Detailed Analysis on the Authenticity of the Hadith "As-Salatu 'Imad ad-Deen"
What is the ruling on the authenticity of the Hadith: "الصلاة عماد الدين"?
The Hadith "الصلاة عماد الدين" has been declared weak (ḍaʻīf) by the scholars of Hadith.
① Imam al-Suyuti mentioned this Hadith in Jami‘ al-Saghir.
② Imam al-Sakhawi cited it in his book Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah.
③ Imam al-Albani also classified this Hadith as weak.
A sound narration with a meaning close to this is reported in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyiduna Mu‘adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه, which Imam al-Albani graded as Ṣaḥīḥ.
سیدنا معاذ بن جبل رضی اللہ عنہ بیان کرتے ہیں کہ نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا:
"أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ ؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلَاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ ؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ قَالَ: كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ ؟ فَقَالَ: ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا مُعَاذُ وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ أَوْ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ إِلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ"
[Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi: 2616]
"Shall I not inform you of the root of the matter, its pillar, and its peak?" I said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: "The root of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and its peak is Jihad." Then he said: "Shall I not inform you of the controlling factor of all of this?" I said: “Yes, O Prophet of Allah!” He then held his tongue and said: "Control this." I said: "O Prophet of Allah! Will we be held accountable for what we speak?" He said: "May your mother lose you, O Mu‘adh! Are people thrown into the Fire on their faces—or on their nostrils—except due to the harvests of their tongues?"
✔ The Hadith "الصلاة عماد الدين" is weak.
✔ However, the concept that prayer is the pillar of the religion is authentically proven from a Hadith in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, as narrated by Sayyiduna Mu‘adh رضي الله عنه.
❖ Question
What is the ruling on the authenticity of the Hadith: "الصلاة عماد الدين"?
❖ Answer by Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir ḥafiẓahullah
The Hadith "الصلاة عماد الدين" has been declared weak (ḍaʻīf) by the scholars of Hadith.
◈ Opinions of the Scholars:
① Imam al-Suyuti mentioned this Hadith in Jami‘ al-Saghir.
② Imam al-Sakhawi cited it in his book Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah.
③ Imam al-Albani also classified this Hadith as weak.
❖ Authentic Hadith with Similar Meaning
A sound narration with a meaning close to this is reported in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyiduna Mu‘adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه, which Imam al-Albani graded as Ṣaḥīḥ.
✿ Text of the Hadith:
سیدنا معاذ بن جبل رضی اللہ عنہ بیان کرتے ہیں کہ نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا:
"أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ ؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلَاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ ؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ قَالَ: كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ ؟ فَقَالَ: ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا مُعَاذُ وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ أَوْ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ إِلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ"
[Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi: 2616]
✿ Translation:
"Shall I not inform you of the root of the matter, its pillar, and its peak?" I said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: "The root of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and its peak is Jihad." Then he said: "Shall I not inform you of the controlling factor of all of this?" I said: “Yes, O Prophet of Allah!” He then held his tongue and said: "Control this." I said: "O Prophet of Allah! Will we be held accountable for what we speak?" He said: "May your mother lose you, O Mu‘adh! Are people thrown into the Fire on their faces—or on their nostrils—except due to the harvests of their tongues?"
❖ Conclusion
✔ The Hadith "الصلاة عماد الدين" is weak.
✔ However, the concept that prayer is the pillar of the religion is authentically proven from a Hadith in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, as narrated by Sayyiduna Mu‘adh رضي الله عنه.
