إن الØمدلله Ù†Øمده ونستعينÙÙ‡ ونستغÙره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنÙÙسÙنا وسيّÙئات٠أعمالÙنا، من يَهْدÙÙ‡ الله Ùلا Ù…ÙضÙلَّ له، ومن ÙŠÙضلÙلْ Ùلا هادÙÙŠÙŽ له، وأشهَد٠أنْ لا إله إلا الله٠وأشهد٠أنَّ Ù…ÙØمَّدًا عبدÙÙ‡ ورسولÙه،
To proceed,
Protecting the togetherness of the Muslims is a matter commanded by our Lord - the Mighty and Sublimest. He - the Mighty and Sublimest - says:
وَاعتَصÙموا بÙØَبل٠اللَّه٠جَميعًا وَلا تَÙَرَّقوا
Hold to the Rope of Allaah together and do not be divided...
[Âl-'Imrân: 103]
He - the Mighty - also said differing will make the Muslims lose their mutual strength:
وَأَطيعÙوا اللَّهَ وَرَسولَه٠وَلا تَنازَعوا ÙَتَÙشَلوا وَتَذهَبَ ريØÙÙƒÙÙ… وَاصبÙروا Ø¥Ùنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصّابÙرينَ
Obey Allaah and obey His Messenger and do not bicker (with one another) lest you suffer defeat and your strength disappear. Be patient. Indeed Allaah is with the patient.
[Al-Anfâl: 46]
The Messenger of Allaah (ï·º) summarises everything as reported by Nu'maan bn Basheer and recorded by Al-Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad when he (ï·º) said:
الجماعة٠رØمةٌ والÙÙرقة٠عذابٌ
Being together is mercy; splitting is punishment.
(Declared hasan by al-Allaamah Al-Albaanee - rahimahullaah - in As-Saheehah no: 667).
Whoever has been following events in the recent past in South West Nigeria among some people of Sunnah will notice the saddening bickering and wrangling going on among them over some issues of Man'haj. The matter has led to wanton disparagement and disqualification of some teachers of Sunnah in the region by some brothers who feel the former are not emphatic enough in enthroning the Sunnah.
Namely the personality of late Shaykh Aliyy Hasan Halabi - rahimahullaah - whom the Major Scholars of Sunnah in the world differ as to his being a person of bid'ah or not is the major cause of this crisis.
Thus sub-issues like: Should a scholar's view be forced on another scholar? What is the effect of reports of trustworthy persons? Is Shaykh Rabee's - hafidhahullaah - methodology in critiquing the opposers different from the methodology of the Three A'imah - Bn Baz, Uthaymeen and Al-Albaanee? These are among the sub-issues that have emanated from this.
Having seen the trend of things and the ugly direction the matter is heading such that some young brothers have been throwing all cautions into the wind by branding many of the teachers of Sunnah in the region all sorts of unprintable names, thus it has become necessary that some clarifications and cautions - in the light of Kitaab and Sunnah in the auspices of guidance of the Salaf including the explanations of scholars of this era be made.
Therefore some of the issues - like Ilzaam, wanton tabdee - are going to be briefly and concisely looked at in this series.
The purview of this series is beyond defending or blaming the person of Shaykh Halabi - rahimahullaah - rather clarifying some of the principles that have led to the serious divisions about him.
May Allaah unite all of us upon the truth.
The compilation and translation is by Aboo Aamir, Ishaaq bin AbdirRaheem, may Allaah forgive him and his dead parents.
Baarakallaahu feekum.
8. An Intelligent Response from Shaykh Al-Albaanee to A Question About Reports of Trustworthy People
An Important Notice:
A Special Release
A Student of Knowledge's Exposition
