Question:
How reliable is this Hadith?
“Whoever gives iftar to a person on the day of Ashura, it is as the whole nation of Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) broke fast by him”
Answer:
This narration appears in Musnadul Firdaws on the authority of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma). This narration also appears in Fadailul Awqat of Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) as part of a longer narration.
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) reported that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever feeds a fasting person iftar on the day of ‘Ashura, it is as though the entire ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had iftar by him.”
(Musnadul Firdaws, Hadith: 5783, Fadailul Awqat, Hadith: 237)
However, the Muhaddithun have declared a narrator of the Hadith a fabricator. It is therefore not suitable to quote.
(Refer: Dhaylul La-Alil Masnu’ah, vol. 1 pg. 470, Hadith: 570 and Tanzihush Shari’ah, vol. 2 pg. 165. Also see: Kitabul Majruhin Minal Muhaddithin of Imam Ibn Hibban, vol. 1 pg. 324)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar