Shaikh Al-Albani on Mujaddids, the Promised Revivers for Muslims at the Turn of Every Century

The ḥadīth is authentic that: “At the turn of every century, there will be [at least] one who revives for this ummah [the Muslim people] its religion.” So is it stipulated, regarding the revivers, that they be from the People of the Sunnah, or is that not a condition?

Shaikh Muḥammad Naṣir Al-Dīn Al-Albānī, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:

There is no doubt that this is a fundamental condition. And in reality, to me, this question is like a person asking—and I hope that no such question would ever be asked by that person—it’s like his asking: Is it stipulated that he be a Muslim? Such a question would not arise, naturally. “Is it stipulated for the Reviver that he be a Muslim?” I don’t think such a thing would cross anyone’s mind.

As for whether it were stipulated that he be from the People of the Sunnah, this question has occurred to some people, and that is why it has now been raised. And the answer is: He must be from the People of the Sunnah.

And I don’t mean by his being from the People of the Sunnah that he must be from the scholars, only that he be upon the methodology of the People of the Sunnah and not deviating from the path that has come down to us from our righteous predecessors, may Allāh be pleased with them. This is a must.

However, the Reviver—and even though this is not directly related to the question, I believe there is a greater benefit in [mentioning] it—it is not a condition that the Reviver be a reviver of just the religion; rather, [he could be a reviver] in anything that benefits Muslims.

So he could be, for example, a reviver in historical studies; he could be a reviver in medicine—but within the previously [discussed] boundary, that he be from Ahl Al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah [the People of the Sunnah and the Community upon the Truth].

Based on that, we can conceive, finally, that there may be, in a single era, more than one reviver. If we keep this broad meaning [of reviver] in mind, it’s possible to conceive of a number of revivers existing together, each one in his own specialty, in a single era. Yes.

Silsilat al-Hudá wa-l-Nūr, tape 313