What is the authenticity of the hadith: "Did you come to know your Lord through Muhammad, or did you come to know Muhammad through your Lord?"?

Firstly: The saying attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, "I knew Allah through Muhammad, or I knew Muhammad through Allah," is fabricated and false. Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Dhahabi, and al-Shawkani explicitly stated this, and many individuals in its chain of transmission are accused of lying. This saying is prevalent in Shia books to undermine the status of the Companions.

Secondly: A similar phrase has been reported in the books of scholars, but it was not attributed to anyone in particular. Its intent is that Allah's guidance and success for believers are greater than their mere contemplation of the Messenger's call, peace and blessings be upon him, as Allah the Almighty said: ﴿وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ﴾ (But Allah has endeared to you faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts). This does not negate that guidance has great causes such as the call and teaching of the Messengers, and that knowledge enters the servant's heart through teaching and inference, and that all of this is by Allah's decree, destiny, and grace.