The Albaani Site

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

As-Sadhaan said, “The Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, was from the most eager of people in ensuring that his worship was in accordance with the Sunnah, in its form, its amount and its time.  He was eager to implement the Sunnah in what he ate, drank and wore, and in his dealings [with the people].

Those who sat with him, visited him, or attended his lectures or gatherings which were full [of people] bear witness to that.  Such that Shaikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “That which I know about the Shaikh through the times I met him, and they were few, is that he was extremely eager to act upon the Sunnah, and to fight innovations, whether they were in matters of creed or action.”

And he would pray a lot of optional prayers and fast a lot also.

He would be affected very quickly and would cry easily, especially when listening to the Quraan or reciting it, or when listening to Prophetic sayings which contained a mention of a promise or threat, or when he would hear about the death of a scholar of hadith and the Sunnah, or when a good dream which someone saw about him would be mentioned to him, or when he would be praised or complemented.

He, may Allaah have mercy on him, would be eager to fast Mondays and Thursdays in summer and winter, except if he was travelling or ill.

When he would enter the mosque on Fridays he would continue to pray two units of prayer, followed by another two and so on [continually] until the Imaam would ascend onto the minbar.

He would perform Hajj and umrah every year if he was able to, and would sometimes perform umrah twice in one year.

He performed Hajj more than thirty times.

I was told that there was a man who was a worshipper who lived in close proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque, he was well-known for his righteousness, his abstinence, and was a person of the Sunnah who would very often give advice [to the people].

One time he saw some people who were doing a great deal of talking in the Prophet’s Mosque so he advised them to seize the opportunity to benefit from their time by reading the Quraan or remembering Allaah.

The people found his sincere speech to be pleasant and agreeable and he continued to speak to them. Those around him heard what he was saying and [heard] his pleasant words such that the number of people increased and he was speaking in a way which, inshaa Allaah, showed the truthfulness of his intention.

Then all of a sudden while he was speaking he fell totally silent and started to stare at one of the people present in the gathering and started to apologise [saying] that he did not know he was present.

But that person who had been affected by this man’s advice did nothing except ask this man to continue giving his reminder and advice–but the man sat down [instead].

The person who had asked him to continue in his advice was none other than Shaikh al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on him, [this was] when he was in Medinah as a teacher at the Islamic University.

Shaikh Muhammad Ziyaad at-Tuklah, may Allaah reward him, wrote to me saying, “I asked Shaikh Muhammad Eed al-Abbaasee about the worship of Shaikh al-Albaani so he said, ‘We would pray the night prayer [taraaweeh in Ramadaan] with some brothers. Shaikh al-Albaani would get up and lead us in a long prayer which would be almost three hours long. During it he would implement [even] the smallest of Sunnahs. He would make the bowing and prostration long.

The bowing [rukoo’] would be about eight to nine minutes long.

And when he would sit he would ask Allaah for forgiveness and praise him between every two rak’ahs. And one time Shaikh Ali Khashaan went up to him while he was in that state and asked him about an issue, so he replied, ‘Now is the time for worship, the time for knowledge is other than this.’

And because of how long the Shaikh would make the night prayer we would fear, as occurs in the hadith, that we might miss the suhoor meal. And when praying behind him we would feel tranquillity, devoutness [khushoo], and calmness.””

Al-Imaam al-Albaani, Duroos, wa Mawaaqif, wa Ibar, of Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad Abdullaah as-Sadhaan, pp. 88-89.