviver in everything which benefits the Muslims. So he could, for example, be a reviver in history, a reviver in medicine–but within the aforementioned parameters, i.e., of being from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.

So based upon this, in the end we can picture that during one time there can be more than one reviver, when we take this wide meaning into consideration, it is possible for me to picture, at one period, a gathering of a number of revivers, each one in his own specialist field.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 313.

Spending the Night Awake In Front of the Telly

The Imaam said, “Know that ‘as-Samr,’ which is to talk at night, is prohibited in more than one hadith [reported] from him صلى الله عليه وسلم [unless it is concerning knowledge as the Shaikh clarifies].

So what the majority of people today do in spending the night awake in front of the television and things like it is from the tribulations which have afflicted the Islamic world in the present age.

We ask Allaah for safety from all tribulations, both apparent and hidden, indeed He is the All-Hearing, the Responsive.”

As-Saheehah, 7/1/58.

The Legislated Way of Honouring the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

“Honouring the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the legislated manner is done by believing in everything that has been authentically affirmed from him, and by doing so, belief in him being both a slave and Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is brought together, without going to extremes or falling short.

For he صلى الله عليه وسلم is a man, according to the testimony of the Book and the Sunnah–but the Chief of Man and, unequivocally, the best of them according to the texts of the authentic hadiths, and as his life’s chronicles and biography prove, and due to the noble manners and praiseworthy characteristics that Allaah the Most High bestowed upon him which were not perfected in any man as they were in him صلى الله عليه وسلم, and Allaah the Most Great spoke the Truth when He addressed him with His Noble Statement, “And verily, you are on an exalted [standard of] character.”” [Qalam 68:4]

As-Saheehah, 1/1/167.

The Al-Albaani Blog in … Albanian!

Articles from this blog are being translated into Albanian by the brother at this blog: http://imamalbani.wordpress.com/.

May Allaah reward him with good.

So if you know any Albanians, spread the word.

The Mushaf of the King Fahd Printing Complex of the Holy Quran in Word Format

I know this is not a translation from the works of Shaikh al-Albaani, but I’d like to share this since I’d been looking for something like it for ages and am glad I came across it.  Maybe some of you already use it.

It’s the Quran in Word format in the same font you see in the mushaf printed by the King Fahd Quran Printing Complex in Medinah, i.e., it is very accurate inshaa Allaah, and the best thing is that it is easy to copy and paste.

There are two files, one is the Uthamnic script font used for the mushaf and the second file is the actual word document of the mushaf.

The first thing you have to do is download this font and then install it. (In Windows 7 it’s very easy, after downloading and extracting it, you can just right click the file and then click on install.  I’m not sure about the installation process in other Windows versions, but I’m sure it’ll be just as easy, inshaa Allaah).

Secondly, simply download the Mushaf and open it in Word.

I’m considering opening another blog where I can post things of benefit from other scholars from time to time or even miscellaneous stuff like this post.  We’ll see. I may delete this post after a few days just to keep this blog solely for the works of Shaikh al-Albaani, rahimahullaah.

Sitting Closely in the Gatherings of Knowledge and not Being Distant

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Shaikh al-Albaani said, “It is obligatory upon the students of knowledge to come close in the circles [of knowledge] and not to be distant.  For this outward coming together affects [a person] inwardly.  And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم encouraged this in many hadiths.  For he صلى الله عليه وسلم would order the people to come together and sit closely in the gatherings of knowledge, because this bodily closeness has an affect in bringing the hearts together and [bringing about] mutual love and harmony, which must be realised in the heart of every Muslim.”

Silsilatul-Hudaa wan-Noor, Adabul-Majaalis.

Sit for 30 years with the scholars before you write …

As-Sadhaan said, “And Shaikh al-Albaani also said, ‘I do not see it fit for the student of knowledge to rush into writing [books], meaning that he spreads what he writes amongst the people.

Rather, he should do that after thirty years of seeking knowledge from the scholars.  And if he is in a haste to write, then after fifteen years.

And there is no harm if he writes [something] before that and consults those who are more able than him in this regard–but he should not spread it.  Especially when it is something which happens to be in vogue in this day and age: the science of hadith.’”

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, p. 164.