Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
You posted a very interesting hadith on memorizing the Quran – from a posting by Sh. Patel. I appreciated that it was said, “it has been related” or, some such form, which made me verify authenticity of the hadeeth. Albani states that the hadith is fabricated. Needless to say, our love for the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam should exceed our love or hatred for any human being. It would be nice if you at least verified this further and let the people know.
Walaikum assalam,
The hadith scholars differed greatly about this hadith. Shaykh Nur al-Din `Itr, the great contemporary Syrian Hanafi hadith expert, discusses this hadith at length in his al-Salawat al-Khassa, concluding that it is a weak hadith, but of those hadiths that are not excessively weak or fabricated. As such, the position of the recognized fiqh and hadith scholarship is that it is permitted to act weak hadiths with 3 conditions, as mentioned by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Sakhawi, Suyuti, Qari, Lakhnawi, and other great hadith masters:
1) The hadith is not excessively weak;
2) It returns to established Shariah principles;
3) One acts upon it without the firm belief that it is definitely established to be from the guidance of the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace). [al-Qawl al-Badi`, and other works]
As for the authority of Shaykh al-Albani in hadith, check writings of Shaykh Gibril Haddad at http://sunnah.org/history/Innovators/Default.htm
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani,
Amman, Jordan.