To what extent are the hadiths about the Abdal, Awtad, Aqtab, and Anjab authentic, and what are the sayings of scholars regarding them?

None of the hadiths concerning the Abdal, Aqtab, Aghwath, Nuqaba, Nujaba, and Awtad are authentic. Some of them are fabricated, others are Munkar (denounced), very weak, or merely weak. None of them are authentic. Among these is the hadith: "The best of my Ummah in every century are five hundred, and the Abdal are forty..." This hadith is fabricated. Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that all hadiths regarding the Abdal, Aqtab, Aghwath, Nuqaba, Nujaba, and Awtad are false attributions to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The closest narration mentioned in this regard is: "Do not revile the people of Sham, for among them are the Badala’. Whenever one of them dies, Allah replaces him with another man." However, this narration is not authentic. The ranks of people with Allah are among the unseen matters about which it is impermissible to speak without a clear textual religious proof.