Is the Hadith about blessing in Rajab and reaching Ramadan strong?

The Hadith about blessing in Rajab and reaching Ramadan is a weak Hadith. Therefore, it is permitted to quote as long as one clarifies that it is weak.

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الرَّازِيُّ قَالَ: نا عَبْدُ السَّلَامِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْجِنِّيُّ قَالَ: نا زَائِدَةُ بْنُ أَبِي الرُّقَادِ قَالَ: نا زِيَادٌ النُّمَيْرِيُّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ رَجَبٌ قَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ، وَشَعْبَانَ، وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ». لَا يُرْوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَّا بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ، تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ: زَائِدَةُ بْنُ أَبِي الرُّقَادِ

(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said that when Rajab began the Prophet ﷺ used to say, “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and make us reach Ramadan.” (Tabarani al-Owsat, 3939).

This Hadith has also been narrated with slightly different wording:

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ رَجَبٌ، قَالَ: اللهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ، وَبَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَمَضَانَ

(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said that when Rajab began the Prophet ﷺ used to say, “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and bless us in Ramadan.” (Musnad Ahmad, 2646).

Both narrations have a narrator called Zaidah bin Abi Ruqaad. This narrator is differed over, many considered him Munkar, but some considered him acceptable.

رَوَاهُ الْبَزَّارُ، وَالطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي الْأَوْسَطِ، وَفِيهِ زَائِدَةُ بْنُ أَبِي الرُّقَادِ، وَفِيهِ كَلَامٌ، وَقَدْ وُثِّقَ. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)

It was narrated by al-Bazaar and al-Tabaraani in al-Owsat. It has Zaidah bin Abi Ruqaad in the chain, and there is a discussion regarding him. Indeed (some) have considered him to be sound. (Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami, Majma al-Zawaid).

وقال البخاري: منكر الحديث. وقال النسائي: بعد أن أخرج له حديثا في السنن: لا أدري من هو. وقال في الضعفاء: منكر الحديث (و) في الكنى: ليس بثقة. وقال ابن حبان لا يحتج بخبره. (تبيين العجب بما ورد في شهر رجب)

(Imam) al-Bukhari said, He (Zaidah bin Abi Ruqaad) is Munkar in Hadith narrations. (Imam) al-Nasai narrated from him in al-Sunnan and then said, I do not know who he is. In al-Du’afaa he said, he is Munkar in Hadith narrations. In al-Kuna he said, he is not reliable. (Imam) Ibn Hibban said, his narration is not to be used as evidence. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Tabyeen al-Ajab).

In such cases, Hadith scholars often settle on something in between. Which is why some Hadith scholars considered this narration to be weak (others went with Munkar).

نعم رُوِيَ بِإِسْنَاد ضَعِيف «أَنَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا دَخَلَ رَجَبٌ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَان وبلغنا رَمَضَان» وَيجو الْعَمَل فِي الْفَضَائِل بالضعيف

We have a narration with a weak chain: When Rajab began the Prophet ﷺ used to say, “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and make us reach Ramadan.” And it is permitted to act upon weak narrations in the context of virtues. (Imam al-Fatani, Tadhkiratu al-Mowdo’aat).

If we consider this Hadith to be weak, then it can be narrated. However, one must keep in mind the rules surrounding weak Hadith.

وَمَنْ نُقِلَ عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ: ابْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، وَابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، قَالُوا: إِذَا رُوِّينَا فِي الْحَلَالِ وَالْحَرَامِ شَدَّدْنَا، وَإِذَا رُوِّينَا فِي الْفَضَائِلِ وَنَحْوِهَا تَسَاهَلْنَا

تَنْبِيهٌ: لَمْ يَذْكُرِ ابْنُ الصَّلَاحِ وَالْمُصَنِّفُ هُنَا، وَفِي سَائِرِ كُتُبِهِ لِمَا ذُكِرَ سِوَى هَذَا الشَّرْطِ، وَهُوَ كَوْنُهُ فِي الْفَضَائِلِ وَنَحْوِهَا، وَذَكَرَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ لَهُ ثَلَاثَةَ شُرُوطٍ

أَحَدُهَا: أَنْ يَكُونَ الضَّعْفُ غَيْرَ شَدِيدٍ، فَيَخْرُجُ مَنِ انْفَرَدَ مِنَ الْكَذَّابِينَ وَالْمُتَّهَمِينَ بِالْكَذِبِ، وَمَنْ فَحُشَ غَلَطُهُ، نَقَلَ الْعَلَائِيُّ الِاتِّفَاقَ عَلَيْهِ

الثَّانِي: أَنْ يَنْدَرِجَ تَحْتَ أَصْلٍ مَعْمُولٍ بِهِ

الثَّالِثُ: أَنْ لَا يُعْتَقَدَ عِنْدَ الْعَمَلِ بِهِ ثُبُوتُهُ، بَلْ يُعْتَقَدُ الِاحْتِيَاطُ

It has been narrated from Ibn Hanbal, Ibn Mahdi, Ibn Mubarak, who all said, if Hadith regarding Halal and Haram are narrated then we are strict. And if Hadith regarding the virtues of deeds and the like are narrated then we are lenient.

Important Note: Ibn Salaah and the author did not mention here or in any of their books, any conditions except for this one. Namely, it (the weak Hadith) being used for the virtues of deeds. Shaykh al-Islam mentioned three conditions for it:

Firstly, the weakness cannot be severe, this excludes narrations that have liars in them, or narrations of those accused of lying, and those who make grave errors when narrating,  al-Alai narrated agreement upon this condition. 

Secondly, it must be in line with an established, acted upon teaching (of the Deen). 

Thirdly, when acting upon it (the weak Hadith) one cannot believe it to be a sound narration, rather one must keep in mind caution. (Imam al-Sayuti, Tadreeb al-Rawi volume 1 page 351 Dar Taybah). 

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (08.02.2022)

See also:
Is it permitted to use weak Hadith for Nafl action?
Using Weak Hadith.
Are all Hadith about Rajab Fabricated?

See also (video):