The Emergence of an Iconoclast: Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī and His Critics.

Abstract

The legacy of the 20th Century Albanian Islamic scholar Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī is a unique brand of Salafism, a movement whose adherents promote as establishing an eternal model of proper Muslim creed, practice, exegesis, and conduct that stands in stark contrast to madhhab Traditionalism. The purpose of this study is to trace the origins and manifestation of Albānīʾs critique of madhhab Traditionalism. In tracing origins, the study explores the strict madhhab environment in which Albānī was raised, a religious and social climate that fomented his disdain for Traditionalism and led him to “deconstruct” madhhab Traditionalist fiqh and ḥadīth and “construct” his own means of interpreting the jurisprudential requirements of sacred scripture. Marked by simplicity, reliance on textual literalism, and distrust of the scholarly class, Albānīʾs perspectives and methodology were manifested in anti-madhhab polemics that enhanced the profile and popularity of his unique brand of Salafism.