Aboo Zur'ah: "The Salaam is before the question..." = not authentic

In the Name of Allaah...

Regarding the hadeeth that means, "The Salaams is before the Question..." quoted here:

http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmes...=19&Topic=1013

Although it was considered hasan by al-Albaanee, it seems that the chains are extremely weak, and it has been called: laa asla lahu (unfounded, or baseless) by a great early critic, Aboo Zur'ah ar-Raazee, as found in Ilal Ibn Abee Haatim. Maahir al-Qahtaanee alerted me to this today (may Allaah bless him and his efforts).

I say all this because I have been mentioning this hadeeth for over ten years, not knowing other than Al-Albaanee's ruling. After knowing about Aboo Zur'ah identifying it as laa asla lahu, I am not convinced by the argument of Al-Albaanee in the Saheehah, and I do not believe that this is established from the words of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam).

However, the generality of the authentic hadeeth, "The rights of a Muslim on another Muslim are six: that you give him salaams when you meet him..." suffices for the importance of giving salaams when meeting, and by qiyaas when we meet on paper (in letters, emails, and text messages), and Allaah knows best.

jazaakAllaahu khayraa for the clarification akhee. baarakAllaahu feek wa fee 'ilmik.