Question Summary:
What is the status of the hadīth in Fadhāil A’māl about entering Hell for delaying salāh?

Question Detail:

 
I wanted to know the status of this hadith which is in fazail amal
`Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) is reported to have said, “A person neglecting his Salaah (even though he makes it up later) shall remain in Jahannam for a period of one huqb. A Huqb is equal to eighty years of three hundred and sixty days each, and a day in Akhirah shall equal one thousand years of this world.”
could you tell me which book this is mentioned in a whether it is weak or very weak etc?
 
could you tell me whether the contents of this book `humorous anecdotes by moulana afzal ismail` is correct?
he mention incidents and jokes and statements which indicate kufr. although the book is about the lighter side of islamic jistory, i wnated to know whether it is correct?
the publisher is muslims at work publications.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
First of all, it is very important to understand that the overall meaning of the hadīth (severe punishment for neglecting or delaying salāh beyond its proper time) is supported from authentic hadīth. This is with the condition that the person does not repent and is not remorseful over what he did.
The hadīth mentioned in Fadhāil A'māl is as follows: “Whoever leaves salāh even though he makes it up later will be punished in Hell for one huqb. One huqb is 80 years. Each year has 365 days. Each (such) day is equal to 1000 years.”
Shaykh al-Hadīth Mawlana Zakariyya Khandalwi (may Allah have mercy on him) has supported this hadīth in reference with corroborating narrations [all of which are found at the end of the hadīth in Arabic in the original Urdu book]. These are mentioned as follows [i]:
a.) Ibn Kathīr has reported in his tafsir in relation to the verses: “So woe unto those performers of salah who delay their salāh from their stated fixed times” that Abdullah ibn Abbās (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrated that there is a valley in the Hell from which Hell itself seeks refuge four hundred times every day. That valley is for those who show off from among the ummah of Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa sallam).
b.) Faqīh Abu Laith al-Samarqandi (may Allah have mercy on him) states from Abdullah ibn Abbās (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that this valley is for those who delay their salah.
c.) Sa'd ibn Abi al-Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding the verse: “who delay their salāh from their stated fixed times” they are those who delay their salāh from their fixed times. The hadīth was graded sound [sahīh] yet stopped [mawquf] meaning a tradition that stops at a Companion by al-Hākim and al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on them).
d.) al-Hākim (may Allah have mercy on him)  relates that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) stated regarding the verse: “But there came after them successors who neglected salāh and pursued lusts] So they will be thrown in ghayy” that Ghayy is a valley in hell that is very deep and foul-tasting. Al-Hākim graded its isnād as sound [sahīh].
In addition to the sources mentioned above, there are other narrations as well such as:
f.) Imām al-Shawkāni (may Allah have mercy on him) has also mentioned the above-mentioned tradition in his tafsīr that Abdullah ibn Masu'd (may Allah be pleased with him) that “Ghayy is a river or a valley in Hell [made of] pus, very deep, foul-tasting, those who follow lusts will be flung in it.”[ii]
e.) Imām al-Bukhāri (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates in his Tarīkh that Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that Ghayy is a river in Hell, referring to the verse: “But there came after them successors who neglected salah and pursued lusts So they will be thrown in ghayy” [iii]
g.) Imām al-Mundhiri in and al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb Imām al-Marwazi in Ta'dhīm Qadr al-Salah (may Allah have mercy on them) stated that Abu Umāmah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If a rock the weight of ten pregnant camels is flung from the edge of Hell, it would not reach its bottom for seventy years, until it ends up in ghayy and athām. I asked him, ‘What are ghayy and athām?’ He (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, ‘Two wells at the bottom of hell in which the pus of the inhabitants of the Hell flows. It is about these two that Allah spoke when He said , “[But there came after them successors who neglected salah and pursued lusts] So they will be thrown in ghayy” and “[and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet with] athāmā.”. [iv][v]
h.) Imām al-Shawkāni (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned in Nāyl al-Awtār that Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said: “If anyone pays proper attention to salāh then on the day of Judgment it will be a light for him, a proof and a means of deliverance. If anyone does not observe it then it will neither be a light for him nor a proof nor a means of deliverance and on the day of Judgment he will be with Qarun, Firaun, Hāman and Ubay ibn Khalaf.” [vi]
As regards to the specific hadith mentioned in Fadhāil A'māl, it it taken from Majālis al-Abrār. Shaykh al-Hadīth (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned in the commentary of that hadīth that he did not find it in any of the books of hadīth that he had access to, besides Majālis al-Abrār which he quoted from. However, he added that Shāh Abdul-Aziz al-Dahlāwi (may Allah have mercy on him), a renown muhaddith had praised the book Majālis al-Abrār which contains this narration.
In addition, Shaykh al-Hadīth himself affirmed the book he quoted from was reliable according to him saying: “Why would a hadīth that is narrated from a reliable book even if it is weak not be included [in the book] when it is with the intention to save the people [from delaying salāh]?” He goes on to say that the hadīth is also mentioned by Mujaddid alf-Thani (may Allah have mercy on him) in his Maktubāt and that warnings of leaving or delaying salāh have come in many hadīth. [vii]
However, the hadīth mentioned in Fadhāil A'māl does not negate repentance as might be erroneously understood by some. If a person repents with sincerity for delaying his salāh and starts offering salāh again then he will be forgiven by the Mercy of Allah, Insha-Allah and entered into Paradise as mentioned in the Qurān: [viii]
But there came after them successors who neglected salah and pursued lusts; So they will be thrown in ghayy. Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; such will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all. (Surah Maryam, Verse 59-60)
2. We are not familiar with the book “Humorous Anecdotes” by Moulana Afzal Ismail.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Sohail ibn Arif,
Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
 
وأخرج ابن كثير في تفسير قوله تعالى فويل للمصلين الذين هم عن صلاتهم ساهون عن ابن عباس رضي الله  [i]
عنهما: أن في جهنم لوادياً تستعيذ جهنم من ذلك الوادي في كل يوم أربع مائة مرة ، أعدّ ذلك الوادي للمرائين من أمة محمد الحديث
وذكر أبو الليث السمرقندي في قرة العيون عن ابن عباس وهو مسكن من يؤخر الصلاة عن وقتها
وعن سعد بن أبي وقاص مرفوعاً : الذين هم عن صلاتهم ساهون قال هم الذين يؤخرون الصلاة
 عن وقتها. وصحح الحاكم ، والبيهقي وقفه
وأخرج الحاكم عن عبدالله في قوله تعالى فسوف يلقون غياً قال وادٍ في جهنم بعيد القعر، خبيث الطعم ، وقال : صحيح الإسناد
فضائل أعمال ص. ٣٩١  مكتبة البشرى
وأخرج الفريابي وسعيد بن منصور وهناد وعبد بن حميد وابن جرير وابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم والطبراني والحاكم [ii]
 وصححه والبيهقي في البعث من طرق ، عن ابن مسعود في قوله : فسوف يلقون غيا قال : الغي نهر أو واد في جهنم من قيح بعيد القعر خبيث الطعم ، يقذف فيه الذين يتبعون الشهوات
 فتح القدير ٣/ ٤٨٣
يحيى بْن أزهر عَنْ عاصم بْن عُمَر عَنْ مُحَمَّد بْن طلحة عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدة عَنْ عَائِشَة - غيا  نهر فِي جهنم [iii]
[يعنى في قوله تعالى :فسوف يلقون غيا ]
التاريخ الكبير للبخاري، ٨/ ٢٦٢ دائرة المعارف العثمانية، حيدر آباد
 
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ ، قَالَ : ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادِ بْنِ زَبَّارٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي شَرْقِيُّ بْنُ [iv]
 الْقَطَامِيُّ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي لُقْمَانُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ الْخُزَاعِيُّ ، قَالَ : جِئْتُ أَبَا أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيَّ ، قَالَ : قُلْتُ حَدِّثْنِي حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، يَقُولُ : " لَوْ أَنَّ صَخْرَةً زِنَةَ عَشَرَ عَشْرَوَاتٍ قُذِفَ بِهَا مِنْ شَفِيرِ جَهَنَّمَ مَا بَلَغَتْ قَعْرَهَا سَبْعِينَ خَرِيفًا ، ثُمَّ تَنْتَهِي إِلَى غِيٍّ وَأَثَامٍ " ، فَقُلْتُ : مَا غِيُّ وَأَثَامٌ ؟ ! قَالَ :  بِئْرَانِ فِي أَسْفَلَ جَهَنَّمَ ، يَسِيلُ فِيهِمَا صَدِيدُ أَهْلِ جَهَنَّمَ ، فَهَذَا الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ : فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا وَأَثَامًا
 تعظيم قدر الصلاة للمروزي ١/ ١١٩
قال المحقق د. عبد الرحمن عبد الجبار الفريوائي : وله شواهد من حديث أبي هريرة، وبريدة، وأبي موسى، وأنس وخلاصته أن الحديث صحيح لشواهده
مكتبة الدار - المدينة المنورة
لو أنَّ صخرةً وزَنتْ عشْرَ خلِفاتٍ قُذِف بها من شَفيرِ جهنَّمَ ما بلغت قعرَها سبعين خريفًا حتَّى تنتهيَ إلى [v]
 غَيٍّ وأثامٍ . قيل : وما غيٌّ وأثامٌ ؟ قال : بئران في جهنَّمَ يسيلُ فيهما صديدُ أهلِ النَّارِ ، وهما اللَّتان ذكرهما اللهُ في كتابِه : أَضَاعُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا وقوله وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
الترغيب والترهيب ٤/ ٢٥٥ دار الكتب العلمية حكم المحدث: رواه الطبراني والبيهقي مرفوعا، ورواه غيرهما موقوفا عن أبي أمامة وهو أصح
 
عن النبيِّ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وآلهِ وسلَّمَ أنه ذكر الصلاة يومًا فقال من حافظ عليها كانت له نورًا وبرهانًا ونجاةً يوم [vi]
 القيامةِ ومن لم يحافظ عليها لم تكن له نورًا ولا برهانًا ولا نجاةً وكان يومَ القيامةِ مع قارون وفرعونَ وهامانَ وأبيِّ بنِ خلفٍ
نيل الأوطار١/ ٣٧٢ حكم المحدث:صالح للاحتجاج
كتاب فضائل بر اشكالات أور أن كي جوابات، مكتوب نمبر ٣٠ ص. ٧٥ - ٧٦ مكتبة خليل [vii]
وقوله: إلا من تاب وآمن وعمل عملا صالحا ، أي: إلا من رجع عن ترك الصلوات واتباع الشهوات، فإن الله  [viii]
يقبل توبته، ويحسن عاقبته، ويجعله من ورثة جنة النعيم؛ ولهذا قال: فأولئك يدخلون الجنة ولا يظلمون شيئا وذلك؛ لأن التوبة تجب ما قبلها، وفي الحديث الآخر: التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له
تفسير إبن كثير ٥/ ٢٤٦