The Questions of Ali al-Halabi to his Shaykh, Imam Muhammad Nasir ad-Din al-Albani

[Abu_Urwah]

The Questions of `Ali al-Halabi to his Teacher, Imam al-Albani

Regarding the Book, “As-Su’alat” (The Questions)

The books of, “Questions”, have been known – with this name – from an early time of Islamic Knowledge History, and in specific, Hadith Sciences.
The Books of “Fatawa” are also included in this type of writing, except that the name, “Su’alat” is closer to the methodology of the People of Hadith, and the People of the Athar, including those of the Jurists, and the majority of the Muftis.
Some of the oldest Su’alat are (1) :
1. The Questions of `Uthman bin Talut (D. 234) to Imam Ibn Ma`in.
2. The Questions of Abu Dawud as-Sijistani (D. 257) to Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal.
3. The Questions of Abu Is-haq Ibrahim bin al-Junaid (D. 260) to Yahya bin Ma`in.
4. The Questions of Abu Bakr al-Athram (D. 273) to Ahmad bin Hanbal
5. The Questions of Abu al-Hasan al-Maymuni, `Abd al-Malik bin `Abd al-Hamid (D. 274) to Ahmad bin Hanbal.
6. The Questions of Abu Bakr Ahmad al-Maruthi (D. 275) to Ahmad bin Hanbal.
7. The Questions of Ibn Hani’ Is-haq bin Ibrahim (D. 275) to Ahmad bin Hanbal
8. The Questions of Abdullah bin Ahmad (D. 290) to Yahya bin Ma`in.
9. The Questions of Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal to his Father.
10. The Questions of Sa`id bin `Amr al-Bartha`i (D. 292) to Abu Zur`ah ar-Razi.
11. The Questions of Muhammad bin `Uthman bin Abi Shaiba (D. 297) to Imam bin al-Madini.
12. The Questions of Abu `Ubaid al-Ajurri (D. 382) to Abu Dawud as-Sijistani.
13. The Questions of Abu Abdullah al-Husain bin Bukair al-Baghdadi (D. 388) to ad-Daraqutni
14. The Questions of al-Hakim an-Naisaburi (D. 405) to ad-Daraqutni.
15. The Questions of Abu Abd ar-Rahman Muhammad bin al-Husain as-Sulami (D. 412) to ad-Daraqutni.
16. The Questions of Abu Bakr al-Barqani (D. 425) to ad-Daraqutni.
17. The Questions of Abu al-Qasim Hamza bin Yusuf as-Sahmi (D. 427) to Imam ad-Daraqutni.
18. The Questions of Mas`ud bin `Ali as-Sijzi (D. 439) to al-Hakim an-Naisaburi.
19. The Questions of Abu Tahir as-Silafi (D. 571) to Abu al-Karam Khumayyis al-Jawzi (D. 510).
Amongst others...
As the poet said:
If you cannot be like them then be similar, for acting like the nobles is success.
This book, and others like it, revives the circle of studentship, and scholarship, and it shows how much the student benefited from the teacher, and the students acknowledgment of the teachers virtue, and his acknowledgment of his excellence in his work in knowledge.
As for those who negate all benefit they acquired from their teachers, those that have do not keep promises, and who are not concerned excpet with personalities and “Me”, and money, and being known, and showing off, then I remind you of the statement of Allah, “Do not forget the favors amongst yourselves.” (Surat al-Baqarah, 237), and I say, “How about if he is your Shaykh!?”

1. As for the oldest, it is possibly the book, “The Questions of Nafi` bin al-Azraq to Ibn `Abbas.” Look to, “Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah, 5/247, of Ibn Taimiyyah.

[Abu_Urwah]

First Chapter: Regarding our Shaykh, the Imam al-Albani

1. Some of the Scholars calling our Shaykh a “Hafidh”:
Question: Some of the people of knowledge (1) have referred to you as being, “al-Hafidh al-Albani”, and when approached about it, he said, “It is because he saw what others from the people of knowledge have came across.”
They also used as proof what al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar said about his teacher, al-`Iraqi, “Hifdh is knowing (Ma`rifah, here means knowing different chains of narrations etc.).” As for you, you have come across more than what al-Hafidh al-`Iraqi came across, in regards to chains of narration, and texts, so what is your opinion?
Answer: Regardless, I do not accept these names to be applied to me (2), and secondly, the matter goes back to the scientific usage of the term, what you mentioned from al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar and his teacher, al-`Iraqi is specific to them, no general. What is mentioned in the books of Mustalah is that the Hafidh is the one who memorized some thousands of Hadith, and I do not remember the exact number, perhaps you do?
I said: One Hundred Thousand.
Answer: One hundred thousand, which is the general usage of the term, as for what is meant is seeing from the books what others from the predecessors have not, and knowing of different texts and chains of narration, that, too, is specific.
Anyway, I free myself from being called that by using the general usage, I am, as I always say, a student of knowledge . (3)

2. Regarding the book, “Irwa’ al-Ghalil”, authored by our Shaykh
Question: Our Shaykh! You mentioned that your best book is Irwa’ al-Ghalil, so can you expound upon that and explain?
Answer: It is a book on Jurisprudence, and it collects the proofs – along with being brief from the perspective of a Fiqh book – of the rulings that the author mentions in the Hanbali Math-hab, and it also collects some from the other Mathahib.
This is a specific of the book that you hardly see in the books of the latter Jurists, because usually they would be taken over by intolerance and bigotry to their Math-hab, and using their Math-hab as a proof, without taking into account the proof of the one who contradicts him!
This in reality puts a bad mark on their method of teaching and proving their opinions.
From what is known to the People of the Sunnah is that the People of Hadith take into account what is in agreement with them, and what goes against them.
So this book contradicted what most of the Jurists had done, and it is as if the author was moved by what Ibn Taimiyyah said in his book, when he mentioned the characteristics of the People of the Hadith and Sunnah.
That is one point…
As for another:
The Hanbalis, although they blindly follow their Imam, Ahmad, the Imam of the Sunnah, are the closest to the Salafi Fiqh which is based upon Hadith, and if they had taken the way of their Imam, it would have been even better.
So I used – and still do – become wonder why many of the People of Hadith, who authenticate the books of other Mathahib, such as the Hanafi,or Shafi`i Math-hab, taking in the fact that the Math-hab of Imam Ahmad is more deserving of having its books of Jurisprudence being authenticated, more that the other Mathahib.
This was one of the reasons that I authenticated this book, after what I previously mentioned became clear to me, and I think that I mentioned – I forgot since it was such a long time ago – that my caring for this book is a service to the Sunnah, firsly, and a service to the Imam of the Sunnah, and he is Imam Ahmad.

1- He is Shaykh Sa`id Shafa as-Saluli, from the scholars of the Haram in Makkah, I met him in 1402 H., may Allah have mercy upon him.
2- This is from the humility of our Shaykh, may Allah have mercy upon him, which is known from him, and which caused some people to misinterpret what he said, and use it as attacks against him.
3- May Allah have mercy upon our Shaykh for his great humility, and it is from the Hadith, “Who has humility for Allah, Allah raises him.” (as-Sahihah 2328)