With these books and treatises we intend them to be the sound academic springboard and the sturdy intellectual foundation for those who call people to Islam. Therefore, we present them to thinkers and opinion-makers in the Islamic sphere, to Muslim scholars, and to believing preachers, so that they may examine them, voice their judgments, and add their share. We welcome every constructive critique, thank its author, and regard it as a practical contribution to the success of our work and its progress toward fruition and maturity. Yet we believe that any criticism that is written or published must exhibit the following three qualities:

1 – Sincerity to Allah: the critic’s purpose must be to arrive at the truth and to fulfill the duty of sincere counsel.

2 – Sound knowledge and correct understanding, both grounded in the two original sources and chief pillars of the religion—the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet.

3 – Refined Islamic etiquette and an objective scholarly style, free of vilification, disparagement, ridicule, or accusations of ignorance—except toward one who has overstepped, acted unjustly, offended, and fabricated lies.

The present treatise, which I submit today on behalf of our teacher, the eminent scholar Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī, is entitled “The Ḥadīth as an Independent Proof in Matters of Creed and Rulings.” It is a lecture he delivered at the conference of the Muslim Students’ Union held in the city of Granada—present-day Christian Spain, formerly Islamic al-Andalus—in the month of Rajab, 1392 AH, corresponding to