about anything, he would say, “Put the question to Rabiʿah. If its ruling is in the Book of Allah, al-Qasim will inform them of it—or in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Otherwise, he will say, ‘Ask Rabiʿah or Sālim.’ ”

Al-Harith ibn Miskīn narrated—through Ibn Wahb, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam—who said:
“Yahya ibn Saʿid used to sit with Rabiʿah. When Rabiʿah was absent, Yahya would relate hadith to them most excellently—he was a prolific transmitter—but when Rabiʿah was present, Yahya would fall silent out of deference to him, even though Rabiʿah was not older than he. Each of the two revered the other.”

Muʿādh ibn Muʿādh transmitted—from Sawwār ibn ʿAbd Allah al-ʿAnbarī—who said, “I have never seen anyone more knowledgeable than Rabiʿah al-Raʾy.”
I asked, “Not even al-Ḥasan and Ibn Sīrīn?”
He replied, “Not even al-Ḥasan and Ibn Sīrīn.”

Ibn Wahb reported—from ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Abī Salamah—who said:
“When I reached Iraq, its people came to me and said, ‘Narrate to us from Rabiʿah al-Raʾy.’ I said, ‘People of Iraq, you call him “Rabiʿah of Reasoned Opinion,” yet by Allah I have never seen anyone with a better grasp of the Sunnah than he.’ ”

Ibn Wahb also narrated—from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd—who said:
“Rabiʿah attained profound understanding of jurisprudence and great virtue. In Madinah there was no man more generous with what he possessed—whether for a friend, a friend’s son, or anyone truly in need who sought something from him. People would invite him to join them on journeys, but he would refuse every companionship except that of someone who carried no provisions with him, for Rabiʿah had nothing with which to bear such expenses.”

Ibn Wahb reported—from Mālik—who said:
“When Rabiʿah came to the Commander of the Believers, Abū al-ʿAbbās, the caliph ordered that a stipend (1) be given to him. Rabiʿah refused to accept it, so he offered him five thousand dirhams with which to purchase a bond-servant, yet Rabiʿah still declined to take it.”