Sayf ur-Rahman al-Mubarakfuri recalls studying under Shaykh Rabīʿ’s student and praises Shaykh Rabīʿ’s mastery. While supervising his dissertation publication, he realized the Shaykh’s exceptional precision in the science of ‘ilal (hadith defects).
As for Shaykh Ṣayf ur-Raḥmān al-Mubārakfūrī, I also studied with him. I read to him the 6 books [of ḥadīth], and we would go through portions of them and we went through Jāmi’ al-Tirmidhī plentifully, and some books of naḥw and ṣarf which were popular in India. Likewise some books of ʿAqīdah and other than that. I stayed with him for approximately two years, and the Shaykh would be silent mostly, he loved the Sunnah and an aider of it.
I remember when I asked him about our Shaykh, Shaykh Rabī’ – because Shaykh (Rabī’) remained there in India for a number years in Varanasi , approximately 7 years, and during that time I believe he authored the book, his Master’s dissertation ‘Between the Two Imāms; Muslim and al-Dāraquṭnī’. And the first edition of the book – which is the one I have – was published there in Varanasi at Salafi Publication in Varanasi, India.
He said: ‘Shaykh Rabī’ delegated me to supervise the edition because he left it [in India] and returned [to KSA], ‘So I supervised the publishing of the dissertation there’ He – and I always remember this, said, ‘I never imagined until now, that I would supervise a dissertation being published, that the Shaykh delved and penetrated the science of ‘ilal (defects) to this extent, until I actually supervised this dissertation and I came to know his mastery and precision in knowledge’.