Ismael al-Omari wrote:
It reached from some respected brothers that the brother Muhammad bin Ahmad Abu Laylaa al-Athari – and he is the well-known companion of Shaikh al-Albaani for recording his knowledge-based gatherings – that he had met in the past with the one called Dr. Abu Ruhayyim. So I loved that I should ask him directly about what happened between them both, in detail, for the sake of verification. And especially since we had heard from this Abu Ruhayyim lengthy words in which he claims love for Imaam al-Albaani – rahimahullaah – and his claim that he remained in constant touch with him up until his death, except for only a very short and brief period of time – as he claimed. And that this relationship, he claimed concerning it that he was from the most special of brothers and associates (of al-Albani).
So the reply of the respected brother, Muhammad bin Ahmad Abu Laylaa al-Atharee was as follows:
“Bismillaah, and prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allaah. A few years ago, on a particular day, I went to visit Abu Ruhayyim at his house, and this visit was actually a habitual one. After I had met with him and sat with him, in the presence of one of his sons, some words were exchanged between myself and him, and I had perceived from a long time previously, that he actually held something in his heart against Shaikh Ali al-Halabi.
And during this discussion – which had no prior words or exchange before it (i.e. before moving onto this subject) he said, “On the coming Wednesday, a book of mine will be released in which I shall annihilate Shaikh Ali with a [great] annihilation!” – or words to this effect. And then he followed up and said, “And the book’s title is “Tahdheer al-Ummah” (Warning the Ummah…). So I said to him, “O Aba Hudhayfah! I advise you that you do not release this book, before our Shaikh, Shaikh Nasir sees it, perhaps he may judge between you both with the truth, and so that our opposers do not rejoice with this.”
So he said, “Shaikh Nasir?!! I am not bound by the knowledge of Shaikh Nasir!! I have with me what suffices of knowledge!!”.
So I showed patience towards this word for a short while – having been alarmed by this word he uttered. Because those who are being pointed towards by the fingers are the people of knowledge, the Salafiyyeen, those who act upon their knowledge, from amongst the senior of our Mashaayikh, such as Shaikh Ibn Baaz, Shaikh al-Uthaymeen, the respected Shaikhs of Madinah, such as Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbaad, Shaikh Umar Fulaatah, Shaikh Rabee’ bin Haadee, Shaikh Hammaad al-Ansaari, and others from the respected Mashaayikh – may Allaah have mercy upon those who are dead amongst them – and preserve the living amongst them, and strengthen their pens against the necks the Innovators, the Khawaarij. So all of these Shaikhs advise the students of knowledge that they should follow the knowledge of Shaikh Nasir, let alone that they themselves (i.e. these Mashaayikh) follow his knowledge.
So who is this man (Abu Ruhayyim) who claims to be free and of no need of the knowledge of Shaikh Nasir?!!
And I heard from some of the noble brothers mention that Shaikh al-Albani – rahimahullaah – put down the phone on this Abu Ruhayyim! And the reality is that before hearing about this, I had no intention of talking to the Shaikh – rahimahullaah – about my sitting with Abu Ruhayyim, fearing that something might occur in his soul about what he (Abu Ruhayyim) had said.
After some days, I sat with Shaikh Nasir – rahimahullaah – in his Maktabah – after the Asr prayer – and he was busy with authoring and verification, as was his habit. So I put a question to him, saying, “I would like to verify a report that I heard, O our Shaikh?” So he turned to me, stopping his writing, and said, “What is this report, O Aba Laylaa?”. I said, “O our Shaikh! It reached me that you put the phone down in the face of Abu Ruhayyim!”
So the Shaikh said, “No! I did not put it down as you have heard! And this is the actual story O Aba Laylaa: Abu Ruhayyim contacted me (over the phone) asking me about some of the issues pertaining to Imaan. So he mentioned the view of Shaikh ul-Islaam in this matter. So I said to him, ‘What is your own view in this matter?’ And he evaded the question but repeated the view of Shaikh ul-Islaam another time. I said to him, ‘O Aba Ruhayyim! I asked you about your own view?!’ Then he returned and continued to mention the view of Shaikh ul-Islaam! Until it got to the stage where I said to him, ‘You are being evasive! If you do not mention your view then I will say to you: Assalaamu alaikum, and I will put the phone down!’ After that Abu Ruhayyim persisted in repeating the view of Shaikh ul-Islaam, so I said, ‘Assalaamu alaikum!’ And I put the phone down. And as is not hidden from you O Aba Laylaa, that my time does not allow me waste it, without myself benefiting from the questioner or the questioner benefiting from me”.
And after this I asked the Shaikh – rahimahullaah – in the same sitting, about the book of Abu Ruhayyim, “Has his book reached you”. So the Shaikh said, “Yes, it has reached me.” So I said to him, “And what is your view concerning this book O our Shaikh”.
So Shaikh al-Albaani said, “This man has no knowledge! He is Jaahil!”
And I would like to bring to the attention of brother Ismael that I did not mention the saying of Abu Ruhayyim, “I am not bound by the knowledge of Shaikh Nasir! I have with me what suffices me of knowledge!!”, since it is not my habit to transmit sayings, especially when it came from someone who we considered to be with us upon the manhaj!
However, I began to speak about him sometimes – whenever it was appropriate and the need was there – since I had found that the man would not show any fear or restraint in vilifying the Shaikh, and that is in what he had written in the aforementioned book, accusing him with Irjaa’!!
And the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) says, in that which he narrates from his Lord – “Whoever shows enmity to a friend of mine, then I have declared war upon him”.
End of his words.
Note: I sought the permission of the brother, Abu Laylaa al-Athari in spreading this post, after he himself had read all of it, completely. So he affirmed it for me and gave me permission.
Transmitted to you by your brother: Abu Umar Ismael al-Omari. (ismael_omari@yahoo.com)
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