The Shaykh Al-Albani’s rejoicing at the Islamic awakening in Sunni circles.

The Shaykh: In addition to what I mentioned, the situation now is completely different in Sunni societies, where an Islamic awakening has emerged among the people of the Sunnah and the community that did not exist less than half a century ago. People used to be followers of taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence), they were Sufis, and they were superstitious. This awakening, which we now call the Salafi da'wah (calling others to Islam), and praise be to Allah, Allah has blessed it. I also believe that this Salafi awakening has penetrated, so to speak, into Shi'ite and Ibadi regions, and many have responded to it. We hear that many of the Shi'ah in Iraq have become Sunni; perhaps you have heard something of this. And I believe that this awakening, which we assume when we mention it does not extend beyond the known Muslims called the people of the Sunnah, has actually extended to other groups as well. Therefore, I do not imagine that all Shi'ite scholars believe in the disbelief (kufr) recorded in the books of their imams, which they claim, including the word I quoted earlier from Khomeini. They have, so to speak, very terrible disbelief (kufr), including their belief that this mushaf (a written copy of the Qur'an) in our hands is incomplete and that it equals a quarter of the mushaf of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her). And where is this mushaf they call the Mushaf of Fatimah? It is lost. This is a direct attack on the saying of Allah the Exalted: Apart from that, their various disbelief (kufr)... I do not believe that all Shi'ite scholars in this era believe in all the misguidance they have inherited from the books of their earlier imams, such as this al-Kulayni, the author of the book al-Kafi. This is considered by them to be in the position of Sahih al-Bukhari (an authentic hadith) among the people of the Sunnah. It contains a great deal, and a very great deal, of such disbelief (kufr), and from it Khomeini derived the aforementioned disbelief (kufr). I think the answer has become clear with this, if Allah wills.

The questioner: Yes.