Humility and the dislike for being in the limelight

Concerning the Imaam of Hadeeth, the Shaykh - Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah) Abu Laylaa al-Atharee narrated:

In 1405 AH, during a journey to Saudi Arabia, we were travelling in the same car as the Shaykh and his wife, Umm al-Fadhl. When we arrived in Makkah, we were guests of a friend of the Shaykh, (popularly) known as Abu ýArab.

Whilst there, a discourse occurred between the Shaykh and one of the followers of ýAlawee al-Maalikee, regarding (celebrating) the birthday of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ýalayhe wa sallam).

After they finished their exchange, Abu ýArab invited the Shaykh to visit Bangladesh for a period of three days; in order to give daýwah of tawheed to the brothers from Ahlul-Hadeeth, whose number reached into millions.

However, the Shaykh excused himself by saying: I cannot.

The invitation was then put to him a second time, whereupon he replied: ýI cannot.ý

The invitation was put to him a third time, only this time he was requested to go to Bangladesh for just one day, whereupon the Shaykh replied: ýI cannot.ý

When we returned to the sleeping quarters, we wanted to take a little nap. So we removed a table which was in the centre of the room and I then brought a pillow for us; the Shaykh laid his head at one end whilst I laid my head at the other end, in the opposite direction. It was then that I put a question to the Shaykh which had been burning up inside me. I said: O Shaykh! Why did you refuse to go (to Bangladesh)?ý He replied:

Indeed I feared for myself the fitnah!
al-Imaam al-Mujaddid al-ýAllaamah al-Muhaddith Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee Page 59