Is the Hadith saying fasting 27th Rajab gives one hundred years reward authentic?

The narration that says, fasting on the 27th of Rajab gives one the reward of a hundred years fasting is not authentic (Munkar, very weak).

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو نَصْرٍ رَشِيقُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الرُّومِيُّ إِمْلَاءً مِنْ كِتَابِهِ بالطَّابِرانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْهَيَّاجِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” فِي رَجَبٍ يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ مَنْ صَامَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ، وَقَامَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ كَانَ كَمَنْ صَامَ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ مِائَةَ سَنَةٍ، وَقَامَ مِائَةَ سَنَةٍ وَهُوَ ثَلَاثٌ بَقَيْنَ مِنْ رَجَبٍ، وَفِيهِ بَعَثَ اللهُ مُحَمَّدًا “، وَرُوِيَ ذَلِكَ بِإِسْنَادٍ آخَرَ أَضْعَفُ مِنْ هَذَا كَمَا 

(Sayidina) Salmaan al-Farisi narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘In Rajab there is a day and night, whoever fasts that day and stands (worshipping during) that night, it will be as if he has fasted a hundred years, and stood (worshipping for) a hundred years. It is (the day) when only three (days) are left in Rajab. In it Allah (Most High) sent the Prophet ﷺ.’ (Shu’ab al-Imaan, 3530).

The Hadith above states that fasting on the 27th of Rajab gives one the reward of a hundred years fasting. However, it is not authentic (Munkar, very weak). As mentioned by many leading Hadith scholars.

هذا حديث منكر إلى الغاية. (تبيين العجب)

This Hadith is completely rejected. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Tabyeen al-Ajab).

هيّاج تركوا حديثه. (ذيل الآلئ المصنوعة)

They (the Hadith scholars) rejected the narrations of Hayyaaj. (Imam al-Sayuti, Dhail al-La’ali al-Masno’ah).

In the Nusoos above we find some of the significant scholars of Hadith commenting on this narration. They made it clear that it is not authentic, rather it is rejected. Many scholars quoted Imam al-Sayuti when commenting upon the authenticity of this Hadith.

قال السيوطى فى ذيل الموضوعات هياج تركوا. (اتحاف السادة المتقين)

(Imam) al-Sayuti said, in Dhail al-Mowdo’aat, Hayyaaj was rejected (by the Hadith scholars). (Imam al-Zabidi, Ithaaf al-Saadah al-Mutaqeen).

Muslims must take more care when narrating Hadith. It is not sufficient to source the Hadith to a recognised book, rather one must consider the authenticity too. Simply forwarding Hadith without considering authenticity may lead to a person contradicting the explicit teaching of the beloved Prophet ﷺ himself.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ كَذِبًا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ

Abu Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘It is enough of a lie for a person to narrate everything that he hears.” (Sahih Muslim, Chapter 3, Prohibition of Narrating Everything One Hears).

Imam Ali al-Qari commented on this Hadith saying:

بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ: يَعْنِي: لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْمَرْءِ كَذِبٌ إِلَّا تَحْدِيثُهُ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَيَقُّنٍ أَنَّهُ صِدْقٌ أَمْ كَذِبٌ، لَكَفَاهُ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ بَرِيئًا مِنْهُ، وَهَذَا زَجْرٌ عَنِ التَّحْدِيثِ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يُعْلَمْ صِدْقُهُ، بَلْ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَبْحَثَ فِي كُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ خُصُوصًا فِي أَحَادِيثِ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

“If a person told no lie other than narrating everything he hears without verifying whether it is true or false then that is sufficient a lie for him to be guilty of it (of lying). This is a warning against narrating something that is not known to be true, rather it is incumbent upon a person to research what he hears, especially regarding Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.” (Imam Ali al-Qari, Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh, Vol. 1, pg. 240).

So, it is clear that the Hadith about fasting on the 27th of Rajab giving one the reward of a hundred years fasting is not authentic, rather it is rejected (Munkar, very weak). Therefore, it is not permitted to quote it or forward it unless one is warning people against it.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (28.02.2022)

See also:

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

Special prayers mentioned in Rajab (Salat al-Raghaib)

See also video: