How did you seek knowledge from you, Shaykh Abu Yusuf, and what was the duration between you and him in seeking knowledge from you?

The questioner : And what was your scholarly relationship with him? I mean, how did he acquire knowledge from you, especially since he is, as we observe, greatly influenced by your thought?

The Shaykh : First of all, as I mentioned to you, he used to attend my lectures there.

The questioner : In Syria.

The Shaykh : In Syria, in Aleppo in particular, and sometimes he would visit us in Damascus; sometimes, but most of his contact with me was due to my visits to Aleppo and his attendance at my lectures. He was extremely keen on that. And it is not hidden from you that nowadays people become students of a person without seeing him; they become students of his books. On this occasion, there is a person I saw in "Masjid al-Abbar"; do you know him? Do you know his name?

Another questioner : He, our Shaykh, is from outside, coming from Saudi Arabia.

The Shaykh : I know him, but he is not a Saudi.

Another questioner: No, no.

The Shaykh : He teaches in Saudi Arabia.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Last year, he also met me. He said to me: "Personally, I do not know you, but I mean I am a graduate of your books." And this time, two or three days ago, Abu Muhammad insisted that I must visit him. He is from "Ijlon," married to a girl whose father resides here, and he stays with his uncle, the father of his wife, when he comes. So he insisted that I must visit him, either here or there in "Ijlon." So I thought that visiting him here was first, closer, and second, perhaps it would pave the way for conquering "Ijlon" [The Shaykh laughs!].
The point is, this man says that we are your students through what? Books. So do not exclude the possibility that Abu Yusuf was a student of ours in both aspects: the aspect of his personal contact and his attendance at my lectures there, and the other aspect of being saturated with what he reads, meaning in my books.

The questioner : How many years was the relationship in Syria?

The Shaykh : That is something I cannot answer; because one of my faults is that I do not care about dating, yes, so I do not remember how many years, but they were blessed years, yes, as for how many years, I do not know. And he visited me here in Amman; did he tell you?

The questioner : Yes, he told me.

The Shaykh : He told you, yes.

The questioner : He came for a special visit.

The Shaykh : And we hoped to see him more than that, but what Allah willed happened, and what He did not will did not happen.

The questioner : The difficulty of obtaining a visa to enter here was what prevented him, meaning it was difficult.

The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest! May Allah help these brothers who are called "relatives," and then they treat them like enemies.

The questioner : As for his relationship with you in the city as well, he mentioned to us that you were there in the city.

The Shaykh : I was in the city, but...

The questioner : Teaching.

The Shaykh : Yes, three years. What was the relationship? I do not remember this?

The questioner : I mean, he was among the people who listened to you in hadith there at the university.

The Shaykh : Was he a student at the university?

The questioner : He was a student at the university.

The Shaykh : This is something I have completely forgotten about the college.

The questioner : And 'Umar al-Ashqar and 'Abd al-Rahman.

The Shaykh : "Umar al-Ashqar" I know well, and "Abd al-Rahman," these are among my students at the Islamic University. As for Abu Yusuf now, you are trying to remind me.

The questioner : He was with them.

The Shaykh : He was with them.

The questioner : And he was expelled with them.

The Shaykh : With them.

The questioner : Three.

The Shaykh : Ah, yes, Subhan Allah! And what was his relationship with 'Abd al-Rahman?

The questioner : It was very good, meaning, in the days he used to criticize 'Abd al-Rahman, but now he has started to understand things from 'Abd al-Rahman, ah, meaning he has some understanding of him, even though there are some fatwas that 'Abd al-Rahman issues that Abu Yusuf does not agree with.

The Shaykh : This is a natural matter.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And that is why I asked you; because 'Abd al-Rahman, although he is one of our brothers and students as we mentioned, in my opinion, the political aspect overtook him, so I think he deviated somewhat from the Salafi line, and this is not an easy matter; meaning, when he writes in a thesis of his, you know its name, that a Muslim must commit some of the forbidden things in this age, do you remember this statement?

The questioner : No, by Allah, I do not remember it. Which thesis?

The Shaykh : Do you remember this statement?

Another questioner : It is "The Muslims and Political Work."

The Shaykh : Yes, have you not read this thesis?

The questioner : No, by Allah, I have not read it.

The Shaykh : Even though he has a thesis on the prohibition of installment sales which is useful, yes, so Subhan Allah! Infallibility is not in anyone after the Messenger of Allah.

The questioner : Regarding the issue of the harshness of Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him).

The Shaykh : Regarding what?

The questioner : The harshness of Abu Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him) was possible at the beginning, but in his last visit... reconciling the quarreling brothers.

The Shaykh : I had a reservation in my question; I asked Abu Muhammad whether this harshness still exists or whether the days have polished it away? [The Shaykh laughs!]. Praise be to Allah.

Another questioner : We were surprised by what had polished it away.

The Shaykh: Glory be to Allah!

Another questioner : I mean, it is something strange.

The Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him.

The questioner : He benefited us, by Allah, greatly, and I also have harshness, as I mentioned to you in the car.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : ... in this stick.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : There is harshness, activity like this, and I like to attack whoever I see who is not on the Sunnah, meaning talking to him once or twice does not work, I like to attack him.

The Shaykh : You swallow it [The Shaykh laughs!].

The questioner : I hit him, I beat him thoroughly, but then, if someone does not respond without hitting, I mean... even if... upon me, so Abu Yusuf warned me, he said to me: "Come, I was harsh, and you appear to be harsh like me."

The Shaykh : Birds fall according to their kind!

The questioner : So he said to me: "I hope for you that in the future, if Allah wills, with your practice of this methodology, you will have calmness."

The Shaykh : What Allah willed!

The questioner : And you polish your affairs little by little, and he advised me, saying to me: "Beware of isolating yourself from these people, even though they have deviation, meaning they are not walking on the correct methodology." And he said to me: "I fear that Allah will afflict you as He afflicted Yunus; because you are a caller and you understand; meaning, if you leave these people, even if they are not on the path, you must..."

The Shaykh : There is no god but Allah!

The questioner : And you remain with them, and you enjoin good upon them and forbid evil, and perhaps Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will guide them and they will truly become... This is a great wisdom I learned from him. I realized that these people for whom I was impatient for their maturity, it was a mistake and recklessness, so they became, what Allah willed, as Abu Yusuf advised me.

The Shaykh : This is the truth without doubt - may Allah have mercy on him - and if the caller is not like that, his harm may be greater than his benefit.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: Yes.
I remember the story of one of the Salafi shaykhs there - and how few they are! - he was gray-haired at that time and I was a young man. He had, I mean, a very strange harshness. From his harshness, the following story...