What is the authenticity of the Hadith: "The first thing Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it: 'Write.' It said: 'What should I write?' He said: 'Write, O Ummah of Ibrahim, whoever obeys Me enters Paradise, and whoever disobeys Me enters the Fire.' And similarly for Musa and Isa, until our master Muhammad, He said: 'Whoever obeys Me enters Paradise,' then He paused. The Pen said: 'Should I write, "and whoever disobeys Me enters the Fire?"' He said: 'Write: A sinful Ummah and a forgiving Lord'"? And where can it be found in the books of Sunan or Sahih?
The aforementioned hadith, "A sinful nation and a forgiving Lord," has no basis in the books of hadith. It has not been reported in the Sahih collections, the Sunan, or the Musnads.
What is authentically established is the hadith narrated by Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: "Indeed, the first thing Allah created was the Pen. He said to it: 'Write!' It said: 'My Lord, what shall I write?' He said: 'Write the decrees of everything until the Hour comes to pass.'"
As for the hadith, "A sinful nation and a forgiving Lord," Al-Albani mentioned it in "Al-Da'ifah" (The Weak) and judged it to be Munkar (denounced), explaining that its chain of narration is obscure and contains defects and weakness.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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