Is the Hadith "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate" authentic or fabricated?
The hadith, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate," is disputed and not well-established. Many scholars have judged it to be Munkar (denounced) and Mawdu' (fabricated), including Al-Daraqutni, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Bukhari, and Yahya ibn Ma'in. Although Al-Hakim authenticated it, Ibn Al-Jawzi included it in his collection of fabricated hadiths (Al-Mawdu'at), and Al-Dhahabi concurred with him. However, others, such as Abu Sa'id Al-Ala'i and Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, consider it Hasan (good) due to its multiple chains of narration, arguing that it is neither weak nor fabricated. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar explicitly stated that the hadith is Hasan and mentioned that Ibn Daqiq Al-Eid hesitated to rule it as fabricated. Ibn Hajar Al-Makki said that the hadith is Hasan, contrary to those who claimed it was weak, and that Al-Hakim authenticated it, while Al-Hafizan Al-Ala'i and Ibn Hajar deemed it Hasan. Although there are other weak narrations supporting the meaning, its best narration is that of Ibn Abbas, which has been classified as Hasan.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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