A Beautiful Statement of Al-Allaamah Adam Al-Ethoopee Regarding Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Al-Allaamah Adam Al-Ethoopee [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated about Al-Allaamah Rabee bin Haadi al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him]: Only the Munharifoon [those deviated from most or some affairs of the religion] harbour enmity against him; and as Yazeed Bin Haaroon said about Shu’bah’s speech [i.e. his appraisals and criticism] about men: “If his speech had been for anyone other than Allah, it would not have been raised (i.e. honoured and accepted), and Allah would have exposed him although he had a lot of speech about men and criticism of the narrators”. We also say this about Shaikh Rabee, who at present is in the later years of his life, that if this enthusiastic Shaikh were upon falsehood, or (spoke) to support falsehood, or spoke [لحظ نفس – due to being motivated by a desire to merely defend himself or gain personal advantage] or [حظ دنيا – due to a desire to protect his wealth, position, etc], Allah would have exposed him because indeed Allah [تكفل بحفظ دينه – guaranteed to preserve the religion He has ordained (i.e. Islam)], and he would not have been raised (i.e. honoured, trusted etc) among the scholars of our time with these recommendations that can hardly be stated except about one or two scholars among the (experts) in this affair in our time (i.e. the science of criticism and praise). We ask Allah to make him steadfast upon the truth and grant him a good end, for indeed He (i.e. Allah) is Jawwaadun [generous to everything in existence, and gives generously to those in need], Kareem [bountiful, abundant in good, causes and makes easy every good, bestows generously, etc] [1]

Shaikh Abdullah Al-Bukhaari [may Allah preserve him] stated: It is obligatory to attach the Ummah to the Rabbaani Scholars- those who are well known for their goodness, steadfastness, leadership and sound advice to the Ummah, and they are those who teach the smaller affairs of knowledge before the greater affairs. Therefore, their status must be made known among the people because the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets, as reported in the narration from the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] by Abu Dawud Number 3642 and others. Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated in explanation of this hadith, “This is one of the greatest virtues of the people of knowledge, and because the Prophets are the best of the creation, so their inheritors are the best after them. And when it is the case that everyone who is inherited from passes on inheritance to his inheritor, therefore, the inheritors are those who take the place of those they inherit from. None will take the place of the Messengers in propagating what they have been sent with, except the Scholars. They are the most worthy of their inheritance”. [2]

[1] [شرح علل الترمذي لابن رجب (ص:175)] Posted in a Salafi Book Forum by a Salafi brother called Tariq Bin Ali [may Allah bless him and all the Salafiyyoon]. [Paraphrased]. Refer to the Arabic text below and your suggestions are more than welcome to improve this paraphrase.

قال الشيخ العلَّامة الإثيوبي -رحمه الله تعالى – في الشيخ العلَّامة ربيع المدخلي -حفظه الله تعالى
“لا يعاديه إلا المنحرفون”
و كما قال يزيد بن هارون في شعبة في كلامه في الرجال : لو كان كلامه لغير الله لما ارتفع ، و لفضحه الله مع كثرة كلامه في الرجال ، و جرحه للرواة .
و نحن نقول هذا أيضًا في الشيخ ربيع و هو الآن في آخر عمره ، أنه لو كان هذا الشيخ الهمام على باطل ، أو ينصر الباطل ، أو يتكلم لحظ نفس ، أو حظ دنيا لفضحه الله من قبل ؛ فإن الله قد تكفل بحفظ دينه ، و لما ارتفع بين علماء عصرنا بهذه التزكيات التي لا تكاد تقال إلا في عالم أو اثنين من أهل هذا الشأن في وقتنا . نسأل الله له الثبات على الحق ، و أن يختم له حياته بالحسنى إنه جواد كريم .
شرح علل الترمذي لابن رجب (ص:175)

[2] An Excerpt from المقالات الشرعيّة page 15