The situation of the students in Albania was mentioned to the Shaykh.

The questioner : Regarding the matter of the students currently in Syria, these students were brought by the brother Ibrahim al-Sulayman, who is one of the wealthy men in Saudi Arabia. There was an agreement between him and the Mufti of Albania to send a group of students to study outside of Albania. Since there is only one institute in Albania, affiliated with the Islamic Waqf Association, and this institute, praise be to Allah, follows the methodology of the Book, the Sunnah, and the way of the righteous Salaf,

The Shaykh : in Syria.

The questioner : in Albania.

The Shaykh : in Albania.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : he brought these students to us, and they stayed with us for about three and a half months, during which they studied, praise be to Allah, the Arabic language, and some of them studied the Islamic sciences. When they went to Syria, I went with them.

The Shaykh : Why did they go to Syria?

The questioner : There was an agreement between Ibrahim Sulayman, the Mufti of Albania, and the director of the institute in Syria, Abdullah ... He wanted to send two groups: one group to Syria and the other group to Lebanon. Praise be to Allah, we stopped the group for Lebanon, and praise be to Allah, after it became clear to us that the institute in Lebanon is an institute whose creed is Ash'ari and Maturidi, and it declares, may Allah protect us, every one who is upon the Sunnah to be a disbeliever!

The Shaykh : Yes, but I did not get an answer to my question. What is this agreement? In other words, what is the question?

The questioner : Yes, this brother Ibrahim Sulayman is driven only by emotions. I discussed these matters with him, and he said to me, "The important thing is the Arabic language, and these students will have summer courses held for them afterwards to correct their creed." So I informed him about the situation of the students in Syria, but the man did not care about the creed. As for the students in Lebanon, we stopped them, praise be to Allah, after it became clear to us about the institute in Lebanon. I went there and visited it. In any case, these students, praise be to Allah, are holding fast to what they previously studied at the institute. So we praise Allah for that. And now we are striving to take them out to Albania, and this is their desire: to return to the institute as they were before.

The Shaykh : This is my question: Why were they transferred from the institute to an institute in Syria, which is Hanafi? Why?

The questioner : I told you that this agreement was between these students. They were not with us; rather, they came and said, "You must teach them for only three months." We did not know that they were going to Syria until about a month and a half after the Islamic studies course. So the Shaykh, the students are now in Syria. Also, the students currently with us at the institute number one hundred and twenty, and they remain, praise be to Allah, praise be to Allah, holding fast to the Sunnah. We praise Allah for that. But as I mentioned before, harassment is inevitable.

The Shaykh : Where is this institute in Albania?

The questioner : This institute is in ... in a city belonging to Elbasan called Serek. The city of Serek?

The Shaykh : What is its name?

The questioner : The city of Serek.

The Shaykh : Serek.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And is it large?

The questioner : Very small.

The Shaykh : Small.

The questioner : Yes, but praise be to Allah, there is an association established for this institute, and its methodology, praise be to Allah, is sound. We praise Allah for that.

The Shaykh : Are the teachers there Arab Saudis?

The questioner : There are two from Saudi Arabia, and the rest are from Sudan.

The Shaykh : From Sudan.

The questioner : Sudan.
The Shaykh: Salafis, meaning.

The questioner : We praise Allah.

The Shaykh : May Allah support their da'wah.

The questioner : Amen. O Allah, Amen.

The Shaykh : Allah is sought for help.

The questioner : I do not know, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : ... Try to give them news, yes.