As-salaam 'Alaykum I want some information regarding the authenticity of the following hadeeth, as I read some saying it is ma'lul (defective) or mudtarib ("shaky"): Abu Huraira reported that Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) took hold of my hands and said: Allaah, the Exalted and Glorious, created the clay on Saturday and He created the mountains on Sunday and He created the trees on Monday and He created the things entailing labour on Tuesday and created light on Wednesday and lie caused the animals to spread on Thursday and created Adam (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) after 'Asr on Friday; the last creation at the last hour of the hours of Friday, i. e. between afternoon and night. (English translation) May Allah reward you for your efforts.

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 is His Slave and Messenger.

Muslim scholars, past and present, have held different opinions regarding the authenticity of this Hadeeth. Most of the competent researching scholars of Hadeeth underlined that this Hadeeth is Ma'lool (defective) such as ‘Ali ibn Al-Madeeni, the teacher of Imaam Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari himself, Al-Bayhaqi, and other senior scholars of Hadeeth.

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote: "The authenticity of this Hadeeth has been questioned by those who were more knowledgeable than Imaam Muslim such as Yahya ibn Ma‘een, Al-Bukhari, and others. Al-Bukhari stated that these were the words of Ka‘b Al-Ahbaar. Another group of scholars considered the Hadeeth authentic such as Abu Bakr ibn Al-Anbaari, Abu Al-Faraj ibn Al-Jawzi, and others. Al-Bayhaqi and others labeled the Hadeeth as weak; and this is the correct opinion because it has been proven through collectively contiguous reports that Allaah, The Exalted, created the heavens and the earth in six days and it is authentically reported that the last day of the creation of the universe was Friday. Hence, it is inferred that the creation started on Sunday. This opinion is supported by the reported traditions from the People of the Book. The names of the days suggest it too and it is authentically reported in other Ahaadeeth and traditions ..." [Majmoo‘ Al-Fataawa]

Allaah knows best.