The Hadith: 'A time will come when people will observe only one-tenth of Iman, but Allah will be pleased with them'

Q 36: A time will come when people will observe only one-tenth of Iman (faith), but Allah will be pleased with them. However, if you neglect one-tenth of Iman, Allah will bring you to account. Is this meaning correct? Is it a Hadith?

A: This Hadith was related by Al-Tirmidhy at the end of Kitab Al-Fitan (the Book of Tribulations) on the authority (Part No. 3; Page No. 255) of Ibrahim ibn Ya`qub Al-Jawzjany from Nu`aym ibn Hammad with the following wording: You are living at a time when if anyone of you neglects one-tenth of what they have been ordered to do, they will be ruined. However, a time will come when if anyone (of those living in such a time) observes one-tenth of what they have been ordered to do, they will be saved. Al-Tirmidhy said: "This is Hadith Gharib (a Hadith with a single narrator usually at the beginning of the chain of narration), which we only heard of from Nu`aym ibn Hammad from Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah." Al-Dhahaby said in Al-Siyar: "Nu`aym was the only narrator of this Hadith Munkar (rejected Hadith reported by a weak narrator whose narration conflicts with an authentic Hadith). I do not know from where Nu`aym brought this narration." Nu`aym said: "They reject this Hadith, but when I was in the company of Sufyan, something happened which he condemned, and then he told me of this Hadith." Al-Dhahaby commented: "He was telling the truth when he said that he heard the wording of the Hadith from Sufyan. It seems - and Allah knows best - that Sufyan said this Hadith without Sanad (chain of narrators). In fact, he mentioned the Sanad of another Hadith which he wanted to narrate, but when he saw something evil, he interrupted what he was saying to reject what he saw and comment on it and then stated the Hadith concerned. Nu`aym mistakenly thought that the Sanad which Sufyan stated at first was that of the Hadith in question, and Allah knows best."This Hadith was stated by Ibn Al-Jawzy in Al-Wahiyat. He said: "Al-Nasa'y said that it is a Hadith Munkar which was narrated by Nu`aym ibn Hammad, who is not a Thiqah (trustworthy) narrator."May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.