He transmitted ḥadith from al-Ḥasan, Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ, Thābit al-Bunānī, and many others.

Those who narrated from him include Wakīʿ, Ibn Mahdī, Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, ʿAlī ibn al-Jaʿd, Abū al-Walīd, and a number of others.

ʿAbbās reported Ibn Maʿīn’s verdict: “He is reliable.” Aḥmad said, “There is no objection to him.” Shuʿbah mentioned him and declared, “In my view he is one of the nobles of the Muslims.”

I say: he was highly regarded, although al-Nasāʾī deemed him weak.

Ḥajjāj said, “I asked Shuʿbah about Mubārak and al-Rabīʿ ibn Ṣabīḥ, and he replied, ‘Mubārak is dearer to me.’”

ʿAlī said, “I pressed Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd to relate a ḥadith to me on the authority of al-Rabīʿ ibn Ṣabīḥ, but he refused.” Abū al-Walīd remarked, “He used to employ tadlīs.”

Ibn Ḥibbān said, “His kunya was Abū Jaʿfar.” Among those who reported from him were al-Thawrī, Ibn al-Mubārak, and Wakīʿ.

He was counted among the devoted worshippers and ascetics of Basra; at night his house was likened to a hive of bees. Even so, ḥadith was not his craft, and he often erred.

He died in Sind in 160 AH.

Mahmūd ibn Ghailān related: “Abū Dāwūd narrated to us; Shuʿbah said, ‘Al-Rabīʿ ibn Ṣabīḥ has attained in this city of ours a standing that al-Aḥnaf ibn Qays never reached.’” Abū Dāwūd added, “Meaning: in exalted rank.”

Abū Muḥammad al-Rāmahurmuzī (1) said, “To the best of my knowledge, the first person to compile and arrange chapters was…"