A statement by Abu Ishaq al-Huwaini and Ali Hasan al-Halabi regarding the al-Huda wa al-Nur series and the Journey of Goodness (Shaykh al-Albani’s Hajj and his journey to Makkah and al-Madinah)

The questioner : Praise is to Allah, the Exalted; we praise Him, seek His help, and ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our own souls and the badness of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah, the Exalted, guides, none can misguide, and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. As for what follows, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The worst of matters are those newly invented, and every newly invented matter is a religious innovation, every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. This is the al-Huda wa al-Nur series, consisting of fatwas on questions to which our Shaykh was pleased to answer.The Shaykh : The Imam, the Muhaddith of the Levant, the beauty of the days, the pillar of the Salafis, and the Shaykh of the traditionalists: the 'alim, the rabani scholar, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani. May Allah rectify his inner state, remove his ailments, and extend his lifespan. The importance of these fatwas and issues lies in the fact that they address many of the issues and matters a Muslim needs throughout his life, accompanied by the evidence for them. This is the matter for which our Shaykh, may Allah preserve him, has striven and fought throughout his blessed life, if Allah wills, the Exalted. And by Allah, he has truly succeeded in this, achieving great success. His method in issuing fatwas is known to those who reflect on it: he mentions the principle upon which he relies, then derives rulings from it and often elaborates by giving examples to clarify the intended meaning for the questioner. Thus, his method is also educational. The most distinctive feature of it is that it helps one understand the ruling from the evidence. This is what distinguishes our Shaykh from many Shaykhs and muftis. Our beloved brother Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Layla labored to collect them, organizing, refining, and arranging them. He followed the Shaykh in travel and residence, capturing hundreds of fatwas from his mouth. May Allah reward him with the best reward for us; He is sufficient for all that is beautiful, and He is our sufficient protector and the best Disposer of affairs. This was said by Abu Ishaq al-Huwaini, may Allah treat him with His hidden mercy, on the Day of Tarwiyah, the eighth of Dhu al-Hijjah, in the year 1410 of the Hijrah of the best of those who trod the dust (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and the best of prayers and the most complete of salutations are upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad the Guide, the Trustworthy, and upon his noble and honorable family and Companions. As for what follows, among the great successes of Allah, the Exalted, and the completion of His blessings is that He, in His majesty and blessed name, facilitated for us the companionship of our eminent Shaykh, the 'alim, the Imam, the Muhaddith of the era, the pride of the Levant, our teacher Abu 'Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, the Shaykh of the traditionalists and the pillar of the Salafis. May Allah prolong his life and conclude his deeds with righteousness. This was accompanied by a pleasant companionship with students of knowledge, whom the Lord, Glorified is He, has guided. This was during the Hajj journey to the House of Allah, the Exalted, in the year 1410 of the Hijrah of the Master of Mankind, upon whom be the best of prayers and peace. These tapes we are presenting are part of the recordings of the al-Huda wa al-Nur series, which are the beneficial and useful recordings that our excellent and diligent brother Muhammad ibn Ahmad
Al-Halabi : al-Asfari, may Allah increase him in success and make truth his companion, is responsible for recording, refining, and arranging. This blessed and good journey deserves to be called the Journey of Goodness because of the abundant benefits and sciences, like pearls, scattered through several gatherings in the pure city of al-Madinah, the sacred city of Makkah, and other cities whose atmospheres were perfumed by the words of our Shaykh and the fragrance of his knowledge. It is not hidden from one whom Allah, the Exalted, has guided to beneficial knowledge and true da'wah the great value of these recordings, for they contain scientific issues, jurisprudential discussions, hadith arts, and da'wah matters, all standing on the foundation of evidence and proof, woven in the style of argument and clarity, flowing from the mind of our Shaykh, the 'alim, the Muhaddith of the fuqaha and the faqih of the muhaddithin. May Allah reward him with the best of what He rewards His righteous slaves with. We ask the Great Allah, and we seek nearness to Him through His exalted attributes and His beautiful names, that He may magnify the benefit of these recordings and bestow abundant reward and recompense upon those who worked on them. He is the Merciful, the Generous, the Bountiful, the Giver. And our final supplication is that all praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds. This was said by Ali ibn Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abd al-HamidAbu Layla : Al-Asheeri, may Allah increase him in success and make truth his companion. This blessed and virtuous journey truly deserves to be called the Journey of Goodness, given the abundant benefits and precious knowledge it contained, which were scattered across numerous gatherings in Taybah al-Tayyibah, the Holy Land, and other cities whose atmospheres were perfumed by the words of our Shaykh and the fragrance of his knowledge. It is not hidden from those whom Allah the Exalted has guided to beneficial knowledge and the true call the great value of these recordings, for they contain scientific issues, jurisprudential investigations, hadith disciplines, and da'wah matters built upon the foundation of evidence and proof, woven in the style of argument and eloquence, flowing from the intellect of our Shaykh, the distinguished scholar, the muhaddith of the jurists and the jurist of the muhaddiths. May Allah reward him with the best of what He rewards His righteous servants with. We ask the Great Allah, seeking nearness through His exalted attributes and His beautiful names, to magnify the benefit of these recordings and to bestow abundant reward and recompense upon those who worked on them. He is the Merciful, the Generous, the Kind, the Giver. And our final prayer is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. This was said by 'Ali ibn Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-Hamid.Al-Halabi : Brothers in faith, and now we are with tape number 361, which is the first tape of the Journey of Goodness.
Abu Layla : O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.