Falseness of the hadeeth, “Were it not for you, I would not have created the universe”

 

I have got a question regarding a hadiith. How sound is the hadiith, that states, that it were not for Muhammad (saw) Allaah (swt) would not have created this world???


To be honest I am a bit suspicious about this hadiith, could you shatter some light in the matter?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Many false and fabricated ahaadeeth have been
narrated that say similar things. For example: 

“Were it not for you, I would not have
created the universe.” 

This was quoted by al-Shawkaani in
al-Fawaa’id al-Majmoo’ah fi’l-Ahaadeeth al-Mawdoo’ah (p. 326). He said:  

Al-San’aani said: (it is) mawdoo’
(fabricated). 

Al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah
(282): (it is) mawdoo’. 

Another example is the hadeeth narrated by
al-Haakim according to which Ibn ‘Abbaas said: 

“Allaah revealed to ‘Eesa (Jesus, peace be
upon him): ‘O ‘Eesa, believe in Muhammad, and tell whoever you meet of your ummah to believe in him. For were it not for Muhammad, I would not
have created Adam, and were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Paradise and Hell. I created the Throne over the water and it would not
settle until I wrote on it, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Muhammad Rasool Allaah (There is no god but Allaah and Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allaah).” 

Al-Haakim said: its isnaad is saheeh! But al-Dhahabi commented on that and said: I believe it
is fabricated and falsely attributed to Sa’eed. 

Meaning, Sa’eed ibn Abu ‘Aroobah (one of the
narrators of this hadeeth). This hadeeth was narrated from him by ‘Amr ibn Aws al-Ansaari, who is the one who is accused of fabricating it.
Al-Dhahabi mentioned him in al-Meezaan where he said: “He produced a munkar report,” then he quoted this hadeeth, and said, “I believe that
it is mawdoo’ (fabricated).” Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar agreed with him, as it says in al-Lisaan. 

Al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah
(280): There is no basis for it. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) was asked: 

Is the hadeeth which some people quote –
“Were it not for you, Allaah would not have created the Throne or the Kursiy or the earth or the heavens or the sun or the moon or anything else”
saheeh or nor? 

He replied:

Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) is the leader of the sons of Adam, and the best and noblest of creation, hence some people say that Allaah created the universe
because of him, or that were it not for him, Allaah would not have created the Throne or the Kursiy or the earth or the heavens or the sun or the
moon. 

But this hadeeth that is narrated from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is neither saheeh (sound) nor da’eef (weak), and it was not narrated by any scholar in a
hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Neither was it known from the Sahaabah. Rather it is the words of one
who is unknown. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,
11/86-96. 

The Standing Committee was asked: 

Can it be said that Allaah created the heavens and the earth for the purpose of creating the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? What is the meaning of the hadeeth, “Were it not for you the universe would not have
been created,” and does this hadeeth have any basis? 

They replied: 

The heavens and the earth were not created
for the sake of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), rather they were created for the purpose which Allaah mentions
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“It is Allaah Who has created seven
heavens and of the earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allaah has
power over all things, and that Allaah surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge”

[al-Talaaq 65:12] 

As for the hadeeth mentioned, it is falsely attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and has no sound basis. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
1/312 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked about this hadeeth and said: 

The answer is that this was transmitted from the words of some of the common people who have no
understanding. Some people say that the world was created for the sake of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and were it
not for Muhammad the world would not have been created and mankind would not have been created. This is false and has no basis, and these are
corrupt words. Allaah created the world so that He would be known and worshipped. He created the world and He created mankind so that His names
and attributes, His power and knowledge, would be known and so that He alone would be worshipped with no partner or associate, and so that He
would be obeyed – not for the sake of Muhammad or for the sake of Nooh or Moosa or ‘Eesa or any other Prophet. Rather Allaah created the universe
so that He alone would be worshipped, with no partner or associate.

 Fataawa Noor ‘ala
al-Darb, 46.

 And Allaah knows best.