16 False Narrations About Wearing Turbans (Imaamahs) [Updated]

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

While it is authentically established that our Messenger (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) did wear ‘imaamahs (turbans), there are a number of fabricated and extremely weak hadeeth narrations that many Sufis, Shia, and other fanatical turban enthusiasts pass on without verification, seeking to make the issue of wearing a turban an essential part of the Islaamic dress code, more than a historical tradition of dress shared by the Muslims and non-Muslims of many Arab regions.

The following is a brief list of some of the fabricated and unauthentic narrations that many turban enthusiasts often try to pass off as authentic hadeeth:

1 – Turbans are the Mark of the Angels?

عليكم بالعمائم فإنها سيما الملائكة، وأرخوها خلف ظهوركم
“Upon you is (to wear) ‘imaamahs (turbans), as they are the mark of the Angels. Fix them so their tails are down your backs.”

Munkar (unauthentic and contradictory): It was collected by al-Bayhaqee in Shu’ab al-Eemaan, at-Tabaraanee in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, and Ibn ‘Adee in al-Kaamil with contradictory chains narrated by weak and unknown narrators. See: Al-Maqaasid al-Hasanah (no.717) and Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth ad-Dha’eefah (no.677).

2 – Multiplied Rewards and Angels Continue reading

Another Fabricated Hadeeth from Anjem Choudary: “Whoever Insults a Prophet, Kill Him!”

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

One of the most despicable crimes in the Religion of Islaam is to attribute things to the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) that he did not say. In the hadeeth reported by as many as 100 Companions or more:

من كذب علي متعمدًا فليتبوأ مقعده من النار
“Whoever lies on me intentionally, let him take his place in the Hellfire.”

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo incident in Paris, France, a number of self-appointed spokesmen for Islaam have appeared in Western media. From the most deviant and ignorant of them is a UK-based supporter of the beliefs and practices of the Khawaarij Cult, Anjem Choudary (may Allaah guide him). In his interviews and writings over the past week, he has attributed the following fabrication to the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace):

Whoever insults a Prophet, kill him.

Sources of the Fabricated Hadeeth

With the wording, “Whoever insults the prophets…” it was collected by at-Tabaraanee in his al-Mu’jam al-Awsat and al-Mu’jam as-Sagheer, with ‘Ubaydullaah ibn Muhammad al-‘Umaree in the chain, a man whom the scholars of hadeeth identify as a liar. Ibn Hajr referred to this narration specifically as one of his contradictions to what is authentic. Al-Albaanee graded it mowdhoo’ (fabricated). Refer to Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth ad-Dha’eefah (no.206) for more details.

With the wording, “Whoever insults a prophet…” it was also collected by Continue reading

Hadeeth Qudsee: “Neither My Earth nor My Heavens Could Contain Me…” [?]

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful…

A hadeeth qudsee is a narration which is attributed to the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace), that he narrated words from Allaah which are not part of the Quran. Unlike the Quran, these narrations have to be studied and authenticated before they can be accepted and acted upon.

One such narration commonly quoted and attributed to Allaah as His Words is as follows:

ما وسعني أرضي ولا سمائي، ووسعني قلب عبدي المؤمن…
“Neither My Earth nor My Heavens could contain Me, whilst the heart of My believing servant does contain Me…”

I found this hadeeth once while I was searching the manuscript archives at Umm al-Qura University. I came accross a title listed in one of the indexes on the topic of criticism of some unauthentic hadeeths in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah. So I rushed to get the microfilm and print out a copy, thinking to have found some amazing treasure not known to even the scholars previously. When I began to read it, I found that it was actually a previously known work called “Ahaadeeth al-Qussaas (Hadeeths Used by Storytellers) by Ibn Taymiyyah, which has been printed already, and in fact it was even (for the most part) included in Ibn Taymiyyah’s large Fataawee Collection (18/122-128, 375-385).

What’s the connection? Well, the hadeeth qudsee in question is actually the first hadeeth mentioned in that book. About it, Ibn Taymiyyah said:

This is something they (storytellers) narrate from the Israa’eeliyyaat (narrations of the Jews and Christians). It has no known chain to the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace). Its meaning would be (if it were authentic): His heart contains belief in Me, love of Me, and knowledge of Me.

Otherwise, anyone who would claim that Allaah Himself is present inside of the people’s hearts is more of a disbeliever than the Christians, who restricted that (Allaah’s actual presence within the creation) to the Messiah alone.

Other scholars of hadeeth, like al-‘Iraaqee, as-Sakhaawee, and Al-Albaanee Continue reading

Is this a Hadeeth: “Whoever Learns a People’s Language Shall be Safe from their Plots”?

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful…

I have recently heard someone quoting the following statement as a hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace):

من تعلم لغة قوم أمن مكرهم

“Whoever learns a people’s language shall be safe from their plots”

I would like to offer some important points regarding this so-called “hadeeth”:

[1] It is NOT a hadeeth, rather it is considered “laa asla lahu” (baseless).

After careful research, I could not find any basis for this statement as a hadeeth, nor as a statement of a Companion or early scholar.  After exhausting the usual source books of hadeeth, I searched in the books of “Ahaadeeth Mushtaharah” which discuss claimed hadeeths that are commonly quoted by people, and in the books of “Mowdhoo’aat” (fabricated and baseless hadeeths), and I again did not find a trace.

The only reference to it I could find from a trusted scholar was something mentioned by Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (may Allaah have Mercy on him) who Continue reading