Assalamu 'alaykum dear Shaykh. Is it true that the book 'Preparing for the Day of Judgement' (al-Isti'daad li yawm al-Ma'aad) is wrongly attibuted to Hafidh ibn Hajr?

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.

Shaykh Mashhoor Aal Sulaymaan cited this book in his book entitled Kutub Haththara Minha Al-‘Ulamaa’ (Books scholars warned against) (2/326-330). He said: “Al-Isti‘daad li-Yawm Al-Ma‘aad is a book that was published and falsely attributed to Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaani. I read this in passing a long ago in the magazine "Al-Jaami‘ah as-Salafiyyah", and as time passed, this was confirmed to me with indications and evidence, the most powerful of which is what Ibn Hajar himself stated in the biography of Ibraaheem ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Mu’ayyid ibn Hammuwayh Al-Juwayni, Sadr Ad-Deen Abu Al-Majaami‘ ibn Sa‘d Ad-Deen Ash-Shaafi‘i As-Soofi (d. 722 A.H): "Imaam Ath-Thahabi said: 'He was a woodcutter by night (i.e. a narrator who receives every narration he found regardless of it is accurate or false); he collected Ahaadeeth with two narrators, or three narrators, or four narrators but all of which are fabricated and not authentic.'"  I (Shaykh Mashhoor) say: This is a description of the book Al-Isti‘daad.” [End of quote]

Shaykh Mashhoor went on to mention further evidence that it is wrong to attribute the book to Ibn Hajar .

Allaah Knows best.