Who is the renewer and what are his conditions?
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The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows them. We repeat what we have said before: it is a joy for us and a source of comfort to meet our shaykh,The Shaykh : the distinguished scholar Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani. We ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to guide us and him to what pleases Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). We had begun to giveThe Shaykh : a brief picture of the state of the Salafi da'wah in Yemen. We said that, praise be to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), there is a good spread and an established da'wah of the people of the Sunnah and the community in Yemen. This da'wah is distinguished, praise be to Allah, by the fact that much of its direction and thinking is based on knowledge. The clearest proof of this is that the most important means the callers to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) use in that country are the scientific centers. That is, there are scientific centers in many areas, and these centers are based on dedicating shaykhs and dedicating students of knowledge who receive knowledge. For example, there is a center for Shaykh Mubarak ibn Hadi al-Wadi'i (may Allah preserve him), and there is another center in Marib, and there is a center in Ma'ber, and there is also another center in Sana'a. Approximately, in many cities, these centers are established, and students receive their education through these centers. So the awakening is established, praise be to Allah, even though there are undoubtedly many obstacles and problems that the callers to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) face, like other callers in all regions. We ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to unite the Muslims, to unify the ranks of the callers to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and to grant them all sincerity, correctness, and the right path.
The Shaykh : Amen.
The questioner : Therefore, we take advantage of the time to ask some questions of our Shaykh (may Allah preserve him), which are, or include, hadith questions, other fiqh questions, and other questions related to the da'wah to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So let us begin with the questions, unless there is?
The Shaykh : Please.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. The questions, as my brother Muhammad mentioned, are varied, and if Allah wills, we will pose one question at a time: a hadith question, a fiqh question, and a da'wah question. So the first question is in hadith, O Shaykh.
Abu Layla : If you please, O our Shaykh, if you could list all the questions one after the other, for example, the da'wah ones, so that the tape becomes independent in...
The questioner : Okay, good, if Allah wills... Okay, here is a question. In fact, we have entered the chapter of da'wah questions: Who is the renewer and what are his conditions? Is it required that he be at the head of the century? Is it required that he be free from any religious innovation?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, let me hear the question one by one. Is it required first?
The questioner : Who is the renewer and what are his conditions? Is it required that he be at the head of the century, the head of a hundred years?
The Shaykh : Stop here for a moment. This condition is necessary because it is the text of the hadith So I do not know what is behind the question, even though the text is well known.
The questioner : I mean, for example, there might be a person among the scholars who appeared, for example, in the year, for example, he became famous for knowledge, good, and righteousness in the year, for example, 1250 Hijri, for example.
The Shaykh : Not at the head.
The questioner : So he is not called a renewer in his case.
The Shaykh : Not at the head of every hundred years. Fifty, sixty, seventy, ninety; rather, he must reach the hundred. He may pass away after that by five, ten, etc., and this hadith applies to him.
The questioner : From when does the starting point begin? To be a hundred years, it might be fifty at the head of the year?
The Shaykh : The beginning of what?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : When is the head of the hundred years?
The questioner : Does he mean Hijri or what?
The Shaykh : Of course, Hijri, there is no disagreement on this.
The questioner : From the mission? From the migration?
Mashhur: From the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) informing about the hadith, for example.
The Shaykh : As long as the Muslims have adopted the Hijri calendar as the Islamic calendar, this is the only calendar we can rely on. Please, what do you have? Did you notice when I said, as long as the Muslims adopted the Hijri calendar, the first year begins from the migration, the second, the third? This is actually an example that applies to the verse mentioned earlier, which is the way of the believers, and the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) which was narrated as marfu' but did not become authentic, and it came as mawquf and was established. It is his saying (may Allah be pleased with him): "What the Muslims consider good is good in the sight of Allah." So it is not permissible for us, after this agreement and the practice of the Muslims, from the Salaf, regarding the Hijri calendar, to doubt when the head of the hundred begins. There is no way for such doubt in this practical agreement among the Muslims.
The questioner : I mean, for example, a person was born, for example, in the year 1290 or 1280, and he began seeking knowledge, but he did not become famous for knowledge and ijtihad until, for example, 1340. So in such a case, is he called a renewer?
The Shaykh : Here we have entered another issue. I think we have expanded too much and strayed a little or a lot from the original question. If he dies before the hundred, in his nineties or fifties and nineties, it does not apply to him that he is a renewer at the head of the hundred years. This is a point we should agree on. As for your last question, it is not hidden from you that there are many issues in which a scholar is perplexed, like the clear river that flows into the salt sea, and it remains retaining its identity, then it begins to disappear and disappear until it is completely gone. Between its first flowing into the salt sea and its end, there are degrees. A person doubts: is this fresh, clear water in the middle, or is it that salt, bitter sea water? He doubts. But we start from the beginning and agree on it. We should agree now that the hadith does not apply to one who dies before the head of the hundred years. But now let us take an example: he died at the head of the forty. Here I remind you of a rule, which is a linguistic and legal rule at the same time, which says that what approximates a thing is given its ruling. So now we say: he died at the head of the hundred and five. There is no doubt for us that this hadith applies to him: hundred and five, hundred and ten, hundred and twenty, etc. When you reach the forty, when you pass the fifty and sixty, the example is clear as mentioned earlier. However, I want to say a final word: what is the benefit of going into detail in such an issue? We keep the hadith on its apparent meaning. So whoever it applies to without disagreement that he renewed the religion at the head of the hundred years, whether he strayed after that by five or ten, etc., this is a glad tidings for him, and it does not benefit others at all. But the important thing, in truth, is to know the remaining conditions or questions mentioned in your question. As for this expansion, I see it as a kind of luxury of knowledge.
Abu Malik: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he said or as he said (peace and blessings be upon him), in truth, this hadith might be used as a reference for this hadith that So I say "might" because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) specified the time in which he said this hadith, so this hadith cannot apply to that one?
The Shaykh : I mean, it is considered as a witness, and by Allah, this is the apparent view, and this is a good point of attention, and may Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : And is it required that this renewer who was at the head of the hundred be free from any religious innovation to be called a renewer?
The Shaykh : And who is free from any religious innovation?
The questioner : Even if he was committed to one of the methodologies of the people of innovation and renewed something of the religion or in a branch of the branches of knowledge?
The Shaykh : I think this is an issue like the previous one when we entered into its details. But I say that renewal does not happen in one direction. I say.
The questioner : Is it a condition that he be one individual?
The Shaykh : Let us finish what came to mind to say, and save your question. We do not see that the renewer is in one aspect of the religion. The renewal may be in knowledge, and knowledge has many branches, as you know. The renewal may be in tafsir, the renewal may be in hadith, the renewal may be in fiqh, the renewal may be in raising the Muslims and repelling the enemy's attack. And he may not have a connection to renewal in a type of the types of knowledge mentioned earlier. So any renewal in the religion that results in strength, honor, and protection for the Muslims, he is a renewer, even if he is lacking in some aspects. Yes, it is not required that he be, and my previous detailed answer is the answer to this question. Yes.
The Shaykh : Amen.
The questioner : Therefore, we take advantage of the time to ask some questions of our Shaykh (may Allah preserve him), which are, or include, hadith questions, other fiqh questions, and other questions related to the da'wah to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So let us begin with the questions, unless there is?
The Shaykh : Please.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. The questions, as my brother Muhammad mentioned, are varied, and if Allah wills, we will pose one question at a time: a hadith question, a fiqh question, and a da'wah question. So the first question is in hadith, O Shaykh.
Abu Layla : If you please, O our Shaykh, if you could list all the questions one after the other, for example, the da'wah ones, so that the tape becomes independent in...
The questioner : Okay, good, if Allah wills... Okay, here is a question. In fact, we have entered the chapter of da'wah questions: Who is the renewer and what are his conditions? Is it required that he be at the head of the century? Is it required that he be free from any religious innovation?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, let me hear the question one by one. Is it required first?
The questioner : Who is the renewer and what are his conditions? Is it required that he be at the head of the century, the head of a hundred years?
The Shaykh : Stop here for a moment. This condition is necessary because it is the text of the hadith
At the head of every hundred years
على رأس كل مئة سنةThe questioner : I mean, for example, there might be a person among the scholars who appeared, for example, in the year, for example, he became famous for knowledge, good, and righteousness in the year, for example, 1250 Hijri, for example.
The Shaykh : Not at the head.
The questioner : So he is not called a renewer in his case.
The Shaykh : Not at the head of every hundred years. Fifty, sixty, seventy, ninety; rather, he must reach the hundred. He may pass away after that by five, ten, etc., and this hadith applies to him.
The questioner : From when does the starting point begin? To be a hundred years, it might be fifty at the head of the year?
The Shaykh : The beginning of what?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : When is the head of the hundred years?
The questioner : Does he mean Hijri or what?
The Shaykh : Of course, Hijri, there is no disagreement on this.
The questioner : From the mission? From the migration?
Mashhur: From the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) informing about the hadith, for example.
The Shaykh : As long as the Muslims have adopted the Hijri calendar as the Islamic calendar, this is the only calendar we can rely on. Please, what do you have? Did you notice when I said, as long as the Muslims adopted the Hijri calendar, the first year begins from the migration, the second, the third? This is actually an example that applies to the verse mentioned earlier, which is the way of the believers, and the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) which was narrated as marfu' but did not become authentic, and it came as mawquf and was established. It is his saying (may Allah be pleased with him): "What the Muslims consider good is good in the sight of Allah." So it is not permissible for us, after this agreement and the practice of the Muslims, from the Salaf, regarding the Hijri calendar, to doubt when the head of the hundred begins. There is no way for such doubt in this practical agreement among the Muslims.
The questioner : I mean, for example, a person was born, for example, in the year 1290 or 1280, and he began seeking knowledge, but he did not become famous for knowledge and ijtihad until, for example, 1340. So in such a case, is he called a renewer?
The Shaykh : Here we have entered another issue. I think we have expanded too much and strayed a little or a lot from the original question. If he dies before the hundred, in his nineties or fifties and nineties, it does not apply to him that he is a renewer at the head of the hundred years. This is a point we should agree on. As for your last question, it is not hidden from you that there are many issues in which a scholar is perplexed, like the clear river that flows into the salt sea, and it remains retaining its identity, then it begins to disappear and disappear until it is completely gone. Between its first flowing into the salt sea and its end, there are degrees. A person doubts: is this fresh, clear water in the middle, or is it that salt, bitter sea water? He doubts. But we start from the beginning and agree on it. We should agree now that the hadith does not apply to one who dies before the head of the hundred years. But now let us take an example: he died at the head of the forty. Here I remind you of a rule, which is a linguistic and legal rule at the same time, which says that what approximates a thing is given its ruling. So now we say: he died at the head of the hundred and five. There is no doubt for us that this hadith applies to him: hundred and five, hundred and ten, hundred and twenty, etc. When you reach the forty, when you pass the fifty and sixty, the example is clear as mentioned earlier. However, I want to say a final word: what is the benefit of going into detail in such an issue? We keep the hadith on its apparent meaning. So whoever it applies to without disagreement that he renewed the religion at the head of the hundred years, whether he strayed after that by five or ten, etc., this is a glad tidings for him, and it does not benefit others at all. But the important thing, in truth, is to know the remaining conditions or questions mentioned in your question. As for this expansion, I see it as a kind of luxury of knowledge.
Abu Malik: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he said
A hundred years will not pass over my Ummah, and a soul that breathes will be upon the earth
لا يأتي على أمتي مئة عام وعلى الأرض نفس منفوسةAllah sends, at the head of every hundred years, one who renews for it the affairs of its religion
الله يبعث على رأس كل مئة عام من يجدد لها أمر دينهاThe Shaykh : I mean, it is considered as a witness, and by Allah, this is the apparent view, and this is a good point of attention, and may Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : And is it required that this renewer who was at the head of the hundred be free from any religious innovation to be called a renewer?
The Shaykh : And who is free from any religious innovation?
The questioner : Even if he was committed to one of the methodologies of the people of innovation and renewed something of the religion or in a branch of the branches of knowledge?
The Shaykh : I think this is an issue like the previous one when we entered into its details. But I say that renewal does not happen in one direction. I say.
The questioner : Is it a condition that he be one individual?
The Shaykh : Let us finish what came to mind to say, and save your question. We do not see that the renewer is in one aspect of the religion. The renewal may be in knowledge, and knowledge has many branches, as you know. The renewal may be in tafsir, the renewal may be in hadith, the renewal may be in fiqh, the renewal may be in raising the Muslims and repelling the enemy's attack. And he may not have a connection to renewal in a type of the types of knowledge mentioned earlier. So any renewal in the religion that results in strength, honor, and protection for the Muslims, he is a renewer, even if he is lacking in some aspects. Yes, it is not required that he be, and my previous detailed answer is the answer to this question. Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.