A fabricated hadeeth about the advice given to `Ali

Question:

I have received via e-mail a hadeeth attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and I have seen it in more than one discussion board.
The one who wrote it says that he received it via e-mail. This is the text of the hadeeth:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

"O `Ali, do not sleep until you have done five things, which are: reading the entire Qur'aan, giving four thousand dirhams in charity, preserving your place in Paradise and placating your opponent."
`Ali said: "And how could I do that, O Messenger of Allaah?"

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do you not know, O `Ali, that if you recite Qul huwa Allaahu ahad (i.e., Soorat al-Ikhlaas) three times, it is as if you have recited the entire Qur'aan? And that if you recite Soorat al-Faatihah four times it is as if you have given f our thousand dirhams in charity? And that if you say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd yuhyi wa yameet wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in qadeer (There is no god but Allaah alone with no partner or associate.

His is the Dominion and to Him be praise, He gives life and death and He is able to do all things) ten times, you will preserve your place in Paradise? And if you say Astaghfir-Allaah alladhi laa ilaaha illa huwa al-hayy al-qayyoom wa atoobu ilayh (I seek the forgiveness of Allaah beside Whom there is no other god, the Ever-Living, the Eternal, and I repent to Him) ten times you will have placated your opponent."

Then they concluded by saying:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indeed has spoken the truth.
Is this hadeeth saheeh?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah This hadeeth is false and fabricated (mawdoo').

The scholars of the Standing Committee said concerning this hadeeth:

This hadeeth has no basis, rather it is one of the fabricated reports and lies made up by some of the Shi'ah, as has been pointed out by the imams of hadeeth.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 4/462, 463.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about this and he said:

Read on...

How can we recognize false ahaadeeth?

Question:

How can we tell if a hadeeth is fabricated (mawdoo') or not?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

We can tell if a hadeeth is fabricated firstly by looking as its isnaad (chain of narrators) and text. If there is someone in the isnaad who is a liar, then it is a fabricated hadeeth. With regard to the text, this can also indicate that a hadeeth is fabricated but in most cases the person studying the hadeeth needs to have experience and knowledge of the saheeh (sound) hadeeths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
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Islam began as something strange

Question:

What is the meaning of this hadeeth: "Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began."?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This hadeeth was narrated by Muslim (145) from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers."
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