We request that Your Eminence write on the topic of (Purifying the Prophetic Sunnah from Weak Hadiths) and the Shaykh’s response to al-Ghazali.

The questioner : May Allah reward you and grant us long life with you, meaning that both near and far know of your service to the Prophetic Sunnah. May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Please, go ahead.

The questioner : I am well, Shaykh. Today, Shaykh, al-Rawaydah spoke out and attacked the Prophetic Sunnah. Newspapers like Khudra al-Daman, al-Sharq al-Awsat, al-Muslimun, and others opened up to this issue, and some of the wearing of the turban took the lead in the matter. You and all the people know that a conference was held titled "Purifying the Prophetic Sunnah from Authentic Hadiths," and you are the champion of the arena, our Shaykh. Can we hope for an independent study on this topic?

The Shaykh : That is undoubtedly my duty, if you have a good opinion of me.

The questioner : May Allah honor you. May Allah preserve you.

The Shaykh : But the problem for me at this time, which requires me to perform this duty, is that many of my books are currently in print. Some need introductions, and some need indexes, proofreading, and the like. Therefore, I cannot, under any circumstances, devote myself to fulfilling this duty, which I feel I am capable of handling to the extent of my knowledge. And Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. Nevertheless, despite this tight schedule, I have seized many opportunities to respond to this man on occasions I have taken advantage of. For example, regarding the description of prayer, I addressed it in the introduction. I had previously quoted from one of his books, an article or a part of it, on the occasion of responding to those who follow scholars without knowing their evidence. He stated that he had held a conference in America that gathered a group of Orientalists, and a discussion took place about Muslims and their callers. They naturally raised objections about which Islam these Muslims are calling to: Sunni Islam, or Shia Islam, or Zaydi Islam? Then Hanafi Islam, or Maliki? Or Shafi'i? Or Hanbali? He concluded the article with a word of truth, saying, "But the Islamic callers themselves are in confusion." I had quoted this word from him. Now that the cover has been removed and the reality of the man has become clear, and before that, you knew that I had traced his book and written that introduction for him, thereby revealing his plan at that time to critique the hadiths by authenticating and weakening them. However, these features were not as clear as he has done in his latest book.

The questioner : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : Nevertheless, I responded to him to the extent that time allowed. When I met him at the Islamic University in the Supreme Council, we used to meet with him in some years. I conveyed my objection to him directly. One of the signs of his complete deviation is that he is now printing *Fiqh al-Sirah* without the introduction.

The questioner : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : Did you perhaps see that?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : So I wrote a comment on the introduction, in which I mentioned his previous statement. I said at the beginning of the word, "It appears that Shaykh al-Ghazali is one of those confused callers." I continued for about a page and a half in this small font. I also responded to him, I think, in the commentary on *Mukhtasar Muslim*. He is also printing it now, hadith by hadith, where Musa (peace be upon him) cursed the angel of death for the evil eye. And so I seize the opportunity. As for devoting myself to studying the book and critiquing it with every sentence of his, unfortunately, my time does not support me now, because the printing presses are delayed and the publishers also object, and they have the right to do so. So ask Allah for me to enable me to do what is obligatory upon me, if Allah wills.

The questioner : O Allah, weigh their scales of good deeds with this.

The Shaykh : O Allah, amen.