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Template:Muslim scholars Muhammad Nasiruddeen al-Albaanee, Arabic, محمد ناصر الدين الألباني (also al-Albani, Albani and other variants) (1914 - 1999) was an important and influential Islamic scholar of the 20th Century; he specialised in the fields of hadith and fiqh (jurisprudence) and was a prodigious writer and speaker.

Life

Al-Albanee was born into a poor family in the city of Shkodra, the then capital of Albania. His father, Haaj Nooh Najati al-Albaanee, had completed Shariah (Islamic law) studies in Istanbul and returned to Albania as one of the major Hanafee scholars of the land. During the reign of secularist Ahmet Zogu, al-Albaanee's family did not agree with the western views of the government and migrated to Damascus. In Damascus, Sheikh al-Albaanee completed his early education, and was taught the Quran, tajweed, Arabic linguistic sciences, Hanafi fiqh and further branches of the religion by a number of Islamic scholars as well as friends of his father.

Al-Albaanee also learned clock and watch repair from his father, and became highly skilled in the trade. By the age of 20, he began specializing in the field of Hadeeth (narrations of Muhammad) and its related sciences, becoming influenced by articles in Al-Manaar magazine. He began work in this field by transcribing Hafiz al-Iraqi's monumental Al-­Mughnee 'an-hamlil-Asfar fil-Asfar fee takhrej maa fil-lhyaa minal-Akhbar'.

Al-Albaanee delved further into the Hadeeth sciences despite discourage­ment from his father, who hoped he'd pursue easier fields of study. Unable to afford many of the required books, he often borrowed them from the famous Az-Zahiriyah library in Damascus. He became engrossed with his studies to the extent that he sometimes closed his shop and remained in the library for up to twelve hours - breaking only for prayer - not even leaving to eat, preferring to instead take light snacks with him. Eventually the library authorities granted him a special room for his studies, and his own key for access to the library before normal opening time. Often he would remain at work from early morning until after 'Isha prayers in the evening. During this time he produced many useful works - many of which have yet to be printed.

After some time he started giving two weekly classes attended by university students and professors, teaching various books of 'Aqeedah, Fiqh, Usool and Hadeeth. He also began organising monthly journeys for da'wah to various cities in Syria and Jordan.

Shaykh Muhammad Raaghib aAt-Tabbaakh, a historian and hadith scholar, authorized him with an Ijaazah (certification) to teach his collection of narrations on trustworthy reporters, called "Al-Anwaar Al-Jaliyyah fee Mukhtasar Al-Athbaat Al-Halabiyyah".

After a number of his works appeared in print the Al-Albaanee was chosen to teach Hadeeth at the Islamic University of Madinah, for three years (from 1381 to 1383H) where he was also a member of the University board. Later he would return to his studies and work in the Az-Zahiriyah library, leaving his shop in the hands of one of his brothers.

He visited various countries for preaching and lectures - amongst them Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and the United Kingdom. He was forced to emigrate a number of times moving from Syria to Jordan, then Syria again, then Beirut, then the UAE, then again to 'Ammaan, Jordan. His works - mainly in the field of Hadeeth and its sciences number over 100. His students were numerous and include many Sheikhs of the present day, including: Sheikh Hamdee 'Abdul-Majed, Sheikh Muhammad 'Eed 'Abbasi, Dr. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar, Sheikh Muhammad lbrahim Shaqrah, Sheikh Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi'i, Sheikh 'Alee Khushan, Sheikh Muhammad Jamil Zaynu, Sheikh 'Abdur-Rahman Abdus-Samad, Sheikh 'Alee Hasan 'Abdul-Hamid al-Halabi, Sheikh Salim al-Hilali, Sheikh Mohamed Omran and Sheikh Abo Is-hak AL-Howayny

Albaanee was later expelled from Syria and lived in Amman, Jordan under house arrest until his death on October 2, 1999 (22 Jumada ath-Thaniyah 1420 AH) at 87 years of age.

Contemporary Evaluation

Al-Albaanee is considered by salafis as being perhaps the greatest Islamic scholar of the twentieth century. Shaykh 'Abd-ul-'Aziz Ibn Baz said:

I have not seen under the surface of the sky a person knowledgeable of the Hadeeth in our current time the likes of the great scholar, Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee.

Further on he considered him the mujaddid of his period.

The scholar, Shaykh Zayd Ibn Fayad said about him:

Indeed, Sheikh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee is from the most prominent and distinguished personalities of this era. He had great concern for the Hadeeth - its paths of transmission, its reporters and its levels of authenticity or weakness. This is an honorable task from the best things in which hours can be spent and efforts can be made. And he was like any other of the scholars - those who are correct in some matters and err in other matters. However, his devotion to this great science is from that which requires that his prestige be acknowledged and his endeavors in it be appreciated.

Another great scholar, the teacher, Muhibb-ud-Deen Al-Khatib said:

And from the callers to the Sunnah who devoted their lives to reviving it was our brother Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Nooh Najati Al-Albaanee.

Shaykh Waseeullaah al-‘Abbaas, teacher at Umm al-Qura university, said about Albanee:

It is almost as if Allaah created Imaam al-Albaanee to be in this era in order for him to take care of the sunnah of Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) by authenticating narrations, classifying others to be weak, conducting much in the way of tahqeeq (verification) of many issues and we do not know of anyone in this era other than Imaam al-Albaanee who spread the sunnah in these times as he did (raheemahullaah). Therefore, I do not think that it will be an exaggeration to say that he is the Mujaddid of the era, who revived the deen for the people.

Criticism of al-Albanee

However, some people, primarily Sufis, have a negative view of his contributions to Islam and consider him an innovator and not properly qualified as a scholar of hadith .

Al-Albanee has also been criticized for not having any authorization (ijaza) in Hadith from any recognised scholar of Hadith , and it has been said that al-Albani "taught" himself the science of Hadith by spending the many hours in the famous library of Damascus - al-Maktabatuz Zahiriyyah.

He has also been criticized for the influence he had by articles in 'al-Manaar' magazine, which was edited by Muhammad Rashid Ridah (d.1935 CE).

In addition, the first Volume of the original contains 250 ahadith, in which al-Albani had said 'Sahih' (an authentic Hadith) in one of his books and then contradicted himself by saying 'Daeef' (a weak Hadith) in another of his books.

Refutation of criticism

Shaykh Ali Hasan, a student of al-Albanee, has refuted criticism found in Hasan Ali as-Saqqaaf's The Self-Contradictions of al-Albaanee.

Claims that Shaykh al-Albanee did not have an ijazah in hadith (permission to teach the subject) have been vehemently denied and go against the facts. Al-Albanee received documented ijazaat from the hadith scholars, Shaykh Muhammad Raaghib at-Tabbaagh and Shaykh Bahjatul-Baytaar (the chain of narration for this ijazah stretches back to Ahmad ibn Hanbal). The latter ijazah in particular is also given only to those who have excelled in hadeeth sciences and can be trusted to accurately convey hadeeth, the ijazah is mentioned in the book Hayaatul-Albaanee (the Life of al-Albaanee) by Muhammad ash-Shaybaanee and a copy is in the possession of his student ’Alee Hasan al-Halabee.

Dr. Muied-uz-Zafar of Indian administrated Kashmir has recently been awarded PhD on the contributions of Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albaanee by the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) India. Zafar's research speaks about many novel aspects of al-Albaanee and gives a detailed refutation of the allegations charged against him. The thesis deals with the life and contribution of the Shaikh to Hadith literature at length. The last chapter of the thesis is exclusively based on the evaluation of the criticism written against the Shaykh and attempts to deal with the issue in a balanced manner.

Notable Publications

  1. At-Targheeb wa't-Tarheeb (Volumes 1-4)
  2. At-Tasfiyyah wa't-Tarbiyya
  3. At-Tawsulu: Anwau'hu wa Ahkamuhu (link to english translation)
  4. Irwa al-Ghaleel (Volumes 1-9)
  5. Talkhis Ahkam al-Janaez
  6. Saheeh wa Da'eef Sunan Abu Dawood (Volumes 1-4)
  7. Saheeh wa Da'eef Sunan at-Tirmidhi (Volumes 1-4)
  8. Saheeh wa Da'eef Sunan ibn Majah (Volumes 1-4)
  9. Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah
  10. Sifatu Salati An-Nabiyy (link to english translation)
  11. Silsalat al-Hadith ad-Da'eefa (Volumes 1-14)
  12. Silsalat al-Hadith as-Saheeha (Volumes 1-11)
  13. Salat ut-Tarawih (later an abridgement of this book was published by al-Albanee - Qiyamu Ramadhan)

References

  1. ad-Dustoor, 10 August 1999
  2. ^ al-Asalaah, Issue #23, Pg. 76-77
  3. Biography of Shaikh Muhammad Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani by Shaykh 'Ali Hasan al-Halabi
  4. On The Issue of the Jordanian Mashaaykh, SalafiManhaj, August 20, 2006
  5. Tanaqadat al-Albani al-Wadihat and Vol.2, pp. 63-64
  6. A Response to the Book of Falsehood 'Al-Albaanee unveiled' and about Saqqaaf - Second Edition (English summary), Abû Rumaysah
  7. http://www.troid.org/articles/manhaj/innovation/indefenceoftheulamaa/alalbaanee.htm Notes Concerning the Ijaazaat of Imaam al-Albaanee
  8. "Contribution of Shaykh Nasir al Din Albani to Hadith Literature",PhD thesis of Dr. Muied-uz-Zafar, Department of Islamic Studies, AMU, Aligarh, India, Supervisor: Professor Muhammad Mazhar Yasin Siddiquee, 2005)

See also

External links

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