Rib'i Bin Hiraash (Rahmatullaahi Alayh) and his brother Ar-Rabee

He was a great personality. He has narrated Hadith from Hazrat Umar (Radiyallaahu,Anhu), Hazrat Ali (Radiyallaahu Anhu), Hazrat Abu Musa Al Ash'ari (Radiyallaahu Anhu) etc. so he is a Taabi'i. That is, a person who met the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallaahu Anhum) in the state of Imaan. He had sworn not to laugh until he does not know his final destination. According to what Allaamah Az-Zahabi (passed away in 748 H) narrated in his Siyar A'lam An-Nubala, Hazrat Rib'i continued to smile while he was being given Ghusl after his death. As for his brother Ar-Rabee, according to the same source, he spoke after his death. He said that he met a Rabb who is pleased with him and who welcomed him warmly. He said that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) is waiting to perform his Janazah Salaah. So, be quick with him. When Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallaahu Anhu) received this news, she said: "I heard Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying that there will be a person in my Ummah who will speak after his death." What is surprising and very surprising is that Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallaahu Anhu) did not find this surprising. And had she found it surprising also, she did not consider it a reason to refute it. On the contrary, she mentioned a Hadith which approves of this event. After all, it is something proven by the Qur'an-e-Kareem. The 'Ulama in general also do not see anything which is not right in it. What is surprising is that it is we who are refuting it nowadays because it seems strange. It is the duty of all those who refuted it and made a buffoonery of this event to muster the courage to retract. With the general trend that we see, it seems strange that he retracts. But we should have hope that he does it. There is much to receive and nothing to lose by doing such.

[English version of "Rib’ï Bin Hiraash R et so frère Ar-Rabee" – Al Jamiat – Vol.7 No.14]