Book: “The Retractions of the Scholar al-Albani Regarding What He Declared Authentic or Weak”
Author: Abū l-Ḥasan al-Shaykh
Publisher: Carefully printed by Dār al-Maʿārif, Riyadh
Abridged by: Muḥammad Bū ʿUmar
Source: Ṣaḥāb website / Hadith & Its Sciences / The Retractions of Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning the grading of certain hadiths

Muḥammad Bū ʿUmar said:
In the name of Allah, all praise is for Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed: this is a concise study of the hadiths whose grading the eminent scholar al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) later reversed—either from weak to authentic or the opposite—together with some alerts and corrections that he himself recorded in his printed works and verifications. I drew most of the material for this study from the book “The Retractions of Shaykh al-Albani Regarding What He Declared Authentic or Weak,” by Abū l-Ḥasan al-Shaykh, published by Dār al-Maʿārif in Riyadh. I have added to it, corrected some referencing errors and other points, abandoned the order of the original, and supplied several hadiths which I collected from the Shaykh’s works but which the author did not cite. All praise belongs to Allah for His enabling grace.

I have divided the study into the following sections:
First: Hadiths the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) re-classified from weak to authentic.
Second: Hadiths the Shaykh re-classified from authentic to weak.
Third: From “sound” (ḥasan) to authentic, and the reverse.
Fourth: Alerts and corrections.
Fifth: Additions to the book.

First: From Weak to Authentic

(1) “Whoever lifts a curtain and allows his eyes to look before permission has been granted has violated a boundary it is unlawful for him to cross.” Ghayat al-Marām 423; the Shaykh authenticated it in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3463, saying, “The hadith is gharīb yet authentic; I had previously declared it weak in earlier works such as Ghayat al-Marām (423).”

(2) ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “If anyone tells you that the Prophet ﷺ used to urinate standing, do not believe him; he only ever urinated sitting.” Weak: Mishkāt 365; later authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 201.

(3) “There is nothing (of harm) in the cranial vein; the evil eye is real, and the truest form of augury is a good omen.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 6295; al-Ḍaʿīfah 4804; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2949.

(4) “Moses was given the Tablets, and I was given the Mathānī.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 2109; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2813.

(5) “I have been sent with the upright, easy-to-follow religion.” Ghayat al-Marām 8; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2924.

(6) “Do not impose hardship upon yourselves lest Allah impose hardship upon you, for a people imposed hardship upon themselves and Allah therefore imposed hardship upon them; those remnants are in the monasteries and hermitages—‘And monasticism they innovated; We did not prescribe it for them.’” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 6232; al-Ḍaʿīfah 3468; Mishkāt 181; al-Adab al-Mufrad 4904; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3124.

(7) “Seek a screen in your prayer, even if only with an arrow.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 801; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2783.

(8) “Do not derive any benefit from a carcass.” al-Ḍaʿīfah 118; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3133.

(9) “Do not dislike daughters; they are affectionate and of great worth.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 6268; al-Ḍaʿīfah 4793; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3206.

(10) “Either you will interlace (your fingers) thoroughly in ablution, or the Fire will interlace them for you.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 4660; al-Ḍaʿīfah 4301; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3489.

(11) “Nothing of Paradise exists on earth except three things: the planting of the ʿAjwah date, the Black Stone, and a measure that descends into the Euphrates every day—a blessing from Paradise.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 4927; al-Ḍaʿīfah 1600; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3111.

(12) “When any of you offers his sacrifice, let him eat from his sacrificial animal.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 581; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3563.
Note: Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 581 that the hadith appears in al-Ḍaʿīfah no. 2632. Upon checking that number I did not find this wording; rather, the entry contained the hadith: “Will you refrain from mentioning the sinner? Mention him so the people may know him.” Further examination is required.

(13) “O Allah, You are All-Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me.” The Shaykh originally ruled it weak due to an interrupted chain in Naqd Nuṣūṣ Ḥadīthiyyah, p. 45, then authenticated it in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3337.

(14) “When one of you relieves himself, let him wipe three times.” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 435; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3316.
Note: The Shaykh said in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 435 that the hadith appears in al-Ḍaʿīfah 2461, but this wording is not found there; verification is needed.

(15) “He forbade the sale of milch camels whose udders have been bound; he said, ‘Whoever buys them has a choice when he milks them.’” Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 6062; al-Ḍaʿīfah 4726. The Shaykh cited a supporting report in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3236: “When one of you sells a ewe or a she-camel in milk, let him not bind its udder,” and said, “It is a strong support for the hadith of Anas, ‘He forbade the sale of bound-udder animals.’” This should be recorded.

(16) “The completeness of your Islam is that you pay the zakah on your wealth.” Ḍaʿīf al-Targhīb – Dār al-Maʿārif ed. – 457/6; authenticated in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3232.

(17) “When you have paid the zakah on your wealth, you have warded off its evil from yourself.” al-Ḍaʿīfah 2219; Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 313; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 2258. At the conclusion of his discussion in al-Ḍaʿīfah the Shaykh said he had located a supporting isnad rated “good,” adding, “For this reason I included it in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb – Dār al-Maʿārif – 743; with that support it is strong and should be transferred to al-Ṣaḥīḥah.” I, Muḥammad, have not found it in al-Ṣaḥīḥah; Allah knows best.

(18) “Indeed, your Lord loves praise.” al-Ḍaʿīfah 2922; Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ. Its wording there is, “Indeed, your Lord loves praise.” The Shaykh included it in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3179 with the wording, “Indeed, your Lord loves abundant praise,” remarking, “I had previously indicated its weakness.”