When my Ummah does fifteen things, the afflictions will befall it
25-12-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Aslamu Alaikum, thank you for looking into my inquiry. Can you please authenticate the following hadith for me and tell me if there are any authentic hadiths relating to this hadith: ------------------------ 'Ali bin Abi Talib narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said: "When my Ummah does fifteen things, the afflictions will occur in it." It was said: "What are they O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "When Al-Maghnam (the spoils of war) are distributed (preferentially), trust is usurped, Zakah is a fine, a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother, he is kind to his friend and abandons his father, voices are raised in the Masajid, the leader of the people is the most despicable among them, the most honored man is the one whose evil the people are afraid of, intoxicants are drunk, silk is worn (by males), there is a fascination for singing slave-girls and music, and the end of this Ummah curses its beginning. When that occurs, anticipate a red wind, collapsing of the earth, and transformation." [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2210 or Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2210] ----------- The website I got it from says that it is "Da'if", but of course, there can be differences of opinions and there can be other hadiths which suggests that a part of it is true. And thank you.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
The chain of narration of the Hadeeth in question is Dha‘eef (weak). Some scholars held that it is Baatil (false) because among its narrators is Al-Faraj ibn Fudhaalah, whom Hadeeth scholars classified as a weak narrator. In fact, Al-Bukhari 
said about him: “Al-Faraj ibn Fudhaalah is a rejected narrator.”
Al-Albaani commented on this Hadeeth in As-Silsilah Adh-Dha‘eefah, saying: “This Hadeeth was narrated by At-Tirmithi (2/33) and Al-Khateeb (3/158) from Al-Faraj ibn Fudhaalah Ash-Shaami from Yahya ibn Sa‘eed from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib as a Marfoo‘ report (i.e. traced back to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He said: ‘It is a Ghareeb Hadeeth (i.e. Dha'eef according to At-Tirmithi). Some Hadeeth scholars questioned the reliability of Al-Faraj ibn Fudhaalah with regard to the accuracy of his memorization.’ I say: His biography in the Meezaan reads: ‘Al-Barqaani said: I asked Ad-Daaraqutni about this Hadeeth of Al-Faraj ibn Fudhaalah and he replied: It is false.’ The author of Faydh Al-Qadeer says: ‘Al-‘Iraaqi and Al-Munthiri said: It is a weak Hadeeth given the weakness of Al-Faraj ibn Fudhaalah as a narrator. Ath-Thahabi said: It is a Munkar Hadeeth (i.e. a denounced or objectionable). Ibn Al-Jawzi said it is a Maqtoo‘ Hadeeth (i.e. a discontinuous Hadeeth with an incomplete chain of narrators, ending at a Taabi‘i), weak; and it cannot be used as evidence.’” [End of Quote]
In fact, we have not found any Hadeeth scholar who classified this Hadeeth as Saheeh (sound) or Hasan (good). Some parts of it, though, were reported in Saheeh or Hasan Ahaadeeth. There is a Hadeeth about the collapsing of the earth when wine is drunk and music and songstresses spread; ‘Imraan ibn Husayn narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Some people of this Ummah will be swallowed up by the earth, some will be transformed into animals, and some will be bombarded with stones.” One of the Muslims asked, “When will that be, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “When songstresses and musical instruments become popular and much wine is drunk." [At-Tirmithi and others]
Also, the part that reads, “and the leader of the people is the most despicable among them,” is mentioned in Saheeh Hadeeths like the Hadeeth narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas 
that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Verily, among the signs of the Hour is that the wicked are in a high position and the good are in a low position.” [Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Haakim in his Mustadrak and he said: Its Isnaad is Saheeh but Al-Bukhari and Muslim did not present it - Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh]
Also the part: “…when trust is usurped (i.e. acquired without difficulty)…”, that is, when one who has a trust in his possession sees it as something easily acquired, i.e. he treats it as a spoil of war; so the trust becomes lost. This is supported by the Hadeeth that reads: “When trust is lost, wait for the Hour.” He was asked: “How will it be lost?” He said: “When authority is given to unfit people who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour.” [Al-Bukhari]
Allaah Knows best.