In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, ask His forgiveness, and repent to Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our bad deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead, and whomever He lets stray, none can guide.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. He sent him with guidance and the religion of truth so that it might prevail over every other way, even though the polytheists may loathe it. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Your servant and Messenger Muhammad, upon his family and Companions, and upon all who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment, and grant abundant peace.

To proceed: These are critical remarks on the booklet entitled “The Prophet’s Prayer Described,” authored by Shaykh Muhammad Nāsir al-Dīn al-Albānī of Damascus, second edition, 1375 AH, Damascus.

Before listing these observations, we begin by thanking Shaykh al-Albānī for his care concerning the prayer, for his censure of innovators in matters of intention, for his rebuttal of those who deny sending blessings upon the Prophet’s family, and for his rejection of those who persist in illegitimate forms of intercession—such as seeking intercession through status, sanctity, or supposed rights, and the like—matters for which intercession is impermissible.

We ask Allah to make us and him among His victorious party who call to goodness, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong.