The Shaykh Al-Albani’s Defense of Ibrahim Shuqara.

The Shaykh : But the very, very important thing is what he attributed to our brotherThe Shaykh : Muhammad Shuqara, namely that he denied the obligation of jihad, and similar phrases that I find it difficult to recall right now, such as the meaning of his statement that he brought a new Salafiyyah, or something like that. Then perhaps he indicated that I might agree with him on that. We see that our brother Abd al-Rahman—may Allah guide us and him to the truth in what people differ on—went too far with his pen. Not in the newsletter he says he did not prepare for publication in a magazine, but in the very article he published in the magazine. He attributed to our brother Muhammad Shuqara what he explicitly contradicted in his book titled *Salafiyyah is Salafiyyah*. Therefore, I see that the disagreement that should be resolved is that there should be no disagreement between two people, both of whom work in the Salafi da'wah, upon the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous predecessors. They are our brother Abd al-Rahman and our brother Muhammad Shuqara. I have learned, and it appears you did not know this news, that Muhammad Shuqara contacted our brother Abd al-Rahman and took offense at what he published, not only in the newsletter but also in the magazine. And according to what our brotherThe Shaykh : Muhammad Shuqara reported, our brother Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq apologized that he wrote the article in a hurry. So, if the matter is as our brother Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq told you, that he is ready to publish any response he receives to what he published in the magazine, then in my opinion the response is already with the brotherThe Shaykh : Muhammad. Therefore, the issue is concluded from this perspective, as far as I know. You should, as you know, review with our brother Abu Malik and either take the response from him and send it to Abd al-Rahman, or have our brother Muhammad Shuqara send it in the manner he approves of. And I ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to inspire us with good style first in responding and being just toward those who differ with us in opinion. We do not deny that disagreement is a natural matter; because this type of disagreement, or a type of disagreement, existed in the era of the righteous predecessors among the Companions, let alone among the imams who came after them. But we have never known any of them to fabricate against his Muslim brother, or to say about him what he did not say. And in my opinion, after we read what was in *al-Furqan* and read what was in Muhammad Shuqara’s book, we found a complete divergence, where he dedicated a specific chapter to the obligation of jihad. However, he rambled around what I rambled about just now, namely that it is necessary to take the equipment for jihad, and that jihad must be under an Islamic banner and an obeyed commander. This does not mean that he denied jihad; rather, he affirmed jihad. But jihad is not chaos, nor is it a psychological revolution with unbridled emotions, from behind which many individuals among the Muslims launch themselves, only to find destruction without benefiting this cause in any way. So, may Allah bless you. Your answer is with Professor Muhammad Shuqara, if Allah wills.
Abu Layla : Of course, the details are in your tape in which you spoke, and it was in the presence of our Shaykh Abu Malik. It is tape number seven hundred, and it contains a complete detail on the subject.

The Shaykh : Also, there is something else. We proposed to our brother Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq that he visit us and stay as a guest in my humble home, so that we can discuss in person. Because the truth is, a written response is long-winded and takes up a lot of space, whereas in a single sitting, one person might say a word, and it is said to him, "This is a mistake," and he says, "I intended such and such, and I did not mean such and such, but I intended such and such." The solution can be achieved orally, whereas in writing, it takes up a very large amount of time. Therefore, we sincerely hope to be granted a visit from our brother Abd al-Rahman, especially since it has been about ten years or more since we saw him.
The questioner: ... Perhaps that is near.
Abu Layla : ... And I was about to, as if I learned from your precision thatThe Shaykh : Muhammad Shuqara is the one who contactedThe Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq.

The Shaykh : The point is that a connection was made between them. As for who initiated the contact? I know that our brother Abu Malik was eager to contact Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq, and I know that he requested it more than once, and he was told that he was traveling
Abu Layla : to the Emirates.

The Shaykh : to the Emirates, and after that, Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq contacted Abu Malik and the discussion took place.

The questioner : ... And I forgot to convey this. My teacherThe Shaykh : Abu Malik told me that he was the one who initiated the contact with our brother Abd al-Rahman. And this reassured my heart greatly that the intention is good withThe Shaykh : Abu Malik and thatThe Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman did not fully understand; he rushed and rushed in understanding his intent.

The Shaykh : This is what he explicitly stated, according to what our brother Abu Malik reported. In any case, may Allah bring about good.

The questioner : I ask the noble brother, your son-in-law, my brother in Allah whom I love for the sake of Allah,The Shaykh : Nizam Sukajha, to take the response to the response that was prepared forThe Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq, our teacher Abu Malik; becauseThe Shaykh : Abu Malik is now traveling in Aqaba, and I contacted him to get it but I did not find him.
At the end of my meeting, I, the poor servant to the forgiveness of Allah, the Exalted, with my teacher and Shaykh and the Shaykh of my colleagues,The Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq, and the students of knowledge and callers to Allah in Kuwait and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, many of whom rewarded Allah with good, conveyed to me a trust. It is that I contact His Eminence my father and ask him to answer these questions which His Eminence has answered. So may Allah reward him with all good. And I have a feeling that Allah, Mighty and Majestic—and I always say this according to my frank nature which I cannot bear to conceal—and I ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to inspire us all with the truth and the right path, that Allah, the Exalted, expanded my chest for what His EminenceThe Shaykh : spoke about, before I met him, because we have not known from him anything but the soundness of intention, and we do not praise him before Allah except for the soundness of intention. And we have not known from him except his love for his brothers and for the scholars of the Muslims and his students, like a kind father to them. And this increased our certainty in this matter when we heard his last words, addressing his student or students as "my brothers." And this is from his humility. There is no harm, but it is a source of pride when these brothers, such asThe Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq and others, are very proud to hear that His EminenceThe Shaykh : Al-Albani says, "Convey my greetings" or "I have heard about my students" or "my student"The Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq. And as I testify to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, that they are proud of that, we hope that if foundThe Shaykh : in another context, when he calls them "my brothers and my students," they rejoice with that. And I am certain of this, and I say nothing but the truth, if Allah wills. We ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, by His noble names and His exalted attributes, in this blessed night, the night of Friday, the fourth of Shawwal, and we are before His Eminence my fatherThe Shaykh : Al-Albani, we ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to bless his life, and to prolong his benefit for Islam and the Muslims. O Allah, amen. O Allah, amen. And may Allah reward with good the one who recorded this conversation. I do not know, I do not remember his name.
Al-Halabi : Ahmad.Abu Layla

The questioner : The Shaykh : Ahmad.Abu Layla : And the one who brought me to the home of His EminenceThe Shaykh : Al-Albani is his son-in-law, the servant of his Muslim brothers,The Shaykh : Nizam Sukajha, Abu Abdullah. We ask Allah, and also the presence in that, and may Allah reward with good our father Al-Albani, for as we have known him, he is patient. Rather, we knew in his gathering what I feared for him regarding taking up his time. But my brothers present, his son-in-lawThe Shaykh : Nizam Sukajha, His Eminence my father, means it delights him, rather he hopes for the reward of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And he was ready to prolong this conversation if we wanted to double the questions for him. May Allah reward him with good and bless him, and bless his life. I say this and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you.

The Shaykh : And may Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Abu Layla: Our brotherThe Shaykh : Akram came from Kuwait as a guest here, and he has some questions. We start with them first, and these are the brothers.

The Shaykh : But he did not start by himself first; someone else started.
Abu Layla : You know, our Shaykh, our brothers, may Allah be pleased with them...

Another questioner : This brother Muhammad came visiting from Kuwait.

The Shaykh : Welcome.

Another questioner : Some of the young Salafi brothers in Kuwait are sending greetings and salutations, and they are bringing some questions and inquiries, may Allah will it, hoping for an answer. They also want a special greeting from you for the people of al-Fayha', as they reside in the al-Fayha' area, where many of our Salafi brothers live. May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : Please go ahead. I have no objection, but when I opened the door for questions, he was ahead of me. So there is no harm in us answering the one who raised his hand with a brief answer, and then you can prepare yourself to direct your questions. Please go ahead.