Brief Biography of Sheikh, the Great Scholar, Rabee’ ibn Hadi ‘Umayr al-Madkhali
Name and Lineage
He is the Sheikh, the great scholar, the scholar of Hadith (al-Muhaddith), Rabee’ ibn Hadi ibn Muhammad ‘Umayr al-Madkhali. He belongs to the famous Al-Madakhilah tribe in the Jazan region of southern Saudi Arabia.
Birth
He was born in the village of Al-Jaradiyyah, a small village approximately three kilometers west of the city of Samtah, which has now expanded to connect with it. He was born near the end of the year 1351 AH. His father passed away about a year and a half after his birth, so he grew up under the care of his mother—may Allah have mercy on her. She supervised him and raised him in the best manner, instilling in him good manners such as truthfulness and trustworthiness, encouraging him to pray, and regularly overseeing his worship, with additional oversight from his uncle.
Upbringing and Seeking Knowledge
When the Sheikh reached the age of eight, he joined the learning circles in the village to learn calligraphy and reading. Among those under whom he learned calligraphy were Sheikh Shayban al-Arishi, the judge Ahmad ibn Muhammad Jaber al-Madkhali, and a third person named Muhammad ibn Husayn Makki from the city of Sabya. He read the Qur’an under Sheikh Muhammad ibn Muhammad Jaber al-Madkhali, as well as Tawheed (Monotheism) and Tajweed (rules of recitation). Later, he studied at the Salafi School in Samtah.
Among those he studied under there:
- The scholar and jurist Sheikh Nasir Khaloofah Tayyash Mubarki—may Allah have mercy on him—a famous scholar and one of the senior students of Sheikh Al-Qar’awi. Under him, he studied Buloogh al-Maram and Nuzhat al-Nazar by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar.
He then joined the Scientific Institute (Al-Ma’had al-‘Ilmi) in Samtah and studied under several noble scholars. Most famous among them was the renowned scholar Sheikh Hafiz ibn Ahmad al-Hakami—may Allah have mercy on him—as well as his brother, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hakami. He also studied under the scholar and Hadith specialist Sheikh Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Najmi and the scholar Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Aman ibn Ali al-Jami in Creed (‘Aqeedah).
Additionally, he studied jurisprudence (Fiqh) from Zad al-Mustaqni’ under the jurist Sheikh Muhammad Sagheer Khameesi, alongside many other scholars under whom he studied Arabic, literature, rhetoric, and prosody. At the end of the year 1380 AH, he graduated from the Scientific Institute in Samtah. At the beginning of 1381 AH, he joined the Faculty of Sharia in Riyadh and studied there for a month, six weeks, or two months. When the Islamic University of Madinah opened, he transferred to Madinah, joined the Islamic University’s Faculty of Sharia, studied there for four years, and graduated in 1384 AH with an “Excellent” grade.
Among those he studied under at the Islamic University:
- His Eminence, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz—may Allah have mercy on him—under whom he studied Al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah.
- The scholar and Hadith specialist Sheikh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani—may Allah have mercy on him—in Hadith and chains of narration (Asaneed).
- The scholar Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbad, studying Fiqh under him for three years using Bidayat al-Mujtahid.
- The scholar, memory master, interpreter, Hadith scholar, legal theorist, grammarian, linguist, and accomplished jurist Sheikh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti—author of Adwa’ al-Bayan—under whom he studied Quranic interpretation (Tafseer) and principles of jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) for four years.
- Sheikh Salih al-Iraqi in Creed.
- The Hadith scholar Sheikh Abdul-Ghaffar Hasan al-Hindi in Hadith sciences and terminology (Mustalah).
After graduating, he worked as a teacher at the institute affiliated with the Islamic University for a period. He then pursued higher studies and obtained his Master’s Degree in Hadith from King Abdulaziz University (Makkah branch) in 1397 AH with his famous thesis, “Between the Two Imams: Muslim and Al-Daraqutni.” In 1400 AH, he earned his Doctorate from King Abdulaziz University with an “Excellent” grade for his verification (Tahqeeq) of the book Al-Nukat ‘ala Kitab Ibn al-Salah by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar—may Allah have mercy on him.
He then returned to work at the Islamic University as a lecturer in the Faculty of Noble Hadith, teaching Hadith and its various sciences. He headed the Sunnah Department in Postgraduate Studies multiple times and currently holds the rank of Professor (“Chair Professor”)—may Allah bless him with health, wellness, and good deeds.
His Character and Manners
The Sheikh is distinguished by immense humility toward his brothers, students, seekers of knowledge, and visitors. He is humble in his home, attire, and mode of transport, disliking luxury in all such matters. He is cheerful, warm-faced, and one never tires of his conversation. His gatherings are filled with the recitation of Hadith and Sunnah, alongside frequent warnings against innovations (Bid’ah) and its adherents, to the point that anyone who sees him without knowing him deeply might think he has no other concern.
He loves Salafi students of knowledge, honors them, treats them well, and strives to fulfill their needs as much as he can with his personal effort and wealth. His home is always open to students of knowledge, to the extent that he rarely eats breakfast, lunch, or dinner alone, constantly checking on his students and comforting them. He is among the callers to Islam who are deeply protective of the Book, the Sunnah, and the creed of the pious predecessors (Salaf), possessing a burning passion and concern for the Sunnah that is rarely equaled in this era. He is one of the defenders of the methodology of the pious predecessors in our time, night and day, secretly and openly, without fearing the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah.
His Writings
His works are numerous, praise be to Allah. The Sheikh has addressed topics that were urgently needed, particularly in refuting the people of innovation and desires in an age where corrupters are many and reformers are few. His written works include:
- Between the Two Imams: Muslim and Al-Daraqutni (A large volume; his Master’s thesis).
- Al-Nukat ‘ala Kitab Ibn al-Salah (Printed in two volumes; his Doctoral thesis).
- Verification (Tahqeeq) of Al-Madkhal ila al-Saheeh by Al-Hakim (Volume 1 printed).
- Verification of Al-Tawassul wa al-Waseelah by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (One volume).
- The Methodology of the Prophets in Calling to Allah: Wisdom and Intellect.
- The Methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah in the Criticism of Men, Books, and Groups.
- Categorizing Hadith into Saheeh, Hasan, and Da’eef Between the Reality of Hadith Scholars and the Fallacies of Fanatics (A refutation of Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah and Muhammad Awwamah).
- Exposing Al-Ghazali’s Stance Toward the Sunnah and Its People.
- Repelling the Aggression of Atheists and the Ruling on Seeking Help from Non-Muslims.
- The Status of the People of Hadith.
- Imam Muslim’s Methodology in Arranging his Saheeh.
- The People of Hadith are the Victorious and Saved Sect (A dialogue with Salman al-Oudah).
- A Memorandum on Prophetic Hadith.
- Islamic Lights on the Creed and Thought of Sayyid Qutb.
- Sayyid Qutb’s Aspersions Against the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
- The Shields Against the Catastrophes in Sayyid Qutb’s Books.
- The Criterion Between Truth and Falsehood (A dialogue with Bakr Abu Zayd).
- The Reckless Ventures of Al-Haddad.
- The Clear Path in Protecting the Splendid Sunnah.
- One Group, Not Many; One Path, Not Dozens (A dialogue with Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Khaliq).
- The Mighty Victory Over the Brief Refutation.
- Blameworthy Fanaticism and Its Effects (Compiled/edited by Salim al-Ajmi).
- Clarifying the Corruption of the Standard (A dialogue with a disguised partisan).
- Refuting the Falsehoods in Al-Malibari’s Explanation.
- Refuting the Falsehoods of Musa al-Duwaysh.
- Destroying the Falsehoods of Abdul-Latif Bashmeel.
- The Salafi Meteors Striking the Nests of Adnan’s Followers.
- Sincere Advice is a Shared Responsibility in Dawah Work (Printed in Al-Taw’iyah al-Islamiyyah magazine).
- The Quran and Sunnah: Their Impact, Status, and the Necessity of Integrating Them into Our Schools’ Education (Published in the Islamic University Journal, Issue 16).
- Islamic Ruling on Whoever Insults the Messenger of Allah or Attacks the Comprehensiveness of His Message (An article published in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas, Issue 8576, dated May 9, 1997).
The Sheikh has other books besides what is mentioned here. Their titles and brief summaries were compiled by Khalid ibn Dahwi al-Zafiri in his book “A Bibliography of the Works of Sheikh Rabee’ ibn Hadi al-Madkhali,” which can be found on Sheikh Rabee’s official website.
We ask Allah Almighty to assist him in completing this journey of goodness and to grant him success in doing what He loves and is pleased with. Indeed, He is the Guardian of that and Capable of it.