❖ Question:
What is the authenticity and status of the Hadith:
"أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ عَلَيَّ صَلَاةً"
“The closest of people to me on the Day of Judgment will be those who send the most blessings upon me.”
❖ Answer by: Fadīlat al-ʿĀlim Ḥāfiẓ Khiḍr Ḥayāt ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Critical Evaluation of the Hadith
This narration is considered weak (ḍaʿīf) due to issues in its chain of transmission and the status of its narrators. Below is a detailed breakdown of its authenticity:
◉ Chain of Narration Centers on:
Mūsā ibn Yaʿqūb al-Zumʿī, a narrator about whom there is scholarly disagreement.
- Ibn al-Madīnī, Imām Aḥmad, and al-Nasā’ī criticized his weak memory and stated that his narrations show inconsistency (iḍṭirāb).
◉ Inconsistencies in Various Chains
There is variation in the chains (ṭuruq) of this Hadith. Different versions report it from:
- ʿAbdullāh ibn Shaddād
- ʿUtbah ibn ʿAbdullāh
- ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه
These variations exhibit contradictions and inconsistencies, which further weaken the narration.
Imām al-Dāraqutnī pointed out the inconsistencies in these transmissions and prohibited using this narration as proof (lā yuḥtajju bihi).
◉ Weak and Unknown Narrators
Included in some chains is ʿAbdullāh ibn Kaysān, whose status is unknown (majhūl), and who is not considered reliable by Hadith authorities.
◉ Scholarly Opinions
- Ibn ʿAdī listed this Hadith among the denounced reports (al-munkarāt).
- Ibn al-Qaṭṭān also criticized it and deemed it unacceptable as evidence.
- Dāraqutnī clearly stated: "Lā yuḥtajju bihi" — “It is not to be used as proof.”
❖ Summary Ruling
✔ This Hadith is weak (ḍaʿīf) due to:
- Unreliable or unknown narrators
- Inconsistency in the transmission chains (iḍṭirāb)
- Scholarly criticism from multiple Hadith authorities
✘ Therefore, this narration cannot be used as a basis for legal rulings or religious obligations.
✔ While the meaning (regarding the virtue of sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ) may be acceptable in the context of general virtues (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), the Hadith itself is not authentic enough for establishing religious principles.
Conclusion:
The narration “Aulā al-Nās Bī Yawm al-Qiyāmah…” is weak and not suitable as evidence due to flaws in its transmission. It may be cited cautiously in the context of virtues, but not relied upon for Sharʿī proof.
والله أعلم بالصواب
