Is it haram to forward Islamic chain messages?

Why chain messages are a problem

A typical chain message says something like "The Prophet said whoever forwards this will get a palace in Jannah" or "Ignore this and you'll have bad luck for a year". These claims usually have no source at all. Forwarding them means putting words in the Prophet's ﷺ mouth, and he warned strongly about that: "Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire" (Sahih al-Bukhari 110).

Even if you didn't make it up, passing it on carelessly still counts. The Prophet ﷺ said it is enough of a lie for a person to repeat everything he hears (Sunan Abi Dawud 4992).

Check before you forward

The Quran sets the rule for any news that reaches us:

In practice, before you hit forward:

• Is there a clear source (Quran chapter and verse, or a hadith collection and number)?
• Can you find it on quran.com or sunnah.com?
• Does it promise huge rewards for tiny acts, or threaten bad luck? That's a red flag.

For more on checking hadith, see Do I need to check a hadith before sharing it online?

The "bad luck" threat isn't Islamic

Islam rejects the idea that ignoring a message brings misfortune. Good and bad come from Allah, not from whether you pressed "forward". Believing a chain message controls your luck is close to superstition, which the Prophet ﷺ discouraged. See Can I still say "good luck" as a Muslim?

What you can share

You can share a verse with its reference, an authentic hadith with its number, a reminder about prayer, or a dua from a trusted book. If a message is false, the kind thing is to reply privately to whoever sent it, with a gentle note and a correct source. The same care applies to news in general. See Is it a sin to share fake news online as a Muslim?