Is it sound and can one use as a proof the hadith: "All prophets will enter Paradise forty years before Sulaiman bin Dawud, peace be upon him"?
This Hadith was narrated by Al-Tabarani in his two large and medium compilations (al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat) from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm, who said: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed Mu'adh ibn Jabal over Syria, and wrote to him to give the people their stipends and to lead them in battle. While he was giving the people their stipends, late in the day, a man from the countryside came and said: "O Mu'adh, order my stipend for me, for I am a man from the countryside from such and such a place, and perhaps I can reach my family before nightfall." He said: "No, by Allah, I will not give you until I give these – meaning the people of the city." I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "All prophets will enter Paradise forty years before Sulayman ibn Dawud, and the poor among Muslims will enter Paradise forty years before their rich, and righteous servants will enter Paradise forty years before others, and the people of the cities will enter Paradise forty years before the people of the countryside, due to the virtue of cities, congregations, Friday prayers, and circles of remembrance. And if there is a trial, they (the city dwellers) will be singled out for it, to the exclusion of others."
Al-Tabarani explained that this Hadith was not narrated from Al-Zuhri except by Shu'ayb, and not from Shu'ayb except by 'Amr, and not from 'Amr except by Harun, and it is not narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, except through this chain of transmission.
Al-Haythami mentioned in Majma' al-Zawa'id that Al-Tabarani narrated it from his shaykh 'Ali ibn Sa'id al-Razi, who is lenient (in his narrations), and the rest of its narrators are trustworthy, with some disagreement regarding some of them. As for Ibrahim ibn Harun ibn al-Mughirah, no one has authenticated him, nor has anyone written his biography except Ibn Abi Hatim. And concerning 'Amr ibn Abi Qays, Al-Hafiz said about him in Al-Taqrib: "Truthful, but has delusions."
Based on the above, this chain of transmission is closer to weakness than to goodness.
As for the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman, peace be upon him, Al-Qurtubi said regarding the verse: (This is Our gift; so grant or withhold without reckoning And indeed, for him with Us is proximity and a beautiful return) {Saad: 39-40} that what was narrated in the report: "Indeed, the last of the prophets to enter Paradise is Sulayman ibn Dawud, peace be upon him, because of his dominion in the world," and in some reports: "He will enter Paradise forty autumns after the prophets," is a Hadith that has no basis.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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