Some young men transcribed your tapes, which amounted to forty volumes, but when they learned that Shaykh Al-Albani did not approve, the project was halted.

The Shaykh : ... because converting what is on the tape into a printed form requires a fresh study of the transcription. First, it requires a person who knows how to read and understand my expressions. Second, personally, I may have some notes on some of the words I use, and sometimes I may speak in the Syrian colloquial dialect. There may also be errors due to improvisation in terms of the Arabic language, and so on. All of this requires work. I have two volumes or more, I no longer remember, from some of those who transcribed, and I do not have the time to read these volumes for you, correct them, and edit them, and then tell people: take it and print it.
The student : Because it has now reached forty volumes.

The Shaykh : These people, I mean, their situation is problematic.
The student : But, by Allah, in terms of benefit, I had looked through some of these volumes, meaning it was as if I were with you, listening to you word for word, a transcriber, a writer, even when we, the young men, discuss the Shaykh’s opinion on such and such, the young man opens the volume for me so I can remember some of the phrases the Shaykh mentioned in such and such a place...

The Shaykh : Okay, when am I going to study what Abu Yusuf says: forty volumes; how long will their study take?
The student : The brothers’ intention was to distribute them to the brothers here, and to undertake the editing, referencing, and tracing to sources, and referring to books.
-- The Shaykh : We did not... is that not so?Another questioner : By Allah, my Shaykh, you are on the right, go now... ... --
The student : They transcribed the fatwas and arranged them under the headings of jurisprudence, and placed the question at the top of the page followed by the answer, and when the next question came, they placed it at the top of the page and transcribed it. When they learned that Shaykh Nasser did not approve of this, and the intention was to give them to Brother Shaykh Ali and the brothers on the basis that they would take care of the editing, referencing, tracing to sources, and referring to your books, but when they learned of the lack of approval, the project was halted; so what is your opinion?

The Shaykh : I say: may Allah reward them with good for this halt, meaning after the great effort they made, they stopped because of what they were told. But I said: since they have spent that immense effort, and they have the desire to present the matter to some of our strong brothers among the students of knowledge, I have no objection in that case; if our brothers agree to undertake the task of studying these volumes, which have reached, how many did I say?
The student : Forty volumes.

The Shaykh : Forty volumes, volume by volume, and they should make their observations on them in general, and we will discuss them with them, and then they will undertake the greater burden of editing whatever needs editing, especially from the Arabic language perspective; because I know from myself two things: one is that I sometimes speak in the Syrian colloquial language, and the second thing I know about myself is that sweat is treacherous, so foreignness may overcome me in some words or terms. And I say frankly that it is not strange for this to come from me, for I see our Arab brothers from whom we learned that they make mistakes like me or more than me, so it is necessary to review from these two aspects.
And in another aspect—our brothers who are constantly with us know this—that there may be some few issues where our opinion has changed recently, and this is the nature of knowledge, which I always say does not accept stagnation. They know what I have returned from and corrected, something of what I used to say in the past. So these are also important aspects; they will put some notes on this and consult me about it, so that the project will be suitable for publication. And although I would have liked to have had that free time then to read all these answers myself, but as it is said: "What cannot be fully attained should not be largely abandoned." So in this case, if the group has the interest or inclination, and our brothers are also ready to undertake this duty, then I have no objection.
Please proceed.
The student : The issue of... those I mentioned, so that the project becomes practical and has a presence in the real world, if Allah wills; because the young men... the presence of the Shaykh’s fatwas in their hands, so I do not know if specifying the names of those who can review this work is of practical benefit, so that it can be mentioned to them from one side. From another side, the question in the same section there is about another book recently published by "Akasha Abd al-Mannan" regarding your printed and transcribed fatwas... they add a word.
Another student: Did they not see the Shaykh?
Another student: Brother Ali, do you not have Akasha’s book?
Another student: I have it, by Allah, but I did not know who took it.
Another student: I gave it to Brother Ali on the basis that he would look at it and give it back to you.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : About six hundred pages, and very bad, in very brief summary, very bad, I mean, Shaykh.

Another questioner : Some colloquial words may have slipped in...
Another student: O Abu Layla, the earth is inhabited.

The Shaykh : First: we must ask those in charge of the project: do they have specific affiliations with specific individuals or not? If they have nominated them, then it is our turn to look at these nominees. As for me, I have no brothers in mind other than the brothers who live with us here day and night. As for brothers from outside, I believe this is not practical.
The student : Our Shaykh, they mentioned Brother "Samir al-Zuhayri".

The Shaykh : What did they say?
The student : Brother "Samir al-Zuhayri".

The Shaykh : "Samir", okay, good.
The student : And with Shaykh "Muhammad 'Aid Abbasi", and with Brother "Ali", and with me, and with Brother "Salim"... and Brother "Abu 'Uqba".

The Shaykh : Okay, good, but how about those who are far away?
The student : Shaykh, they divided the project by topics, and placed many headings; the principles of jurisprudence, jurisprudence, books, people, groups, and so on.

The Shaykh : Have you looked at samples of these volumes?
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Or were you told?
The student : No, I looked.