In this, The Noble Scholar, al-ʿAllāmah Shaykh Rabīʿ ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī – may Allah have mercy on him – warns against deceptive callers, and groups who hide their true reality and flatter scholars to extract general praises. Instead of openly declaring the truth, they weaponize these endorsements (tazkiyat) as a trap to misguide the youth. The Shaykh clarifies that genuine followers of the Sunnah do not chase after recommendations, because their steadfastness is their greatest proof.

Question:

بَعْضُ الدُّعَاةِ لا تُعْرَفُ لَهُمْ سَلَفِيَّةٌ وَقَدْ حُذِّرَ مِنْهُمْ وَمَا زَالَ هُنَاكَ مَنْ يُجَالِسُ أُولَئِكَ الدُّعَاةَ بِحُجَّةِ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُجَرَّحْ بِجَرْحٍ مُفَصَّلٍ وَقَدْ زُكُّوا مِنْ قِبَلِ الشَّيْخِ العَبَّادِ وَغَيْرِهِ، فَانْقَسَمَ الإِخْوَةُ بَيْنَ مُجَرِّحٍ وَمُعَدِّلٍ لِأُولَئِكَ الدُّعَاةِ فَمَا قَوْلُكُمْ لَهُمْ؟

Some callers [Duʿāt] are not known to have Salafiyyah, and they have indeed been warned against. Yet, there are still those who sit with those callers using the excuse that he has not been criticized with a detailed criticism [Jarḥ Mufaṣṣal], and they have indeed been recommended by Shaykh Al-Abbād and others. So, the brothers have split between one who criticizes [Mujarriḥ] and one who recommends [Muʿaddil] those callers. So what is your statement to them?

Answer:

🎙 Our Shaykh, the ʿAllāmah, Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī—may Allāh have mercy upon him—said:

قَوْلِي: يَجِبُ عَلَى هَذَا الشَّخْصِ الَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُ حَوْلَهُ النَّاسُ وَلا يُزَكِّي نَفْسَهُ بِإِبْرَازِ المَنْهَجِ السَّلَفِيِّ وَإِنَّمَا يَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى تَزْكِيَةِ فُلانٍ وَفُلانٍ, وَفُلانٌ وَفُلانٌ لَيْسُوا بِمَعْصُومِينَ فِي تَزْكِيَاتِهِمْ, فَقَدْ يُزَكُّونَ بِنَاءً عَلَى ظَاهِرِ حَالِ الشَّخْصِ الَّذِي قَدْ يَتَمَلَّقُهُمْ وَيَتَظَاهَرُ لَهُمْ بِأَنَّهُ عَلَى سَلَفِيَّةٍ وَعَلَى مَنْهَجٍ صَحِيحٍ وَهُوَ يُبْطِنُ خِلافَ مَا يُظْهِرُ,

My statement: It is obligatory upon this person whom the people differ about, and who does not recommend himself by making the Salafi methodology [Manhaj] apparent, but rather relies upon the recommendation of so-and-so and so-and-so. And so-and-so and so-and-so are not infallible in their recommendations. For indeed, they may recommend based on the apparent condition of the person who may flatter them and pretend to them that he is upon Salafiyyah and upon a correct methodology, while he hides the opposite of what he makes apparent.

وَلَوْ كَانَ يُبْطِنُ مِثْلَ مَا يُظْهِرُ لَظَهَرَ عَلَى فَلَتَاتِ لِسَانِهِ وَفِي جَلَسَاتِهِ وَفِي دُرُوسِهِ وَمَجَالِسِهِ فَإِنَّ الإِنَاءَ يَنْضَحُ بِمَا فِيهِ, وَكُلُّ إِنَاءٍ بِمَا فِيهِ يَنْضَحُ, فَإِذَا كَانَ سَلَفِيّاً فَلَوْ دَرَّسَ أَيَّ مَادَّةٍ وَلَوْ جُغْرَافِيَا أَوْ حِسَابٍ؛ لَرَأَيْتَ المَنْهَجَ السَّلَفِيَّ -بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ- يَنْضَحُ فِي دُرُوسِهِ وَفِي جَلَسَاتِهِ وَغَيْرِهَا,

And if he were to hide the same as what he makes apparent, it would have appeared on the slips of his tongue, in his sittings, in his lessons, and in his gatherings. For indeed, the vessel pours out what is in it, and every vessel pours out what it contains. So if he were a Salafi, even if he taught any subject—even geography or math—you would have seen the Salafi methodology [Manhaj]—may Allah bless you—pouring out in his lessons, in his sittings, and other than them.

فَأَنَا أَنْصَحُ هَذَا الإِنْسَانَ الَّذِي لا يُظْهِرُ سَلَفِيَّتَهُ وَيَكْتَفِي بِالتَّزْكِيَاتِ أَنْ يُزَكِّيَ نَفْسَهُ بِالصَّدْعِ بِهَذَا المَنْهَجِ فِي دُرُوسِهِ فِي أَيِّ مَكَانٍ مِنَ الأَمْكِنَةِ, فَإِنَّ الأُمَّةَ بِأَمَسِّ الحَاجَةِ إِلَى الدَّعْوَةِ إِلَى هَذَا المَنْهَجِ السَّلَفِيِّ, فَإِذَا كَانَ هَذَا الشَّخْصُ -بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكُمْ- مِنْ هَذَا النَّوْعِ الَّذِي قُلْتُ، أَنَّهُ يَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى التَّزْكِيَاتِ وَلا يُزَكِّي نَفْسَهُ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا يَضُرُّ نَفْسَهُ بِكِتْمَانِ العِلْمِ وَكِتْمَانِ العَقِيدَةِ وَكِتْمَانِ هَذَا المَنْهَجِ وَأَخْشَى أَنْ تَصْدُقَ عَلَيْهِ هَذِهِ الآيَاتُ الَّتِي تَلَوْنَاهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فِي كِتْمَانِ العِلْمِ وَعَدَمِ الأَمْرِ بِالمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ المُنْكَرِ, وَمِنْ أَعْظَمِ المُنْكَرَاتِ وَأَقْبَحِهَا وَشَرِّهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ البِدَعُ الَّتِي تَتَفَشَّى فِي أَوْسَاطِ الأُمَّةِ,

So I advise this person who does not make his Salafiyyah apparent and suffices with recommendations, to recommend himself by openly declaring this methodology in his lessons in any of the places. For indeed, the Ummah is in the most desperate need of the call to this Salafi methodology. So if this person—may Allah bless you all—is of this type that I mentioned, who relies upon recommendations and does not recommend himself, then indeed he harms himself by hiding knowledge, hiding the creed [ʿAqīdah], and hiding this methodology. And I fear that these verses that we recited to you will apply to him regarding the hiding of knowledge and abandoning enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. And from the greatest of evils, the ugliest of them, and the worst of them with Allah, are the innovations [Bidʿah] that spread within the circles of the Ummah.

ثُمَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى التَّزْكِيَاتِ وَلا يُوَاجِهُ هَذَا الوَاقِعَ المُظْلِمَ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ مِمَّا يَزْعُمُهُ أَنَّهُ عَلَى المَنْهَجِ السَّلَفِيِّ، وَأَنَا مَرَّةً قُلْتُ لِلشَّيْخِ ابْنِ بَازٍ -رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ- كَانَتْ تَصْدُرُ مِنْهُ بَعْضُ الكَلِمَاتِ -يَعْنِي- تُشْبِهُ تَزْكِيَةً لِجَمَاعَةِ التَّبْلِيغِ وَإِنْ كَانَ إِلَى جَانِبِهَا شَيْءٌ مِنْ لَفَتَاتِ الأَذْكِيَاءِ إِلَى مَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِنْ ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ, فَيَسْتَغِلُّ هَؤُلاءِ الكَلِمَاتِ الَّتِي فِيهَا شَيْءٌ مِنَ الثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيُخْفُونَ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ طَعْنٍ خَفِيٍّ فِي عَقِيدَتِهِمْ وَمَنْهَجِهِمْ، فَيُبْرِزُونَ الثَّنَاءَ وَيُخْفُونَ الجَرْحَ,

Then, many people rely upon recommendations and do not confront this dark reality with what they have of what they claim to be upon the Salafi methodology. And I once said to Shaykh Ibn Bāz—may Allah have mercy upon him—that certain words used to come from him—meaning—that resembled a recommendation for the Tablīghī Jamāʿah, even if alongside it was something of the subtle pointers of the intelligent ones to what they have of clear misguidance. So these [people] take advantage of the words which contain something of praise for them, and they hide what is in them of hidden criticism regarding their creed and their methodology. Thus, they highlight the praise and hide the criticism [Jarḥ].

جَلَسْتُ مَعَهُ جَلْسَةً قُلْتُ: يَا شَيْخَنَا , أَنْتَ الآنَ فِي مِيزَانِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ وَابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الجَمِيعَ, لَكَ مَنْزِلَةٌ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ -يَعْنِي- إِذَا قُلْتَ كَلِمَةً تَلَقَّفُوهَا عَلَى أَنَّهَا حَقٌّ، وَالآنَ أَنْتَ تَصْدُرُ مِنْكَ كَلِمَاتٌ يَعْتَبِرُهَا النَّاسُ تَزْكِيَةً لِجَمَاعَةِ التَّبْلِيغِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَتَحَفَّظُ -يَعْنِي- خِلالَ كَلامِكَ, لَكِنْ هُمْ عِنْدَهُمْ دَهَاءٌ وَعِنْدَهُمْ مَكْرٌ يَسْتَغِلُّونَ التَّزْكِيَةَ وَالثَّنَاءَ وَيُنْكِرُونَ مَا تُشِيرُ إِلَيْهِ وَتُلَمِّحُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ جَهْلٍ وَضَلالٍ,

I sat with him in a sitting and said: O our Shaykh, you are now in the scale [i.e., position] of Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal and Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon everyone. You have a position among the people—meaning—if you say a word, they grab it eagerly as being the truth. And now, words come from you that the people consider a recommendation for the Tablīghī Jamāʿah, even if you express reservations—meaning—during your speech. But they have cunningness and they have trickery; they take advantage of the recommendation and praise, and they deny what you point out and hint at regarding ignorance and misguidance.

وَدَارَ الكَلامُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ إِلَى أَنْ قُلْتُ لَهُ: يَاشَيْخُ, قَالَ: نَعَمْ، قُلْتُ: هَلْ جَاءَكَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الحَدِيثِ مِنَ الهِنْدِ وَبَاكِسْتَانَ أَوْ مِنْ أَنْصَارِ السُّنَّةِ فِي مِصْرَ وَالسُّودَانِ , ذَاكَ الوَقْتِ أَنْصَارُ السُّنَّةِ فِي مِصْرَ وَالسُّودَانِ عَلَى غَايَةِ الثَّبَاتِ عَلَى المَنْهَجِ السَّلَفِيِّ, ثُمَّ هَبَّتْ عَاصِفَةُ الفِتَنِ وَالسِّيَاسَةِ…، فَدَبَّتْ فِي صُفُوفِهِمْ وَأَوْقَعَتْ شَيْئاً مِنَ الخَلْخَلَةِ, قُلْتُ: هَلْ جَاءَكَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الحَدِيثِ مِنَ الهِنْدِ وَبَاكِسْتَانَ أَوْ مِنْ أَنْصَارِ السُّنَّةِ فِي مِصْرَ وَالسُّودَانِ يَطْلُبُ مِنْكَ تَزْكِيَةً عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ عَلَى حَقٍّ وَعَلَى سُنَّةٍ؟، قَالَ: لا، قُلْتُ لَهُ: لِمَاذَا؟، قَالَ: لِمَاذَا أَنْتَ؟، قُلْتُ: لِأَنَّ هَؤُلاءِ تَشْهَدُ لَهُمْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِأَنَّهُمْ عَلَى الحَقِّ, وَأَمَّا جَمَاعَةُ التَّبْلِيغِ وَأَمْثَالُهُمْ فَإِنَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ لا تُزَكِّيهِمْ بَلْ تُدِينُهُمْ بِأَنَّهُمْ عَلَى ضَلالٍ وَبِدَعٍ, فَضَحِكَ الشَّيْخُ -رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ-،

And the conversation went back and forth between me and him until I said to him: O Shaykh.

He said: Yes.

I said: Has anyone from the People of Ḥadīth [Ahlul-Ḥadīth] from India and Pakistan, or from Anṣār al-Sunnah in Egypt and Sudan come to you? At that time, Anṣār al-Sunnah in Egypt and Sudan were upon the utmost firmness upon the Salafi methodology, then the storm of trials [Fitnah] and politics blew…, so it crept into their ranks and caused some shaking.

I said: Has anyone from Ahlul-Ḥadīth from India and Pakistan or from Anṣār al-Sunnah in Egypt and Sudan come to you asking for a recommendation from you that they are upon truth and upon the Sunnah? He said: No. I said to him: Why?

He said: Why do you [think]?

I said: Because these [people], their actions bear witness for them and recommend them that they are upon the truth. As for the Tablīghī Jamāʿah and their likes, then indeed, their actions do not recommend them; rather, they condemn them as being upon misguidance and innovations [Bidʿah]. So the Shaykh—may Allah have mercy upon him—laughed.

فَهَذَا أَمْرٌ وَاضِحٌ لا تُزَكِّيهِ أَعْمَالُهُ وَلا مَوَاقِفُهُ وَلا تَشْهَدُ لَهُ بِأَنَّهُ سَلَفِيٌّ, فَيَلْجَأُ إِلَى هَذِهِ الوَسَائِلِ الدَّنِيئَةِ مِنَ الاحْتِيَالِ عَلَى بَعْضِ النَّاسِ وَالتَّمَلُّقِ لَهُمْ حَتَّى يَحْصُلَ عَلَى تَزْكِيَةٍ وَيَكْتَفُونَ بِهَذَا, وَيَذْهَبُونَ لَيْتَهُمْ يَكُفُّونَ بَأْسَهُمْ وَشَرَّهُمْ عَنْ أَهْلِ الحَقِّ وَالسُّنَّةِ، فَيَذْهَبُونَ يَتَصَيَّدُونَ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ بِهَذِهِ التَّزْكِيَاتِ، فَتَكُونُ مِصْيَدَةً, فَيُضَيِّعُونَ بِهَا شَبَاباً كَثِيراً وَيُحَرِّفُونَهُمْ عَنِ المَنْهَجِ السَّلَفِيِّ, وَأَنَا أَعْرِفُ مِنْ هَذَا النَّوْعِ كَثِيراً وَكَثِيراً, الَّذِي يَسْلُكُ هَذَا المَسْلَكَ السَّيِّئَ, فَنَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ العَافِيَةَ وَأَنْ يُوَفِّقَهُمْ بِأَنْ يُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ, وَأَنْ يَجْعَلَ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ شَاهِداً لَهُمْ بِالخَيْرِ وَالصَّلاحِ وَبِالمَنْهَجِ السَّلَفِيِّ.

So this is a clear matter; his actions do not recommend him, nor do his positions, nor do they bear witness for him that he is a Salafi. So he resorts to these low means of tricking some people and flattering them until he gets a recommendation, and they suffice with this. And they go forth—if only they would withhold their harm and their evil from the People of Truth and the Sunnah—rather, they go forth hunting the People of the Sunnah with these recommendations. So it becomes a trap, and they lose many youth by it and deviate them from the Salafi methodology. And I know many, many of this type who take this bad path. So we ask Allah for safety and that He grants them success in recommending themselves through their actions, and that He makes their actions a witness for them of goodness, righteousness, and the Salafi methodology.

– [شَرِيطٌ بِعُنْوَان: أَسْبَابُ الانْحِرَافِ وَتَوْجِيهَاتٌ مَنْهَجِيَّةٌ] [Tape titled: Causes of Deviation and Methodological Directives]

Points of Benefit (Fawāʾid):

1 Shaykh Rabīʿ explains that the most powerful and legitimate recommendation [Tazkiyah] a person can have is their own steadfastness upon the Salafi methodology [Manhaj], demonstrated through their actions, creed, and teachings.

2 Shaykh Rabīʿ explains that those who are genuinely upon the Truth—such as Ahlul-Ḥadīth—do not need to chase scholars for written or spoken endorsements. Their upright actions and clear methodology already bear witness for them.

3 Shaykh Rabīʿ explains that scholars give recommendations based on the apparent condition [Dhāhir] of a person. A deceptive individual may flatter a scholar and pretend to be upon the Sunnah to extract a Tazkiyah, meaning the recommendation itself does not make a deviant person righteous.

4 Shaykh Rabīʿ explains scholars of the Sunnah give Tazkiyah to aid the Truth [Ḥaqq] and the People of Truth, while there are others from the people of misguidance who hide their deviation, make apparent their Sunnah, and acquire Tazkiyah for Falsehood [Bāṭil] to aid the people of falsehood and amass people upon their falsehood.

4 Shaykh Rabīʿ warns that failing to openly proclaim the Salafi methodology and relying only on praises is a dangerous form of concealing knowledge and creed [Kitmān al-ʿIlm], which falls under severe divine warnings for abandoning enjoining the good and forbidding the evil.

5 Shaykh Rabīʿ highlights the cunning tactic of deviant groups: they actively exploit the polite or general praises of senior scholars (like Shaykh Ibn Bāz) to validate themselves, while deliberately hiding the scholars’ criticisms [Jarḥ] against their misguidance.

6 Shaykh Rabīʿ warns that deceptive callers use these extracted recommendations as a trap [Miṣyadah]. They weaponize the praises of scholars to hunt down the Salafi youth, confuse them, and deviate them from the correct path.

7 Shaykh Rabīʿ’s explanation highlights a critical reality: Those from Ahlus-Sunnah who do not deeply contemplate how praise [Taʿdīl] and criticism [Jarḥ] practically function in the real world will fail to correctly navigate the recommendations of the scholars. Consequently, they fall short of applying them upon the true path of the Salafi methodology [Manhaj] that Allah has ordained us to follow.

وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد، وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين. سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك.