In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

Literally: Mawdu’ is something that is attached.

Technically it is a lie that is forged and falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
In reality it is not a hadith, it is only called so figuratively.

Many a times the statement may be that of a wise man or even a Sahabi which was wrongly attributed to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). At other times it was intentionally fabricated and ascribed to him (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

The fabricated hadith is very dangerous and harmful to the Deen of the Muslims.

The Scholars of Islam all agree that it is totally haram to narrate a fabricated hadith unless the person is warning people from its evil. This is based on the authentic hadith narrated by Muslim in the introduction of his Saheeh: “The one who narrates a hadith ascribing it to me and he knows that it is a fabrication then he is from amongst the liars.”

In conclusion, a fabricated hadith is not a hadith and it is not permissible to narrate it whether it deals with issues of theology, jurisprudence, seerah or virtues (fadhaailul aa’maal).

And Allah knows best.