The reality of the Albanian Islamic Sheikhate and the shirk (associating partners with Allah) in which they fall was mentioned to the Shaykh.

The questioner : I mean, I will mention to you some of their actions and the beliefs they hold. Many of these imams and muftis fall into shirk, and I seek refuge in Allah from the shirk that one should not remain silent about. There are three graves in Albania that are called upon other than Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) and worshipped other than Him. When we discussed these matters with them, they said to us, "Our religion is not like your religion." This is the first matter. The second matter is that many of them work in the administration of the fatwa in this Sheikhate, and they also do not pray the five daily prayers and do not teach people the religion of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). These are the things I brought with me from the actions of the imams and muftis in the administration of the Islamic Sheikhate, many of which they use to seek help from the jinn in fulfilling their needs and relieving their distress. I hope that you will offer them advice and call them to the true call that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left us with. This is the general summary regarding the Islamic Sheikhate. Also, some of the issues they discuss are that they fall into many religious innovations. It would be good if you clarified something to them regarding the warning against innovations and following the Sunnah. Also, many of the students are happy to hear your speech and feel at ease with your opinion, so I hope you will tell them something of what I have mentioned to you?

The Shaykh : In any case, my brother, you should know that Albania lived for many years under communist rule. And not only that, but you should know that all non-Arab countries live in such ignorance (jahiliyyah) or polytheism, and even some Arab countries. If you went to Egypt, which they claim today is the heartland of Arabness, you would find there circumambulation around the grave of Lady Zaynab, the grave of al-Sayyid al-Badawi, and Tantawi, and the like of them. Therefore, such deviants from the correct creed, from the Book and the Sunnah, do not benefit from general advice, such as the obligation to return to the Book and the Sunnah, and to adhere to the Sunnah and leave innovation, and the like. Because these meanings are completely foreign to them. Just as you are speaking, what do they say? I lived in Syria among my Albanian people, and when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) guided me to follow the Sunnah, the Albanians and the shaykhs who live in Arab Syria fought me and cut me off, and said that I should be flogged forty lashes. Why? Because as soon as they saw me raising my hands at the bowing (ruku') and when rising from it, they were Hanafis, and they said, "You have become a Shafi'i, and the one who changes the Hanafi school of jurisprudence should be flogged forty lashes." And at the head of these was the person closest to me, a jurist who strictly adhered to the Hanafi knowledge. So what do you do now in Albania after they were colonized by communism and became strangers to traditional knowledge? The same traditional knowledge.