Text of the hadith – “O Ali, you and your companions are in Paradise, you and your Shia are in Paradise. However, there will be people who claim that they love you. They are made to learn Islam then they spit it out. They recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their collarbones. They have a nickname. They are called al Rafidah. So if you meet them, then fight them, for they are polytheists.” (Silsilah al Ahadith ad Daifah wal Mawduah 12/186 to 190)

First chain and the accused narrator Suwar ibn Musab

Al Tabarani رحمه الله narrated this wording in al Awsat, and al Khatib al Baghdadi in his Tarikh, through the chain of al Fadl ibn Ghanim from Suwar ibn Musab from Atiyyah al Awfi from Abu Saeed al Khudri from Umm Salamah رضي الله عنهم, who described that it was her night, the Prophet ﷺ was with her, then Fatimah عليها السلام came and Ali رضي الله عنه preceded her, and the Prophet ﷺ addressed him with these words.

Al Tabarani remarked that no one narrated it from Atiyyah, from Abu Saeed, from Umm Salamah, except Suwar ibn Musab. (al Tabarani, al Awsat 2/112/2/6749; al Khatib, Tarikh Baghdad 12/358)

Al Albani says that Suwar ibn Musab is accused of fabrication.

Al Bukhari رحمه الله  said his hadiths are munkar (denounced).

An Nasai رحمه الله and others called him abandoned.

Ibn Hibban said that he used to bring extremely objectionable reports from well known narrators to such an extent that it settles in the heart that he was deliberately fabricating them.

Al Hakim said that he narrated extremely objectionable reports from al Aamash and Ibn Khalid, and fabricated narrations from Atiyyah. (Ibn Hibban, al Majruhin 1/356)

Al Albani concludes that this hadith is from his narrations from Atiyyah al Awfi, so it is one of his fabrications, in addition to the well known weakness of Atiyyah himself.

Al Fadl ibn Ghanim in the same chain is also weak.

Adh Dhahabi رحمه الله reports from Yahya ibn Ma’een رحمه الله that he said of al Fadl, “He is nothing.”

Ad Daraqutni رحمه الله said, “He is not strong.”

Al Khatib Al Baghdadi said, “Weak.”

Al Haythami graded the hadith defective because of al Fadl, but al Albani holds that it is more correct to declare it defective on account of his shaykh, Suwar, who is the more serious defect. (al Haythami, Majmauz Zawaid 10/22)

Alternative chain with Jami ibn Umayr and clarification of the confusion

There is another route in which Jami ibn Umayr al Basri follows this narration, but with a different isnad. He relates from Suwar ibn Musab from Muhammad ibn Juhadah from ash Shaabi from Ali رضي الله عنه, ascribed to the Prophet ﷺ, and Isaam ibn al Hakam al Ukbari narrates from him. Abu Naim al Isbahani and al Khatib al Baghdadi record this route, and through their chains Ibn al Jawzi includes it in al Mawduaat. (Abu Naim, Hilyat al Awliya 4/329; al Khatib, Tarikh Baghdad 12/289; Ibn al Jawzi, al Mawduaat 1/397)

Ibn al Jawzi said about this route that it is a narration that does not stand, and that Suwar is not trustworthy.

He quoted Ibn Numayr saying that Jami is among the most lying of people, and Ibn Hibban saying that he used to fabricate hadith.

As Suyuti, Ibn Iraq and others followed him in this criticsm, and Wasi Allah ibn Muhammad Abbas, the editor of Fadaail as Sahabah, also repeated it. (as Suyuti, al Laali al Masnuah 1/379; Ibn Iraq, Tanzih ash Shariah 1/366; Wasi Allah ibn Muhammad Abbas, Fadaail as Sahabah 2/655)

Al Albani shows that this is a serious confusion. The strong criticism of Ibn Numayr and Ibn Hibban relates to Jami ibn Umayr at Taymi al Kufi, a Tabi who narrated from Ibn Umar and Aishah رضي الله عنهم, not to this later Basri narrator.

The Basri Jami is from the generation of the teachers of the Imams of the Sunnah, and he is Basri, while the first is Kufi. In the narration of Abu Naim he is even called Jami ibn Abdullah, which al Albani suggests is likely a copyist or typesetter’s error.

Ibn Hajar in at Tahdhib, mentions this narrator only to distinguish him, reporting that he has in al Mawduaat of Ibn al Jawzi a false hadith about the Shia of Ali, without quoting any explicit criticism or praise.

Yet in at Taqrib he said he is weak, which al Albani considers unsupported, since no earlier critic has declared him weak.

Al Albani says Ibn Hajar thought that Jami was the cause of this false hadith, as his words in at Tahdhib suggest, while in reality the defect is in his shaykh Suwar ibn Musab, who is accused as already shown.

The correct jarh (criticism) on Jami al Basri is that he is of unknown state, according to the standard method of Ahl al Hadith.

The same applies to Isaam ibn al Hakam al Ukbari who narrates from him. In his biography al Khatib only mentions that three narrators reported from him, and he quotes this hadith, without giving either criticism or praise. This again points back to Suwar ibn Musab as the central defect in the isnad.

Further evidence that the defect is Suwar ibn Musab

Al Albani strengthens this conclusion by pointing to another route recorded by Abu Bakr al Qatii in his Zawaid to Fadaail as Sahabah, where the chain up to Suwar is sound. He reports from Ibrahim ibn Sharik, from Uqbah ibn Makram ad Dabbi, from Yunus ibn Bukair, from Suwar ibn Musab, from Abu al Juhaf.

Uqbah, who was Shii, then adds that it is from Muhammad ibn Amr, from Fatimah al Kubra, from Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها, and he narrates the hadith. (Abu Bakr al Qatii, Zawaid Fadaail as Sahabah 2/654/1115)

Abu al Juhaf is Dawud ibn Abi Awf Suwayd at Tamimi, a truthful Shii narrator. Thus the problem in this chain cannot be placed on him, and the repeated confusion and variation in the isnad returns once more to Suwar ibn Musab. As Suyuti summarised, “Suwar is abandoned.”

Second route through Abu Janab al Kalbi

There is yet another route in which the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said to Ali رضي الله عنه, “O Ali, you and your Shia are in Paradise, and there will be a people nicknamed al Rafidah. If you meet them, then kill them, for they are polytheists.”

Ali is then reported to say that they claim love for the Ahl al Bayt, but their sign is that they insult Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنهما. This is narrated by Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal in as Sunnah 3/192. (Abdullah ibn Ahmad, as Sunnah 3/192)

Al Albani graded this chain extremely weak. Its main defect is Abu Janab al Kalbi, Yahya ibn Abi Hayyah, who is widely known by his kunya. Ibn Hajar states in at Taqrib that the scholars weakened him because of the abundance of his tadlis.

His shaykh in this chain, named as Abu or Ibn Sulayman al Hamdani, is listed by adh Dhahabi in al Mizaan as a narrator from his father from Ali رضي الله عنه, about whom it is not known who he is, just as it is not known who his father is, and that he brought a repudiated report.

Al Albani considers that adh Dhahabi is most likely referring to this very hadith. In this route also, therefore, the chain is very weak and cannot support the matn.

Use of this fabricated hadith by Kashif al Ghita

Al Albani notes that this hadith is one of the narrations used by the Shi’i shaykh Muhammad al Husayn Aal Kashif al Ghita in his book Asl ash Shia.

He claims there that such reports are found with Ahl as Sunnah through reliable routes in which no person of sound understanding could suspect lying or fabrication. Al Albani had already quoted and refuted this claim when discussing the previous hadith, and he presents this narration as a further example of Kashif al Ghita’s lying upon Ahl as Sunnah.

He points out that Kashif al Ghita only quoted the opening words, “O Ali, you and your companions are in Paradise,” and left out the remainder of the matn that exposes the Rafidah and describes them as polytheists. This supports the general rule that people of desires narrate what is in their favour and conceal what is against them.

Overall ruling on the hadith

When all of these routes are considered together, al Albani concludes that the report “O Ali, you and your followers will be in Paradise” with this wording and these additions is fabricated in its main route and extremely weak in its supporting routes.

The central defect lies with the narrator Suwar ibn Musab, who is accused of fabrication and abandonment, and whose confusion across several isnads is clear.

The additional route through Abu Janab al Kalbi is also very weak because of his tadlis and the unknown status of his shuyukh. On this basis, the promise given in this exact form to “Ali and his Shia” and the mention of the Rafidah in this manner cannot be accepted as authentic from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Full Passage

5590 – “O Ali, you and your companions are in Paradise, you and your Shia are in Paradise. However, there will be people who claim that they love you. They are made to learn Islam then they spit it out. They recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their collarbones. They have a nickname. They are called al Rafidah. So if you meet them, then fight them, for they are polytheists.

Albani said: O Messenger of Allah, what is their distinguishing sign? He said: They do not attend the Friday prayer and nor the congregational prayer, and they attack the first Salaf.”

This Hadith Is Fabricated

Fabricated. It was narrated by al Tabarani (d. 360 AH) in al Awsat 2/112/2/6749, and by al Khatib al Baghdadi (d. 463 AH) in his Tarikh 12/358, through the route of al Fadl ibn Ghanim, who said: “Suwar ibn Musab narrated to us from Atiyyah al Awfi from Abu Saeed al Khudri from Umm Salamah, who said:

“It was my night, and the Prophet ﷺ was with me. Then Fatimah came to him, and Ali went ahead of her. So the Prophet ﷺ said to him …” and he mentioned it. Al Tabarani said: “No one narrated it from Atiyyah from Abu Saeed from Umm Salamah except Suwar ibn Musab.” (al Tabarani, al Awsat 2/112/2/6749; al Khatib, History 12/358)

I say: He is accused. Al Bukhari (d. 256 AH) said: “Munkar al hadith.” An Nasai (d. 303 AH) and others said: “Abandoned.”

Ibn Hibban (d. 354 AH) said: “He was one of those who bring extremely objectionable narrations from well known narrators, to the point that it comes to the heart that he was deliberately fabricating them.” (Ibn Hibban, al Majruhin 1/356)

Al Hakim (d. 405 AH) said: “He narrated extremely objectionable reports from al Aamash and Ibn Khalid, and fabricated narrations from Atiyyah.”

Albani says: This is from his narrations from Atiyyah, as you can see, so it is one of his fabrications, in addition to the weakness of Atiyyah al Awfi (d. 111 AH).

As for al Fadl ibn Ghanim, he is close to him. Adh Dhahabi (d. 748 AH) said: “Yahya said: He is nothing.”

That is, Yahya ibn Main (d. 233 AH).

Ad Daraqutni (d. 385 AH) said: “He is not strong.” Al Khatib (d. 463 AH) said: “Weak.”

Al Haythami (d. 807 AH) declared the hadith defective on account of him, 10/22, but more appropriate is to declare it defective because of his shaykh, because he is one of them, as has preceded.

In fact, Jami ibn Umayr al Basri followed him in it, but he opposed him in the chain. He said: “Suwar narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Juhadah from ash Shaabi from Ali, ascribed to the Prophet ﷺ.” Isaam ibn al Hakam al Ukbari narrated it from him. (al Haythami, Majmauz Zawaid 10/22)

Abu Naim al Isbahani (d. 430 AH) recorded it in al Hilyah 4/329, and al Khatib (d. 463 AH) in his History 12/289, and by way of his chain Ibn al Jawzi (d. 597 AH) included it in al Mawduaat 1/397.

He said: “A narration that does not stand, and Suwar is not trustworthy. Ibn Numayr said: Jami is among the most lying of people.

Ibn Hibban said: He used to fabricate hadith.” (Abu Naim, Hilyat al Awliya 4/329; al Khatib, History 12/289; Ibn al Jawzi, al Mawduaat 1/397)

I say: This is a gross error. As Suyuti (d. 911 AH) followed him in that, and Ibn Iraq (d. 963 AH) in Tanzih ash Shariah 1/366, and the editor of Fadaail as Sahabah, Wasi Allah ibn Muhammad Abbas, and others. What Ibn Numayr (d. 234 AH) and Ibn Hibban (d. 354 AH) mentioned applies only to Jami ibn Umayr at Taymi al Kufi, who was a Tabi and narrated from Ibn Umar and Aishah.

As for Jami who narrated this hadith, he is much later than that one, from the generation of the teachers of the Imams of the Sunnah, and he is Basri, whereas the first is Kufi. In the narration of Abu Naim it occurs as “Jami ibn Abdullah”, so he named his father Abdullah. Perhaps that is an error from the copyist or the typesetter. (as Suyuti, Al-La’ali al-Masnu’ah 1/379; Ibn Iraq, Tanzih ash Shariah 1/366; Wasi Allah ibn Muhammad Abbas, Fadaail as Sahabah 2/655)

Then al Hafiz Ibn Hajar al Asqalani (d. 852 AH) has included him in at Tahdhib, for distinction, with another narration from him.

In al Mawduaat of Ibn al Jawzi (d. 597 AH) he is in the chain of a weak hadith concerning the Shia of Ali.” He did not mention with regard to him any criticism or any praise.

As for at Taqrib, he decided definitively that he is weak.

This has no basis with me, because he did not report any statement from anyone declaring him weak.

He thought that he was the cause of this false hadith, as his words in at Tahdhib suggest, and it escaped him that the cause is his shaykh, Suwar ibn Musab, who is accused, as has preceded. The correct thing to say about him is that he is of unknown state, as is the principle of the people of hadith. Look also at what is to come concerning Hani ibn Hani, in hadith 5594.

The same applies to al Ukbari who narrated from him. In his biography, al Khatib (d. 463 AH) brought this hadith of his, and mentioned that three narrators reported from him, and he did not mention any criticism or praise regarding him.

Among what confirms that the affliction of the hadith is this Suwar, and that he is the one who became confused and varied in narrating it with different chains, is that Abu Bakr al Qatii (d. 368 AH) recorded it in his additions to Fadaail as Sahabah with a sound chain from him.

He said: “Ibrahim ibn Sharik narrated to us. He said: Uqbah ibn Makram ad Dabbi narrated to us. He said: Yunus ibn Bukair (d. 199 AH) narrated to us from as Suwar ibn Musab from Abu al Juhaf. Abu Makram Uqbah, and he was from the Shia, said: From Muhammad ibn Amr from Fatimah al Kubra from Umm Salamah. She said: …” and he mentioned the hadith. (Abu Bakr al Qatii, Zawaid Fadaail as Sahabah 2/654/1115)

Abu al Juhaf’s name is Dawud ibn Abi Awf Suwayd at Tamimi (d. 136 AH), and he is truthful, Shi’i.

So the defect lies with Suwar, as has preceded. As Suyuti (d. 911 AH) said: “Suwar is abandoned.”

Important note

This hadith is among the narrations that the Shii shaykh Muhammad al Husayn Aal Kashif al Ghita included in his book Asl ash Shiah, claiming that they are with Ahl as Sunnah from their reliable routes in which no person of sound understanding would suspect lies and fabrication.

As his words were quoted from him and answered in the hadith before this one, this is another example of his lying upon Ahl as Sunnah. Whoever finds it easy to lie upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will not find anything difficult after that.

Moreover, he did not transmit from it except its first part: “O Ali, you and your companions are in Paradise.” This is from the many proofs of what I mentioned there, that the people of desires narrate what is in their favour and leave what is against them.

Benefit

His saying, “يُضْفِزُونَ الإسلام” (they are made to learn Islam, then they cast it away) means: they are made to recite it, then they leave it and do not accept it.

This is how it appears in an Nihayah. The original reading was “يَصِفُونَ” (they describe), and in al Majmaʿ “يَرْفِضُونَ” (they reject). The correction is according to at Tarikh and an Nihayah.

Then I came across another route for the hadith, from the narration of Abu Janab al Kalbi from Abu Sulayman al Hamdani or an Nakhai from his uncle, from Ali, who said: The Prophet ﷺ said to me: “O Ali, you and your Shia are in Paradise, and there will be a people who have a nickname by which they are called, al Rafidah. If you meet them, then kill them, for they are polytheists.”

Ali said: “They claim love for us, the people of the household, and they are not like that. The proof of that is that they insult Abu Bakr and Umar.”

Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 290 AH) recorded it in as Sunnah 3/192. (Abdullah ibn Ahmad, as Sunnah 3/192)

Albani says: This chain is extremely weak. Its defect is Abu Janab al Kalbi or the one above him. His name is Yahya ibn Abi Hayyah (d. 150 AH), and he is more widely known by his kunya. Al Hafiz Ibn Hajar al Asqalani (d. 852 AH) said in at Taqrib: “They weakened him because of the abundance of his tadlis.”

As for his shaykh Abu, and in the original it is Ibn, Sulayman al Hamdani, adh Dhahabi (d. 748 AH) included him in al Mizaan and said: “From his father, from Ali. It is not known who he is, just like his father, and he brought a repudiated report.”

It is as if he was referring to this hadith. And Allah knows best.

Silsilah al Ahadith ad Daifah wal Mawduah by al Albani (12/186–190)