Question

What is the authenticity of the following narration?

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever instills happiness into the heart of a believer, Allah creates an Angel from that happiness who worships Allah and declares the Oneness of Allah. When this person is placed into his grave, the Angel approaches him asking, ‘Do you not recognise me?’ The person responds by asking, ‘Who are you?’ The angel replies, ‘I am the happiness which you instilled in the heart of so and so believer. Now I will be your comforter in distress, and I will keep you steadfast in answering the questions (of the afterlife). I will come to you on the Day of Qiyamah and intercede for you in the Court of your Rabb and show you your home in Paradise.”

Answer

Imam Abu Bakr ibn Abid Dunya (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration with an extremely weak chain. In fact Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in (rahimahullah) has declared a particular narrator of this Hadith a liar.

(Qada-ul Hawaij, Hadith: 115. Refer: Mizanul I’tidal, vol. 4, pg. 255 -number: 7643-)

‘Allamah Mundhiri (rahimahullah) states that the text of this Hadith has a discrepancy (Fi matnihi nakarah). [which in this case refers to the unreliability of the Hadith]

(Targhib, vol. 3, pg. 395)

Having understood the above, one should be aware that to make a Muslim happy is indeed rewarding as is understood from other texts.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar