Sheikh Muhammad Nasir ud deen al-Albaanee
The Great Scholar; Sheikh Muhammad Nasir ud deen al-Albaanee
“I have not seen under the surface of the sky a person knowledgeable of the Hadeeth in our current time the likes of the great scholar, Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee.” Ibn Baaz--may Allah have mercy on him
His Birth and Upbringing He was born into a poor family in the city of Shkodra, then the capital of Albania in the 1914 (1332 AH). His father, Haaj Nooh Najati al-Albaanee, had completed Shariah (Islamic law) studies in Istanbul and returned to Albania as a scholar. During the reign of secularist Ahmet Zogu, Albania suffered oppression of all religious expression, including Islam, forcing the family to make hijrah (immigration) to Damascus.
In Damascus, Sheikh al-Albaanee completed his early education, and was then taught the Quran, tajweed, Arabic linguistic sciences, Hanafi fiqh and further branches of the religion by various sheikhs and friends of his father.
Sheikh al-Albaanee also learned from his father clock and watch repair practice, becoming highly skilled in the trade.
Delving into the Science of Hadeeth
By the age of 20, he began specializing in the field of Hadeeth and its related sciences, becoming influenced by articles in Al-Manaar magazine which was edited by Muhammad Rashid Ridah. He began work in this field by transcribing Hafiz al-Iraqi's monumental Al-¬Mughnee 'an-hamlil-Asfar fil-Asfar fee takhreej maa fil-lhyaa minal-Akhbar'.
He delved further into the Hadeeth sciences despite discourage¬ment from his father, who hoped he would 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 - some of which have yet to be printed.
His Da'wah
After some time he started giving two weekly classes attended by university students and professors, teaching various books of 'Aqeedah, Fiqh, Usool and Hadeeth. He also began organizing monthly journeys for da'wah to various cities in Syria and Jordan.
After a number of his works appeared in print, the Sheikh was chosen to teach Hadeeth at the Islamic University of Madeenah, 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 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. His works—mainly in the field of Hadeeth and its sciences—number over 200.
His Hijrah and patience over the Difficulties of Da'wah
Sheikh al-Albaanee was a subject to numerous emigrations. After the first coercive hijrah that his family made from Albania, he was also 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.
He was arrested for twice in the sixties in Damascus, although he was completely away from politics; the first time was before 1967, where he was arrested to the Castle of Damascus for a month, and this was the same prison that Sheikh al-Islaam, Ibn Taymiyyah was arrested to. He was released at the time when the Arabian-Jewish war of 1967 started. He was arrested again when the war became hotter between the two parties; this time he was not taken to the Castle of Damascus, rather he was taken to the prison of Hasakah, northern east of Damascus, where he was locked up for eight months during which he abridged Saheeh Muslim. Therein, He also met a number of notable persons.
His Students
His students were numerous and include many Sheikhs of the present day, including: Sheikh Hamdee 'Abdul-Majeed, Sheikh Muhammad 'Eed 'Abbasi, Dr. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar, Sheikh Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi'i, Sheikh 'Alee Khashaan, Sheikh Muhammad Jameel Zaynu, Sheikh 'Abdur-Rahman Abdus-Samad, Sheikh 'Alee Hasan 'Abdul-Hameed al-Halabee, Sheikh Saleem al-Hilalee, Sheikh Mashhoor aal-Salmaan, Sheikh Muhammad Moosaa aal-Nasr, and others.
Collected Excerpts of the Scholars' Praise on him
Sheikh al-Albaanee is considered as being perhaps the greatest Islamic scholar of the twentieth century:
The Great Scholar, Sheikh 'Abd-ul-'Aziz Ibn Baaz said
“I have not seen under the surface of the sky a person knowledgeable of the Hadeeth in our current time the likes of the great scholar, Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee.”
Further on he considered him the mujaddid of his period.
The Great Scholar,
Sheikh Muhammad Ibn 'Uthaimeen said about him:
“al-Albaanee is a man who belongs to Ahlus-Sunnah and the Consensus—May Allah have mercy on him—a man who defends it (i.e. the Sunnah), an Imaam whom we do not know any one—nowadays—who can compete with him regarding the science of Hadeeth.”
The scholar, Sheikh Zayd Ibn Fayyad said about him:
“Indeed, Sheikh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee is from the most prominent and distinguished personalities of this era. He had great concern for the Hadeeth - 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 may be correct in some matters and wrong in others. 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 great scholar, the teacher, Muhibb-ud-Deen Al-Khateeb said:
“And from the callers to the Sunnah who devoted their lives to reviving it was our brother Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Nooh Najaati Al-Albaanee.”
Sheikh Wasiyyullaah al-‘Abbaas, teacher at Umm al-Qura university, said about Albanee:
“
It is almost as if Allaah created Imaam al-Albaanee to be in this era in order for him to take care of the sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) by authenticating narrations, classifying others to be weak, conducting much in the way of tahqeeq (verification) of many issues, and we do not know of anyone in this era other than Imaam al-Albaanee who spread the sunnah in these times as he did (rahimahullaah). Therefore, I do not think that it will be an exaggeration to say that he is the Mujaddid of the era, who revived the deen for the people.”
Some of the Notable Publications of the ImaamSheikh al-Albaanee wrote more than two hundred works, many of which were translated into many languages. Among his works:
1.At-Targheeb wa't-Tarheeb (Volumes 1-4)
2.At-Tasfiyyah wa't-Tarbiyyah
3.At-Tawsulu: Anwau'hu wa Ahkamuhu
4.Irwaa al-Ghaleel (Volumes 1-9)
5.Talkhees Ahkam al-Jana'iz
6.Saheeh wa Da'eef Sunan Abu Dawood (Volumes 1-4)
7.Saheeh wa Da'eef Sunan at-Tirmidhi (Volumes 1-4)
8.Saheeh wa Da'eef Sunan ibn Majah (Volumes 1-4)
9.Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah
10. Sifatu Salati An-Nabiyy
11. Silsalat al-Ahaadeeth ad-Da'eefa (Volumes 1-14)
12. Silsalat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheeha (Volumes 1-11)
13. Salatut-Tarawih (later an abridgement of this book was published by al-Albanee - Qiyamu Ramadhan)
His Passing
Sheikh al-Albaanee passed away on October 2, 1999 (22 Jumada ath-Thaniyah 1420 AH) at 87 years of age—may Allah have mercy on him and reward him for the good in the Firdawsul-A'laa in Jannah. Ameen!
Source:
http://asaala.net/viewTopic.php?topicID=190