What is your opinion of 'Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani, and do you advise benefiting from his books?

The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

The questioner : May Allah give you a good evening, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman.

The Shaykh : May Allah keep you in good and blessing.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : How are you?

The questioner : By Allah, by the grace of Allah...

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.

The questioner : And how are your news? Is your health perfect?

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.

The questioner : O Allah, amen.

The Shaykh : Welcome.

The questioner : My dear teacher, regarding Shaykh 'Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani, what is your opinion of him? Naturally, regarding the books he left behind, where are they located, I mean?

The Shaykh : Where are they? In Morocco, I do not know exactly where.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Perhaps in the library in Rabat, the large section of them is there.

The questioner : Yes, yes. And regarding his method and his manhaj, what is your opinion of him?

The Shaykh : He is a man who did not enter into the science of takhrij, verification, and weakening.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Rather, he had a special concern with studying the books of the authors from the hadith scholars and their like.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : But he does not have books that indicate his knowledge in the art of takhrij, verification, and weakening, to the extent of what we have seen and what we know.

The questioner : Yes, yes. Well, or perhaps there are names of books that indicate his knowledge, and it is necessary to look into them?

The Shaykh : It is necessary.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Naturally, he was undoubtedly on the Salafi method...?

The Shaykh : No, he is not Salafi...

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : No, no, he is not Salafi. There are few Salafis among the Moroccans.

The questioner : ... Allah is the Greatest.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Well, why, teacher, why...?

The Shaykh : I do not know, by Allah, this is knowledge with my Lord.

The questioner : I mean, he looked into the books of hadith.

The Shaykh : He is among the group who verify hadiths by inspection.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : This is a calamity.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : In any case, I mean, is it important to pay attention to his books over the books of others, or is it not important, in the view of researchers?

The Shaykh : No, there is benefit in them.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : There is benefit in reading his books.

The questioner : Praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : And his books may be in Morocco as manuscripts.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Or printed, I mean.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Yes, this is what I thought, I mean, this Shaykh is a hadith scholar on the methodology of the Salaf.

The Shaykh : No, no, absolutely not.

The questioner : By Allah, this is a sad thing.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : But this does not mean that we do not benefit from some of his books in the authenticated knowledge, from what we believe.

The Shaykh : That is correct.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with all good, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman.

The Shaykh : Welcome.

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.