The Severity of Narrating Fabricated Reports in Praise of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)
‘Allamah ‘Abd al-Hayy al-Laknawi (d. 1304 AH/1887 CE) stated in his Al-Athar al-Marfu’ah fi l-Akhbar al-Mawdu’ah, (pp.16-35):
Know that the fuqaha and the muhaddithun in their entirety have clarified in their books that it is prohibited to narrate, cite and transmit fabricated (mawdu’) [hadiths], and act upon its purport while believing it to be established, except with a warning that it is fabricated. Leniency (tasahul) in this [matter] is prohibited, whether [the fabricated hadith is] in regards to laws (ahkam), stories (qasas), inducing hope and fear (al-targhib wa l-tarhib) or anything else. Imitating (taqlid) [others] in mentioning and transmitting it is prohibited unless followed by an explanation of its fabrication, as opposed to a da’if hadith, since if that is not in regards to laws, there is leniency therein, and it is acceptable with numerous conditions which I have elaborated in my footnotes to my treatise Tuhfat al-Talabah fi Mash al-Raqabah called Tuhfat al-Kamulah and in my treatise Al-Ajwibat al-Fadilah li l-As’ilat al-’Asharat al-Kamilah.
They [the fuqaha and the muhaddithun] have also explained that to lie about the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is one of the greatest of the major sins, rather some of the Shafi’is exaggerated and ruled it to be kufr. That is because sahih hadiths have been narrated with various wordings indicating what we mentioned. The most well-known of them has the wording: “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” It has many routes such that it was said that it is from the mutawatir hadiths. I have expanded on this discussion in [a manner] not [requiring] further [explanation] to it in Zafar al-Amani fi l-Mukhtasar al-Mansub ila l-Jurjani in the discussion on mutawatir, Allah enable us to complete it as He enabled us to start it, and if Allah gives expanse in my life and assists in my ability, I will complete it after finishing writing up this treatise, if Allah (Exalted is He) wills.
‘Ali al-Qari al-Makki said in Kitab al-Mawdu’at:
Moreover, the meaning of that which the two shaykhs [i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim] and Al-Hakim transmitted from Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him), “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire,” is mutawatir and this form is almost mutawatir.
In [another] version from them and from al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and al-Daraqutni, [they narrated] from Anas (Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “That the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said ‘Whoever deliberately lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire’ prevents me from narrating many hadiths to you.”
They have also [narrated] from ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) [that] he said: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Do not lie upon me, for whoever lies upon me, let him enter the Fire.”
The two shaykhs and al-Tirmidhi [narrated] from al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah (Allah be pleased with him) [that] he said: I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) say, “Lying upon me is not like lying upon another; whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, ibn Majah and al-Daraqutni [narrated] from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (Allah be pleased with them) [that] he said: I said to Zubayr [ibn ‘Awwam], “I do not hear you narrating from Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as so-and-so and so-and-so narrate.” He said, “Certainly, I did not part from him since I accepted Islam, but I heard him say, ‘Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.’” Al-Daraqutni added, “By Allah he did not say ‘deliberately’ and you say ‘deliberately.’”
Al-Bukhari and al-Daraqutni [narrated] from Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Bukhari, al-Tirmidhi, al-Daraqutni and al-Hakim in Al-Madkhal [narrated] from Ibn ‘Umar (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: He (upon him blessings and peace) said, “Narrate from me and do not lie upon me, for whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi who authenticated it and Ibn Majah [narrated] from Ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) [that] he said: He (upon him blessings and peace) said, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad, al-Darimi and Ibn Majah [narrated] from Jabir (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: He (upon him blessings and peace) said, “Beware of excessive narration; whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Darimi and Ibn Majah [narrated] from Abu Qatadah (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: I heard him (upon him blessings and peace) say on this pulpit, “Beware of excessive narration; nothing should be said about me but reality and truth, and whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn Majah [narrated] from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said in marfu’ form, “Write not from me [anything] besides the Qur’an, and whoever wrote anything besides the Qur’an should erase it. Narrate from the Israelites and there is no harm. Narrate from me and do not lie upon me, for whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Abu Ya’la, al-’Uqayli and al-Tabrani in Al-Awsat [narrated] from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, or rejects something I commanded, let him occupy a house in Hell.”
Ahmad and Abu Ya’la [narrated] from ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me, he is in the Fire.”
Ahmad, al-Bazzar, Abu Ya’la, al-Daraqutni and al-Hakim in Al-Madkhal [narrated] from ‘Uthman (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) that he would say, “That I am not the most retentive from the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) regarding him does not prevent me from narrating from him, but [because] I bear witness that I heard him say, ‘Whoever ascribes a lie to me, let him occupy a house in the Fire.’”
Abu Ya’la and Al-Tabrani [narrated] from Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd Allah in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Bazzar, Abu Ya’la, al-Daraqutni and al-Hakim in Al-Madkhal [narrated] from Sa’id ibn Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) that he (upon him blessings and peace) said, “Verily, lying upon me is not like lying upon another; whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad, Hannad in al-Zuhd, al-Bazzar, al-Tabrani and al-Hakim in al-Madkhal [narrated] from Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them) in marfu’ form, “Verily, a house in the Fire will be built for the one who lies upon me.”
Ahmad, al-Harith ibn Abi Usamah in his Musnad and al-Tabrani [narrated] from Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (Allah be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad, al-Bazzar, Abu Ya’la and al-Tabrani [narrated] from Khalid ibn ‘Arfatah in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately” and in [another] narration “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad, al-Harith ibn Abi Usamah, al-Bazzar, al-Tabrani and al-Hakim in al-Madkhal [narrated] from Yahya ibn Maymun al-Hadrami that Abu Musa al-Ghafiqi heard ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir al-Juhani (Allah be pleased with him) narrating hadiths from Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) on the pulpit, and Abu Musa (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Verily, this companion of yours has preserved [the hadiths] or is destroyed; indeed the last thing he (upon him blessings and peace) entrusted unto us was that he said, ‘Hold to the Book of Allah, and you will refer to a people who love to narrate from me, so whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire, and whoever preserves a thing, let him narrate it.’”
Ahmad, Abu Ya’la and al-Tabrani [narrated] from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (Allah be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad, al-Bazzar and al-Tabrani [narrated] from Zayd ibn Arqam in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ahmad [narrated] from Qays ibn Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately let him take [his] resting place in the Fire” or “a house in Hell.”
Al-Bazzar and al-’Uqayli in al-Du’afa’ [narrated] from ‘Imran ibn Husayn (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani [narrated] in al-Awsat from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) that a man wore a dress resembling the dress of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), then he came to a household in Madinah and said, “Verily, he (upon him blessings and peace) commanded me to survey whichever household I wish from the residents of Madinah.” They then prepared accommodation for him and sent a messenger to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and informed him. He said to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with them), “Go to him and if you find him, kill him, then burn him with fire, and if you find him and you have been spared this [task] [because he is already dead], and I do not believe but the two of you will be spared this [task], then burn him with Fire.” Thereupon, they came to him and found him having come out in the night to urinate, when a snake bit him and he died, so they burned him with fire. Then they returned to him (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and informed him and he (upon him blessings and peace) said, “Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn ‘Adi in al-Kamil [narrated] from Buraydah (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: A suburb of Banu Layth was [situated] two miles away from Madinah. A man had proposed to one of them in Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic times) and they did not marry him [to her], so he came to them [putting] on a dress, saying, “Indeed Allah’s Messenger garbed me this [dress] and commanded me to rule over your properties and your blood.” Then he set forth and fell on that woman he proposed to [i.e. fornicated with her]. Thereupon, the people sent a messenger to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and he said, “He lied, the enemy of Allah!” Then he sent a man and said, “If you find him alive, strike his neck, and if you find him dead, burn him.” Then he found him, a snake having bit him and he died, so he burned him with fire. That is [a consequence of] his (upon him blessings and peace) statement, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani [narrated] from ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (Allah be pleased with him) [that] he said: I went with my father to an in-law of ours from the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) who accepted Islam, and I heard him say: I head Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) say “Give us rest by it, i.e. prayer, O Bilal.” I said, “Did you hear that from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace)?” He then became angry and began narrating to them that he (upon him blessings and peace) sent a man to an Arab suburb and when he came to them, he said, “He (upon him blessings and peace) commanded me to rule over your women however I wish.” Thereupon they said, “[We] hear and [we] obey the command of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace),” and they sent a man to him (upon him blessings and peace) and said, “Indeed so-and-so came to us and said that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded me to rule over your women, so if it is from your command then [we] hear and [we] obey and if it is other than that, we wished to let you know.” Then he (upon him blessings and peace) became angry and sent a man from the Ansar, saying, “Go and kill him or burn him with fire.” He reached him and he had [already] died and was buried, so he ordered that [his body] be exhumed, then he burned him with fire. Then he [the in-law of ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah] said: Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire” and he said, “Do you think that I will lie upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) after this?”
Al-Tabrani in al-Awsat [narrated] from Zayd ibn Arqam and al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with them), elevating it [to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)], “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani [narrated] from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani in al-Awsat [narrated] from Mu’adh ibn Jabal in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” Al-Tabrani [narrated] from ‘Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhani with this wording; Al-Tabrani in al-Saghir [narrated] from Nabit ibn Sharit like so; al-Tabrani [narrated] from ‘Ammar ibn Yasir like so; he [narrated] from ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah like so and [he narrated] from ‘Amr ibn Hurayth like so; he and al-Darimi [narrated] from Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) like so; he [narrated] from ‘Utaybah ibn Ghazwan like so; he and Ibn ‘Adi [narrated] from al-’Urs ibn ‘Amirah like so; he and al-Darimi [narrated] from Ya’la ibn Murrah like so; he and al-Bazzar [narrated] from Abu Malik al-Ashja’i from his father whose name was Tariq ibn Aysham like so; and he, Abu Nu’aym and al-Isma’ili in his Mu’jam [narrated] from Salman ibn Khalid al-Khuza’i in marfu’ form with the wording, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him occupy a house in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani [narrated] from ‘Amr ibn Dinar (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) that the children of Suhayb said to Suhayb, “O our father! The children of the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) are narrating from their fathers,” and he said: I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) say, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” Al-Tabrani [narrated] from al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid with this wording and he [narrated] from Abu Umamah al-Bahili with the wording: “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire between the eyes of Hell.” He [narrated] from Abu Qursafah that he (upon him blessings and peace) said, “Narrate from me whatever you hear, and it is not permitted for a man to lie upon me, for whoever lies upon me” or he said “ascribes to me what I have not said, a house in Hell will be built for him, in which he will be thrown.” He [narrated] from Rafi’ ibn Khudayj in marfu’ form, “Do not lie upon me, for indeed lying upon me is not like lying upon another.” He [narrated] from Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon his Prophet or his eyes [i.e. he invents a dream] or his parents [i.e. he falsely identifies his parents], he will never smell the fragrance of Paradise.” He [narrated] in al-Awsat from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, “Do not lie upon me; indeed, the one who lies upon me is reckless.” He [narrated] in al-Awsat from Abu Khaldah [that] he said: I heard Maymun al-Kurdi while he was with Malik ibn Dinar (Allah be pleased with him), then Malik ibn Dinar said to him, “Why is it that the shaykh does not narrate from his father, for indeed your father saw the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and heard from him?” Thereupon, he said, “Our father would not narrate from him (Allah bless him and grant him peace) out of fear that he would add or subtract from his speech, and he said: I heard him (upon him blessings and peace) say, ‘Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.’” He [narrated] from Sa’d ibn al-Midhas from him (upon him blessings and peace), “Whoever knows something must not conceal it, and whoever lies upon me let him occupy a house in Hell.”
Abu Muhammad al-Ramahurmuzi [narrated] in Kitab al-Muhaddith al-Fasil from Malik ibn ‘Atahiyyah that he (upon him blessings and peace) instructed us in the Farewell Hajj, saying, “Hold to the Qur’an, and you will refer to groups who narrate from me, so whoever preserves a thing, let him narrate it, and whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani and al-Ramahurmuzi [narrated] from Rafi’ ibn Khudayj (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed by us one day while we were talking and he said, “What are you discussing?” They said, “That which we heard from you, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Talk, but whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn Sa’d and al-Tabrani [narrated] from al-Muqanna’ al-Tamimi [that] he said: I brought the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) the sadaqah of our camels when he ordered to [receive] it and take it [to the treasury]. I said, “Two she-camels amongst them are a gift for you,” so he ordered to separate the gift from the sadaqah. I stayed [some] days, and the people plunged [into talk] that he (upon him blessings and peace) will delegate Khalid ibn al-Walid to the slaves of Mudar to give sadaqah to them. I said, “By Allah our people have no money,” so I came to him (upon him blessings and peace) and said to him, “Indeed the people are plunged in such and such [talk],” so the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) raised his hands until the whiteness of his armpits could be seen, saying, “O Allah I never permitted them to lie upon me.” Al-Muqanna’ said, “Thereafter, I did not narrate from him (upon him blessings and peace) a hadith, except a tradition articulated in the Book or applied in the Sunnah. [That was the case of he who] lies upon him in [his] lifetime, so how [would it be] after his death?”
Al-Daraqutni [narrated] from Rafi’ ibn Khudayj (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) [that] he said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and a man came to him saying, “O Messenger of Allah! The people are narrating from you in such and such [a manner],” and he said, “I do not say except that which descends from heaven. Woe unto you! Do not lie upon me, for indeed a lie upon me is not like lying upon another.”
Al-Bazzar [narrated] from Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them) in marfu’ form, “From the greatest of falsehoods is he who attributes to his eyes what they did not see, and from the greatest of falsehoods is he who ascribes to me what I have not said.”
Al-’Uqayli [narrated] in Kitab al-Du’afa’ from Abu Kabshah al-Anmari (Allah be pleased with him), with the wording, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” Al-’Uqayli [narrated] from Ghazwan (Allah be pleased with him) with this wording, and he and al-Tabrani in al-Afrad [narrated] from Abu Rafi’, “Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in Hell.”
Ibn ‘Asakir [narrated] in his Tarikh from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’ (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him): I heard Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) say, “Verily, from the greatest of major sins is that a man ascribes [to me] what I have not said.” Ibn ‘Adi and al-Hakim in al-Madkhal [narrated] through another route from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’ in marfu’ form, “Verily, from the greatest of falsehoods is he who ascribes to me what I have not said or attributes to his eyes in sleep what it had not seen.”
Al-Khatib in his Tarikh [narrated] from al-Nu’man ibn Bashir, and its wording is: “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Tabrani [narrated] from Usamah ibn Zayd (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) with the wording: “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Hakim [narrated] in al-Madkhal from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him), “The anger of Allah (Exalted is He) is severe on he who lies upon me deliberately.”
Al-Hakim [narrated] in al-Madkhal from Bahaz ibn Hakim, from his father, from his grandfather in marfu’ form, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, upon him is the curse of Allah, the Angels, and all humankind, and compulsory acts and voluntary acts will not be accepted from him.”
Al-Hakim [narrated] in al-Madkhal from Hudhayfah (Allah be pleased with him), “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Hakim [narrated] in al-Madkhal from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) with the wording, “Whoever narrates from me a lie, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Bazzar and Ibn ‘Adi [narrated] from Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) in marfu’ form, “Three [men] will not smell the fragrance of Paradise: a man claiming another as his father, a man who lies upon his Prophet, and a man who lies upon his eyes.”
Ahmad, Hannad and al-Hakim in his Mustadrak [narrated] from Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) with the wording: “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire” and in a wording “a house in Hell.”
Ibn Sa’id in his collection of the routes of this hadith [narrated] from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) with the wording: “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Khatib [narrated] in al-Tarikh from Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (Allah be pleased with him) with the wording: “Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn ‘Adi [narrated] from Suhayb (Allah be pleased with him) and its wording is: “Whoever lies upon me, he will be charged on the Day of Resurrection with weaving together two barleycorns, and that is what prevents me from narrating.”
Al-Daraqutni [narrated it] in al-Afrad like so and al-Khatib in al-Tarikh [narrated] from Salman al-Farisi (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him); Ibn al-Jawzi and Hafiz Yusuf ibn Khalil in his collection of the paths of this hadith [narrated] from Abu Dharr like so, and Ibn Sa’id and others [narrated] from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd (Allah be pleased with him) like so.
Ibn ‘Adi [narrated] from Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him), “Whoever innovates a thing or shelters an innovator, upon him is the curse of Allah, the Angels, and all of humankind, and [also] upon whoever lies upon me deliberately.”
Ibn Qani’ in his Mu’jam [narrated] from Usamah ibn Zayd (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him), “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire” and that was [said] because he sent a man for a need and he lied upon him, whereupon he cursed him, and he was found dead, his insides split open, and the earth did not accept him.
Al-Daraqutni and Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with them), “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] through another route from ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with them) that he said one day to his companions, “Do you know what is the meaning of this hadith: ‘Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire’? A man was passionately in love with a woman, so he came to her people in the evening and said, ‘I am the emissary of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace). He sent me to you that I may be hosted in whichever house I wish.’ He waited while passing the night, and a man from amongst them came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, ‘So-and-so came to us claiming that you commanded him to stay in whichever of our houses he wished.’ Thereupon, he said ‘He lied! Oh so-and-so, go with him and if Allah enables you, strike his neck and burn him with fire, and I do not believe but you will be spared this [task].’ Then, he [i.e. the man who lied] came out to perform wudu’ and a snake bit him and he died. When this [news] reached the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), he said, ‘He is in the Fire.’”
Ibn Qani’ in Mu’jam al-Sahabah and Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] from ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) with the wording: “Whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.” They [narrated] from Yazid ibn Asad like so; al-Hakim [narrated] from ‘Affan ibn Habib (Allah be pleased with him) like so; and al-Jawzaqani and Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] from a man from the Companions (Allah be pleased with him) with the wording, “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him occupy [his place] between the eyes of Hell.”
Ibn Sa’id and others [narrated] from ‘A’ishah (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with her) with the wording: “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Al-Daraqutni and Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] from Umm Ayman (Allah be pleased with her) and its wording is, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] from ‘Ali (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with him) and its wording is: “Whoever lies upon Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), he has indeed prepared his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn al-Jawzi [narrated] from Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah Exalted is He be pleased with them): Al-’Abbas said, “O Messenger of Allah! If only we could make an elevated place for you from above which you speak to the people, so they can hear [you].” He said, “I will remain like this: their dust afflicting me, while they tread on my heels, until Allah relieves me from them, so whoever lies upon me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn ‘Adi [narrated] from Shu’bah, “Whoever lies upon me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Ibn Khalil [narrated] from Zayd ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) like so; he [narrated] from Ka’b ibn Qutbah like so; he [narrated] from the father of Abu l-’Ashra’ like so; he and Abu Nu’aym [narrated] from ‘Abdullah ibn Zaghb like so.
Abu Nu’aym [narrated] from Jabir ibn Habis (Allah be pleased with him) with the wording: “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.”
Hafiz al-Suyuti said: “More than a hundred Companions narrated this hadith and a multitude of the people of excellence gathered its paths to them. Ibn al-Jawzi transmitted from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Isfara’ini that there is no hadith in the world that the ten promised paradise agreed upon besides the hadith, ‘Whoever lies upon me…’ Ibn al-Jawzi said: the narration of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (Allah be pleased with him) [one of the ten promised Paradise] has not occurred to me till now.” End
One of the subtleties that was mentioned in this regard is that which ‘Allamah Abu l-Qasim ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Ghurani, the author of many works, said: Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mu’addib narrated to us: Abu l-Muzaffar Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Husam al-Samarqandi narrated to us: he said: I heard al-Khadir and Ilyas say: We heard Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) say, “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said, let him take his seat in the Fire.” Al-Dhahabi said: Abu ‘Amr ibn al-Salah dictated this hadith and said, “This occurred to us in a transcript from Al-Khadir and Ilyas.” Al-Dhahabi said, “I do not know who compiled this transcript.” [Here] ends the speech of Al-Qari in its entirety.
I say: it is established from these narrations that fabricating [something] about the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and attributing to him what he did not say is absolutely haram and a cause for being punished in the Fire, whether it is in regards to Halal and Haram or inducing hope and fear or anything else. Hence, the belief of some ignorant fabricators that lying upon him (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to induce hope and fear is permissible because it is a lie for him not against him, is unacceptable.
Furthermore, it is established from the aforementioned narrations that just as lying upon him (Allah bless him and grant him peace) verbally and practically by attributing to him a statement he did not say and an action he did not perform is from the greatest of the major sins, similarly attributing a virtue or a rank to his purified essence whose existence is not established in the holy prophetic essence by verses or reliable hadiths is also from the greatest of the major sins. The admonishing preachers should, therefore, pay attention, and the story-tellers and the exhorting and reproving sermonisers should beware, since they attribute many things to the holy person whose existence has not been established therein and they think that in this is a great reward due to establishing a virtue for the holy essence and elevating its stature, yet they are unaware that the prophetic virtues established in the sahih hadiths dispose of the need for those flimsy falsehoods. By my life, his (Allah bless him and grant him peace) virtues are outside the limit of encompassment and enumeration, and his merits, by which he excels all creation, are very many without end, so what is the need to extol him using falsehoods? Rather, this is a cause for great sin and deviation from the Straight Path.
We ought to mention here some of the stories which are commonly narrated by most of the preachers of our age in their sermonic gatherings while believing them to be established facts, in spite of them being manufactured and fabricated:
From them is what they mention that when the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was taken by night in the Night of Mi’raj (Ascension) to the high heavens and reached the Lofty Throne, he intended to take off his shoes, considering His (Exalted is He) statement to our master Musa when He spoke to him, “So remove your shoes; verily, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa” (Qur’an 20:12). He was then called from the Lofty Court: “O Muhammad! Do not remove your shoes as the Throne will take honour in your advent wearing shoes and will take it as pride and blessings before others.” So the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) ascended the Throne while the shoes were on his feet, and thus he was granted honour and loftiness.
This story was narrated by many composers of eulogistic poems while others incorporated [it] in their writings on the Sunnah. Most of the preachers in our age mention it in detail as well as in summary in their sermonic functions. Ahmad al-Muqri’ al-Maliki in his book Fath al-Muta’al fi Madhi Khayr al-Ni’al, and ‘Allamah Radi al-Din al-Qazwini and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Baqi al-Zurqani in Sharh al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, clarified that this story is fabricated in its entirety. May Allah uglify its fabricator! It is not established in a [single] narration from the [various] narrations of the Prophetic Mi’raj, despite the abundance of its paths, that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grand him peace) was in that [time] wearing shoes, and it is not established that he ascended the Throne, although he reached a place [where] “he drew nigh” to his Lord “and came down and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer, and He revealed to His servant what He revealed.” (Qur’an 53:8-10). I have a detailed discussion on this point in my treatise Ghayat al-Maqal fima yata’allaqu bi l-Ni’al, so that should be studied.
From them is what the preachers mention that the Prophet was given knowledge of the first and the last (al-awwalin wa l-akhirin) in detail, and he was granted knowledge of all that has passed and all that is to come, universally (kulliyyan) and particularly (juz’iyyan), and that there is no difference between his knowledge and the knowledge of his Lord from the perspective of encompassment and inclusion, and the only difference is that the knowledge of Allah is everlasting and eternal in His very Essence without having been taught by another, as opposed to the knowledge of the Messenger, since he acquired it through being taught by his Lord. This is flowery speech and falsehood as clarified by Ibn Hajar al-Makki in al-Minah al-Makkiyyah Sharh al-Qasidat al-Hamziyyah and [by] other scholars of poetry. That which is established from the Qur’anic verses and the Prophetic hadiths is that encompassment, inclusion and knowledge of all ghayb is specific to the Honourable Truth [i.e. Allah], and this quality was not granted from the part of the Truth to any of creation. Yes, the sciences of our Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) are more excessive and abundant than the sciences of the rest of the Prophets and Messengers, and the teaching of his Lord to him of the unseen matters is more perfect relative to [His] teaching to others, so he is most perfect in knowledge and practice, and the chief of creation in rank and virtue.
From them is what the preachers mention that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) knew the whole Qur’an and recited it from the moment of his birth, and that the meaning of his statement “I am not a reader” in response to Jibril saying to him when revelation began, “Recite!” as was narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and others, is: “I will not read by your command, as I know it and read it from before.” This is no doubt a fabrication, falsified by Qur’anic verses and Prophetic reports.
From them is what they mention that he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not unlettered (ummi), rather he was able to write and recite by nature. This is a statement contravening the Qur’an and Sunnah and even the consensus (ijma’) of the ummah. It has no consideration, therefore, for the perspicacious.
From them is what they mention of the story of ‘Ukashah when commemorating the beauty of the Muhammadan character. This was transmitted by Abu Nu’aym in Hilyat al-Awliya’ from Ibn ‘Abbas [that] he said: When “When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory” (110:1) to the end of the surah, was revealed, Muhammad said, “O Jibril! My death has been announced.” Jibril said, “The Hereafter will be better for you than the present and verily your Lord will give unto you until you are content.” (93:4-5) Then Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded Bilal to make a call for congregational prayer. The Muhajirun and Ansar then congregated in the mosque and he prayed with the people. He then ascended the pulpit and praised and glorified Allah, and he delivered a sermon that made the hearts fearful and the eyes tearful.
Then he said: “O people! What [kind] of prophet have I been to you?” They said, “Allah reward you greatly for the Prophet [you have been], for verily, you were to us like a compassionate father and a well-wishing kind brother. You transmitted the messages of Allah and you conveyed to us His revelation, and you called to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching. So, Allah reward you on our behalf the best that He rewards a prophet on behalf of his people.”
Then he said: “Assemblies of Muslims! I adjure you by Allah and by my right over you, whoever has a complaint against me, let him stand and take retaliation from me before the retaliation on the Day of Resurrection.” An old man called ‘Ukashah [who was] amongst the Muslims stood and walked passed the Muslims until he stood before the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, “My father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Had you not adjured us more than once, I would not be one to offer any [complaint] against you. I was with you in battle, and when Allah gave us an opening and gave victory to His Prophet and we turned back, my she-camel drew parallel to your she-camel, so I descended from the she-camel and came close to you to kiss your thigh, but then you lifted a cane and hit my flank. I do not know if that was intentional on your part or you wanted to hit the she-camel.”
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “I seek refuge for you in the glory of Allah, that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) intentionally struck [you]. O Bilal! Go to the house of Fatimah and bring a long cane.” Bilal left the mosque with his hands on his head, saying aloud, “This is the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) offering retaliation upon himself!” Then he knocked on the door of Fatimah and said, “O daughter of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace)! Give me a long cane.” Fatimah said, “O Bilal! What will my father do with the cane? This is not the season of Hajj or war.” He said, “How unaware you are of the plight of your father! Verily, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is entrusting the religion and departing the world and offering retaliation upon himself.” So Fatimah said, “And who is it that his soul has agreed to retaliating upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), O Bilal? Say to al-Hasan and al-Husayn to stand to this man and not let him take retaliation from the Messenger of Allah.”
Then, the Messenger of Allah gave the cane to ‘Ukashah. When Abu Bakr and ‘Umar saw that they said, “We are in front of you so take retaliation from us and do not take retaliation from Allah’s Messenger,” and the Messenger of Allah said to them, “Leave O Abu Bakr and you, O ‘Umar, for indeed Allah knows your place and your station.” ‘Ali stood and said, “O ‘Ukashah, in the life of this world, I was before Allah’s Messenger [i.e. in his service], and my soul does not agree with you hitting the Messenger of Allah; so this is my back and my belly, take retaliation from me and strike me a hundred strikes, and do not take retaliation from Allah’s Messenger.” Allah’s Messenger said, “O ‘Ali! Sit, for indeed Allah knows your station and your intention.” Then al-Hasan and al-Husayn stood and said, “O Ukashah do you not know that we are the grandchildren of the Messenger of Allah so retaliation upon us is like retaliation upon the Messenger of Allah?” He said to them, “Sit down O coolness of my eyes, Allah has not forgotten this station for you.”
Then, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “O Ukashah! Strike if you are going to strike.” He said, “O Messenger of Allah! You struck me while I was uncovered.” Thereupon, he exposed his belly and the Muslims screamed out, crying, and said, “Do you believe ‘Ukasha is hitting the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace)?” When ‘Ukashah saw the whiteness of his belly, he said, “My father and mother be sacrificed for you! My soul does not agree to retaliate upon you.” The Prophet said to him, “Either you strike or you pardon.” He said “I pardon you, hoping that Allah will pardon me on the Day of Resurrection.” The Prophet said, “Whoever wishes to see my companion in the Garden, let him look at this [man].” The Muslims stood and began kissing between the eyes of ‘Ukashah and they said, “Blessed are you! Blessed are you! You have reached the Highest Ranks and the companionship of Allah’s Messenger.”
The hadith is mentioned in its entirety in Kitab al-Mawdu’at by Ibn al-Jawzi. Ibn al-Jawzi said, “This is mawdu’ and its inventor was ‘Abd al-Mun’im,” meaning, ‘Abd al-Mun’im ibn Idris ibn Sinan, the narrator from his father from Wahb from Ibn ‘Abbas and from him Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Bara and from him Sulayman ibn Ahmad al-Tabrani and from him Abu Nu’aym. Al-Suyuti agreed with him in al-La’ali al-Masnu’ah fi l-Ahadith al-Mawdu’ah and Ibn ‘Arraq in Tanzih al-Shari’ah ‘an al-Ahadith al-Mawdu’ah and others.
Al-Dhahabi said in Mizan al-I’tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal:
‘Abd al-Mun’im ibn Idris al-Yamani, the famous story-teller, is not relied upon. More than one have abandoned his [narrations] and Ahmad ibn Hanbal clarified [this], saying, “He would lie upon Wahb ibn Munabbih”; Al-Bukhari said, “[He is] wasted in hadith (dhahib al-hadith)”; Al-’Uqayli said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Anmati narrated to us: ‘Abd al-Mun’im ibn Idris narrated to us from his father from Wahb from Ibn ‘Abbas from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), “A fly does not fly between two [people] except by fate” and he [narrated] from his father from Wahb from Jabir and Ibn ‘Abbas a long account regarding the death of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and that he gave a cane to ‘Ukashah to retaliate upon him. Ibn Hibban said, “He would fabricate hadiths upon his father and on others and he died in 228 H in Baghdad.” End
[It is] also [mentioned] therein [i.e. Mizan al-I’tidal]:
Idris ibn Sinan al-San’ani, the grandson of Wahb ibn Munabbih, was weakened by Ibn ‘Adi, and al-Daraqutni said [about him], “[He is] abandoned” and his son ‘Abd al-Mun’im ibn Idris [narrated] from him. He was mentioned by Ibn Hibban in his Tarikh. End
[It is mentioned] in Lisan al-Mizan by Hafiz ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani in the biography of ‘Abd al-Mun’im:
Ibn Abi Hatim transmitted from Isma’il ibn ‘Abd al-Karim: Idris died while ‘Abd al-Mun’im was an infant, and the same was said by Ahmad when asked about him: “he did not hear a thing from his father.” ‘Abd al-Khaliq ibn Mansur said [narrating] from Ibn Ma’in that he is a wicked liar (kadhdhab khabith) and according to Abu Zur’ah “[he is] weak in hadith” and al-Fallas said, “[He is] abandoned; he took the books of his father and narrated them and did not hear a thing from his father”. Abu Ahmad al-Hakim said, “[He is] wasted in hadith” and Ibn al-Madini said, “He is not trustworthy; he took books and narrated them” and al-Nasa’i said, “He is not trustworthy” and al-Saji said, “He would buy biographical works (kutub al-sirah) and narrate them; he did not hear them from his father, not even a part of it.” End
From them is what they mention at the commemoration of the Prophetic birth that the light of Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was created from the light of Allah in the sense that His Holy Essence became a substance for his illuminated soul, and that He (Exalted is He) took a handful of His light and created from it his light. This is sophistic talk since the essence of our Lord (Glorified and Blessed is He) is transcendent beyond being a substance of [any] besides Him. Taking a handful of His light does not mean that a part of him was cut off and made into the light of His Prophet because the concomitant of that is divisibility (tajazzi) and other things that follow from that in His essence (Exalted is Him), Transcendent is Allah beyond that. That which brought them into this dark quandary is the outward [meaning] of the narration of ‘Abd al-Razzaq in his Musannaf from Jabir [that] he said: I said “O Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace)! My father and mother be sacrificed for you! Tell me of the first thing Allah created before all things.” He said, “O Jabir! Verily, Allah created the light of your Prophet from His light before all things, and He made that light turn by [His] Power wherever Allah wished, and at that time there was no Tablet and no Pen, no Garden and no Fire, no Angel and no Heaven, no earth and no sun and no moon, no jinni and no man.” The hadith is mentioned in its entirety in al-Mawahib al-Ludaniyyah and other [works].
They erred in understanding the Prophetic meaning and they do not know that the ascription (idafah) in his statement “from His light” is like the ascription in His (Exalted is He) statement in the story of the creation of Adam, “I breathed into him of My spirit” (15:29) and like His statement in the story of our master ‘Isa “a spirit from Him” (4:171) and like their statement, “The house of Allah” for the Ka’bah and mosques, and their statement, “The spirit of Allah” for ‘Isa etc. Al-Zurqani said in Sharh al-Mawahib in the commentary of his statement, “from His light”:
[This is] an ascription of ennoblement (idafat al-tashrif) and to notify that he is a wonderful creation and that he has a rank which has a certain relationship with the esteemed lordship according to the meaning of His (Exalted is He) statement “and He breathed into him from His spirit.” This is a rhetorical (bayaniyyah) [sentence], meaning: “from the light of His essence”, not in the sense that it is a substance for the creation of his light, rather in the sense of the [Divine] Will pertained to it without the mediation of anything when bringing it into existence. End.
He also said some pages before this:
As for what is mentioned that Allah took a handful of the light of His Face and cast a look at it so it perspired and dropped, so Allah created out of every drop a prophet, and that the handful was the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and he was like a brilliant star, and that the entire world was created out of it and he was existent before his parents were created and he memorised the Qur’an before Jibril came to him and things like these, Hafiz Abu l-’Abbas Ahmad ibn Taymiyah said in his Fatawa and Hafiz ibn Kathir quoted it in his Tarikh and agreed with him that all these things are fabricated lies about his speech by agreement of the people of knowledge. End
Note:
The primacy and the definite priority of the creation of the Muhammadan light are established in the narration of ‘Abd al-Razzaq. The hadith, “The first of what Allah created is my light” is famous amongst the story-tellers, although it is a hadith not established in this form, even though other [narrations] were narrated that agree with it in meaning. Al-Suyuti said in his commentary on Jami’ al-Tirmidhi called Qut al-Mughtadhi when commenting on the hadith, “Verily the first that Allah created is the Pen”:
Zayn al-’Arab said in Sharh al-Masabih: “This hadith is contradicted by that which was narrated that ‘the first that Allah created was the Intellect’, and ‘the first that Allah created was my light’, and ‘the first that Allah created was the Spirit’, and ‘the first that Allah created was the Throne.’ Its response is that the primacy of things is relative, so it is understood that each of what was mentioned was first in its [own] genus. Hence, the pen was created before all bodies, his (upon him blessings and peace) light was created before all lights, and the hadith of the Intellect is understood as the first that Allah created of subtle bodies is the Intellect, and from the dense [bodies] is the Throne, so there is no contradiction between any of them.” [Here] ends the statement of Zayn al-’Arab. I say: the hadith of Intellect is fabricated and the other three were not narrated with this wording so the interpretation is dispensable.
I say: similar to “the first that Allah created is my light” in not being established textually but having been transmitted in meaning, is that which is famous on the tongues of the story-tellers and the general and the elite of the hadith, “Were it not for you, I would not have created the celestial bodies”. ‘Ali al-Qari said in Tadhkirat al-Mawdu’at:
[Regarding] the hadith, “Were it not for you, I would not have created the celestial bodies,” al-’Asqalani said, “[It is] mawdu‘”, as [mentioned] in al-Khulasah. However, its meaning is correct, since al-Daylami narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas in marfu’ form: Jibril came to me and said: Allah said, “O Muhammad! Were it not for you, I would not have created the Garden and were it not for you I would not have created the Fire.” End
Al-Qastallani mentioned in al-Mawahib al-Laduniya and al-Zurqani in its commentary that al-Hakim transmitted in his Mustadrak from ‘Umar in marfu’ form that Adam saw the name “Muhammad” written on the throne and Allah said to Adam, “Were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created you.” Abu l-Shaykh in Tabaqat al-Asfahaniyyin and al-Hakim narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas: Allah revealed to ‘Isa, “Believe in Muhammad and command your people to believe in him for were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Adam or the Garden or the Fire and indeed I created the Throne on water and it shook, so I wrote on it: ‘No deity but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’” ‘Amr ibn Aws is in its sanad and he is unknown. Al-Dhahabi said: According to al-Daylami from Ibn ‘Abbas who elevated it [to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)], “Jibril came to me and said: Indeed Allah says ‘Were it not for you, I would not create the Garden and were it not for you, I would not create the Fire.’”
Similar [is the narration] that has become famous on the tongues of story-tellers of the hadith, “I was a Prophet while Adam was between water and clay” and in a narration, “I was a Prophet and there was no Adam, no water and no clay,” because al-Sakhawi in al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, while explaining many of the hadiths which are common on the tongues, and al-Suyuti in al-Durar al-Muntashirah fi l-Akhbar al-Mushtahirah and others clarified that it is mawdu’ with this wording. Yes, it is established from al-Hakim in his Mustadrak and authenticated by Abu Nu’aym in Hilyat al-Awliya’ and al-Bukhari in his Tarikh and Ahmad in his Musnad from Maysarah al-Dabbi: I said, “O Messenger of Allah! When were you a Prophet?” He said, “While Adam was between spirit and body.” According to al-Bayhaqi and Ahmad, [they narrated] from the hadith of al-’Irbad ibn Sariyah in marfu’ form, “Verily I was the Seal of the Prophets by Allah while Adam was still in clay” and according to al-Tirmidhi, [he narrated] from Abu Hurayrah that they [i.e. the Companions] said, “O Messenger of Allah! When was prophethood incumbent upon you?” He said, “While Adam was between spirit and body.”
From them is what the preachers mention while commemorating the Muhammadan beauty that one night a needle dropped from the hand of ‘A’ishah and she lost it, and she searched for it and could not find it, so the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) laughed and the radiance of his teeth appeared, illuminating the chamber, and ‘A’ishah saw the needle with that light. Although this is mentioned in Ma’arij al-Nubuwwah and other biographical works that combine both wet and dry [i.e. sound and unsound reports] so none relies on everything that is in them besides a sleepy or drowsy person, it is, nonetheless, not established by narration or meaning.
From them is what they mention when commemorating the Muhammadan hearing that he hears the blessings of one who sends blessings on him without any mediation, though he is far. This is false and not established by any narration. Rather, its opposite is established. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “One who sends blessings on me near my grave I hear it, and one who sends blessings on me from a distance, Allah appointed an Angel who conveys it me. It will suffice him for his world and hereafter [and] I will intercede for him on the Day of Judgment.” Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman, Abu l-Shaykh in Kitab al-Thawab and al-’Uqayli in Kitab al-Du’afa’ transmitted it, and it has corroborative reports (shawahid) which were elaborated by al-Suyuti in al-La’ali al-Masnu’ah and Ibn ‘Arraq in Tanzih al-Shar’iah.
From them is what they mention that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) attends personally the gatherings commemorating his birth upon the mention of his birth, and they built on this [the practice of] standing (qiyam) when mentioning the birth in respect and honour. This is also a falsehood from the falsehoods, which is not established by any proof. The mere supposition and possibility [of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) attending] is outside the limit of this explanation.
Such stories as we mentioned are many. The preachers of the Muhammadan excellence and the Ahmadi birth (Allah bless him and grant him peace) evoke them, despite their fabrication and [despite] not being established, with the belief on their part that in mentioning the eminence of the Muhammadan stature is a great reward and an immense virtue, ignorant of the great sin due on one who lies upon the Prophet (upon him prayer and peace) in regards to a statement, an action or a beautiful or perfect description, as clear reports and authentic narrations prove.
In sum, it is necessary for every Muslim to be careful in these matters, and not mention anything except after revising it and verifying it from the reliable books of the reliable scholars, and not dare mention all that his nature concocts or is mentioned by all those who have passed before him if they are from those who gather the bad and the good (al-ghathth wa l-samin), and do not differentiate between north and south, because it is a great sin and immense treachery.
Al-Athar al-Marfu’ah fi l-Akhbar al-Mawdu’ah, pp.16-35 (From Majmu’ah Rasa’il al-Lakhnawi, volume 5, Edited by: Na’im Ashraf Nur Ahmad, Published by: Intisharat Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad Jami). The above was translated by Shaykh Zameelur Rahman and uploaded here with his permission.
