Question:
What is the status of this hadith?
From Anas bin Malik RA, it is said that the Prophet PBUH said:
خَمْسُ خِصالٍ يُفَطِّرْنَ الصائمَ ، ويَنْقُضْنَ الوُضوءَ: الكَذِبُ ، والغِيبةُ ، والنميمةُ ، والنظرُ بشهوةٍ ، واليمينُ الكاذبةُ
“Five matters of which would make a fasting person breaks his fast and invalidate his ablution are lying, backbiting, calumny, looking at another with desires and false testimony,”
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Before a person conveys or narrates a hadith, it is a must to first verify the status of whether the hadith is sahih or otherwise. The reason is there is a harsh warning against those who lie in the name of the Prophet PBUH. According to the above question, here we include the following opinions on the status of the hadith:
- Imam al-Nawawi said that the hadith is bathil and could not be made as a hujjah (argument/evidence). [See: al-Majmu’, 356/6]
- Imam Ibn al-Jawzi evaluated that the hadith is fake (mawdu’). [See: al-Mawdu’at, 77/2]
- Imam al-Suyuthi said that the hadith is [See: al-La’ali al-Masnu’ah, 90/2]
- Imam al-Jauraqani evaluated the hadith as bathil and the sanad is unclear. [See: al-Abathil wa al-Manakir, 529/1]
- Syeikh Ibn ‘Arraq wrote in his book that Abi Hatim asked his father regarding this hadith and his father answered that the hadith is false. [See: Tanzih al-Syariah, 147/2]
After considering the above opinions of scholars, thus, we are inclined to state that the hadith is fake. Thus, we are completely prohibited from referring it to the Prophet PBUH or spreading it to others. However, al-Mawardi and al-Mutawalli and others said that the meaning of the fasting is invalidated is that the rewards of the fasting is abrogated and not that the fasting is invalid. [See: al-Majmu’, 356/6]
Although the hadith is fake, lying, backbiting, calumny, looking with desire and falsely testifying is prohibited in Islam. As for the evidences for the prohibition are as the following:
- Lying
- From Anas bin Malik RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ، فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ
“Avoid (you people) falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness,”
Sahih Muslim (2607)
- Backbiting
- Allah SWT states:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.”
Surah al-Hujurat (12)
- Calumny
- From Huzaifah bin al-Yaman RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ نَمَّامٌ
“The tale-bearer shall not enter Paradise.”
Sahih Muslim (105)
- Looking with desire
- Allah SWT states:
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ
“Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.”
Surah al-Nur (30)
- False testimony
- From Abdullah bin Mas’ud RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
مَنْ حَلَفَ يَمِينَ صَبْرٍ لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ، لَقِيَ اللَّهَ وَهْوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَانُ
“Whoever takes an oath when asked to do so, in which he may deprive a Muslim of his property unlawfully, will meet Allah Who will be angry with him.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (4549)
Conclusion
To conclude, the above hadith is not sahih and it is impermissible to convey it to others or even referring it to the Prophet PBUH. The reason is the punishment for those who lie in the name of the Prophet PBUH is hellfire for he is a liar, this is as stated by the Prophet PBUH in a renowned sahih hadith:
- The Prophet PBUH said:
مَنْ حَدَّثَ عَنِّي بِحَدِيْثٍ يُرَىْ أَنَّهُ كَذِبٌ فَهُوَ أَحَدُ الْكَاذِبِيْنَ
"Whoever narrates a Hadith from me thinking it to be false, then he is one of the two liars."
See Muqaddimah Sahih Muslim
Lastly, may Allah SWT make us from among those who love knowledge and grant us the understanding in religion and protect our tongues from conveying incorrect hadith of the Prophet PBUH. Amin.
Wallahua’lam.