How can I check whether a hadith I saw on social media is authentic before sharing it?

Begin by refusing to pass it on until it is verified, since Allah commands us to investigate when news reaches us so that we do not harm people out of ignorance, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned that whoever tells a lie against him deliberately should take his seat in the Fire. A post with no source is not a hadith; look for a named collection and number, then confirm the wording actually appears there using a reliable database or a printed edition, because much of what circulates is either an outright fabrication, a saying of a scholar or a Companion, or an Isra'ili report (Isra'iliyyat) wrongly attributed to the Prophet. After locating it, check its grading, remembering that appearing in a Sunan or a Musnad does not by itself mean it is authentic — consult the verdicts of the specialists, such as al-Albani in his Silsilah and takhrij works or the checking of Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, and note that the scholars sometimes differ. When you cannot establish it, either stay silent or quote it with the honest caveat that it is not established, and ask a person of knowledge.

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