A fabricated hadeeth about the reason why the five daily prayers were prescribed

After studying and researching this hadeeth, it is clear that it is false and is a fabrication against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); it is not correct to attribute it to him in any circumstances. There is a considerable amount of evidence for that. 

1 – We did not find this hadeeth in any of the books that narrate ahaadeeth with isnaad, rather those who mentioned it narrated it from people without an isnaad. It is a well known principle in our religion that any hadeeth that was not narrated by the scholars of hadeeth with a saheeh isnaad is to be rejected. 

2 – Another of the obvious signs that it is fabricated is the fact that we found this hadeeth quoted in the book of Abu’l-Layth al-Samarqandi (d. 375 AH). The name of his book is Tanbeeh al-Ghaafileen bi Ahaadeeth Sayyid al-Anbiya’ wa’l-Mursaleen (p. 264-265). The scholars have stated that this book of his consists of false and fabricated ahaadeeth. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) listed him in Talkhees al-Istighaathah (1/73) as being among the authors who could not tell sound reports from weak, and who has no experience of either narrated reports or of narrators, rather they narrated both saheeh and da’eef reports, and they did not distinguish between the two. And Imam al-Dhahabi said in his biography in Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ (16/323): he could accept fabricated ahaadeeth sue to lack of knowledge. End quote. 

3 – Another reason why it is to be rejected is that he says of Zuhr prayer that it is a time when Hell is stoked. But what is proven is that the time when Hell is stoked is just before the sun passes the meridian, just before Zuhr, but when the time for Zuhr begins, the time of mercy begins. 

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray four rak’ahs before Zuhr, after the sun had passed the meridian, and he said: “The gates of heaven are opened and I like to send forth a good deed at this time.” 

Narrated by Ahmad (3/411); classed as hasan by Ibn Hajar in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (6/3) and by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (3404) and by the commentators on al-Musnad. 

Another reason is that it goes against that which is mentioned in the saheeh ahaadeeth, that the five daily prayers are one of the unique characteristics of the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and they were not enjoined on any of the Prophets who came before him. Although some of the scholars disagreed with that, this is the correct view in sha Allaah. Al-Suyooti wrote a chapter in al-Khasaa’is al-Kubra (2/303) entitled: Chapter on the unique characteristics of (the Prophet) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in that the five daily prayers were all enjoined upon him, which were not all enjoined for anyone else, and he was the first one to pray ‘Isha’, which no Prophet before him prayed. In this chapter he quoted a number of ahaadeeth, including the following: 

It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Delay this prayer (‘Isha’) until it is dark, for you have been favoured with it over all other nations, and no nation prayed this prayer before you.” 

Narrated by Abu Dawood (421); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

4 – Another sign of the weakness of this hadeeth is that it defines the time when Adam ate from the tree, and the time when Allaah accepted his repentance. Such details are akin to what is mentioned in the Israa’eeliyaat (reports from Jewish sources) and reports that are narrated from the People of the Book, which makes it likely that this report was taken from them. 

To sum up, this report is false and has no basis, so it is not permissible to narrate it or attribute it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or to quote it on websites or in chat rooms. 

And Allaah knows best.