The Shaykh Al-Albani’s disagreement with his father regarding the second congregation in the mosque, as he held that it was not permissible, unlike his father.
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The Shaykh : Another issue arose in which I differed from the people, and that is the second congregation in the mosque. The mosque near my father’s house, named *Jami' al-Tawbah*, was led by Shaykh al-Barhani. By virtue of their proximity, when Shaykh Sa'id was absent, he would delegate my father to pray on his behalf. This mosque has two mihrabs and two imams: a Hanafi imam, who is al-Barhani, and a Shafi'i imam who was often absent.
The questioner : Two congregations at the same time?
The Shaykh : No, what I meant to tell you is: during the Ottoman era, the Hanafi imam would pray before the Shafi'i imam, whether in the Great Mosque, the Umayyad Mosque, or in other mosques like the Mosque of Repentance. Then, when Shaykh Taj al-Din, the son of Shaykh Badr al-Din al-Husayni, who was known as a hadith scholar in his time, took over the leadership of the Syrian Republic, he issued his noble order that the Shafi'i imam should pray before the Hanafi imam. And so it was implemented, as is the nature of such orders from the one in authority, as they say. This system was implemented in all the mosques, including the Mosque of Repentance, so the Shafi'i imam would pray before al-Barhani the Hanafi. When I became well-versed in jurisprudence and learned that the second congregation has no basis in the Sunnah, I began to pray behind the Shafi'i imam, the first imam. My father would raise a huge fuss over this disagreement, first because of his school of jurisprudence, and second because of his action, as he would delay to pray with al-Barhani the Hanafi. But he persisted in his way, and I persisted in my way. Then Shaykh al-Barhani traveled for Hajj or 'Umrah, I do not remember which, and my father appointed him to pray in his place. I did not pray behind him, because there was no difference for me between al-Barhani and my father, since each of them delayed from the first congregation. So I would let my father pray the second congregation, and I would pray with the first imam. Then, as they say, "a straw on a camel's load", it happened that my father had to be absent from the town for a day or two. He asked me to pray in his place, meaning the second congregation. I refused him and said: You know my opinion on this matter, and it is very difficult for me to go against my opinion.
The questioner : Two congregations at the same time?
The Shaykh : No, what I meant to tell you is: during the Ottoman era, the Hanafi imam would pray before the Shafi'i imam, whether in the Great Mosque, the Umayyad Mosque, or in other mosques like the Mosque of Repentance. Then, when Shaykh Taj al-Din, the son of Shaykh Badr al-Din al-Husayni, who was known as a hadith scholar in his time, took over the leadership of the Syrian Republic, he issued his noble order that the Shafi'i imam should pray before the Hanafi imam. And so it was implemented, as is the nature of such orders from the one in authority, as they say. This system was implemented in all the mosques, including the Mosque of Repentance, so the Shafi'i imam would pray before al-Barhani the Hanafi. When I became well-versed in jurisprudence and learned that the second congregation has no basis in the Sunnah, I began to pray behind the Shafi'i imam, the first imam. My father would raise a huge fuss over this disagreement, first because of his school of jurisprudence, and second because of his action, as he would delay to pray with al-Barhani the Hanafi. But he persisted in his way, and I persisted in my way. Then Shaykh al-Barhani traveled for Hajj or 'Umrah, I do not remember which, and my father appointed him to pray in his place. I did not pray behind him, because there was no difference for me between al-Barhani and my father, since each of them delayed from the first congregation. So I would let my father pray the second congregation, and I would pray with the first imam. Then, as they say, "a straw on a camel's load", it happened that my father had to be absent from the town for a day or two. He asked me to pray in his place, meaning the second congregation. I refused him and said: You know my opinion on this matter, and it is very difficult for me to go against my opinion.