Ali Hasan reading to the Shaykh from a book by Abdullah al-Khums in which he spoke about the scholarly life of Shaykh al-Albani in Damascus.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Al-Halabi : I had mentioned to you about Abdullah al-Khums, the Saudi scholar and geographer.
The Shaykh : Al-Khums.
Al-Halabi : He has a book titled *A Month in Damascus*; one of the brothers showed me a copy of it regarding his visit to you. So, in some matters, I am reading it for the benefit, and for another reason, to verify, my Shaykh, a point he made. He said that you were studying *Tabaqat Fuhalash Shu'ara*?
The Shaykh : I was not studying it; I was attending...
Al-Halabi : Attending, yes. That is how I understood his words; it is not clear, I mean.
The Shaykh : He says that I was studying?
Al-Halabi : It seems the phrase came out that way because it appeared in the context of mentioning the principles of jurisprudence I studied, along with *Khalaf* and *Zad al-Ma'ad* and these things.
The Shaykh : No, I was attending. The one who was teaching *Tabaqat* was the director, not the head, of the Arab Scientific Academy in Damascus. Do you remember his name?
Al-Halabi : Al-Munawwi.
The Shaykh : No, Mustafa... what? Yes.
The questioner : May Allah keep you.The Shaykh
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you and bless you. By Allah, I forgot Mustafa... what. He was among those who attended the lesson.The Shaykh : Bahjat al-Bitar and Professor al-Tanukhi were there, but that one was him, approximately...
Al-Halabi : The one who was teaching?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Al-Halabi : Here, what does it say, my teacher...
The Shaykh : The head of the Arab Scientific Academy, which is opposite the Zahiriyyah Library. What does it say?
Al-Halabi : It says the first statement, meaning there are indeed things that stir the ambition of the student of knowledge, under the title "Salafism Among the Ranks of the University and the Circles of Scholars."
The Shaykh : Good.
Al-Halabi : It says: "I have said on more than one occasion that Islamic thought is now directed toward purifying Islam from the dregs of doubts, superstitions, and misguidance that have clung to it, and taking it in its pure, pristine state, as it was brought by Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace and blessings be upon him), and as it was known by his Companions and the Salaf of this Ummah, who represented Islam in the most truthful way and understood it as it should be understood. But when the Khalaf of this Ummah smeared it with every shameful thing and labeled it with every defect and misguidance..."
The Shaykh : Shameful, yes.
Al-Halabi : "...and labeled it with every defect and misguidance in order to achieve their goals, promote their principles, exalt their leaders, and preserve their interests, the scale of Islam was tipped, and it became light in the eyes of its enemies. The generations continued to carry an empty Islam, devoid of all spirit, far from all progress. At that time, its enemies said that it is a religion suitable for the time in which it was legislated, and does not keep pace with the leaps and achievements of this era, nor with the age of radar, television, and the splitting of the atom. They said this and similar things, and cited the shameful reality of its people as proof. Then some of the young, emerging youth of Islam found it to be a cause supported by evidence, so they applauded it and shaved their beards. They traveled east and west and claimed that they had grasped the seal of Solomon or the staff of Moses, not knowing that the call was false, that the evidence was booby-trapped, and that the degradation of the reality of Muslims descended upon them from themselves, not from their religion."
The Shaykh : But pay attention now.
Al-Halabi : Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The expression, and they thought they were what?
Al-Halabi : "They said this and similar things and similar things," or before that.
The Shaykh : Where did you finish?
Al-Halabi : "They said this and similar things and similar things, and cited the shameful reality of its people as proof."
The Shaykh : Of the youth, of the youth?
Al-Halabi : "Then some of the youth, the emerging youth of Islam, found it to be a cause supported by evidence, so they applauded it and shaved their beards."
The Shaykh : Al-Khums.
Al-Halabi : He has a book titled *A Month in Damascus*; one of the brothers showed me a copy of it regarding his visit to you. So, in some matters, I am reading it for the benefit, and for another reason, to verify, my Shaykh, a point he made. He said that you were studying *Tabaqat Fuhalash Shu'ara*?
The Shaykh : I was not studying it; I was attending...
Al-Halabi : Attending, yes. That is how I understood his words; it is not clear, I mean.
The Shaykh : He says that I was studying?
Al-Halabi : It seems the phrase came out that way because it appeared in the context of mentioning the principles of jurisprudence I studied, along with *Khalaf* and *Zad al-Ma'ad* and these things.
The Shaykh : No, I was attending. The one who was teaching *Tabaqat* was the director, not the head, of the Arab Scientific Academy in Damascus. Do you remember his name?
Al-Halabi : Al-Munawwi.
The Shaykh : No, Mustafa... what? Yes.
The questioner : May Allah keep you.The Shaykh
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you and bless you. By Allah, I forgot Mustafa... what. He was among those who attended the lesson.The Shaykh : Bahjat al-Bitar and Professor al-Tanukhi were there, but that one was him, approximately...
Al-Halabi : The one who was teaching?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Al-Halabi : Here, what does it say, my teacher...
The Shaykh : The head of the Arab Scientific Academy, which is opposite the Zahiriyyah Library. What does it say?
Al-Halabi : It says the first statement, meaning there are indeed things that stir the ambition of the student of knowledge, under the title "Salafism Among the Ranks of the University and the Circles of Scholars."
The Shaykh : Good.
Al-Halabi : It says: "I have said on more than one occasion that Islamic thought is now directed toward purifying Islam from the dregs of doubts, superstitions, and misguidance that have clung to it, and taking it in its pure, pristine state, as it was brought by Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace and blessings be upon him), and as it was known by his Companions and the Salaf of this Ummah, who represented Islam in the most truthful way and understood it as it should be understood. But when the Khalaf of this Ummah smeared it with every shameful thing and labeled it with every defect and misguidance..."
The Shaykh : Shameful, yes.
Al-Halabi : "...and labeled it with every defect and misguidance in order to achieve their goals, promote their principles, exalt their leaders, and preserve their interests, the scale of Islam was tipped, and it became light in the eyes of its enemies. The generations continued to carry an empty Islam, devoid of all spirit, far from all progress. At that time, its enemies said that it is a religion suitable for the time in which it was legislated, and does not keep pace with the leaps and achievements of this era, nor with the age of radar, television, and the splitting of the atom. They said this and similar things, and cited the shameful reality of its people as proof. Then some of the young, emerging youth of Islam found it to be a cause supported by evidence, so they applauded it and shaved their beards. They traveled east and west and claimed that they had grasped the seal of Solomon or the staff of Moses, not knowing that the call was false, that the evidence was booby-trapped, and that the degradation of the reality of Muslims descended upon them from themselves, not from their religion."
The Shaykh : But pay attention now.
Al-Halabi : Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The expression, and they thought they were what?
Al-Halabi : "They said this and similar things and similar things," or before that.
The Shaykh : Where did you finish?
Al-Halabi : "They said this and similar things and similar things, and cited the shameful reality of its people as proof."
The Shaykh : Of the youth, of the youth?
Al-Halabi : "Then some of the youth, the emerging youth of Islam, found it to be a cause supported by evidence, so they applauded it and shaved their beards."
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.