What is the authenticity of the hadith: "Whoever walks to an oppressive ruler willingly, of his own accord, flattering him by meeting him and greeting him, will wade through the fire of Hell commensurate with his steps until he returns from him to his home. If he inclines to his desires or strengthens his arm, no curse from Allah will befall him but that its like will be upon him, and he will not be tormented in the Fire with any type of torment but that he will be tormented with its like"?

The aforementioned hadith was mentioned by Al-Muttaqi Al-Hindi in "Kanz al-Ummal" and attributed to Al-Daylami, but no chain of narration was provided for it. As for the essence of the meaning, which is fear of punishment, it is sound, as there are hadiths that prohibit aiding oppressors and condoning falsehood. Among them is the hadith of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, from the Prophet, peace be upon him: "There will be rulers, and you will recognize some of their deeds and reject others. Whoever recognized [the evil] is absolved, and whoever rejected [it] is safe, but woe to him who consented and followed." And the hadith of Ka'b bin Ujrah, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said to him: "May Allah protect you from the rule of the foolish." He explained it as: "Rulers who will come after me, who do not follow my guidance nor my Sunnah. Whoever believes their lies and aids them in their oppression, those are not from me, and I am not from them, and they will not come to my Hawd (Cistern). And whoever does not believe their lies and does not aid them in their oppression, those are from me and I am from them, and they will come to my Hawd." Furthermore, warnings have been mentioned in the Holy Quran regarding sitting with people of falsehood and participating with them in sin, such as His saying, the Almighty: "And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversation," and His saying: "Then do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them." So, a person is a partner in the sin that he approves of and does not denounce.