The Two Columns
Rabi’ ibn Khuthaym’s most remembered practice was physical and systematic: he kept two columns in which he recorded all his activities, thoughts, and words:
- One column: “For God” — acts done with pure intention, words spoken for a divine purpose, thoughts oriented toward the Real
- Other column: “Against God” (or “away from God”) — acts done for ego, worldly reasons, or with impure intention
At the end of each day, he would review the columns. The aim was not guilt — it was clarity. His practice was an early, formalized version of what later Sufi tradition would call muhasaba (spiritual self-accounting), and his name is cited in the foundational texts of Islamic psychology of the soul.
Ali’s Greeting
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib was known for his discernment. When he encountered Rabi’ ibn Khuthaym in Kufa, he greeted him with “al-salam ‘alayk ya rajul al-salih” — “Peace upon you, O righteous man.” In the recorded accounts, this greeting from Ali is presented as a recognition of genuine spiritual attainment — Ali saw in Rabi’ something that earned the designation al-salih (the righteous).
The Years of Silence
Rabi’ ibn Khuthaym reportedly went through extended periods of near-total silence — speaking only when necessary, only when the speech was “for God” in his two-column framework. This is not silence from incapacity but from the recognition that most speech is for the ego: for showing off, for entertainment, for social comfort.
His spiritual model influenced later ascetic and Sufi chains in Iraq, particularly the Kufan tradition of zuhd (renunciation of worldly attachment).
See also: Seerah Al Ahnaf Ibn Qays, Seerah Abu Lubaba Ibn Abd Al Mundhir, Seerah Amr Ibn Al Jumuh, Ismaili Tawil Of Al Tawbah, Fiqh Al Iman Wa Kufr