Is there extra reward for wearing Imam Sharif (Turban)?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

There are numerous Hadith narrations regarding the issue of gaining extra reward for praying whilst wearing an Imamah Sharif. However, many of these narrations are fabrications (Mowdu) or baseless (La Asl Lahu). This is why Muslims must take great care before forwarding any narrations about the Imamah Sharif (turban).

Fabricated Hadith

In the Nusoos (texts) below, we see numerous narrations related to the Imamah wherein the scholars declare that they are fabricated.

وَالْخَبَرُ الْمَذْكُورُ فِي الْعِمَامَةِ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ بَلْ الظَّاهِرُ أَنَّهُ مَوْضُوعٌ فَقَدْ حَكَمَ الْحُفَّاظُ عَلَى حَدِيثِ: «صَلَاةٌ بِعِمَامَةٍ تَعْدِلُ بِخَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ صَلَاةً، وَجُمُعَةٌ بِعِمَامَةٍ تَعْدِلُ سَبْعِينَ جُمُعَةً» ، وَحَدِيثِ: «الصَّلَاةُ فِي الْعِمَامَةِ بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ حَسَنَةٍ» بِأَنَّهُمَا مَوْضُوعَانِ بَاطِلَانِ؛ فَلَوْ وَرَدَ ذَلِكَ اللَّفْظُ لَذَكَرُوهُ. وَلَمْ يُطْلِقُوا الْحُكْمَ بِالْوَضْعِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ. قَالُوا: وَمِنْ الْمَوْضُوعِ أَيْضًا: «صَلَاةٌ بِخَاتَمٍ تَعْدِلُ سَبْعِينَ صَلَاةً بِغَيْرِ خَاتَمٍ.» ثُمَّ رَأَيْت الدَّيْلَمِيَّ أَخْرَجَ الْحَدِيثَ الْأَوَّلَ، وَلَفْظُهُ: «رَكْعَتَانِ بِعِمَامَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ رَكْعَةً بِلَا عِمَامَةٍ.». (الفتاوى الفقهية الكبرى)

The mentioned narration regarding the Imamah (turban) is not sound, rather it is evidently a fabrication. Indeed al-Hafidh said that the narrations, A Jummah (Friday) prayer with the Imamah (turban) is equal to seventy Jummah (Friday) prayers, and ‘A prayer with the Imamah (turban) bestows ten thousand good deeds,’ are both fabricated and baseless. So, if it was narrated with this wording then they would have mentioned it. They did not extend the ruling of fabrication to all of that.

They said, and from the fabrications is: A prayer wearing a ring is equal to seventy prayers without a ring. Then I saw that al-Daylami had narrated the first Hadith with the wording: Two Rakahs (prayer cycles) with an Imamah are better than seventy Rakahs without an Imamah (turban). (Imam Abu al-Abbas al-Haytami).

وكذا من الموضوع ما أورده الديلمي عن ابن عمر مرفوعًا بلفظ: “صلاة بعمامة تعدل بخمس وعشرين، وجمعة بعمامة تعدل سبعين جمعة”. ومن حديث أنس مرفوعًا: “الصلاة في العمامة بعشرة آلاف حسنة”
وقال النجم بعد إيراد ما ذكر: لكن أورد السيوطي في “الجامع الصغير” عن جابر بلفظ “ركعتان بعمامة خير من سبعين ركعة من غير عمامة”، فهو غير موضوع؛ لأن “الجامع” المذكور جرده مؤلفه عن الموضوع. (كشف الخفاء ومزيل الإلباس)

Likewise of the fabricated narrations is that which al-Daylami narrated from Ibn Umar raising it to the Prophet ﷺ: A prayer with the Imamah (turban) is equal to twenty-five. And, A Jummah (Friday) prayer with the Imamah (turban) is equal to seventy Jummah (Friday) prayers.
After narrating that which was mentioned al-Najm said: But al-Sayuti narrated (the following) from Jabir in al-Jami al-Sagheer: Two Rakahs (prayer cycles) with an Imamah are better than seventy Rakahs without an Imamah (turban). It is not fabricated because the Jami has been freed of fabrications by the author. (Imam al-Ajlooni, Kashf al-Khafa).

صَلَاةٌ بِعِمَامَةٍ تَعْدِلُ خَمْسًا وَعشْرين صَلَاة وجمعة بعماة تَعْدِلُ سَبْعِينَ جُمُعَةً وَالصَّلَاةُ فِي الْعِمَامَةِ بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ حَسَنَةٍ قَالَ المنوفي فَذَلِك كُله بَاطِل. (الأسرار المرفوعة في الأخبار الموضوعة)

Indeed, a prayer with an Imamah (turban) is equal to twenty-five prayers without an Imamah (turban). A Jummah (Friday) prayer with the Imamah (turban) is equal to seventy Jummah (Friday) prayers. A prayer with the Imamah (turban) bestows ten thousand good deeds. (Imam) al-Munuwi said all of that is baseless. (Imam Ali al-Qari, al-Asrar al-Marfu’ah).

Narrations in al-Jami al-Sagheer

Regarding these fabricated hadith narrations, certain individuals have also made a claim that none of the narrations in al-Jami al-Sagheer are fabricated. However, this claim does not seem to be upheld.

In the following Nass, Imam Ali al-Qari alluded to the fact that Imam al-Sayuti was not able to uphold the condition of eradicating fabrications from his Hadith collection.

قُلْتُ مَرْوِيُّ ابْنِ عُمَرَ نَقَلَهُ السُّيُوطِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَسَاكِرَ فِي جَامِعِهِ الصَّغِيرِ مَعَ الْتِزَامِهِ بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ الْمَوْضُوعَ. (الأسرار المرفوعة في الأخبار الموضوعة)

I say, the narration of Ibn Umar was conveyed by (Imam) al-Sayuti from (Imam) Ibn Asakir in al-Jami al-Sagheer. This despite the fact that he asserted not to narrate in it anything that is fabricated. (Imam Ali al-Qari, al-Asrar al-Marfu’ah).

إنّ صلاةً بعمامة تعدل خمسًا وعشرين صلاة بغير عمامة، وجمعة بعمامة تعدل سبعين جمعة بغير عمامة. إنّ الملائكة ليشهدون الجمعة معتَمّين، ولا يزالون يصلّون على أصحاب العمائم حتى تغرب الشمس. قال الحافظ ابن حجر في (لسان الميزان) هذا حديث منكر بل موضوع. (الزيادات على الموضوعات)

Indeed, a prayer with an Imamah (turban) is equal to twenty-five prayers without an Imamah (turban). A Jummah (Friday) prayer with the Imamah (turban) is equal to seventy Jummah (Friday) prayers. Indeed, the angels witness the Jummah (Friday) prayer of those with an Imamah (turban). They continue to supplicate for those wearing turbans until the sun sets. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr said (in Lisan al-Mizaan), this narration is Munkar (rejected). Rather, it is Mowdu (fabricated). (Imam Jalal al-Deen al-Sayuti, al-Ziyaadaat ala al-Mowdo’aat)

Further, in Tanzih al-Sharia he reiterated the opinion of Imam Ibn Hajr:

قَالَ الْحَافِظ ابْن حجر فِي لِسَان الْمِيزَان هَذَا حَدِيث مُنكر بل مَوْضُوع. (تنزيه الشريعة)

Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr said in Lisaan al-Mizaan: this Hadith is Munkar (rejected), rather it is Mowdu (Fabricated). (Imam Noorud-deen al-Kanaani, Tanzih al-Sharia).

For more narrations regarding the Imamah Sharif (turban), one should read from al-Fawa’id al-Majmoo’ah. In it, Imam al-Showkani speaks about numerous Hadith narrations about the Imam Sharif and discusses the hadiths narrations’ authenticity. The following is an example:

حديث: “صَلاةٌ عَلَى كَوْرِ الْعِمَامَةِ يَعْدِلُ ثَوَابُهَا عِنْدِ اللَّهِ غَزْوَةً فِي سبيل الله. (الفوائد المجموعة في الأحاديث الموضوعة)

The narration: Praying upon the Imamah (turban) is equal, with Allah (Most High) to the reward of a military expedition in the path of Allah, is fabricated. (Imam Muhammad bin Ali al-Showkani, al-Fawa’id al-Majmoo’ah).

Conclusion

Since there is an unusually high proportion of fabricated narrations regarding the issue of wearing Imamah Sharif (turban) during Salah, one must take extra care. Muslims should always take care with the words of the blessed Prophet ﷺ.

Our love for our Prophet ﷺ necessitates that we be protective regarding him ﷺ and anything attributed to him ﷺ. However, this concern must be heightened when we are dealing with an issue that is known to be contaminated by fabrications. Therefore, it is more important to be diligent regarding Hadith narrations related to the virtues of the Imamah Sharif (turban).

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (16.05.23)