Ibn Abi Al-Awja: His Historical Existence and the Evaluations of the claims about Him

The phenomenon of Hadith forgery has long been known to Muslims, and there have been constant warnings, even of Imams (a. s.), about it. Many books have been written in explaining and applicability of this phenomenon which have dealt with its different aspects, including the reference to characters to whom fabricated Hadiths are ascribed. The most famous of these characters is Ibn Abi Al-Awja about whom most history books of Hadith have talked. But, who is this character? Is he real or fictional? To what extent the claims about him, in terms of the number of fabricated Hadiths and the changing of religious orders is consistent with truth. In this paper, based on the library method and data analysis, we have shown although this character is real, he has not been engaged in Hadith forgery.