Regarding the two times you were imprisoned in Damascus; could you clarify the circumstances for us?
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Al-Hawini: Okay; regarding the first and second times you were imprisoned in Damascus in Syria, what did you do there...?
The Shaykh : ... .
Al-Hawini: Okay; what... were the circumstances...?
The Shaykh: One was on the occasion of the planes bombing... Damascus. You tell us when this was?
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: No, but I mean the first of these movements was in 1982, it might have been..., so it appears that the state feared the scholars would revolt - "And there is no pain in the wound of one who is dead" -; so as a precaution against movement, they arrested the scholars, yes, and I do not know how they considered me one of the scholars. Yes, that was one time, and the other.
Al-Hawini: The first was three months, our Shaykh, or was it?
The Shaykh: By Allah, I no longer remember some of the details. In the second time, the intelligence services summoned me... it appears they had planned something and wanted to move, so they gave a reason; they said to me: What is your opinion of the rulers today? I said to them, casually: I do not know them. They said to me: What is your opinion of the ruling system, do you support it? I said: No. He said: Why? I said: Because it contradicted Islam. ... And they put me in a Land Rover car, and moved me from place to place, a police station.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
They put me in a police station on the basis that they would bring back two policemen and take me, I do not know where. One of my countrymen, who are called the Arna'ut, passed by me, a young man who knows me and I know him well, even though he was not committed with us. He said to me: Well? I told him: The story is such and such. If you can, go inside and see what the group has decided. By Allah, the man got enthusiastic and went inside. He told me: They have decided to exile you to al-Hasakah; meaning northeast Syria. I said to him: Immediately do a favor and go directly to my son at the shop and tell him: He should go to the Yarmouk camp, and bring me in a bag a copy of "Sahih Muslim," a pen, a pencil, an eraser, and so on.
Another questioner: Meaning the work tools.
The Shaykh : Oh?
Another questioner: The work tools.
The Shaykh: The work tools, yes. And he caught up with me here, or he would catch up with me at the car departure point to Aleppo. By Allah, the man - may Allah reward him with good - did not... at all, he went to my son, and my son - also - hurried and went to my house in the Yarmouk camp, and took everything and put it in the bag, and caught up with me at the car departure point. The car was reversing to start, so he climbed up to me, greeted me, embraced me, and bid me farewell. The car set off with us to Aleppo, and from Aleppo to al-Hasakah. In al-Hasakah there is a new prison from the virtues of your supporters!! A very wide prison, high, several times this height.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes, the important thing is they brought us in and, glory be to Allah, meaning[Al-An'am 6:96] to a very long corridor, and there were young Muslim men from the Tahrir Party, and their leader.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes, and their leader used to attend my lessons in Aleppo, he was a Salafi, meaning, then he deviated with the Tahrir Party. We said: Perhaps a harm is a benefit. And I used to see us day and night in discussion with the group.
...
But I brought my provisions, I want to work. Where is the light bulb? They put it up there, close to the ceiling, and the ceiling is very high, I do not benefit anything from it. I spoke with this friend of ours who was a Salafi, his name isThe Shaykh : Mustafa, and it had passed for them in prison - unfortunately - about two years, and because of the length of their stay there, a friendship developed between them and the prison director. The prison director was from Hauran, and it appears he had some of the idea, even though he was Ba'athist, meaning. So he actually responded toThe Shaykh : Mustafa and these Muslims, and helped them as much as possible. And they shared the food, the prison food, meaning just enough to not die, so they shared with each other. I joined them, they used to cook the food. The important thing now is we need electricity. He spoke with the prison director that we... I do not know what he said, meaning a student of knowledgeThe Shaykh : Al-Albani, like that, and he wants to work, he brought his books with him "everyone laughs," so by Allah the man turned out to be kind. But what we want, we will bring it for him, but on his account. Okay, what do you want? They want a wire so they can lower what? The light bulb from top to bottom. We told him: Easy, they bring what they want and we pay. There was a bed, of course, for me, so the light bulb came down gently from up there, right above my head, perfect. I was comfortable, and I did not feel any strangeness or imprisonment at all. And as it was said; what did Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah have mercy on him - say?
Another questioner: "My prison is seclusion."
The Shaykh: "My prison is seclusion."
-- ... -- .
The Shaykh : ... .
Al-Hawini: Okay; what... were the circumstances...?
The Shaykh: One was on the occasion of the planes bombing... Damascus. You tell us when this was?
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: No, but I mean the first of these movements was in 1982, it might have been..., so it appears that the state feared the scholars would revolt - "And there is no pain in the wound of one who is dead" -; so as a precaution against movement, they arrested the scholars, yes, and I do not know how they considered me one of the scholars. Yes, that was one time, and the other.
Al-Hawini: The first was three months, our Shaykh, or was it?
The Shaykh: By Allah, I no longer remember some of the details. In the second time, the intelligence services summoned me... it appears they had planned something and wanted to move, so they gave a reason; they said to me: What is your opinion of the rulers today? I said to them, casually: I do not know them. They said to me: What is your opinion of the ruling system, do you support it? I said: No. He said: Why? I said: Because it contradicted Islam. ... And they put me in a Land Rover car, and moved me from place to place, a police station.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
They put me in a police station on the basis that they would bring back two policemen and take me, I do not know where. One of my countrymen, who are called the Arna'ut, passed by me, a young man who knows me and I know him well, even though he was not committed with us. He said to me: Well? I told him: The story is such and such. If you can, go inside and see what the group has decided. By Allah, the man got enthusiastic and went inside. He told me: They have decided to exile you to al-Hasakah; meaning northeast Syria. I said to him: Immediately do a favor and go directly to my son at the shop and tell him: He should go to the Yarmouk camp, and bring me in a bag a copy of "Sahih Muslim," a pen, a pencil, an eraser, and so on.
Another questioner: Meaning the work tools.
The Shaykh : Oh?
Another questioner: The work tools.
The Shaykh: The work tools, yes. And he caught up with me here, or he would catch up with me at the car departure point to Aleppo. By Allah, the man - may Allah reward him with good - did not... at all, he went to my son, and my son - also - hurried and went to my house in the Yarmouk camp, and took everything and put it in the bag, and caught up with me at the car departure point. The car was reversing to start, so he climbed up to me, greeted me, embraced me, and bid me farewell. The car set off with us to Aleppo, and from Aleppo to al-Hasakah. In al-Hasakah there is a new prison from the virtues of your supporters!! A very wide prison, high, several times this height.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes, the important thing is they brought us in and, glory be to Allah, meaning
That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
ذلك تقدير العزيز العليمAnother questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes, and their leader used to attend my lessons in Aleppo, he was a Salafi, meaning, then he deviated with the Tahrir Party. We said: Perhaps a harm is a benefit. And I used to see us day and night in discussion with the group.
...
But I brought my provisions, I want to work. Where is the light bulb? They put it up there, close to the ceiling, and the ceiling is very high, I do not benefit anything from it. I spoke with this friend of ours who was a Salafi, his name isThe Shaykh : Mustafa, and it had passed for them in prison - unfortunately - about two years, and because of the length of their stay there, a friendship developed between them and the prison director. The prison director was from Hauran, and it appears he had some of the idea, even though he was Ba'athist, meaning. So he actually responded toThe Shaykh : Mustafa and these Muslims, and helped them as much as possible. And they shared the food, the prison food, meaning just enough to not die, so they shared with each other. I joined them, they used to cook the food. The important thing now is we need electricity. He spoke with the prison director that we... I do not know what he said, meaning a student of knowledgeThe Shaykh : Al-Albani, like that, and he wants to work, he brought his books with him "everyone laughs," so by Allah the man turned out to be kind. But what we want, we will bring it for him, but on his account. Okay, what do you want? They want a wire so they can lower what? The light bulb from top to bottom. We told him: Easy, they bring what they want and we pay. There was a bed, of course, for me, so the light bulb came down gently from up there, right above my head, perfect. I was comfortable, and I did not feel any strangeness or imprisonment at all. And as it was said; what did Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah have mercy on him - say?
Another questioner: "My prison is seclusion."
The Shaykh: "My prison is seclusion."
-- ... -- .
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.