Investigative Review of the Hadith on a Hajj Pilgrim Interceding for 400 Family MembersSource: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khālis, Vol. 1, p. 48
❖ Question:
Is it authentically proven that a pilgrim performing Hajj will intercede on behalf of four hundred members of his household?
❖ Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
This narration is found in Kanz al-ʿUmmāl and other compilations.
It is mentioned in Kanz al-ʿUmmāl (5/14, Hadith No. 1184) with the following wording:
“Narrated by Abū Mūsā رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: A Hajj pilgrim will intercede for four hundred members of his household, and he will be purified of sins just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.”
Reported by al-Bazzār✦ Weakness in the Chain of Narration:
Al-Mundhirī referenced this narration in al-Targhīb (2/…), stating that one of its narrators is unknown (majhūl).
I have also come across this narration in:
- Kashf al-Astār (2/39, Hadith No. 1154)
- al-Majmaʿ (3/211)
The chain is as follows:
"Ḥaddathanā ʿAmr ibn ʿAlī, thana Abū ʿĀṣim, thana ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿĪsā, rajulun min ahl al-Yaman, ʿan Salamah ibn Wuhārām, ʿan rajul, ʿan Abī Mūsā marfūʿan — and then the narration follows."
✦ Reasons for Weakness in the Chain:
◈ ‘Abdullāh ibn ʿĪsā, described as “a man from Yemen”, is an unknown narrator (majhūl).
◈ The phrase “ʿan rajul” (from a man) indicates an anonymous source, further weakening the narration.
Due to the presence of unknown narrators, this Hadith is classified as weak (ḍaʿīf).
Conclusion:
➊ This narration is found in Kanz al-ʿUmmāl, Kashf al-Astār, and al-Majmaʿ.
➋ However, the chain of narration is weak due to the presence of unknown (majhūl) narrators.
➌ Therefore, this Hadith is not of ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) or ḥasan (sound) grade; rather, it is considered weak (ḍaʿīf).
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
