Ya Bunayya: #11 – What and Who is Ruwaybidah

Ya Bunayya!

In our previous meeting of Ya Bunayya, we parted with your thinking and wondering what and who Ruwaybidah is. Is that right? Yes, that’s right!

Well… Ruwaybidah is an Arabic word: رُوَيْبِضة. It roots from rabaḍah (ربض), yarbuḍu (يربض), rābiḍ (رابض). And it means to couch or a couching person. A couching person does so out of lowness or being forced to. As per the Arabic Language, Ruwaybidah is used to indicate the extreme lowness of a couching person. May Allah safeguard us. Say ‘Āmīn!’

Ya Bunayya,

Here, it’s worth indicating, that the word Ruwaybidah is known to be first used by the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. This is because when he mentioned it the first time, the companions asked, “what is Ruwaybidah, O Messenger of Allah?”

Imām Aḥmad reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:

إنَّها ستَأتي على الناسِ سُنونٌ خَدَّاعَةٌ يُصَدَّقُ فيها الكاذِبُ ويُكَذَّبُ فيها الصادِقُ ويؤتَمَنُ فيها الخائِنُ ويُخَوَّنُ فيها الأمينُ ويَنطِقُ فيها الرُّوَيبِضَةُ قيل وما الرُّوَيبِضَةُ قال السَّفِيهُ يتكَلَّمُ في أمرِ العامَّةِ.ـ

“Indeed, there will come to the people years of treachery, when the liar will be regarded as honest, and the honest will be regarded as a liar; the traitor will be regarded as faithful, and the faithful will be regarded as a traitor; and the Ruwaybidah will be the ones who do the talk.’ It was said: ‘What is Ruwaybidah?’ He said: ‘A vile and base man who talks about the affairs of the public.’”

Ya Bunayya,

We’re fated to be among those who coincide with the time when the Ruwaybidah is that one who talks in public affairs.

Yes.. we live in a time when decisions that concern the matters of the people are not necessarily decided by the wise, the truly knowledgeable nor the real experts. Decisions are rather influenced by the so-called public figures and social media influencers. Regardless of the values carried or imparted by such figures and influencers.

This happens, when real scholars; religious scholars, and scientists in various fields of beneficial sciences are either behind bars or have been systematically ridiculed and marginalized. Thus, they have no voices, and their contributions are undermined. In the absence of such figures and voices, Rawaybidāt (plural form of Ruwaybidah) take over the stage and steal the show.

In order to make some false credibility for themselves, the Rawaybidāt will claim to have the knowledge they possess not. They’ll then go on to talk about religion. And this is the most dangerous part of it.

Worst still, in order to gain attention, they must declare that our righteous scholars from the predecessors of the Ummah erred, here and there.

Ya Bunayya,

Avoid being a Ruwaybidah at all costs!

How to do that? That’s what we’ll discuss in our next meeting. Make sure to be here on time. A minute late, and the session will be cancelled. :). Until then…

Allāhu Ḥāfiẓ!