Question

Is the following a Hadith?

“A believer in the Masjid is like a fish in the water and a hypocrite in the Masjid is like a bird in the cage”

Answer

‘Allamah ‘Ajluni (rahimahullah) states that although this is famously [quoted] as a Hadith, he does not know of these words to be a Hadith. He further states that this seems to be the statement of Malik ibn Dinar (rahimahullah).

(Kashful Khafa, Hadith: 2689)

This should therefore not be quoted as a Hadith of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), despite its meaning being correct.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar

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التخريج من المصادر العربية

كشف الخفاء:
(٢٦٨٩) – «المؤمن في المسجد كالسمك في الماء، والمنافق في المسجد كالطير في القفص».
لم أعرفه حديثًا، وإن اشتهر بذلك، ويشبه أن يكون من كلام مالك بن دينار؛ فقد نقل المناوي عنه أنه قال: «المنافقون في المسجد كالعصافير في القفص».