(MENAFN- Amman Net) The recent decision by Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, and Holy Places to close the Imam Al-Albani Center for Studies and Research sparked significant debate in media and political circles.

Jordanian MP Khamis Atiyeh submitted a detailed question to Minister of Awqaf Mohammad Khalayleh regarding the alleged violations attributed to the center, which was founded in 2001 by followers of Sheikh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani.

Sheikh Al-Albani is considered one of the most prominent scholars of what is known as“scientific Salafism” or“da'wah Salafism.” He migrated from Albania to Damascus, where he was imprisoned, before relocating to Jordan to begin public religious work that continued until his death in 1999.

The Al-Albani or“scientific Salafism” movement is estimated to have around 10,000 followers in Jordan, according to unofficial sources. The center focused on teaching Islamic sciences and hadith studies.

MP Atiyeh is expected to present his question to the government in person during the first session of the second ordinary parliamentary term, scheduled for October 26.

Ahmed Al-Raqab, MP from the Islamic Action Front bloc, sent an open letter to the Minister of Awqaf, stating:“What has distinguished Jordan is the ability to accommodate different schools and diverse approaches; no one faults another, nor do we restrict dissent. This has helped shape a positive Islamic identity. It is surprising that the ministry is closing the Imam Al-Albani Center and other centers such as Ghras. If there are concerns, dialogue and consultation should be the guiding principle, not unfairness or excess.”

Al-Raqab added:“We are in urgent need of strengthening the domestic front and reinforcing shared principles. I urge the ministry to reconsider this decision and inform me of any corrective measures taken.”

MP Nasser Al-Nawasra, from the same bloc, stated:“Regardless of one's stance on the Imam Al-Albani Center, whether for or against it, the closure comes within a broader context of restricting freedoms in general, including religious and scholarly institutions. Does this serve the goal of strengthening the domestic front?”

According to the official letter from the Ministry of Awqaf, issued on October 14, the decision was based on recommendations from the Licensing Committee for Islamic Centers. The ministry cited that the center“taught and spread ideas contrary to the general religious thought of Jordanian society, affecting fundamental religious and doctrinal principles, and diverging from the center's founding objectives,” potentially disrupting“national unity and social-cultural diversity,” which conflicts with the ministry's vision of promoting“moderation, balance, and wise, good-natured da'wah.”

MP Atiyeh told CNN Arabic that his parliamentary question, consisting of three items, was sent to the government to clarify the lack of transparency in the decision. He requested detailed explanations, particularly since the center had, for 15 years,“promoted communication with scholars and students, focused on women, children, and Muslim families, and contributed to charity and local community service.”

On July 16, 2025, Jordan enacted the“System for Takayas and Zawiyas” for the first time, which scholar Hassan Abu Haniyeh described as a central official step to institutionalize the“Ash'ari Sufi stream” in the country. The legislation established a council composed of seven leaders from the officially recognized Sufi orders in Jordan, authorized to license Sufi zawiyas and orders.

Sheikh Othman Al-Nabulsi, an Ash'ari preacher, indirectly supported the closure, saying:“No matter how much the scientific Wahhabi stream tries to distance itself from takfirism, publishes books on the dangers of takfir, or counters jihadist Wahhabism, it will not help because its main sources are the same as those used by takfiri groups.”

Hassan Abu Haniyeh linked the closure of the Imam Al-Albani Center to Jordan's official move toward adopting a“Sufi-Ash'ari-Shafi'i religious identity.” He explained that the Al-Albani movement, with over 10,000 followers, went through several stages of development, maintaining a“scientific” Salafi approach, distinct from jihadist or reformist Salafism.

After Al-Albani's death in 1999, leadership passed to Sheikh Ali Al-Halabi and then to Sheikh Mashhoor Hassan Al-Salman. The center was temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abu Haniyeh added:“I believe the closure, and the earlier legislation licensing zawiyas and Sufi orders, fall under the global trend of regulating religious policies, which has always been subject to political and security reviews in the Arab world.”

He noted that proposals for a higher council for Sufism were first suggested in the 1980s but failed due to internal disagreements and weak organization.

The“scientific Salafism” movement, founded by Al-Albani and established in Jordan in the early 1980s, has adopted the slogan“stay out of politics” and attempts to officially leverage its discourse against jihadist and extremist ideologies emerged after September 11, 2001, and during the Arab Spring.

Abu Haniyeh said:“Figures from scientific Salafism, like Sheikh Ali Al-Halabi, countered extremist and jihadist rhetoric. After September 11 and up to the Arab Spring, new approaches emerged. States like Jordan and Morocco concluded that scientific Salafism failed to influence the Arab Spring, but experiences such as Egypt's political shift with the Nour Party led to a move toward the Ash'ari-Sufi current, through adopting academic positions in Imam Al-Razi, Al-Ghazali, and other endowments.”

He believes the Al-Albani movement in Jordan will continue its missionary activities in society in a traditional manner but will no longer operate structurally or institutionally as before. Abu Haniyeh added:“Their discourse will no longer be present in official religious institutions. Limiting religious pluralism broadly is not productive.”

MENAFN19102025000209011053ID1110217421