The Scholars’ Praise for Shaykh Rabee’ Ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee

Author: Maktabah Al-Idreesee As-Salafiyyah, San’aa, Yemen

Source: Al-Manhaj
Translator: Abu Maryam Isma’eel Alarcon

Published: Wednesday 12th August, 2015



Introduction

Verily, all praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Him from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whoever Allaah guides, no one can lead him astray and whoever is caused to go astray, there is no one that can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah - alone with no partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

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"O you who believe, fear Allaah as He ought to be feared and do not die except while you are Muslims." [Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 102]


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"O mankind, fear Allaah who created you from a single soul (Adam) and from that, He created its mate (Eve). And from them He brought forth many men and women. And fear Allaah to whom you demand your mutual rights. Verily, Allaah is an ever All-Watcher over you." [Surah An-Nisaa: 1]


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"O you who believe, fear Allaah and speak a word that is truthful (and to the point) - He will rectify your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger has achieved a great success." [Surah Al-Ahzaab: 70-71]


Indeed, the best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, (صلى الله علیه وسلم). And the worst of matters are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance is in the Hellfire. To Proceed:

Allaah had indeed promised us that He would protect His Religion and that He would preserve His Book and His Prophet's Sunnah, as He says:

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"Verily, We have revealed the Dhikr (Qur'aan and Sunnah) and surely We will preserve it." [Surah Al-Hijr: 9]


From Allaah's way of preserving His Religion - as well as His mercy for His servants - is that He has prepared for it men who will continue to pass it down to those that come after them, in its pure and unadulterated form, free from any defects. These are the individuals who recorded the Knowledge and the Religion in books while preserving that in their hearts - not growing weak or tired of doing that until they reached their graves.

These people are the scholars - the adherents to the Qur'aan and the Hadeeth and the inheritors of the Prophets, who defend Allaah's Religion and fight to clarify His Prophet's Sunnah.

Allaah has given the scholars a high and lofty position in Islaam, as well as an honorable rank amongst mankind, as He says:

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"Allaah will raise those who believe amongst you and who have been given knowledge, many levels."


And He says:

"Say: Are those who have knowledge equal to those who do not have knowledge?" [Surah Al-Mujaadilah: 11]


Allaah has commanded us to refer our questions to them and to turn back to their sayings. And He made that like a certification on their part, as He says:

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"And We have not sent before you except men whom We gave revelation to. So ask the people of dhikr (remembrance, i.e. knowledge) if you don’t know." [Surah An-Nahl: 43]


The people of dhikr are the scholars - those who have knowledge of what Allaah revealed to His prophets.

Abu Ad-Dardaa, radi-Allaahu 'anhu, reported: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah, (صلى الله علیه وسلم), say: 'Whoever treads a path, by which he seeks knowledge, Allaah will pave a way for him to Paradise because of it. Verily, the angels lower their wings out of contentment for the seeker of knowledge. And indeed, everything in the heavens and in the earth - even the fish in the sea - asks forgiveness (from Allaah) for the scholar. The virtue of the scholar over the worshipper is like the virtue of the moon over all the stars. Truly, the scholars are the inheritors of the prophets. And indeed the prophets do not leave behind any deenar or dirham (currency) for inheritance, but rather they only leave behind knowledge as inheritance. So whoever takes hold of it, then he has taken hold of an abundant share (of inheritance).'" [1]

The ayaat, ahaadeeth and athaar (narrations from the Salaf) concerning their high virtue are many. So they have the greatest share and the loftiest portion in terms of virtue and status. [2]

O Brother, listen to the great words of the Imaam of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, when he spoke on the characteristics of the scholars and their effect on the people and the people's effect on them:

"All praise be to Allaah who placed in every era, after the period of the messengers, remnants from the people of knowledge, who call those who deviated to guidance and who have patience with their harm. And with the Book of Allaah, they revive the dead and with the light of Allaah, they cause the blind to see. So how many people, whom the Devil has killed, have they revived? And how many people, who were lost and astray have they guided? So what a great effect do they have upon the people! And what an ugly effect do the people have on them! They (i.e. the scholars) take away from the Book of Allaah, the distortions of the extremists, the false claims of the liars and the wrong interpretations of the ignorant - those who hold high the banners of innovation and unleash the outbreaks of mischief (fitnah). So they are in disagreement with the Qur'aan, they are in opposition to the Qur'aan and they unanimously agree with one another to withdraw themselves from the Qur'aan. They say things about Allaah and about the Book of Allaah without knowledge. They talk about the ambiguous matters in speech and they deceive the ignorant people on matters that are obscure to them. We seek refuge in Allaah from the fitan (trials) of the misguided ones." [3]


So look at the biographies of the noble and distinguished Scholars and Muhadditheen throughout the history and generations, from the time of the righteous Sahaabah and their Successors (Taabi'een), then those that came after them from the eminent Imaams, to this current day of ours. You will find that they sacrificed their lives, their wealth and their time for the sake of being sincere to Allaah, His Book, His Messenger, the Muslim leaders and their common folk.

So the right that these scholars possess over others is that they (the people) do not mention them except with goodness. And whoever mentions them in an evil way, then he is on other than the Correct Path.

And it is from the principles of Ahl-us-Sunnah and from the requirements of their beliefs, that it is an obligation to love the People of the Sunnah, to praise and speak highly of them and to not criticize them. This is such that the Salaf, may Allaah have mercy on them, considered the criticizing of Ahl-us-Sunnah and those who defend the Sunnah to be from the signs of the people of innovation and misguidance. In fact, they would consider a person to be from the people of innovation by just him criticizing the scholars (alone).

Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, (رحمه الله), said:

"If you see a man slander Hamaad Ibn Salamah then have doubt about his Islaam, for indeed he (Hamaad) was harsh against the innovators." [As-Siyar (7/447)]


Abu Zur'ah, (رحمه الله), said:

"If you see a man from Koofah speak vilely about Sufyaan Ath-Thawree and Zaa'idah, then no doubt he is a Raafidee. And if you see a person from Shaam speak vilely about Mak-hool and Al-Awzaa'ee, then no doubt he is a Naasibee. And if you see a person from Khurasaan speak vilely about 'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaraak, then no doubt he is a Murji'ee. And know that all of these groups are united in their hatred for Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, because there is no one amongst them except that he has in his heart an arrow (ready) for him, which cannot be recovered from." [Tabaqaat-ul-Hanaabilah (1/199-200)]


Na'eem Ibn Hamaad, (رحمه الله), said:

"If you see a man from Iraq speak (badly) about Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, then have doubt about his Religion. And if you see a person from Basrah speak (badly) about Wahb Ibn Jareer, then have doubt about his Religion. And if you see a man from Khurasaan speak (badly) about Ishaaq Ibn Raahawaih, then have doubt about his Religion." [Taareekh Baghdad (6/438) and Taareekh Dimashq (8/132)]


Abu Ja'far Ibn Muhammad Ibn Haaroon Al-Mukhramee, (رحمه الله), said:

"If you see a man attacking Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, then know that he is an innovator, a deviant." [Taqdimah Al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel (pg. 308-309) and Taareekh Dimashq (5/294)]


Abu Haatim Ar-Raazee, (رحمه الله), said:

"If you see a person from Rayy or anyone else hating Abu Zur'ah, then know that he is an innovator." [Taareekh Baghdad (10/329) and Taareekh Dimashq (38/31)]


And Abu Haatim, (رحمه الله), also said:

"A sign of the people of innovation is their battling against the people of Narrations." [As-Sunnah of Al-Laalikaa'ee (1/179)]


Imaam Abu 'Uthmaan As-Saaboonee, (رحمه الله), said:

"The signs of the people of innovation are clear and obvious. The most apparent of their signs is their severe enmity for those who carry the reports of the Prophet." ['Aqeedat-us-Salaf (pg. 101)]


As-Safaareenee, (رحمه الله), said:

"And we are not focusing on mentioning the virtues of the people of Hadeeth, for indeed their virtues are well known and their merits are many. So whoever belittles them, then he is despicable and lowly. And whoever hates them, then he is from the backward party of the Devil." [Lawaa'ih-ul-Anwaar (2/355)]


Among these distinguished scholars and eminent Mujaahideen is the Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, Abu Muhammad Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umair Al-Madkhalee, may Allaah continue to let him remain in defense of His Religion and cause us to benefit from this prolonging of his life.

The Shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, has truly worked hard to clarify the Sunnah, and he has struggled intensely to explain what the Correct Way is. All of this is from his sincerity to Allaah, His Book, His Messenger, the Muslims leaders and their common folk. So how many confused people did he cause to see, and how many people who went astray did he direct to the way of guidance?

So we ask Allaah to grant him the best reward for what he has done on behalf of Islaam and the Muslims. And we ask Allaah to place him, as well as us, in the company of the prophets, the siddeeqeen (those who believed in the prophets), the martyrs, and the righteous - and what a great company they are.

However, there is no doubt that for every good blessing that exists (for someone) there is someone envious of it, and for every truth, there is someone who rejects or denies it.

Shaykh 'Abdul-Lateef Aali Shaykh, (رحمه الله), said:

"From the natural habit of the people of innovation is that when they are broke of possessing any proofs and the avenues (of arguing) have become constricted for them, they cast faults and blemishes on the Ahl-us-Sunnah and criticize them, while praising themselves."


So the Raafidah (group) met their ruin at the hands of the Prophet's Companions, and so did the people of the Great Slander (against 'Aa'ishah). And likewise, Ahmad Ibn Abee Duwaad and others from the Mu'tazilah met their destruction with Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. And Ibn Makhloof Al-Maalikee met his ruin at the hands of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah. As-Subkee met his ruin at the hands of Al-Haafidh Adh-Dhahabee and so did Ibn Dihlaan and his followers from the Sufis at the hands of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abdil-Wahhaab, as well as all the other followers of the Shaytaan who met their fate at the hands of the followers of Ar-Rahmaan.

All of this was due to Allaah testing His servants from Ahl-us-Sunnah to know who the truthful and believing ones were from the lying and hypocritical. And it was so Allaah could increase the reward of these servants of His, due to the criticism they receive from those who are astray and lead others astray.

In order to clarify the truth and to advise the ummah, we decided to distribute and spread these words and recommendations that the noble scholars have given to Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee. This is so that one who is unaware (of the Shaykh) could know his status and so that the hearts of the believers could be at rest and tranquility and so that someone who is ruined at his hands does not fall into such a circumstance without first being informed.

And all praise be to the One, through whose grace, all good deeds are completed. And may the peace and blessings of Allaah be on Muhammad and on his family and Companions. [4]

Footnotes

[1] Abu Dawood (3641), At-Tirmidhee (2683) and Ibn Maajah (223)

[2] Refer to the book Miftaah Daar As-Sa'aadah of Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim

[3] See the Introduction to his book "Ar-Radd 'Alaal-Jahmiyyah waz-Zanaadiqah"

[4] The source of this treatise was originally compiled by Al-Idreesee Salafi Bookstore of San'aa, Yemen under the supervision of the brother, Shaykh 'Alee Hamood Al-Idreesee, may Allaah preserve him. Then some noble brothers placed additions to it, so may Allaah reward all of them with the best of rewards.


 

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