In the hadith: (Whoever prays forty prayers in this mosque of mine, two protections will be recorded for him . . .) .

The questioner : The second question.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: You mentioned in your discussion of the weakening of the hadith of forty prayers in Madinah that the defect of this hadith is that it revolves around Nuwayyit ibn 'Amr?

The Shaykh : Rebuke whom?

The questioner: Nuwayyit.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner: And you mentioned that Nuwayyit is unknown, and that Ibn Hibban included him in accordance with his habit of authenticating unknown narrators?

The Shaykh: Yes - welcome - .

The questioner: So what is the basis for the statement of some contemporary scholars that the hadith has other chains that strengthen it? Is its weakness due to the fact that it is remedied by the multiplicity of chains, or is it severely weak and it has no chains that strengthen it?

The Shaykh: No, it is not severely weak, it is weak.

Another questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: - And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings - , but despite its weakness, it is a denounced narration, because it contradicts numerous hadiths in which the virtue is stated absolutely, not restricted to the Prophet's Mosque, but rather for whoever catches the first takbir with the imam. The ignorance of this man, added to the denunciation of the text which contradicts the other chains, is the reason that leads the researcher to be certain of the weakness of that hadith. However, I was surprised by your statement that some contemporary scholars mentioned other chains for it, and in truth, up to this hour, I do not know of these chains except that they increase the weakness of the hadith's text upon weakness. So, who are the ones you mentioned who cited those chains that strengthen the hadith?

The questioner: I heard from some of the professors who teach in the College of Usul al-Fiqh at our Imam University, and they mentioned in general terms that the hadith has chains that strengthen it.

The Shaykh: This is incorrect, this is absolutely incorrect. Rather, the chains that strengthen it are for the text that contradicts this text. The famous text is: , this is the one containing that unknown man, and the hadith, as I recall, is from the hadith of Anas.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: The hadith came from another chain from Anas, and from other than Anas - as well - with the other wording - which is: - it did not mention the Prophet's Mosque - , , so this text contradicts that text, and this is much more authentic than that; because this one has chains that strengthen it, and that one is a strange, isolated report with nothing to strengthen it. And this is question number two.

The questioner: Yes, and in this same case, the fact that it came as marfu' (traced to the Prophet) from one chain and mawquf (stopping at a Companion) from another chain; is this not something that strengthens its weakness?

The Shaykh: No, because the hadith. - And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings - .

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: - And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings -

The Shaykh: Perhaps you are aware and remember that if a hadith comes as mawquf (stopping at a Companion) upon a Companion, and it is of the kind that is not said by opinion, then at that time the scholars' view is that it is in the ruling of marfu' (traced to the Prophet), even if it did not come as marfu' absolutely. The fact that it is not said by opinion is the greatest proof that that mawquf hadith was received by the Companion from the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - , who alone is able to inform about matters of the unseen by Allah - Mighty and Majestic - informing him. So it is even more likely and more fitting that the hadith that came as mawquf is in the ruling of marfu' if it came as marfu' in one chain or other chains. And beware.