Fatwa #142326 May 2006United Kingdom
status of the hadith "I am a city of knowledge and Ali is the gate by which you pass to obtain that knowledge"
Question
Please note that the answer to question 3 is incorrect if it is referring to the following hadeeth:
"I am a city of knowledge and Ali is the gate by which you pass to obtain that knowledge"
This hadeeth was related by Al Haakim 3/126 and is classified fabricated by Imam Bukhari.
(Taken from 100 fabricated hadith, compiled by Shaikh Abdullah Faisal, Darul Islam Publishers)
This hadeeth is especially common among the Shi'a in their excessive love for Ali (RA). We love all the Sahabah (RA), not placing one above the other and certainly not pronouncing most of them as kaafir as the Shi'a do.
Either way, the fact that this hadith has been classified fabricated by Imam Bukhari should be sufficient for us to accept and reject this lie attributed to the mouth of Rasulullah (SAW).
And Allah Knows Best
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Q3. What is the status of the hadith of the Prophet: "I am the city of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate"? What did the great Imams of Hadith say about it? (Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Ahmed, etc.)
A. The Hadith is Sahih (authentic) and is narrated in the authentic compilations of Hadith.
Answer
Imaam Bukhari (r.a.) did not declare the Hadith as Mawdoo’, rather he used the term ‘munkar’.
Allamah Sakhaawi (r.a.) said: "Rather, it is Hasan (good / acceptable)" [Al Maqaasidul Hasanah, pg. 98, No. 189]
Haafith Salaahud-Deen Al Alaa’ee and Hafith Ibn Hajr Al Asqalani have both also considered it Hasan. The latter says: "It is inappropriate to declare it as Mawdoo" [Al Aaliy al masnoo’ah, vol. 1 pg. 306]
Imaam Ibn Jareer At Tabari (r.a.) and Imaam Suyuti (r.a.) have declared it as Saheeh (authentic) [Fathul Malikil Alee pg. 59]
Note: The book ‘100 Fabricated Ahaadith’ contains several such narrations that have been classified as unauthentic by some Muhadditheen on the basis of the chain before them, whereas other Muhadditheen have found them to be reliable on the basis of other chains available to the latter.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.
Was Salaam
Moulana Muhammad ibn Moulana Haroon Abbassommar
FACULTY OF SPECIALTY IN HADITH
CHECKED & APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai