Question

Kindly verify the authenticity of the following narration:

Whosoever recites the following du’a once, and then requests Allah Ta’ala to transfer the reward earned thereby to the credit of his parents, is like one having fulfilled his obligations to them:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَاءُ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ، لِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ رَبِّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَلَهُ الْعَظَمَةُ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ، لِلَّهِ الْمُلْكُ رَبِّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبِّ الأَرْضِ وَرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَلَهُ النُّورُ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

All praise be to the Sustainer of the worlds, the Rabb of the heavens and the earth, to Him alone belongs the true greatness in the heavens and in the earth and He alone has Supremacy and is Wise. All praise be to Allah, the Rabb of the Heavens and the Rabb of the earth, the Sustainer of the Worlds, to Him alone belongs majesty in the heavens and in the earth, and He is Supreme and Wise; He alone is the Sovereign, Rabb of the heavens and the earth and the Sustainer of the Worlds; to Him alone belongs the celestial light (nur) of the heavens and the earth and He is the Majestic, the Wise.

Answer

Imam Ibn Shahin (rahimahullah) has recorded this Hadith on the authority of Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu).

(At Targhib Fi Fadailil A’mal, Hadith: 301)

However this Hadith has been transmitted with an extremely weak chain. In fact there are approximately one hundred Hadiths reported with the same sequence in the chain of narrators as found in the Hadith in question. The Muhaddithun have declared all these narrations [the entire “nuskhah”] as baseless.

(Refer: Lisanul Mizan, vol. 2, pg. 292-294, number: 1468)

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar