Jaklan Habib
Nasiruddin-al Albani was one of the great Muslim scholars of the 20th century. He was specialized on Hadith. About his dedication and knowledge on Hadith another Muslim scholar Abdul Azeez bin Baaz 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.He was born in the city Ashkodera of Albania in 1914 into a poor family. His father was Al-Haaj Nooh Najjaatee al-Albani had completed Sharee’ah studies in Istambul and returned to Albania. That time, Albanian government was highly influenced by the western concept of Atheism. But Al-Haaj Nooh Najjaatee al-Albani was disagreeing with the government and he leaved for Damascus with his family. In Damascus, Nasiruddin-al Albani completed his early education, and was taught the Quran, Hadith, 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. Nasiruddin-al Albani originally ascribed to the Hanafi Madh’hab as he stated in some of his early books.
He began to specialize in the field of Hadith and its related sciences at the age of 20, being influenced by articles in ‘Al-Manaar’ magazine. He began to work in this field by transcribing al-Haafiz al-Iraaqee’s monumental ‘Al¬ Mughnee an-hamlil-Asfaar fil-Asfaar fee takhreej maa fil-lhyaa minal-Akhbaar’ and adding notes to it. He delved further into the field of Hadeeth and its various sciences despite discouragement from his family. During his time books on Hadith were not available. Unable to afford many of the required books, he often borrowed them from the famous Az-Zahiriyah library in Damascus. Besides of study he had a shop but more times remained it closed and he stayed in library. He became absorbed into his Hadith studies even sometimes he forgot to take food. 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.
His studies of Hadith had a great effect on him and resulted in his turning away from blind-following of his former madhab and instead to accept and act upon the Book and the Sunnah – with the understanding of the pious predecessors of the Ummah. This naturally meant that he was sometimes at difference with some of the local scholars who blindly followed their Madhab, and likewise with the local Sufi Imaams and innovators who began to oppose him and incite the common people against him by calling him a ‘Wahhaabi deviant’. He was, however, encouraged by some of the noble Sheikhs of Damascus who urged him to continue, amongst them Sheikh Bahjatul Baijaar, Sheikh Abdul-Fattah, and Tawfeeq al-Barzah.
Because of his opposition, he was restless trying to promote Tawhid and Hadith. After sometimes he started to delivered lecture in weekly session attended by universities students and teachers, teaching them various books on fiqh, usul and Hadith. After a number of his works appeared, 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 also began organised monthly journeys for da’wah to the various cities of Syria and then Jordan. 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. It is also well-know that he has memorized hundred thousand hadith.
Nasiruddin-al-Albani has a lot of contribution in today’s Islamic knowledge. He dedicated his life to promote tawhid, though; mainly he was a scholar of Hadith. He has more publications on this sector: At-Targhib wa’t-Tarhib (Volumes 1–4), At-Tasfiyyah wa’t-Tarbiyya, At-Tawsulu: Anwau’hu wa Ahkamuhu (Tawassul: Its Types & Its Rulings), 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).
About Nasiruddin-al-Albani The scholar Zayd Ibn Fayad said: 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.
His students are many and include many prominent Sheikhs of the present day amongst them: Shaykh Hamdi Abdul-Majeed, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Eed Abbaasi, Dr. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar, Shaykh Muhammad lbrahim Shaqrah, Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i, Shaykh Ali Khushshaan, Shaykh Muhammad Bin Jameel Zainoo, Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan Abdus-Samad, Shaykh Ali Hassan Abdul-Hameed al-Halabi.
The Sheikh passed away on Saturday 2 October, 1999.