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| Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani |
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (Arabic: محمد ناصر الدين الألباني) (1914 – October 2, 1999) was an influential Albanian Islamic scholar of the 20th Century; he specialised in the fields of hadith and fiqh and was a prodigious writer and speaker. He was lauded by admirers as Muhaddith al-asr--the "hadith specialist of the era."
Contents:
1 Biography
1.1 Early life
1.2 Beginning of hadith studies
1.3 Scholastic career
2 Students
3 Positive Views and Admirers
4 Works
BIOGRAPHY:
Early life:
Al-Albani was born into a poor family in the city of Shkodër. His father, Haaj Nuh Najati al-Albani, had completed Sharia studies in Istanbul and returned to Albania as one of the major Hanafi scholars of the country. During the reign of secularist Ahmet Zogu, al-Albani's family disagreed with the Western-influenced views of the government and migrated to Damascus. In Damascus, he completed his early education, and was taught the Quran, tajwid, 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-Albani originally ascribed to the Hanafi Madh'hab but later became Salafi as he stated in some of his early books. For example, in al-Thamr al-Mustatab, written before 1960, he said, "I say, this is the position of our Hanafi scholars."
Beginning of hadith studies:
Al-Albani also learned clock and watch repair from his father, and became highly skilled in the trade. By the age of twenty, he began specializing in the field of Hadith (narrations of prophet Muhammad) and its related sciences, becoming influenced by articles in Al-Manaar magazine. He began work in this field by transcribing Abd al-Rahim ibn al-Husain al-'Iraqi's monumental Al-Mughnee 'an-hamlil-Asfar fil-Asfar fee takhrej maa fil-lhyaa min al-Akhbar.
Al-Albani delved further into the Hadith 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.
Scholastic Career:
After some time he started giving two weekly classes attended by university students and professors, teaching various books of Aqidah, Fiqh, Usul and Hadith. He also began organizing monthly journeys for da'wah to various cities in Syria and Jordan.
Shaykh Muhammad Raaghib al-Tabbaakh, a historian and hadith scholar, authorized him with an Ijazah (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, Al-Albani was chosen to teach Hadith 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 Amman, Jordan.[2] It is also well-know that he has memorized hundred thousand hadith.[edit]
Students:
His students were numerous and include many Sheikhs of the present day, including:
Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umayr al-Madkhalee
Sheikh Hamdi 'Abdul-Majed as-Salafi
Sheikh Muhammad 'Eed 'Abbasi
Dr. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar
Sheikh Muhammad lbrahim Shaqrah
Sheikh Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi'ee
Sheikh 'Ali Khushan
Sheikh Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno
Sheikh 'Abdur-Rahman Abdus-Samad
Sheikh Ali bin Hasan bin Abdul-Hamid al-Halabi al-Athari
Sheikh Mashhur Hasan Al-Salman
Sheikh Muhammad Musa Nasr
Sheikh Husayn al-Awayishah
Sheikh Basim al-Jawabirah
Sheikh Salim al-Hilali
Positive Views and Admirers:
The scholar 'Abdul-Azeez Bin Baz said:I have not seen under the surface of the sky a person knowledgeable of the Hadith in our current time than the like of the great scholar, Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani.
Ash-Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Aalus Ash-Sheikh said about Sheikh Albani: He is the possessor (companion) of Sunnah great helper of truth (Islam) and veracious opposer of falsehood.
The eminent faqeeh Ash-Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen said about Ash-Sheikh Al-Albani: That which I know of Ash-Sheikh Albani from the few times I've met him, is that he is very keen on acting according to the Sunnah and warring against Bidah be it in matters of aqeedah (belief) or aamal (deeds).
Further on he considered him the mujaddid of his period. Other scholars have stated the following:
The scholar Zayd Ibn Fayad said about him:|Indeed, Sheikh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani is from the most prominent and distinguished personalities of this era. He had great concern for the Hadith – 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 scholar and 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 Nasiruddin Nooh Najati Al-Albani.
Dr. Muied-uz-Zafar of Indian administrated Kashmir has recently been awarded PhD on the contributions of Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani by the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) India. Zafar's research speaks about many novel aspects of al-Albani and gives a detailed refutation of the allegations charged against him. The dissertation deals with the life and contribution of the Shaikh to hadith literature at length. The last chapter of the work is exclusively based on the evaluation of the criticism written against Albani and attempts to deal with the issue in a balanced manner.
Works:
His works, mainly in the field of Hadith and its sciences, number over 100 and include:
At-Targhib wa't-Tarhib (Volumes 1–4)
At-Tasfiyyah wa't-Tarbiyya
At-Tawsulu: Anwau'hu wa Ahkamuhu (Tawassul: Its Types & Its Rulings) (link to english translation)
Irwa al-Ghalil (Volumes 1–9)
Talkhis Ahkam al-Janaez
Sahih wa Da'if Sunan Abu Dawood (Volumes 1–4)
Sahih wa Da'if Sunan at-Tirmidhi (Volumes 1–4)
Sahih wa Da'if Sunan ibn Majah (Volumes 1–4)
al-Aqidah at-Tahawiyyah Sharh wa T`aliq
Sifatu Salati An-Nabiyy
Silsalat al-Hadith ad-Da'ifa (Volumes 1–14)
Silsalat al-Hadith as-Sahiha (Volumes 1–11)
Salat ut-Tarawih (later an abridgement of this book was published by al-Albani – Qiyamu Ramadhan)..
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