Investigation of the Hadith Regarding Praying Behind a Pious Imām
Taken from: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 198❖ Question:
Is the following Hadith authentic?
“Whoever prays behind a pious (muttaqī) person, it is as though he has prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ.”
This narration is mentioned by the author of Badā’iʿ aṣ-Ṣanā’iʿ. Is this ḥadīth authentic, and what is its source?
❖ Answer:
Wa ʿalaykum as-Salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh!
Alḥamdulillāh, peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
✿ Authenticity and Source of the Hadith
This narration is not found in any of the well-known Hadith compilations, meaning it has no proven chain of transmission.
The scholars of ḥadīth have classified this narration as fabricated (mawḍūʿ).
✿ Statement of Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī رحمه الله
He has quoted this narration in his book
Al-Mawḍūʿāt al-Kabīr (p. 71)He explicitly wrote:
“It has no basis (lā aṣla lahu).”
✿ Why It Appears in Some Jurisprudential Books
Although the narration is not proven in the authentic Hadith sources, some jurists and authors have included it in their works.
This reflects a lack of expertise in the science of Hadith, where some writers quote narrations without verifying their authenticity.
Nevertheless, some people continue to follow and imitate such authors, which is a flawed approach.
✔ Conclusion:
The Hadith “Whoever prays behind a pious person, it is as if he prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ” is fabricated and has no authentic chain or foundation in the books of Hadith.
❖ Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
