Fabricated Ḥadīth About Presenting Prophetic Narrations Before the Qur’an

Is the Ḥadīth About Presenting Ḥadīths Before the Qur’an Fabricated?
(Excerpt: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah – Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām, Vol. 2, p. 475)

Question:​

In the book al-Radd ʿalā Siyar al-Awzāʿī (attributed to Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm, d. 182 AH), the following narration is mentioned:


"Ḥaddathanā Ibn Abī Karīmah, from Abū Jaʿfar, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he called the Jews and questioned them, so they narrated to him until they lied against ʿĪsā عليه السلام. The Prophet ﷺ then ascended the pulpit and addressed the people, saying:
‘Ḥadīths will spread from me, so whatever reaches you from me that agrees with the Qur’an is from me, and whatever reaches you from me that contradicts the Qur’an is not from me.’"
(al-Radd ʿalā Siyar al-Awzāʿī, pp. 24–25)


Is this narration authentic, or is it fabricated?

Answer:​

Alḥamdulillāh, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.


This narration is fabricated (mawḍūʿ) — both its chain and content are unreliable. The reasons are as follows:

Identification and Status of Abū Jaʿfar:​

• Abū Jaʿfar here refers to ʿAbdullāh ibn Maswar al-Hāshimī.
  
  • Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr (3/168)
  • Al-Thiqāt of Ibn Ḥibbān (6/262)
  • Tārīkh Baghdād (8/292)
  • Akhbār Iṣfahān (1/305)
• Abū Nuʿaym said:
  
  “Abū Jaʿfar is ʿAbdullāh ibn Maswar.” (Akhbār Iṣfahān, 1/305)
  
  
• Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:
  
  “He used to fabricate ḥadīth and lie.” (Al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl, 5/169 – authentic chain)
  
  
• Ibn Ḥibbān:
  
  “He narrated fabricated reports from trustworthy narrators and invented mursal narrations. Even when he agrees with trustworthy narrators, his narration is unusable.” (Al-Majrūḥīn, 2/24)
  
  
• Al-Dhahabī:
  
  “A liar.” (Dīwān al-Ḍuʿafāʾ wa al-Matrūkīn, no. 2313)
  

Consensus: This narrator is a liar and discarded by agreement.

His Mursal Reports Are Baseless:​

• As noted above, his mursal narrations are unreliable and cannot be used as evidence.

Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf Himself Is a Weak Narrator:​

• According to the majority of muḥaddithīn, the narrations of Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf are weak and rejected.
  (Al-Ḥadīth, issue 19, pp. 45–55)

The Book al-Radd ʿalā Siyar al-Awzāʿī Is Not Established from Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf with a Sound Chain:​

• The attribution of this book to him is not proven through any reliable chain.
  (Al-Ḥadīth, issue 19, pp. 53–54)

The Content Contradicts the Qur’an:​

• The narration implies that only ḥadīths agreeing with the Qur’an are acceptable.
• This contradicts the Qur’anic command:

﴿وَما آتَاكُمُ الرَّسولُ فَخُذوهُ﴾
“Whatever the Messenger gives you – take it.” (Sūrat al-Ḥashr, 59:7)

Additional False “Supporting” Narrations:​

• Abū al-Wafāʾ al-Afghānī (a discarded narrator) attempted to cite supporting evidence for this narration in the margin of al-Radd ʿalā Siyar al-Awzāʿī (pp. 25–28).
• All of these are fabricated, false, and rejected.

Conclusion:​

This narration is fabricated in chain and content. According to reliable muḥaddithīn, it is impermissible to quote it as proof or rely upon it.


Allah knows best.