0/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 17 — Satan and False Narrations
The Weak Narrators, Liars, and Those Whose Hadith are Avoided
False Hadith Reports: Do Not Trust Vague Sources
Sahih Muslim : 17
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 17
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ عَبَدَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَيَتَمَثَّلُ فِي صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَأْتِي الْقَوْمَ فَيُحَدِّثُهُمْ بِالْحَدِيثِ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ فَيَتَفَرَّقُونَ فَيَقُولُ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ سَمِعْتُ رَجُلاً أَعْرِفُ وَجْهَهُ وَلاَ أَدْرِي مَا اسْمُهُ يُحَدِّثُ .
Abū Sa’īd al-Ashajj Narrated from:
Wakī’ narrated to us, al-A’mash narrated to us, on authority of al-Musayyab bin Rāfi’, on authority of Āmir bin Abdah, he said, Abd Allah [bin Mas’ūd] said: ‘Indeed Satan will appear in the form of a man and he will come to the people, narrating to them false Ḥadīth, and they will then depart. Then a man among them will say: ‘I heard a man whose face I recognize but I do not know his name narrating [such and such]…’
Reference : Sahih Muslim Introduction 17In-book reference : Introduction, Narration 16
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 17
This narration from Abd Allah warns about false hadith being spread through a vague source. Satan appears in the form of a man, narrates false hadith to people, and after they leave, someone says he heard a man whose face he knows but whose name he does not know. The core topic is false reports. The lesson is very practical: vague sourcing is not enough for religious narration. “I heard someone say” is not a firm base for hadith. People searching for false hadith warning or vague source hadith can see how the text warns against reports that travel without a known, reliable source.
What we learn from this hadith
- False reports can spread through unclear sources.
- Knowing a face is not the same as knowing a trustworthy narrator.
- Religious claims should not rest on vague speech.
- People can repeat false reports after hearing them from unknown persons.
