A Balanced Perspective on Shaykh Al-Albani (رحمه الله)

Below is a translation of a Facebook post by Shaykh Muhammad Salim Buhairi.

Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, was a distinguished scholar in the field of Hadith. He rendered invaluable services to the prophetic tradition, unmatched by any of his contemporaries.

Criticism directed at him in the discipline of Hadith often pertains to either a methodological choice in the principles of Hadith—a choice that others had precedent for and which requires scholarly debate and evidence—or mistakes characteristic of the errors made by great scholars.

The statement, "He has no Shaykh," is merely a distraction, as the criterion for evaluating a scholar and accepting their opinions lies in their mastery and the consistency of their statements with the principles of the discipline.

Al-Dhahabi remarked about Ibn Khayran:

لم يبلغنا على من اشتغل ابن خيران، ولا عن من أخذ العلم

"We do not know whom Ibn Khayran studied with or from whom he acquired knowledge."

Despite this, Ibn Khayran was among the prominent authorities in the Shafi'i school, with no record of his teachers until Taj al-Subki, may Allah have mercy on him, commented:

لعله جالس في العلم ابن سريج وأدرك مشايخه

"Perhaps he studied under Ibn Surayj or interacted with his teachers."

Similarly, it has been said of certain scholars,

لا أعلم له شيخًا مشهورًا

"I do not know of any renowned teacher for him."

Yet their works in their respective fields remain foundational for every student.

Al-Suyuti, despite having no teacher in the discipline of Qur’anic recitations (Qira'at), authored a commentary on al-Shatibiyyah. The distinguished scholar al-Qastallani noted:

وقد قال لي غير واحد عنه: إنه قال: لم يكن له في القراءاتِ شيخٌ، والله تعالى يَهَب من يشاء ما يشاء، لا مانع لما أعطى

"More than one person informed me about him, saying that he admitted, 'I had no teacher in the science of Qira'at. However, Allah grants to whom He wills whatever He wills, and none can withhold what He has given.'"

Al-Suyuti himself acknowledged this in his work al-Tahadduth bi-Ni'mat Allah, where he stated regarding Qira'at:

ولم آخذها عن شيخ، فلذلك لم أُقْرِئها أحدًا؛ لأنها فنُّ إسنادٍ، وقد ألفت فيها التأليف البديع

"I did not learn it from a teacher, and thus I did not teach it to others, as it is a discipline based on chains of transmission. Nevertheless, I authored a remarkable work on it."

Similarly, Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, declared in al-Munqidh min al-Dalal that he had no teacher in philosophy. He wrote:

فشمرت عن ساق الجد في تحصيل ذلك العلم من الكتب بمجرد المطالعة من غير استعانة بأستاذ، وأقبلت على ذلك في أوقات فراغي من التصنيف والتدريس في العلوم الشرعية، وأنا ممنو بالتدريس والإفادة لثلاثمائة نفس من الطلبة ببغداد، فأطلعني الله سبحانه وتعالى بمجرد المطالعة في هذه الأوقات المختلسة على منتهى علومهم في أقل من سنتين

"I committed myself earnestly to acquiring this knowledge through books, relying solely on reading without the guidance of a teacher. I pursued this endeavor during moments free from my responsibilities of authoring and teaching religious sciences. At that time, I was teaching and mentoring three hundred students in Baghdad. Yet, through Allah’s grace, merely by reading during these stolen moments, I attained the pinnacle of their sciences in less than two years."

Indeed, having a teacher is the prevailing norm for most people, and rarely does anyone achieve mastery in a discipline without one. This reliance on a teacher is not merely for the sake of receiving and refining knowledge but also for the spiritual illumination and guidance that flows from the teacher to the student.

However, this principle may occasionally be absent, and Allah may grant someone mastery in a particular field without the aid of a teacher. Such individuals may attain proficiency comparable to the experts of that discipline, accounting for the differences in time and context. Their errors, if any, would align with the type of mistakes common among experts, not with those characteristic of outsiders to the field.

All of this pertains to the Shaykh’s expertise in the science of Hadith. As for jurisprudence (fiqh) and other fields of knowledge, his discourse reflects the perspective of someone lacking precise specialization and significant contribution in those areas.

The Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, occasionally made exaggerated statements, similar to those found among Hadith scholars. For example, his remark about a virtuous and righteous scholar, "He does not know how to pray," is a harsh and regrettable statement. Additionally, his strong denunciations of issues that are subject to legitimate scholarly disagreement were expressed with severe language. Nevertheless, such errors are not uncommon among Hadith scholars and, at times, even jurists. These errors warrant criticism but do not diminish their merit or contributions.

An analogous example is Shu‘bah’s remark to Suwayd ibn Abd al-Aziz regarding Abu al-Zubayr:

لا تكتب عن أبي الزبيرِ؛ فإنه لا يُحْسِن يُصَلِّي

"Do not write from Abu al-Zubayr; he does not know how to pray."

This is an extreme statement. If Abu al-Zubayr does not know how to pray, who then does? Was Shu‘bah, may Allah have mercy on him, aware of every Hadith concerning prayer? And even if he was, does it necessarily follow that everyone comprehends it as he did?

All of this can be understood under the framework of a balanced critique. Scholars have transmitted Shu‘bah’s statement about Abu al-Zubayr in his biography and refuted it while upholding Abu al-Zubayr’s due status. Their rebuttal of Shu‘bah’s words was not an attempt to dismiss Shu‘bah himself or deny his eminence and contributions.

Mighlaty, may Allah have mercy on him, commented on Shu‘bah’s remark, saying:

وقولُ شعبة: (لا يُحْسِن يُصَلّي) فهو تحاملٌ وغِيبة، وقد حدّث عنه

"Shu‘bah’s statement, ‘He does not know how to pray,’ is an exaggeration and backbiting, despite the fact that he narrated from him."

Excessive criticism in permissible matters is not without precedent. An example is the disagreement between al-Awza‘i and Sufyan al-Thawri at Mina regarding the raising of the hands during bowing and rising from bowing—a matter related to the Sunnah and description of prayer. This is one of the issues within the detailed aspects of prayer rituals.

Al-Awza‘i once questioned al-Thawri, saying: "Why do you not raise your hands when bowing and rising from bowing?" Al-Thawri replied, "Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad narrated to us..." and cited the Hadith. Al-Awza‘i retorted, "Al-Zuhri narrated to you from Salim, from his father, from the Prophet ﷺ, and you argue with me using Yazid, a man weak in Hadith whose narration contradicts the Sunnah?"

At this, Sufyan's face turned red. Al-Awza‘i remarked: "It seems you disliked what I said." Al-Thawri replied, "Indeed, I did."

Al-Awza‘i then proposed: "Come with me to the Maqam (station) so that we may invoke Allah’s curse upon the one who is in error." Sufyan smiled when he saw how agitated Al-Awza‘i had become.

This exchange highlights the intensity of scholarly debate, even on nuanced issues, reflecting their sincere commitment to the Sunnah while illustrating their human tendencies toward passion and disagreement.

In summary:

The Shaykh was a distinguished scholar in the field of Hadith, but opinions about him fall into three camps:

1. One extreme seeks to impose his Hadith-based judgments on everyone, treating his evaluations of authenticity and weakness as definitive and final. I have observed this tendency in some circles.

2. The opposite extreme aims to strip the Shaykh of all merit—sometimes due to theological disagreements, even if the person acknowledging him might still refer to him as ‘Allama without considering other evidence. At other times, it stems from envy of his widespread reputation and the frequency with which people cite his judgments, saying, "This was authenticated by al-Albani," or, "This was weakened by al-Albani."

3. A balanced perspective recognizes the Shaykh’s rightful status, affirming his expertise in Hadith. It acknowledges his errors and misstatements in fields outside his specialization or lacking thorough engagement, treating them as human mistakes. Any exaggeration or errors he committed should be respectfully corrected.

May Allah forgive us and the Shaykh, unite us with him in the gardens of eternal bliss as brothers reclining on facing couches, and reward him abundantly on our behalf.