The Shaykh’s remarks on the call of Hassan al-Banna.

The questioner : The reality of the matter of the Book and the Sunnah is a topic that has stirred much discussion and debate. Some of the brothers in the Islamic arena will tell you, “Yes, I take from the Book and the Sunnah. I take the Book and the Sunnah as stated, or as interpreted by one of the imams, for example, Hassan al-Banna (may Allah have mercy on him).”

The Shaykh : Who?

The questioner : Hassan al-Banna. He took from the Book and the Sunnah. You find among his followers now—meaning, we have heard that some say, “I do not take anything except exactly as Hassan al-Banna said.” I say to you, “My brother, go back to the Book and the Sunnah.” They say, “He takes from the Book and the Sunnah, so therefore I take from the Book and the Sunnah.” Many people say this. The arena becomes crowded. You all claim to follow the Book and the Sunnah, so come, sit down together, and the first thing that happens is they fight each other. So where is the Book and the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : Why do they fight? Because they are partisan. They are not living in one mold. Then, is Hassan al-Banna on the Book and the Sunnah? The Book and the Sunnah are few in words, but they encompass the entire life of the Muslim in every aspect of life. The Book and the Sunnah. And here it is said:
“And every one claims a connection to Layla, but Layla does not approve of that for them.”
First, Hassan al-Banna was not a man of knowledge; he was a man of da'wah (calling). Allah benefited the Muslim youth through him, as he saved them from the cafes, cinemas, and so on. There is no doubt about that. But where are the books of Hassan al-Banna that indicate his knowledge? His father, whose name was 'Abd al-Rahman, had some books that indicated his knowledge. But his son, Hassan al-Banna, has only some small letters. These small letters are as a methodology for his da'wah, meaning, but they do not indicate that the man was a scholar. So the one who says, “I am on the Book and the Sunnah and on the methodology of Hassan al-Banna,” this is proof that he has closed his eyes and surrendered to the desire of blind partisanship for Hassan al-Banna. Now, Hassan al-Banna has a small letter on dhikr (remembrance of Allah), called al-Ma'thurāt (The Narrated Traditions). It is very small; I do not know if you have seen it or not?

The questioner : Yes, I have seen it.

The Shaykh : One of the senior Muslim Brothers in the Levant offered to me to trace the sources of this letter and print it with this scholarly tracing. Because he trusts me as a specialist in the science of hadith. I told him, “I will do that, but I fear my efforts will be wasted.” He said, “Why?” I said, “Now, your scientific and religious emotion is what carries you to this suggestion that I trace the letter of Hassan al-Banna. But from the partisan side, the situation does not work. Because when it is said to the Muslim Brothers: ‘This is the letter of Hassan al-Banna with the tracing of al-Albani,’ they will execute this tracing. Because it is too great for them and very big for them that a letter of al-Banna is traced by al-Albani. Why?
Because there is fanaticism, there is blind partisanship. And the man was like one who was asleep and unaware, then he woke up, and he did not sneeze even once, and he did not persist in anything, and so on. Meaning, it was as if Allah wanted to give him this warning. And the letter was not printed except as Hassan al-Banna (may Allah have mercy on him) placed it. What is the letter? He included some books from the books of the old scholars, and selected some hadiths on dhikr and narrated traditions according to what seemed to him, not according to the scientific rules of hadith, because he was not from the people of hadith. His father was somewhat from the people of hadith, but he was not so. Whereas Ahmad Shakir, also Egyptian, is an imam in this science. Therefore, Hassan al-Banna selected al-Ma'thurāt in a non-scientific way, not a scientific one. And yet you find people fanatical about Hassan al-Banna. This fanaticism did not come from knowledge at all, but from blind partisanship. And I said recently, look, the senior Muslim Brothers have cut the relationship between themselves and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and linked their relationship to Hassan al-Banna. And this is apparent. Why?
For example, this man who was afflicted, they lightened his beard. His beard was noble. With whom did he resemble? Hassan al-Banna? No, Hassan al-Banna’s beard is shorter than his now, do you see? So you find the religious Muslim Brothers, and those who do not want to shave their beards, grow a short beard, and put on a mustache, an exact copy of Hassan al-Banna. O people, where are you? Where is the Messenger who is the role model, and who our Lord mentioned in the Noble Qur'an regarding him: So do they not know the life of the Messenger?

The questioner : For whom is there a good example?

The Shaykh : Ah, may Allah bless you: Therefore, they have disconnected from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) because of their turning away from studying the Sunnah and their preoccupation with politics, society, economics, and slogans that have nothing under them but shouting.
The Muslim Brothers left, take the youth of Muhammad further and further. Their religion is sports, football, basketball, and I do not know what other balls there are. I wish these were in the way of holding fast to the Sunnah and strengthening the physique, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is not among the Islamic etiquettes that the Muslim imitates the disbeliever—drink with your right hand—imitates the disbeliever. It is not among the Islamic etiquettes that he exposes his thigh. It is not among the Islamic etiquettes that he wears the clothing of the Jewish-origin scouts; a scout cannot be a scout unless he exposes his thigh. What is this imitation? It is an imitation that is the reality of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) specifically regarding the ignorant among the Muslims: