The degree of authenticity of the report from the one who says, “I am a believer,” that he is a disbeliever
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Fatwa number ( 8742 ):
Q: In the book [Al-Kaba’ir] by the late Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab , there is a hadith: “Whoever says: I am a believer, he is a disbeliever, and whoever says: I am in Paradise, he is in the Fire,” or something to that effect, without tracing the hadith to its sources or providing a reason for it. Please inform us about the authenticity of this hadith and the reasoning behind its meaning.
A: That statement is not established by a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it was narrated as an athar stopping at 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn Kathir mentioned it in his tafsir of the verse:[An-Nisa 4:49] from Surat al-Nisa, saying: (Imam Ahmad narrated to us from al-Mu'tamir from his father, from Nu'aym ibn Abi Hind , from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): (Whoever says:
I am a believer, he is a disbeliever; whoever says: he is knowledgeable, he is ignorant; and whoever says: he is in Paradise, he is in the Fire). Its narrators are trustworthy. Ibn Mardawayh also narrated it through the route of Musa ibn ‘Ubaydah , from Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Kariz , from ‘Umar , that he said: (The thing I fear most for you is a person’s being pleased with his own opinion. So whoever says: he is a believer, he is a disbeliever; whoever says: he is knowledgeable, he is ignorant; and whoever says: he is in Paradise, he is in the Fire). In its chain is Musa ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn Nashit al-Rabzi , and he is weak. Imam Ahmad said about him: It is not permissible to narrate from him. And he said once: He is a denouncer of hadith. Yahya ibn Ma‘in and Ibn al-Madini also deemed him weak. This is the end of the words of Ibn Kathir . In the narration of Ahmad mentioned above, there is a break in the chain; because Nu‘aym did not hear from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The intended meaning of the aforementioned athar, if it were authentic, is the speech of one who says that by way of praising himself and boasting about his deeds, along with what is in the statement of a person: (I am among the people of Paradise) of guessing and encroaching upon the knowledge of the unseen. And Allah the Exalted said:[An-Naml 27:65], and He said: [Al-Jinn 72:26-27]
We advise you to refer to the second volume of [Kashf al-Khafa wa Muzil al-Ilbas ‘amma Ash’tarah min al-Ahadith ‘ala Alsinat al-Nas] by al-‘Ajilani to learn more about the topic. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: In the book [Al-Kaba’ir] by the late Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab , there is a hadith: “Whoever says: I am a believer, he is a disbeliever, and whoever says: I am in Paradise, he is in the Fire,” or something to that effect, without tracing the hadith to its sources or providing a reason for it. Please inform us about the authenticity of this hadith and the reasoning behind its meaning.
A: That statement is not established by a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it was narrated as an athar stopping at 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn Kathir mentioned it in his tafsir of the verse:
Have you not seen those who claim themselves to be pure? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills, and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed].
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلاَ يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاI am a believer, he is a disbeliever; whoever says: he is knowledgeable, he is ignorant; and whoever says: he is in Paradise, he is in the Fire). Its narrators are trustworthy. Ibn Mardawayh also narrated it through the route of Musa ibn ‘Ubaydah , from Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Kariz , from ‘Umar , that he said: (The thing I fear most for you is a person’s being pleased with his own opinion. So whoever says: he is a believer, he is a disbeliever; whoever says: he is knowledgeable, he is ignorant; and whoever says: he is in Paradise, he is in the Fire). In its chain is Musa ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn Nashit al-Rabzi , and he is weak. Imam Ahmad said about him: It is not permissible to narrate from him. And he said once: He is a denouncer of hadith. Yahya ibn Ma‘in and Ibn al-Madini also deemed him weak. This is the end of the words of Ibn Kathir . In the narration of Ahmad mentioned above, there is a break in the chain; because Nu‘aym did not hear from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The intended meaning of the aforementioned athar, if it were authentic, is the speech of one who says that by way of praising himself and boasting about his deeds, along with what is in the statement of a person: (I am among the people of Paradise) of guessing and encroaching upon the knowledge of the unseen. And Allah the Exalted said:
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah
قُلْ لاَ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلا اللَّهُ(26) [He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone (27) Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا (26) إِلا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًاWe advise you to refer to the second volume of [Kashf al-Khafa wa Muzil al-Ilbas ‘amma Ash’tarah min al-Ahadith ‘ala Alsinat al-Nas] by al-‘Ajilani to learn more about the topic. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.