The Ḥadīth About Yellow, Red, and Black Dye — Its Authenticity
Source: Fatāwā Amun Pūrī by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amun Pūrī
The Question
What is the authenticity of the narration:
“Yellow dye is for the believer, red dye is for the Muslim, and black dye is for the disbeliever”?
The Answer
This narration is reported in:
- al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl by Ibn Abī Ḥātim (4/185)
- al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr by al-Ṭabarānī (ḥadīth 14118)
- al-Mustadrak by al-Ḥākim (ḥadīth 6239)
and other collections.
Its chain is extremely weak and rejected.
Defects in the Chain
- Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Qurashī is unknown (majhūl) and not recognized.
Scholars’ Verdicts
❀ Imām ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim رحمه الله said:
“This ḥadīth is munkar, rather it is fabricated. I believe it is the doing of Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Qurashī.”
(al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl: 4/185)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī رحمه الله declared this ḥadīth munkar.
(Mukhtaṣar Talkhīṣ al-Dhahabī: p. 762)
Conclusion
- The narration describing yellow dye for believers, red dye for Muslims, and black dye for disbelievers is munkar and fabricated.
- It cannot be used as evidence in Sharīʿah.
