The hadeeth “If you see a man frequently coming to the mosque, then bear witness that he is a believer” is not saheeh

How sound is this hadeeth: “Whoever you see frequenting the mosques, then bear witness that he is a believer”?.
Praise be to Allaah.

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you see a man frequently coming to the mosque, then bear witness that he is a believer, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘The mosques of Allaah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allaah and the Last Day; perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and give Zakaah …’ [al-Tawbah 9:18].”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2617), Ahmad in al-Musnad (27325) and others, all via Darraaj Abu’l-Samah, from Abu’l-Haytham, from Abu Sa’eed.
This is a da’eef (weak) isnaad, because of Darraaj ibn Sam’aan Abu’l-Samah al-Qurashi. Al-Daaraqutni said: he is da’eef. Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawood regard him as da’eef only in the ahaadeeth that he narrated from Abu’l-Haytham, as in this case. See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (3/209).
Hence al-Tirmidhi commented, after narrating the hadeeth: it is ghareeb hasan. He said in the second place: it is hasan ghareeb.
Al-‘Allaamah ‘Ala’ al-Deen Maghlataawi said: This hadeeth has a da’eef isnaad. End quote.
Sharh Sunan Ibn Majaah (1/1345)
When al-Haakim classed this hadeeth as saheeh in al-Mustadrak, al-Dhahabi commented by saying: Darraaj narrated many munkar reports. End quote.

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Its isnaad is neither saheeh nor hasan, because it is narrated via Darraaj Abu’l-Samah from Abu Haytham from Abu Sa’eed, and al-Haafiz said concerning this Darraaj in al-Taqreeb: He is sadooq but in his hadeeth from Abu’l-Haytham there is some weakness. Hence al-Dhahabi commented on al-Haakim by saying: I say: Darraaj narrated many munkar reports. End quote.
Tamaam al-Minnah (p. 291
It was also classed as da’eef in a fatwa of the Standing Committee (4/444), and by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Sharh Riyadh al-Saaliheen. This has been published previously on our website in the answer to question no. 34593.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab suggested that the matn (text) of the hadeeth is also objectionable, because it is not possible to testify to anyone’s being a believer, rather it is only possible to testify to his being a Muslim, because being Muslim is an outward attribute whereas being a believer is an inward attribute,

As itsays in the hadeeth of Sa’d ibn Abu Waqqaas (may Allaah have mercy on him), according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) distributed (some wealth) to some people, and Sa’d was sitting among them. Sa’d said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left out some of them and did not give them anything, although they were better in my view. I said: O Messenger of Allaah, what about So and so? For by Allaah, I think he is a believer. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Or a Muslim.” I kept quiet for a while, then what I knew got the better of me and I said: O Messenger of Allaah, what about So and so? For by Allaah, I think that he is a believer. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Or a Muslim.” I kept quiet for a while, then what I knew got the better of me and I said: O Messenger of Allaah, what about So and so? For by Allaah, I think that he is a believer. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Or a Muslim. I may give to one man although someone else is more beloved to me, for fear lest he be thrown on his face into the Fire.”. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (27) and Muslim (150).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It seems – and Allaah knows best – that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) rebuked Sa’d for testifying to people’s faith (or their being believers), because faith is something hidden in the heart, and no one can see it, so testifying to it is testimony that is based on conjecture, and it is improper to make definite statements about that, as he said: “If you must praise anyone then say: I think that So and so is such and such, but I do not praise anyone before Allaah.”
He told him to testify that the person was a Muslim, because that is something that can be seen, as it is narrated in al-Musnad from Anas in a marfoo’ report: “Islam is outward and faith is in the heart.” Shaykh al-Albaani said: it is munkar (al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 6906).
Hence many of the salaf regarded it as makrooh for a person to describe himself as a believer, and said: This is flattering and praising oneself on the basis of what is hidden in the heart; rather he should testify that he is a Muslim because this is something visible.

As for the hadeeth: “If you see a man frequently coming to the mosque, then bear witness that he is a believer”, it was narrated by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majaah from the hadeeth of Darraaj, from Abu’l-Haytham, from Abu Sa’eed in a marfoo’ report. Ahmad said: It is a munkar hadeeth; Darraaj narrated munkar reports. End quote.
Fath al-Baari (1/122)
And Allaah knows best.
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