The authenticity of a Hadith

Question

As-salamu `Alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)

Could you kindly tell me the authenticity of this Hadith which contains 360 virtues. Taking into consideration that the Hadith is now widespread on e-mails and mobile messages?

May Allah protect you and guide you for the best!

Answer

Praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

That question was submitted to the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' and they answered as follows:

The text of the Hadith reads as follow: "La Ilaha Illa Allah, Al Jalil Al Jabbar. La Ilaha Illa Allah, Al Wahid Al Qahhar. La Ilaha Illa Allah, Al `Aziz Al Ghaffar. La Ilaha Illa Allah, Al Karim As-Sattar. La Ilaha Illa Allah, Al Kabir Al Muta'al. La Ilaha Illa Allah Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu, Ilahan Wahidan Rabban, wa Shahidan Samadan, wa nahnu Lahu Muslimun. La Ilaha Illa Allah Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu Ilahan wahidan, Rabban wa Shahidan, wa nahnu lahu `Abidun. La Ilaha Illa Allah Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu, Ilahan Wahidan Rabban wa Shahidan, wa nahnu Lahu Qanitun. La Ilaha Illa Allah Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu Ilahan Wahidan Rabban wa Shahidan, wa nahnu lahu Sabirun. La Ilaha Illa Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah. `Ali Waliullah. Allahumma Ilika Wajjahtu Wajhiya, wa Ilayka Fawadtu Amry, wa `Alayka Tawakaltu ya Arhama Ar-Rahimin."

It was reported from the Messenger of Allah that he said about this Hadith: "Anyone recites this supplication at anytime is like performing 360 Hajj journeys, reciting the Qur'an 360 times, freeing 360 servants, giving 360 dinars in charity, and relieved 360 distressed person." As soon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Hadith, Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended and said: Anyone of Allah's Servants (male or female) recites this supplication once in a lifetime, by my highness and glory, I guarantee seven things for him:

1- Move away poverty from him/her.

2- Secure him/her from the interrogation of Munkar and Nakir.

3- Make him/her pass the Sirat.

4- Secure him/her against sudden death.

5- Prohibit Hell fire to harm him/her.

6- Secure him/her from the press of the grave.

7- Secure him/her against the wrath of an unjust ruler.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) told the truth.

The Permanent Committee answered as follows:

After a close examination of the papers in question, it has become clear that they contain many statements that contradict the Shari`ah of Islam. It is contradictory to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). As for the mentioned Hadith, it is false and fabricated and it was not reported by the scholars of Hadith by these wordings and the proofs of its fabrication are obvious for the following:

1- This invocation is contradictory to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because it contains these numbers of rewards to the person who recites this invocation.

2- It contains "`Ali Waliullah". There is no doubt that `Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) is one of Allah's Guardians, but singling him out with that description denote the touch of Shia.

3- This Hadiths indicates that its reciter enters paradise even if he/she commits major sins or committed one of the nullifiers of faith which is void and not accepted either intellectually or by Shari`ah.

Accordingly, it is obligatory to prevent the distribution of these and other similar papers which are meant to change and alter the monotheistic faith of Islam and follow misguidance, Bid`ahs and superstitions.

It is obligatory to eradicate these papers and to punish the promoters of their distribution in order to safeguard the pure monotheistic faith from all sorts of blemish and to protect the Muslims from holding misguiding conceptions about their `Aqidah (creed).

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!