He spoke about the lesser and greater release from the state of ihram and how that is done.

The Shaykh : Especially since you know, considering that you are intending to perform Hajj to the House of Allah the Exalted, that when a Muslim enters the state of ihram for 'Umrah or Hajj, certain things become forbidden to him. Then he releases himself from these forbidden matters in two stages: the first stage is called by the jurists the lesser release, and the other stage is called the greater release. When does the pilgrim achieve the lesser release? When he throws the stones at the large pillar on the day of 'Id. What does the one who wants to release himself do? He shortens his hair, he trims his fingernails, and the one who is usually in the habit of shaving his beard will begin to commit a sin against his Lord on the day of 'Id, which is shaving his beard. This is a very serious problem, but most people do not know it. Therefore, we want all our brother pilgrims, whether they are Egyptian, Syrian, or Jordanian, to repent to Allah the Mighty and Majestic with sincere repentance from every sin and crime, including what is apparent to the eye. As for what is between each person and Allah, only the Knower of the Unseen knows that, but we have the apparent, and Allah takes care of the hidden. So I advise you to begin your Hajj with repentance from this very hour for shaving the beard; because you will be surprised on the day of 'Id by the lesser release, where you will shave your heads and your beards, and this is a sin. Instead of opening a step and a new life with our Lord the Exalted through the lesser release, we find ourselves shaving it and then throwing it to the ground. This is not how the Muslim pilgrim should be. Therefore, I wanted to remind you, for the reminder benefits the believers. And let no one of you make an excuse with the social life that has become entrenched and dominant over many Muslims; because this life was created by the colonizer. The colonizer in Egypt is the British, and the colonizer in Syria is France, and there are many colonizers, and they are the ones who brought us these traditions that have absolutely no connection to Islam. You may be very surprised if you read Islamic history, that whoever committed a crime previously and the Shari'ah judge wanted to publicize it among the people and make it a lesson for those who take heed, would have his beard shaved. So shaving the beard is mutilation, but people have become accustomed to this due to the dominance of Western customs in many Islamic countries. Therefore, I return finally and say: you must strive with all earnestness to return from your sins because of the Hajj, as if your mothers had just given birth to you. And the first of the good news of that is that you intend to be free from this sin. That is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: , , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a man who came to him from the King of Persia while he had shaved his beard, he said: He said: My Lord ordered me, meaning the King of Persia. He (peace be upon him) said: , so the mark of the Muslim is not the mark of the disbeliever. The Muslim lets his beard grow because it is a creation from the creation of Allah, as He the Exalted said: , perhaps in that is a reminder, and the reminder benefits the believers. And I hope if you have an observation or a problem, I want to hear it, so that we can exchange views on it.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Professor.

The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you

The questioner : I wish we could get to know you.

Another questioner: ThisThe Shaykh : Nasir al-Din al-Albani

The Shaykh : My name is: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, yes.