What is the authenticity of the hadiths mentioned concerning the virtue of intellect and its possessor, among which are: "the best of them in intellect," "do not marvel at a man's Islam until you see the knot of his intellect," and "the first thing Allah created was the Pen... then He created the intellect and said: 'By My might, I shall surely perfect you in whomever I love, and I shall surely diminish you in whomever I detest'"?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The narration of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) mentioned in the question is fabricated, and Ibn al-Jawzi stated that it is not authentic. As for the narration of Ibn Umar, "Do not be amazed by a man's Islam until you know the knot of his intellect," it is denounced (munkar) and weak. And the narration of Abu Hurayrah with the wording mentioned in the question is denounced (munkar).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/164361
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- Original fatwa ID
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy