-
- See Albani
Albani is the name of:* Painter Francesco Albani * Pope Clement XI born Giovanni Francesco Albani * Cardinal Alessandro Cardinal Albani * Cardinal Annibale Albani* Cardinal Gian Francesco Albani...
for other uses of that name.
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (Arabic
محمد ناصر الدين الألباني) (also
al-Albani,
Albani and other variants) (1914–1999) was an important, influential and controversial Islamic scholar of the 20th Century; he specialised in the fields of
hadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
and
fiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists....
and was a prodigious writer and speaker.
Al-Albani was born into a poor family in the city of Shkodra, the then capital of
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
.
-
- See Albani
Albani is the name of:* Painter Francesco Albani * Pope Clement XI born Giovanni Francesco Albani * Cardinal Alessandro Cardinal Albani * Cardinal Annibale Albani* Cardinal Gian Francesco Albani...
for other uses of that name.
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (Arabic
محمد ناصر الدين الألباني) (also
al-Albani,
Albani and other variants) (1914–1999) was an important, influential and controversial Islamic scholar of the 20th Century; he specialised in the fields of
hadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
and
fiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists....
and was a prodigious writer and speaker.
Early life
Al-Albani was born into a poor family in the city of Shkodra, the then capital of
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
. His father, Haaj Nuh Najati al-Albani, had completed
ShariaSharia is an Arabic word meaning ‘way’ or ‘path’. In Arabic, the collocation ‘Šarīʿat Allāh’ is traditionally used not only by Muslims, but also Christians and Jews, sometimes translating expressions such as Torat Elōhīm [תורת אלוהים] or ‘ho nómos toû theoû' '’...
studies in
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
and returned to Albania as one of the major
HanafiThe Hanafi school is one of the four schools of law or jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , and his legal views were preserved primarily by his two most...
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
DamascusDamascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and its current population is estimated at about 1,669,000...
. In Damascus, he completed his early education, and was taught the Quran,
tajwidTajwīd is an Arabic word for elocution, meaning proper pronunciation during recitation, as well as recitation at a moderate speed. It is a set of rules which govern how the Qur'an should be read. It is derived from the triliteral root j-w-d, meaning to make well, make better, or improve. It is...
, Arabic linguistic sciences,
HanafiThe Hanafi school is one of the four schools of law or jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , and his legal views were preserved primarily by his two most...
fiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists....
and further branches of the religion by a number of Islamic scholars as well as friends of his father.
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
MuhammadMuhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh , is the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of , the last and the greatest law-bearer in a series of Islamic prophets as taught by the...
) and its related sciences, becoming influenced by articles in
Al-Manaar magazineal-Manar, meaning "The Lighthouse" was an influential Islamic journal, written in Arabic, published by Rashid Rida from 1898 until his death in 1935....
. He began work in this field by transcribing
Hafiz al-IraqiHafith 'Abdulrahim bin al-Husain bin 'Abdulrahman al-Misri , popularly known as al-Hafith al-Iraqi, was a well known Shafi'i scholar of hadith.-Works:...
's monumental
Al-Mughnee 'an-hamlil-Asfar fil-Asfar fee takhrej maa fil-lhyaa minal-Akhbar.
Al-Albani delved further into the
Hadith sciencesThe Science of hadith is a general category consisting of the numerous disciplines used in the study of hadith. It is the process that Muslim scholars use to evaluate hadith, utilizing Hadith terminology...
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 libraryThe Az-Zahiriyah library in Damascus, Syria dates back to 1277, taking its name from its founder Sultan Baibars . Building this library was his father’s idea but he died before he could achieve it. Initially Az-Zahiriah was a public school in charge of teaching Quranic sciences...
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* Isha'a, the Fard daily Salah prayers in Islam* a Sanskrit term for "God, deity", see Ishvara** Isha Upanishad, the Hindu religious text*an Indian given name** Isha Ambani, the daughter of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani...
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
AqidahAqidah is an Islamic term meaning creed. Any religious belief system, or creed, can be considered an example of aqidah...
,
FiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, Usul and
HadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
. He also began organizing monthly journeys for da'wah to various cities in
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
and
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
.
Shaykh Muhammad Raaghib al-Tabbaakh, a historian and hadith scholar, authorized him with an
IjazahAn ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...
(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
HadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
at the
Islamic University of MadinahThe Islamic University of al-Madinah al-Munawarah was founded by the government of Saudi Arabia by a royal decree in the year 1961 AD. It is located in the holy city of Medina.-History:...
, 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
QatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally ', is an Arab emirate in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula...
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
,
KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The greatest distance from north to south is 200 km and from east to west 170 km . The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water." It has a...
, the
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
and the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
. 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
AmmanAmman , sometimes spelled Ammann , is the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a city of 2,525,000 inhabitants , and the administrative capital and commercial center of Jordan. It is also the largest city in Jordan. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world...
, Jordan. It is also well-know that he has memorized hundred thousand
hadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
.
Students
His students were numerous and include many Sheikhs of the present day, including:
- Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umayr al-Madkhalee
Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umayr al-Madkhalee is a university professor, a well-known Muslim scholar, and a proponent of Salafism.-Early life:...
- Sheikh Hamdi 'Abdul-Majed as-Salafi
- Sheikh Muhammad 'Eed 'Abbasi
- Dr. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar
Dr. Umar Sulayman 'Abd-Allaah al-Ashqar is the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Law, at al-Zarqa’ University in Zarqa, Jordan.-Biography:...
- Sheikh Muhammad lbrahim Shaqrah
- Sheikh Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi'ee
Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi’ee was a renowned Muslim scholar and a proponent of Salafism.-Full name:His full name is Muqbil bin Haadee bin Muqbil bin Qaa’idah al-Hamdaanee al-Waadi’ee al-Khallaalee-Biography:...
- Sheikh 'Ali Khushan
- Sheikh Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno
Sheikh Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno, born 1930, is a highly respected yet controversial, in Western English speaking countries, Islamic scholar and prolific author.His name has also been transliterated differently in the English speaking world...
- Sheikh 'Abdur-Rahman Abdus-Samad
- Sheikh 'Ali Hasan 'Abdul-Hamid al-Halabi
- Sheikh Salim al-Hilali
- Sheikh Mashhur Hasan Al-Salman
- Sheikh Muhammad Musa Nasr
- Sheikh Basim al-Jawabirah
- Sheikh Abu Ishaq al-Huwayni
Contemporary Evaluation
The scholar 'Abdul-Azeez Bin Baaz said:
Further on he considered him the
mujaddidA Mujaddid , according to the popular Muslim tradition, refers to a person who appears at turn of every century of the Islamic calendar to revive Islam, remove from it any extraneous elements and restore it to its pristine purity...
of his period. Other scholars have stated the following:
The scholar Zayd Ibn Fayad said about him:
Another scholar and teacher,
Muhibb-ud-Deen Al-KhatibSheikh Muhibbuddin al-Khateeb was a famous Islamic writer who lived for sometime in Egypt, published a magazine and wrote some valuable works. He was the maternal uncle of Sheikh Ali Al-Tantawi. He was the author of the famous book “al-Khutoot al-‘Areedah” ....
, said:
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
hadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
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.
Notable publications
His works, mainly in the field of
HadithHadith are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life, the sunnah. Hadith were originally oral traditions of Muhammad's actions and customs...
and
its sciencesThe Science of hadith is a general category consisting of the numerous disciplines used in the study of hadith. It is the process that Muslim scholars use to evaluate hadith, utilizing Hadith terminology...
, number over 100.
- At-Targhib wa't-Tarhib (Volumes 1-4)
- At-Tasfiyyah wa't-Tarbiyya
- At-Tawsulu: Anwau'hu wa Ahkamuhu (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
Jami a-Tirmidhi , popularly Sunan al-Tirmidhi , is one of the Sunni Six major Hadith collections. It was collected by Abu 'Eesa Muhammad ibn 'Eesa al-Tirmidhi.-Name of:...
(Volumes 1-4)
- Sahih wa Da'if Sunan ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Maja is one of the Sunni Six Major Hadith collections, collected by Ibn Maja.-Description:It contains over 4,000 hadith in 32 books divided into 1,500 chapters...
(Volumes 1-4)
- al-Aqidah at-Tahawiyyah Sharh wa T`aliq
- Sifatu Salati An-Nabiyy (link to English translation)
- 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)
See also
- Ibn Taymiyyah
- Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya
Ibn al-Qayyim was a famous Sunni Islamic jurist, commentator on the Qur'an, astronomer, chemist, philosopher, psychologist, scientist and theologian...
- Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz
- Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen
Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen al-Wuhaibi al-Tamimi was one of the most prominent Islamic scholars of the latter half of the twentieth century. Born in Saudi Arabia, he memorised the Qur'an at an early age and studied under some of the most knowledgeable scholars of the time including: Abd...
External links