The Humbleness of Shaikh Rabī

Shaikh Rabī, may Allāh have mercy upon him, said in "Accepting Advice and Adhering to the Truth is Among the Greatest Obligations Upon All Muslims":

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Praise be to Allāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allāh, his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. To proceed:

I have come across what some websites have published, attributing to me the statement, which I said in one of my lectures: “If the Messenger of Allāh disassociated from you upon the 'tongue of our Lord'.” I said this when I was citing the statement of Allāh, the Blessed and Exalted: “Indeed, those who divide their religion and become sects, you are not associated with them in anything,” to argue against the prohibition of division. Then I said: “How, do we not fear, O my brothers, and choose this division and live by it for centuries and generations...?” I seek forgiveness from Allāh for this vile and false statement hundreds of times.

I demand its removal from every recording where it exists, and I urge everyone who has a recording with this statement to delete it.

I say:

This statement is vile and false, far removed from Allāh and His Majesty, for He, the Exalted, is above any resemblance to His creation.

As He says, Glorified be He:

لَیۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَیۡءࣱۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِیعُ ٱلۡبَصِیرُ

“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

[Al-Shūrā: 11]

And as He says, Mighty and Majestic:

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (1) ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ (2) لَمۡ یَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ یُولَدۡ (3) وَلَمۡ یَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدُۢ (4)

“Say, He is Allāh, [who is] One, Allāh, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”

[Al-Ikhlās: 1-4]

And He says, Exalted be He:

هَلۡ تَعۡلَمُ لَهُۥ سَمِیࣰّا

“Do you know of any similarity to Him?”

[Maryam: 65]

These noble verses affirm His Perfect Attributes and His Majestic Qualities, exalting Him above any attributes of deficiency or imitation of His creatures. No one resembles Him, nor equals Him in His essence, attributes, or anything of His great attributes. The People of the Sunnah and the Jamā'ah affirm all His attributes mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah without likening, negating, specifying how, or comparing them to anything, like His Istiwā (Ascension) over His Throne above all His creation, His Highness, His Descent, His Hearing, His Seeing, His Power, His Will, His Knowledge, His Speech, His Wisdom, and His being the Creator, the Provider, the Giver of Life, and the Causer of Death among all His beautiful Names and lofty Attributes, which the People of the Sunnah affirm without specifying how, comparing, likening, or negating, thereby differing from the people of desires like the Jahmiyyah, Khawārij, Mu’tazila, Rāfidah, and Ash’ariyyah.

By the grace of Allāh, I am among those honoured with this methodology, believing it with conviction, teaching it, calling to it, and defending it as a student, teacher, and caller to it with all my ability from the beginning of my life.

This repulsive statement that came from me during a lecture where I was calling to this methodology, I ask that anyone who has come across it not remain silent about it.

It was a slip of the tongue from me; if someone had alerted me at the moment I said it, I would have immediately rejected it and disavowed it, and no one who has seen it has the right to keep silent about it.

It is akin to the statement of the man cited by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who, in his extreme joy, said:

“O Allāh, you are my servant and I am your Lord.”

And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said he erred out of joy. However, I feel profound pain from it and utterly reject it for myself and from others.

I ask the Noble, the Lord of the Great Throne, to forgive all my sins, both hidden and apparent, to forgive my slips and errors of pen, tongue, and limbs, and emotions.

“Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are those who repent.”

I ask Allāh to make me among the repentant and the purified.

Accepting advice and following the truth is one of the greatest duties upon all Muslims, regardless of its source, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to belittle or despise the advisor, no matter his status.

I seek refuge in Allāh from rejecting advice or defending an error or falsehood that has come from me, for this reprehensible method is from the ways of the corrupt, the arrogant, and the stubborn, and it is the way of those who, when reminded, do not take heed. I seek refuge in Allāh from these vile qualities.

I ask Allāh to make me among those about whom He says:

وَٱلَّذِینَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِـَٔایَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ لَمۡ یَخِرُّوا۟ عَلَیۡهَا صُمࣰّا وَعُمۡیَانࣰا

“And those who, when they are reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.”

[Al-Furqān: 73]

I advise myself and all Muslims to follow this methodology, to stand firm upon it, to accept the advice of those who give it, and to walk in the path of the pious predecessors in advising each other, enjoining good, and accepting advice, taking into account His saying, the Exalted:

وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ (1) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِی خُسۡرٍ (2) إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا۟ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡا۟ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ (3)

“By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”

[Al-Asr: 1-3]

And His saying:

وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِیَاۤءُ بَعۡضࣲۚ یَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَیَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.”

[Al-Tawbah: 71]

Among the signs of guidance, rectitude, righteousness, and happiness in this world and the Hereafter is to remain steadfast upon the Book and the Sunnah, to practice this methodology in creed, actions, morals, enjoining good, forbidding evil, and sealing the lawful with wisdom and noble methods.

I pray to Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, to guide this nation – especially the People of the Sunnah and the Jamā'ah – to uphold this great methodology, to unite their word upon it, to grant them sovereignty, honour, and dignity in this world, and to grant them through this methodology salvation and happiness in the Hereafter. Indeed, my Lord is responsive to supplication.

May blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

Rabī’ ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī

8^th of Rajab, 1425 H – Makkah al-Mukarramah