Rabi' al-Madkhali

Rabi' ibn Hadi Umayr al-Madkhali (b. 1932 CE / 1351 AH) is a Saudi hadith scholar who served as the head of the Sunnah department at the Islamic University of Madinah. Born in the Jazan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia, he studied under leading Saudi scholars including Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz, Muhammad Nasir ad-Din al-Albani, and Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shinqiti at the Islamic University of Madinah, where he later became a professor.

Al-Madkhali's scholarly works focus primarily on hadith methodology and the defense of the Sunnah. His most well-known works include Manhaj al-Anbiya fid-Da'wah ilallah fih al-Hikmah wal-Aql (The Methodology of the Prophets in Calling to Allah) and Bayn al-Imamain Muslim wad-Daraqutni, a study comparing the hadith methodologies of Imam Muslim and ad-Daraqutni. He has also written several works critiquing individuals and movements that he considers deviant from the Salafi methodology.

Al-Madkhali is a prominent figure within the Salafi movement and his scholarly opinions on matters of methodology and religious orientation carry significant weight among his followers. He has been a prolific teacher whose students extend across the Muslim world. His emphasis on strict adherence to the methodology of the early generations and his critiques of what he views as partisan movements have made him both influential and controversial within contemporary Islamic discourse.