The circumstances and factors that facilitated Shaykh Al-Albani in his pursuit of knowledge, research, and verification.
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The Shaykh : This is despite the fact that I know that very, very few people are provided with the causes and circumstances that Allah provided for me, starting with the fact that I was free in my work; I was not a tenant or an employee, but rather I repaired watches, so I worked for as long as I pleased, an hour or two, then I would close the shop and immediately head to the Zahiriyyah Library. I would sit in the library.
The student: - Peace be upon you -
The Shaykh :- And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah - , and circumstances were made available to me that enabled me to sit in the library, indeed to enter the library before the employees and leave after the employees. These are circumstances that Allah the Mighty and Majestic makes available for whomever He wills, and our Lord the Mighty and Majestic favored me with such a circumstance. So I would enter after the Fajr prayer, before going to the shop, I would go to the Zahiriyyah Library and begin reading and studying, and so on. And when the employees left after the designated time for leaving, six or seven o'clock depending on the local time, I would remain there. As for the manuscripts, this is a matter whose value is not known except by one who has experienced it. I do not know if you have, for example, public libraries with manuscripts, and what is the system for requesting manuscripts for review? The system there in Damascus, and I believe in all the libraries of the world, because it was decreed for me to go to Britain and enter the library that contains valuable manuscripts, is that they can give you no more than one copy, so you read it and finish it, return the book, and submit a request for a second book, and so on. Much of your time is wasted in the process of obtaining other copies or other books. But as for me, Allah made available for me something I do not imagine is made available for any person in all the lands of the world, and this is among the wonders of the history of my life. The doors of the manuscript vault, which no one enters except the employees, were opened to me. So I would place the ladder, here for the history books, there for the biographical dictionaries, I would move the ladder with my hands, climb it, and search for the book, one after another. When I obtained what I wanted, I would come down with it, enter my room, and throw myself into reading and studying it. And if I wanted to request whatever I wished from the manuscripts, they would come and fill the table in front of me. These are causes that do not become easy for a person. First: I was free in my work; no one asked me why I closed my shop, I was not an employee with a boss over me, so I was my own master. Second: I would go to the library and study these manuscripts extensively with complete freedom. That is not possible, and I do not know anyone who frequented the library from among those wearing white turbans. Rather, I was there as you see me here, meaning in this attire, like any person among you. But there, the Arab attire is very rare. Despite that, I was bent over my work and permitted what is not permitted, not even to the library manager himself. These are causes that Allah the Mighty and Majestic made easy for me, a success from Allah the Mighty and Majestic to enable me to serve this purified Sunnah.
The student: - Peace be upon you -
The Shaykh :- And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah - , and circumstances were made available to me that enabled me to sit in the library, indeed to enter the library before the employees and leave after the employees. These are circumstances that Allah the Mighty and Majestic makes available for whomever He wills, and our Lord the Mighty and Majestic favored me with such a circumstance. So I would enter after the Fajr prayer, before going to the shop, I would go to the Zahiriyyah Library and begin reading and studying, and so on. And when the employees left after the designated time for leaving, six or seven o'clock depending on the local time, I would remain there. As for the manuscripts, this is a matter whose value is not known except by one who has experienced it. I do not know if you have, for example, public libraries with manuscripts, and what is the system for requesting manuscripts for review? The system there in Damascus, and I believe in all the libraries of the world, because it was decreed for me to go to Britain and enter the library that contains valuable manuscripts, is that they can give you no more than one copy, so you read it and finish it, return the book, and submit a request for a second book, and so on. Much of your time is wasted in the process of obtaining other copies or other books. But as for me, Allah made available for me something I do not imagine is made available for any person in all the lands of the world, and this is among the wonders of the history of my life. The doors of the manuscript vault, which no one enters except the employees, were opened to me. So I would place the ladder, here for the history books, there for the biographical dictionaries, I would move the ladder with my hands, climb it, and search for the book, one after another. When I obtained what I wanted, I would come down with it, enter my room, and throw myself into reading and studying it. And if I wanted to request whatever I wished from the manuscripts, they would come and fill the table in front of me. These are causes that do not become easy for a person. First: I was free in my work; no one asked me why I closed my shop, I was not an employee with a boss over me, so I was my own master. Second: I would go to the library and study these manuscripts extensively with complete freedom. That is not possible, and I do not know anyone who frequented the library from among those wearing white turbans. Rather, I was there as you see me here, meaning in this attire, like any person among you. But there, the Arab attire is very rare. Despite that, I was bent over my work and permitted what is not permitted, not even to the library manager himself. These are causes that Allah the Mighty and Majestic made easy for me, a success from Allah the Mighty and Majestic to enable me to serve this purified Sunnah.