Ash-Shawkani authenticates: ,,I am the city of knowledge.”

Muhammad ibn Ali Ash-Shawkani writes:

أنا مدينة العلم وعلي بابها فمن أراد العلم فليأت الباب رواه الخطيب عن ابن عباس مرفوعا ورواه الطبراني وابن عدي والعقيلي وابن حبان عن ابن عباس أيضا مرفوعا وفي إسناده الخطيب جعفر بن محمد البغدادي وهو متهم وفي إسناد الطبراني أبو الصلت الهروي عبد السلام بن صالح قيل هو الذي وضعه

,,Al-Khatib narrated the saying ﴾I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the door to it. So whoever wants the knowledge, let him enter through the door﴿ from Abdullah Ibn Abbas who traced it (to the Prophet) and likewise it is narrated tracing it (Marfu’) by At-Tabarani, Ibn Adi, Al-Uqaili and Ibn Hibban from Abdullah Ibn Abbas and in the chain of Al-Khatib is Ja’far Ibn Muhammad Al-Baghdadi who is distrusted and in the chain of At-Tabarani is Abu Salt Al-Harawi – Abd-us-Salam Ibn Salih – about whom it is said, that he invented it.”

وفي إسناد ابن عدي أحمد بن سلمة الجرجاني يحدث عن الثقات بالأباطيل وفي إسناد العقيلي عمر بن إسماعيل بن مجالد كذاب وفي إسناد ابن حيان إسماعيل بن محمد بن يوسف ولا يحتج به وقد رواه ابن مردويه عن علي مرفوعا وفي إسناده من لا يجوز الاحتجاج به

In the chain of Ibn Adi is Ahmad Ibn Salamah Al-Jurjani who narrates things from trustworthy (Thiqah) which are false (Batil) and in the chain of Al-Uqaili is Umar Ibn Isma’il Ibn Mujalid, who is a liar. In the chain of Ibn Hibban is Isma’il Ibn Muhammad Ibn Yusuf and it is not possible to argue with him. Likewise, Ibn Mardawaih narrated it to him from Ali Ibn Abi Talib who traced it (to the Prophet) and in his chain is the one with whom it is not permissible, to argue.

ورواه أيضا ابن عدي عن جابر مرفوعا بلفظ هذا يعني عليا أمير البررة وقاتل الفجرة منصور من نصره مخذول من خذله أنا مدينة العلم وعلي بابها فمن أراد العلم فليأت الباب قيل لا يصح ولا أصل له

Also Ibn Adi narrated the saying of Jabir Ibn Abdillah, who attributed it in this wording (to the Prophet): ﴾This one, that is, Ali, is the commander of the righteous and defeater of the wrongdoers. Whoever supported him will be supported, whoever abandoned him will be abandoned. I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the door to it. So whoever wants the knowledge, let him enter through the door.﴿ They say: ﴾It is not true and there is not a grain of truth in it.﴿

وقد ذكر هذا الحديث ابن الجوزي في الموضوعات من طرق عدة وجزم ببطلان الكل وتابعه الذهبي وغيره وأجيب عن ذلك بأن محمد بن جعفر البغدادي الفيدي قد وثقه يحيى بن معين وأن أبا الصلت الهروي وأخرجه الترمذي عن علي رضي الله عنه مرفوعا وأخرجه الحاكم في المستدرك عن ابن عباس مرفوعا وقال صحيح الإسناد

Likewise, Ibn-ul-Jawzi included this saying (Hadith) with several paths among the invented traditions and was certain about it being false (Batil) and Adh-Dhahabi and others followed his opinion. I respond that Muhammad Ibn Ja’far Al-Baghdadi and Abu Salt Al-Harawi were considered trustworthy (Thiqah) by Yahya Ibn Ma’in and he was narrated by At-Tirmidhi (tracing back to the Prophet) from Ali Ibn Abi Talib and he was narrated by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak tracing back (Marfu’) from Abdullah Ibn Abbas and said: ﴾Good (Sahih) according to the chain.﴿

قال الحافظ ابن حجر والصواب خلاف قولهما معا يعني ابن الجوزي والحاكم وأن الحديث من قسم الحسن لا يرتقي إلى الصحة ولا ينحط إلى الكذب انتهى هذا هو الصواب لأن يحيى بن معين والحاكم قد خولفا في توثيق أبي الصلت ومن تابعه فلا يكون مع هذا الخلاف صحيحا بل حسنا لغيره لكثرة طرقه كما بيناه وله طرق أخرى ذكرها صاحب اللآلئ وغيره

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani said: ﴾It is correct, to oppose the statement of both, that is, both the statement of Ibn-ul-Jawzi and that of Al-Hakim and that the saying (Hadith) is to be classified as good (Hasan). Neither does it reach the classification of sound (Sahih) nor can it be reduced to be false (Makdhub).﴿ This is correct, because Yahya Ibn Ma’in and Al-Hakim and those who followed their opinion, have been opposed, that Abu Salt would be trustworthy (Thiqah). Therefore, the saying with this disagreement cannot be sound (Sahih), rather it is to be classified as good (Hasan) due to other numerous paths and it has other paths, that As-Suyuti and others mentioned.” [Al-Fawa’id-ul-Majmu’ah, page 348 – 349]