What is the status of this Hadith?
إن السيف محاء للخطايا، وأدخل من أي أبواب الجنة شاء، فإن لها ثمانية أبواب، ولجهنم سبعة أبواب، وبعضها أفضل من بعض، ورجل منافق، جاهد بنفسه وماله في سبيل الله حتى إذا لقي العدو، قاتل حتى قتل فذلك في النار، إن السيف لا يمحو النفاق
Answer
This narration is recorded in several Hadith collections including Sahih Ibn Hibban and Musnad Ahmad as part of a longer Hadith on the authority of Sayyiduna ‘Utbah ibn ‘Abd As Sulami (radiyallahu ‘anhu).
Imam Ibn Hibban (rahimahullah) has declared the Hadith authentic. ‘Allamah Haythami (rahimahullah) has declared the narrators of Musnad Ahmad reliable.
(Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 4663, Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4 pg. 185/186, Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 5 pg. 291)
Translation
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Certainly the sword wipes off sins and enters a person through any door of Jannah that he desires. Jannah has eight doors and Jahannam has seven doors. Some doors are better than the others. A hypocrite fights with his life and wealth in the path of Allah. He confronts the enemy, fights until he is killed but he will be in the fire because the sword does does not eliminate hypocrisy.”
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar