How authentic are these two hadiths: "Whoever does not have a shaykh, his shaykh is his Shaytan" and "Whoever does not have a shaykh becomes a plaything for Shaytan"? And does this mean that

The questioner : How authentic are these two hadiths: and , and does this mean that a Muslim must follow a shaykh and believe in his words and actions?

The Shaykh : These two hadiths are invalid and fabricated, and it is not permissible to attribute them to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, if a Muslim is among a group of people who are known for these two hadiths, he must clarify their invalidity to the people so that they may beware of them. It is not obligatory for a Muslim to follow anyone in his worship or transactions except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Whoever among the people believes that it is obligatory to follow someone other than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has made a great error. As some scholars have said, he should be asked to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is to be killed, because no one is to be followed except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, every person other than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is subject to error, just as he may be in agreement with the truth. So the one who says that a person must have a shaykh to follow has spoken an erroneous statement in its absolute form. It is true that if a person is a layman who does not know what he is saying, Allah the Exalted has commanded him to ask the people of knowledge, as He the Exalted said: But this does not imply that he must take a specific shaykh to follow in his words and actions such that he does not leave his word for the word of anyone else. Rather, a person should follow whoever he is most likely to be closer to the truth, and by that I mean whoever he is most likely to be closer to the truth among the scholars who are trusted for their knowledge, religion, and trustworthiness, not the fake shaykhs who show people that they are shaykhs of a method, and that they have spiritual insights and the like of what is spread by the shaykhs of the people of innovation. For these shaykhs do not deserve to be followed in any of their words. Rather, it is obligatory to clarify the invalidity of their words and the misguidance they are upon so that people may beware of them.