What is your opinion of al-Shaybani's book, "Al-Albani: His Life and Works"?
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The questioner : What is your view of the book by our brother Muhammad al-Shaybani, "Al-Albani: His Life and Works"? And if the book has shortcomings in certain aspects, what are those aspects in which it fell short?
The Shaykh : This is something I cannot answer, because I have not read it with deep reflection; rather, it is the man's ideas—may Allah reward him with good—he wrote them down and consulted me about some of them, without a doubt. As for giving a general idea of the book, by Allah, it is here with me, but I have not read it. If you have an observation that we can benefit from, we may advise the author accordingly. But as for answering the question, I am not prepared.
The questioner : Before we get into this question, Shaykh, this is a statement by our brother al-Shaybani in a phrase that we would like to read to you. He says in the first volume: "And I can only note that I read this book to the scholar Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani (may Allah preserve him and prolong his life) in multiple sessions over the course of two full years, until it took the form you see before you. We ask Allah for success, guidance, and satisfaction, and that He make it... to the end of it."
The Shaykh : This, my brother, does not go beyond what I said just now. The fact that the man read the book to me in installments and sessions does not give me a consolidated idea in my mind, as if I had just placed the book before me now, after it was printed and this classification was composed. That would not give me the idea that would justify me giving an answer to that question. It is possible that I do not recall now that his statement is attributed to the majority of the book, not every small and large detail. For example, the introduction; it is not necessary that I have looked at it, but generally he means the things that relate to me personally. And a person cannot know them except through the author. So here, if there is something related to this specific point, the person concerned can be asked about it. Is that clear?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is something I cannot answer, because I have not read it with deep reflection; rather, it is the man's ideas—may Allah reward him with good—he wrote them down and consulted me about some of them, without a doubt. As for giving a general idea of the book, by Allah, it is here with me, but I have not read it. If you have an observation that we can benefit from, we may advise the author accordingly. But as for answering the question, I am not prepared.
The questioner : Before we get into this question, Shaykh, this is a statement by our brother al-Shaybani in a phrase that we would like to read to you. He says in the first volume: "And I can only note that I read this book to the scholar Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani (may Allah preserve him and prolong his life) in multiple sessions over the course of two full years, until it took the form you see before you. We ask Allah for success, guidance, and satisfaction, and that He make it... to the end of it."
The Shaykh : This, my brother, does not go beyond what I said just now. The fact that the man read the book to me in installments and sessions does not give me a consolidated idea in my mind, as if I had just placed the book before me now, after it was printed and this classification was composed. That would not give me the idea that would justify me giving an answer to that question. It is possible that I do not recall now that his statement is attributed to the majority of the book, not every small and large detail. For example, the introduction; it is not necessary that I have looked at it, but generally he means the things that relate to me personally. And a person cannot know them except through the author. So here, if there is something related to this specific point, the person concerned can be asked about it. Is that clear?
The questioner : Yes.