Question

Is the following narration authentic?

“A man entered Jannah because of a fly, while another entered Jahannam because of a fly. ‘Two men passed by a people who had an idol, which it was not permissible for anyone to pass without making a sacrifice to it. They [the people] said to the first man: ‘Sacrifice [something in the name of the idol].’ He said: ‘I will not sacrifice anything unless it be to Allah so they struck his neck (and he died) and entered Jannah’”

Then they said to the second man: ‘Sacrifice [something].’ He said: ‘I have nothing with which to do so.’ They said: ‘Sacrifice something, even if it were only a fly,’ and so he did so, and they allowed him to continue on his way and so he entered Jahannam”

Answer

Imam Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah (rahimahullah) and others have recorded this incident as the statements of Sayyiduna Salman Al Farisi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) -موقوفا- via an authentic chain.

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 33709 with footnotes of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah)

Note: This narration is reported as the statement of Sayyiduna Salman Al Farisi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and should be quoted as such.

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar